Authors: Michael Hambling
‘I think so, ma’am,’ he replied.
‘So if she got out, she could clamber up using that downpipe, then onto the small roof, and from there up onto the main roof?’
‘Looks like it could be done if someone was agile enough. I wouldn’t like to have chanced it though. And it explains the towel. And once she was missing, they’d look for her on the ground or hiding in one of the sheds. Maybe it didn’t occur to them that she’d gone upwards. They’d expect her to make a run for it,’ he said. ‘Clever girl.’
‘That’s my Nadia,’ Sophie said. ‘Now, what happened next?’
‘They’d spend some time searching for her, but it would have to be quick. The other girls would have to be guarded while they were doing it, and maybe there were only the three of them,’ said Melsom.
‘We know they didn’t find her, so what would they do?’
‘Get the rest of the girls away then come back to make a more thorough search,’ he said.
‘But you and I turned up, Barry. That probably spooked them even more. Once we’d gone they burned the stuff they didn’t want to take, and left by boat. So the big question is, where could they have gone?’
‘Poole Harbour’s vast, ma’am. Isn’t it the largest natural harbour in Europe? It’s got three or four inhabited islands and dozens of small ones. The shore this side is a maze of creeks and inlets, and the far side is one huge built-up area. They could have gone anywhere,’ Marsh said.
‘Yes, but they didn’t, Barry, did they? They probably went somewhere very specific. We need to think it through. Let’s move back to the body on the rock. We’ve already said it was a very public statement. They knew the body would be found, and that we’d start making enquiries when it was discovered. They’d guess that we’d do exactly what we have done and start a house-to-house. They knew we’d get to their place sooner or later, so they’d have another ready. In fact, my guess is that they were going to move anyway. That’s why they put the body where we found it. A twisted sort of farewell gift. Didn’t they say that the place was rented from an agency and was up for sale? I think they’ve got somewhere else, somewhere better. Now comes the guess work. Criminals don’t change their habits much. That applies to most people by the way, not just the slime balls. So the new place won’t be vastly different from the old one. Let’s assume that their system, whatever it was, was working for them. They’d want to keep it going. So their new place is likely to be near the harbour.’
‘But Poole Harbour has a coastline of thirty-six miles, ma’am, so I’m told. And that’s not counting the islands,’ said Marsh.
‘Bear with me, Barry. Let’s look at the map. The islands wouldn’t be any good for them. They’d be a trap. I think we can also discount all the residential areas. I don’t think they’ll want to be too close to their old place either. They’ll still be based at a farm, or maybe industrial buildings of some kind. That’s my guess, anyway.’
‘I can’t fault your reasoning, ma’am,’ said Marsh.
‘I think they’d been planning this move for some time. You know, if it hadn’t been for your Mr Kirby’s new binoculars, and you getting off the mark so quickly with the house-to-house, we might have missed them entirely. Maybe they thought they had plenty of time for a leisurely move, and then Allbright and Holly came calling. If so, Nadia owes her life to their prompt action. If the gang hadn’t needed to get away so fast, they would have taken their time searching and they’d have found her.’
She turned to Melsom. ‘And you, Jimmy. You deserve a ticking off for deciding to wander down to the farm yesterday afternoon without my say-so. But you may just have saved that girl’s life.’
‘So do we start looking along the coastline? It’ll take a long time, ma’am,’ asked Marsh.
‘We’ll wait until this afternoon. I want to hear what Nadia has to say before I decide. If she confirms my thoughts, then I’ll get the go-ahead from HQ to assign the manpower to it. Meanwhile, Barry, you and I have to make an attempt at identifying those two heavies from the photofits. So fetch yourself a coffee and get stuck in. Jimmy, the tongue-cutting may give us a lead. Start digging to see if there are records of any previous incidences. By the way, I think the victim might be Nadia’s cousin. If so, his name is Stefan.’
‘The pick-up truck is a dead end. They hired it from a company in Poole, but gave false details. An address that is no longer there for a man who doesn’t exist,’ said Marsh.
‘Well, it was worth a try.’
