The barb stung and Tom shrugged it off. DCI Grant knew Tom had come straight from the Glovers, so he didn’t need to give excuses.
‘I’d like to introduce Chief Inspector Billingham and Detective Inspector Sarah Hunter, and thank you both for joining us at such short notice,’ Grant said. ‘Chief Inspector Billingham will be co-ordinating the uniformed division operation. The location falls within the north Brighton patch and his officers are best placed to know the ins and outs of the area. DI Hunter will be our link to their CID.’
There were murmurs of greetings and Tom noticed how Chief Inspector Billingham was courteous to no one except Grant, whereas Sarah Hunter was friendly all around.
‘Chief Inspector Billingham and I will be jointly co-ordinating this operation. I’ll be Gold Commander and the Chief Inspector will be the second in command,’ Grant said. ‘Let’s see what we’re working with.’
Diane tapped at her keyboard and sent a map and a photographic image to the second screen.
McGowan groaned. ‘It’s in the middle of bloody nowhere, guv. How the hell are we going to make it safe for Alice?’
‘It’s going to be a challenge,’ Grant said. ‘And we’ve no time for a site visit. Chief Inspector Billingham, can you fill us in on the local details?’
Billingham cleared his throat. ‘The spot he’s chosen is an area of natural beauty and it forms a basin at the foot of the South Downs. It’s a popular area for ramblers.’ Billingham used a red pointer to show them. ‘This here is the South Downs – they’re a line of low hills stretching across the Sussex countryside. The spot for the handover is on the side of the Downs furthest from Brighton. It’s a basin about a mile across and remote, accessed by a network of footpaths and cycle tracks. There are two car parks and neither are close. This one is the nearest and I’d estimate it to be about ten minutes’ walk away. The other parking area is more than twenty.’
‘What about visibility?’ Grant asked.
‘There’ll be some from the nearest car park because it’s at the same elevation and there’s nothing in between except heather and gorse. We’d have visibility from the top of the Downs, except that’s a real hike, so by binoculars only. Our best bet is this little wooded area and this line of trees straggling along the bottom of the Downs.’ Billingham wiggled the pointer. ‘It provides cover and it’s about as close as the car park.’
‘Basically you’re saying the perimeter must be back behind this line of trees, if we’re to stay out of sight of the abductor.’
‘Correct.’
‘Bloody hell we’ll be miles away. That’s not giving us much advantage,’ McGowan said.
‘That’s one way of putting it,’ Billingham said stiffly.
Billingham had a sour tone. He was a man with a chip on his shoulder, Tom thought, though he had good knowledge which was what they needed.
‘How do you think he’s going to bring in the children then, sir? By car? And how will the abductor leave the area? They must know we’d set up roadblocks,’ Collins said.
‘Yes, I was wondering about that,’ Sarah Hunter said. ‘I’m not convinced the children will be brought here. It seems a highly unlikely place for an exchange, don’t you think so, sir?’
Sarah Hunter was much more friendly than Billingham and she was doing her best to make up for Billingham’s lack of rapport.
Billingham puffed out his cheeks. ‘It’s impossible to say.’
Ah, thought Tom, a man who didn’t like to risk being wrong.
‘We’ve been told to bring half a million in exchange for the children,’ Grant said. ‘That’s what we’re putting Alice at risk for. The abductor must have a plan to get in and out. Is it possible to land a light plane?’
‘The basin could be a landing spot,’ Hunter said.
‘Collins, check with local airfields and see what flights have been logged. We’re running out of time to stop him if that’s what he’s planning. Another scenario is he’ll head across country and have a getaway vehicle waiting somewhere we can’t anticipate. What do you say, Billingham?’
‘Like I said, it’s a natural bowl with no cover until the wood. Outside of the basin, your guess is as good as mine. There are plenty of paths and small patches where you could conceal a vehicle and it would have to be a four-wheel drive to cope with the terrain. There are two roads which we can cut off. However, this whole place is covered with footpaths and cycle tracks which go for miles. It makes it impossible to cover all exit points.’
Grant nodded. ‘If I were him, at the same time Alice leaves the money, I’d give co-ordinates for where to find the children. Then our search for Emily and Lisa will take priority especially if he’s put them in danger. The abductor would bargain on it giving him time to grab the money and get away.’
‘It’s all very odd,’ Tom said. ‘What makes him think he’s going to have a window to get the cash? Surely he knows we’ll be waiting to nab him even if we’re scrambling for the children.’
‘I agree,’ Sarah Hunter said. ‘It’s difficult to see how he’s going to get away with it.’
‘I think it’s all hinging on him making further demands,’ Grant said. ‘He’s got a plan we haven’t thought of and there’s always the possibility he has an accomplice.’
Tom shook his head. ‘I don’t like it.’
‘Whether you like it or not, son, it’s what we’ve got to deal with,’ Billingham snapped.
Tom felt so stressed his stomach was in a knot, and everyone was on edge.
‘We won’t get anywhere if we’re not on the same page. I need everyone focused.’ Grant stamped out the rising tensions.
‘Have you got uniformed officers with bikes?’ Grant said. ‘If he tries to get away across country then we can pursue him.’
‘Yes,’ Hunter said. ‘What do you think, Chief Inspector? Officers use bikes on Brighton seafront and we have a
