‘Is there any way to find out if Caxton and O’Grady were in Belgium at the time?’ Wendy said. She was anxious to be out of the office and following the two heavies would have suited her fine.
‘It was nineteen months ago,’ Emily said.
‘Still, there must be CCTV here and in Belgium. Two men travelling in a green Toyota Land Cruiser must have been seen.’
‘Without a doubt, but that’s a lot of work, going through all the videos, and would they still be available?’ Bridget said. She had previously been the CCTV viewing officer, a skill she had been trained for. She would find proof if anybody could, she knew that.
‘Two people identifying O’Grady won’t hold up in court. It’s supposition, not proof. Emily, Larry, good work, but we need to follow it up,’ Isaac said. ‘What’s the current status of the two thugs?’
‘They’re still in Greenwich. O’Grady’s been out and about, Caxton was seen three days ago, but nothing since then. We believe he’s in the area, though,’ Emily said.
‘You’re maintaining surveillance?’
‘Low-key. We don’t want to let on that we’re closing in.’
‘We need something we can pressure them with. And then we can go after Frost, make the man sweat. His arrest may lead us to whoever killed Gilbert Lawrence. Wendy, work with Emily and her people. Find out the movements of Caxton and O’Grady, see if they’re predictable, see if they’re committing any crimes. Emily and her people are obviously doing a good job, so liaise, no need for you to be pounding the pavement any more than necessary.’
Wendy could see her DCI aiming to protect her, to keep her increasing immobility concealed for as long as possible. She had to thank him for his consideration, regretted that it was necessary. Regular exercise, massaging, and medication were helping, but the decline was continuing. And besides, Greenwich suited her fine for a few days. She had wanted to get up to the Greenwich Observatory for some time, a chance to see the Prime Meridian, zero degrees longitude, and the Cutty Sark, an old clipper ship, its restoration complete after a devastating fire. She had been there with her husband in their courting days. It would be good to go back, nostalgia for her, a remembrance of what a good man he had been, even if he had been difficult sometimes. She had to admit that she still missed him.
‘I’ve been checking names with Eurostar, the ferries, the airlines,’ Bridget said. ‘So far, no Caxton or O’Grady, although the checks are not that rigorous. Easy enough to forge documents, and no one is keeping a record of the photos on them,’ Bridget said.
The team was excited. For once, some decisive action. Emily was pleased to be in an office where negativity did not abound. She thought she could enjoy being in Challis Street on a more permanent basis, but her boyfriend was over the other side of the River Thames, and she did not see him that often as it was. Homicide involved much longer hours than she had worked before. It was the conflict between being a professional police officer and a person in a relationship. She knew she was not willing to make the ultimate decision of one at the expense of the other. She had seen too many relationships fall apart, she was not about to allow hers to become one of those as well.
‘The vehicle seen in Belgium, left- or right-hand drive?’ Isaac said.
‘No one’s sure,’ Larry said. ‘The lady in the shop did not see the vehicle, the farmer swerved to avoid it. It’s important to know, but there’s no way we can tell.’
‘Bridget, any luck?’
‘Nothing registered to Frost and his associates. I’ve been checking with records, stolen vehicles. There are two possibilities for UK registered vehicles. A Toyota Land Cruiser, 1990, stolen to the south of London, found abandoned in Brighton. Another vehicle, 1991, reported missing in Earls Court. The dates tally, and of the two, only one has been recovered.’
‘Is anyone checking?’
‘Forensics have the vehicle. Inconclusive at this time. The vehicle had been returned to the owner, and he subsequently tidied it up and sold it on.’
‘Dented, condition indicative of an accident?’
‘The owner was a keen member of an off-roaders club. The vehicle was not in good condition when it was stolen, no better or worse when it was returned. According to him, it was a good workhorse, had given him lots of fun, and he had been sorry to see it go.’
‘Why did he sell it?’
‘Child on the way. No doubt his wife had something to do with the decision.’ Larry understood. Before he had married, and before his wife had become pregnant with their first, he had been driving around in a two-seater, an MGB. A lot of fun, but not very practical. He had been sad when he sold it, even sadder when he drove out of the dealer’s with a four-door Ford Mondeo. He had mourned the change, a sign of passing from youth to adulthood and married responsibility.
Isaac phoned Forensics, received an update on the Land Cruiser. After two minutes, he put his phone down and spoke to the team. ‘It’s probably the vehicle in Belgium. Damage at the front is consistent with hitting another car, and they found paint from what looks to be the Peugeot. They’ve been in contact with Belgium, received a detailed analysis of the Peugeot’s paint. Bridget, you’ve a registration number, run it through the system, see what you can find.’
‘Will do, also I’ll access the databases in Belgium, talk to Inspecteur Hougardy.’
‘Get yourself on Eurostar and sit with their CCTV viewing officer. If we have a vehicle, we have a driver and a passenger. No problems over there, and they’ve probably kept records. It’s the most lit up area on the planet, lights