Sophie called Archie Campbell again. This time she managed to speak for longer.
Wednesday, Week 1
Nadia was discharged from the hospital and she and Sophie drove to the police station. As they entered they passed someone waiting in the reception area who Sophie vaguely recognised. She led Nadia to her temporary office, and called Marsh to sit with the girl.
‘The interpreter’s arrived, ma’am. She’s waiting in reception,’ he said.
‘That’s what I was afraid of. Okay, you stay here with Nadia. I’ll go and get her. Or not. Oh, why did it have to be her?’
Marsh looked puzzled.
‘We have a history. I didn’t realise she was a Romanian speaker. I may have to abort this, Barry, and get someone else. So be prepared. And this cubbyhole is too bloody small. Is there any chance of getting somewhere a bit more spacious and comfortable?’
Sophie returned to reception and approached the visitor.
‘Doctor Porter.’
The woman smiled awkwardly. ‘Hello again, Chief Inspector. I suspect that you might not feel very positive about taking me on as your interpreter. And I can understand that. You left me feeling humiliated and ashamed last time we met. I have to say that I deserved the tongue-lashing you gave me. It was only after your harsh words that I fully understood how badly I’d let that young woman down. It made me rethink my approach to what I was doing. I suppose I really owe you my thanks. I offer you my apologies over what happened, even though they can never bring that poor girl’s life back.’
Sophie nodded. ‘I didn’t know you were a Romanian speaker.’
‘My husband is Romanian. I met him on an exchange of Business Studies students. I’m fluent in spoken rather than written Romanian. I imagine that’s what you want? That’s why I’m registered with the local police in Bournemouth.’
‘Yes. To get someone in from UCL would take days, and whoever they did send would be vastly overqualified for the interpreting I want them to do. But I’d be prepared to wait if necessary. Do you understand that?’
‘What you’re in fact saying is that you’d prefer to wait rather than use someone in whom you had little confidence?’ Dr Porter said.
Sophie nodded again.
‘I’d like to regain your goodwill, Chief Inspector, if I can. You won’t regret using me, I promise.’
‘This is another murder inquiry, Doctor Porter. Please realise that you will be bound by absolute confidentiality. Not a word of what you learn can be spoken outside these walls without my permission. And the confidentiality extends to chatting with your husband. Not only no mention of what you hear, but no mention of the fact that you have even been here until I say otherwise. It won’t be easy.’
‘I think I can understand that.’
‘It’s probable that the girl in question has been gang-raped, Doctor Porter. I also believe that she was forced to witness a sadistic murder. I need the details from her, but she must be treated with the utmost delicacy. I found her last night, so she hasn’t had much time to recover. She was naked, nearly dead from exposure and absolutely terrified. Knowing all this, are you sure you still want to continue?’
Mary Porter was silent for a few moments.
‘Yes,’ she said finally. ‘I want to make amends. To show you that I’m a better person than you think I am. And, if you do decide to use me, will you please call me Mary?’
‘Okay, we’ll give it a go, Mary. We’ll do it gently and calmly. If necessary take your time to get the translation exactly right. Nadia speaks a little English, and may think that she understands my questions. I want you to translate even if it looks as though she understands what I ask.’
The desk officer called across. ‘Ma’am, Barry Marsh just phoned down. You can use Inspector Rose’s office. He’ll be out of the station for the next hour or so.’
‘Thanks, Tony.’
Sophie left Mary Porter in Tom Rose’s office while she went to fetch Nadia and Marsh. She had begun to care about Nadia as if she was her own daughter. She could not easily forget how careless Mary Porter had been the previous year. Donna Goodenough had also been subjected to abuse, which Mary Porter had chosen to ignore.
‘The chief inspector’s very focused, isn’t she?’ Porter said to Marsh.
Marsh was arranging the chairs for the interview. He pointed to one of them. ‘That’ll be yours.’
‘Do you know about me?’ she asked.
‘No. All I know is that you met when we were investigating Donna Goodenough’s murder. She never told me what happened between you. My DC was there, but he was told never to talk about it. So no one else knows in case it’s worrying you.’
* * *
The first stage of the interview lasted for over an hour. Sophie sat beside Nadia and held her hand, occasionally stroking her arm. Barry Marsh took notes. Nadia described a chilling scenario. She was one of a group of six teenage girls and young women. They were lured away from college or jobs in Romania with the promise of work in the hotel industry in Britain, attendance at local colleges and the chance to study for a degree course at a British university. They and their families had paid for the transport to the UK. Things were wrong from the outset. The promised luxury coach had been replaced with a minibus. Conditions during the drive across mainland Europe deteriorated rapidly. By the time they stopped at a remote farm on the Normandy coast, their documents and passports were in the hands of the two drivers. Nadia did not know how many trips the men had made before hers, but she suspected there had been many. Conditions deteriorated further after they were transferred to an old motor launch for the cross-Channel trip. They travelled overnight, and the girls were locked in a cabin. They had waited in France for several days until stormy weather cleared to a patchy mist.
They moored to a small, rickety jetty in Poole Harbour, where they were let out of the cabin and led ashore. Nadia recognised one of the trio of men who met them. He was Stefan, her second cousin. They were roughly bundled into the back of a van. It was then that the girls knew they had been duped. When one of them objected to their rough treatment a man punched her twice in the face. The girl spent the short drive to their final destination sobbing in the corner of the van, while the others tried to clean up her face with paper tissues. They were all hurried inside a farmhouse and taken to a room on the first floor, furnished with three old double beds.
Nadia stopped talking and began to cry. After a while she continued speaking, her voice catching, shaken with sobs.
The rapes started that night. After they had eaten, the girls were hauled out and taken to a larger room on the ground floor. Five men were waiting for them, including Stefan. The girls were each given a drink of fruit juice. Nadia refused hers and spat it out. One of the men slapped her hard across the face and Stefan tried to intervene. She couldn’t follow everything they said, but she thought Stefan was trying to protect her. An argument ensued, and Stefan left the room, slamming the door behind him. Then the horror began. Each of the men grabbed a girl and hauled her to his room. The man who took Nadia had a gap between his teeth.
Sophie glanced across to Marsh. The man at the farm.
When her ordeal ended, this man led Nadia back into the first floor room. One by one the others joined her. All of them were shocked, confused and tearful. The girls who had finished their drink seemed distant and unfocused. They comforted each other and tried to rest. A short while later they were disturbed again. Two men they hadn’t seen before entered the room and looked around at the girls cowering in their beds. They selected Nadia and hauled her out, kicking and screaming. They took her to a warm, well-furnished bedroom. And then her real nightmare began.
‘Had you seen these two men before?’ asked Sophie.
‘No. And except for the next morning, I didn’t see them again.’
‘I think we all need a breather,’ said Sophie. ‘Nadia, you have given us a great deal. You’ve done so well. I’m proud of you, and you should be proud of yourself. We will bring all these men to justice. Would you like to go for a walk? The fresh air might be good for you. We could go to the seafront for a few minutes. It won’t take long to drive there.’
The three women walked along the front, and then out onto the stone jetty. They sat on a seat facing towards Ballard Down and the chalk cliffs.
Through Mary Porter, Nadia said, ‘It is so beautiful here. Romania only has a small coastline. I think you are lucky in your country to be surrounded by water. And to have such peace. I think I would like to remain here in Britain to study if it is possible.’
‘Don’t you want to go home and see your family?’ Sophie said.
‘Oh yes. More than anything. But I mean after that. I don’t want what those men did to stop me doing the things I want. If they do, they will have won.’
‘We will arrange for your family to fly across to see you soon,’ said Sophie. ‘I would like you to stay while we hunt for these men and bring them to trial. I need you to be safe and secure. But only come back if you are sure it is really what you want to do. You can rely on me if you do decide to come back. I will always be your friend if you need me.’
The young girl gave Sophie a wonderful smile and threw her arms around her.
* * *
The three women returned to the police station to continue the interview.
The next morning the girls, all of them naked, were taken out of the farmhouse, and across the yard into a shed. They stood huddled against a wall, cold and fearful of what might happen next. The two men who had taken Nadia came into the barn. They were followed by a Romanian man, dragging Stefan. Stefan’s hands were tied behind his back and he had clearly been beaten about the face. He was forced to kneel in the middle of the floor. What happened next was so rapid, and so horrifying, that at first Nadia thought she was hallucinating. One of the men lunged forward and grabbed Stefan’s tongue, pulling it out as far as he could. He then sliced it off with a knife blade. In the horror-stricken silence that followed, he stepped behind Stefan’s back and sliced the blade across his throat. Blood spurted out across the stone floor and Stefan toppled forward. Several of the girls fainted and all of them screamed. Nadia fell to her knees and vomited. Then she blacked out. When she came to, she was back in the girls’ room in the farmhouse.
The girls were left alone for the rest of the day and that night, but their clothes were not returned. Food and water was brought to them, and they were allowed to go to the bathroom, but only one at a time and under guard. The two men who seemed to be in charge were not seen again. The girls were left with the gap-toothed man and two Romanians.
The following day three of the girls were taken out and raped in the middle of the afternoon. Nadia was left alone. In the evening the girls could hear noises in the rooms below, as if objects were being moved. They also heard the sound of vehicles coming and going outside. None of the girls were taken out of the room that night.
The next day the sounds of activity continued until the middle of the morning when the noises suddenly ceased. One of the Romanian men came in and stood guard. He kept looking through the net curtains that were draped across the window. He told them he would kill anyone who made a noise. In the early afternoon, the men collected the girls and pushed them out down the stairs. They seemed nervous. Nadia pleaded to be allowed to pay a visit to the toilet. Inside, she grabbed a face flannel and a towel. She forced open the fanlight of a window above the sink and, clambering onto the basin, was able to haul herself up and force her thin body through the gap. She stood on a narrow outside ledge, clinging to the window-handle and listening to the noises from the yard at the front of the house. She realised that she couldn’t escape by going down. Instead, she began to climb up. She rested for a while on a small dormer roof above the bathroom window, and deliberately dropped the small flannel onto the ground below. She returned to the vertical rainwater pipe and inched up, finally managing to haul herself onto the roof and into a drainage gulley. She crept forward up the gulley until she reached the top ridge and crawled along it. She settled against the chimney-stack, and lay in the deep shadow at its base.
Not long afterwards she heard raised voices. Someone ran around the outside of the farmhouse and a shout told her that the flannel had been found. The sounds of running feet below continued for some time, but at last she heard the vehicles driving away. It was silent now, but Nadia decided to remain where she was until dark. She was terribly cold.
Nadia saw Sophie and Marsh arrive in the early afternoon. She sat huddled with her back against the chimney breast, trying to catch some warmth from the weak midwinter sunshine. She lay down again when she saw the pick-up truck return. She waited while the two men carried out a hurried search of the house and its immediate surroundings. One of the men was the younger of the two who had raped her. The other was a short, heavily built man she hadn’t seen since the boat trip across the Channel. The men carried some boxes into the trees, and Nadia caught sight of the fire. In the late afternoon the two men hurried down the track and Nadia saw a small boat move away from the jetty. No one came, but the pick-up truck still stood in the middle of the yard, and Nadia was afraid to move.
The temperature dropped further as the sun began to set, and Nadia realised that she would die if she stayed on the roof for much longer. She slid back down the roof gulley and found a handhold that allowed her to drop her legs over the gutter to the drainpipe. Somehow she found the strength to hold onto the pipe as she slowly lowered herself to ground level. She could hear no sounds. She made her way through the copse to where she’d seen the fire, and crept as close as she could. She knew she would be silhouetted if she came too near the fire, so she stayed behind a bush for most of the time, occasionally venturing closer to gain a little warmth. But the fire was dying. She was wondering whether to return to the farmhouse when she heard the three detectives approach. She recognised Sophie and Marsh from their earlier visit. She listened to their conversation, but couldn’t understand much. She was sure they were police officers, but didn’t know what would happen to her if she showed herself. Then Sophie spotted her.