CHAPTER 46

The roast was a little overdone, but the roast potatoes and other trimmings were spot on. It was almost like a Christmas dinner, as after arguing on the shop about what would actually go on the plates we had simply agreed to do everything.

Dad liked it, from the way he cleared his down to the pattern on the china, so I counted it as a success. Mam cleared the dishes away, leaving them to soak, and we settled down in our usual places on armchairs and settee. Dad broke the comfort of our well-fed silence.

“You look a little out of sorts, son. What’s up?”

Blake shrugged. “Just finding out how new to this work we really are, Mark. So many things we could have worked on that we missed”

Mam’s face twisted. “And that man isn’t in a cell, then? Not doing fifteen years away from decent folk? And those two coppers?”

“Yes, but we met someone today, and they could, should have been spoken to, as well as a couple of others. Sloppy, we were”

Dad shook his head. “No, son. Mam’s right: he’s inside, and if I have it right, our little girl here is digging up more to throw at him. He’s done, and you two have a lot of other work coming your way, so just put this one to bed and get on and do the best you can for the next job. You were out to Dunraven today, then?”

I found my voice. “Yes. Turned out the woman in the tourist centre was the one who called me an ambulance”

Dad smiled, and it was soft.

“Then you’ve helped somebody clear themselves of some pain today, seeing you up, proud, fighting back. That’s a good thing. Look to the good stuff, aye? Mam, they haven’t seen the paper, have they?”

He threw over a copy of the Western Mail. “Page 8, love”

I flipped through to where he indicated, and there was the answer to Elaine’s odd comment.

A spokesman for the Welsh Government today announced the establishment of a task force to investigate current and historical serious crime cases, following the successful conclusion of an investigation by South Wales Police/Heddlu De Cymru into a series of violent sex attacks in the Cardiff and Swansea areas, which resulted in the arrest and conviction of five men. The Serious Crime Investigation Unit will remain based at Cardiff, under the management of South Wales Police, but will be available to adopt cases across Wales. The Cabinet Secretary’s spokesman stressed that as the unit was staffed entirely by serving police officers rather than requiring new appointments, there would be no impact on day-to-day policing.

I had wondered when it was all going to end, when I would be put back into uniform now the investigation and its extras were done and dusted, but this was a surprise. I hadn’t been looking forward to losing my team, and for once it seemed the senior managers were on my side. I turned to my comfort blanket.

“Elaine said something about this, love. National funding. You happy staying with the team?”

“You do ask some stupid questions, love. Now, we have a passport form to complete, and we need to sort out who signs the picture. Mark, you should have seen her in the photo booth! Spent more time primping than a primpy thing!”

I huffed. “Yeah, well, don’t know what your photo’s like, but this is ten years that picture will be in my passport, and I want it to look decent, innit? Now, as he mentions that, Mam, don’t we need to go shopping? New swimming cossie and all that? Don’t know if the one I had in Australia’d be fit for anything now!”

I didn’t need to say that after that trip with Bridget, I hadn’t actually had a proper holiday. Never mind; I had one to look forward to now.

“Blake, love? Fancy a run out day after tomorrow? I need to see some people, and I’d like to give them a chance to say hello to you”

I was off work, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t stop by to see friends. I sent Deb a quick text as soon as I had Blake’s agreement. Two mornings later, waking up safe and comfortable each time, we took our seats in the little café. Blake looked round, after getting us a cup of tea and a bacon roll each, checking the clientele out.

“She’s not here, love, and we’ve already had breakfast”

“Aye, but I never could resist the smell of bacon. If you don’t want yours, leave it to me. I am guessing we are in here so she can vet me, aye? Safe house?”

“Dead right. They are really, really careful who gets in. She’s not been specific, but I gather they have had a few problems before. There’s a local lad tasked with a liaison role, feed any problems back up the line, but I suppose it’s better to have nothing to report in the first place. Ah. That’s her coming down the street now. Grab another cuppa for her?”

Deb came straight to me with a hug and a smile, and of course the cup of tea Blake brought over was accompanied by a bacon roll.

“What? If she doesn’t want it, I’ll have it”

Deb grinned. “You can sod off, son. My name is on that one! Nice to meet you at last, anyway. We all watched the news. Couldn’t hear much of it, the girls were shouting so loud. Di, thanks for this. We’ve already had a house meeting. Two of the girls will stay in their rooms, but the rest are dying to meet him”

“Thanks, Deb. We’re both off work just now, but I thought he’d be great for doing the statements. I still have to stay clear of the formal stuff, being so involved”

She nodded. “Yeah, we all understand. Anyway, get this down me and back to the house. Gemma’s brought some stuff home for you”

I looked over to Blake, who was just finishing his roll.

“Think he’s had enough calories today!”

“No, Di. She’s done some pastries and stuff for us all, but she’s brought you a box full, for you to take home. Family and that, as a thank you”

I could see little flickers in Blake’s face, as he digested her comments along with his second breakfast.

“Deb, Di? How many are we looking at here? How many victims?”

She stared at him, face carefully expressionless.

“Well, DC Blake, just for starters we have three rapes and a kidnapping. Will that do?”

That brought the flickers into the open.

“I think that will do for starters. I am going to be open and honest here, Deb, and say that I would love to see them banged away until they are so old they can’t hurt anyone ever again”

She nearly spat, as the emotion broke through.

“Well, I want to see them die in prison!”

It was Blake’s turn to snarl. “No, why should they spend their last years safe, secure and at our expense? Why should we keep the wolves off them?”

Deb’s jaw dropped, and then she laughed.

“I like your style, boy! Come on; the girls are all impatient”

Down the street and in the back door to the little kitchen, Gemma waiting for us with a large cardboard box. Deb waved her away.

“Want to let the girls know we’re coming through in five, Gem? Ta!”

She turned back to Blake.

“This is like an airlock. Gives them time to sort their heads out, or leave if they don’t think they can handle you. We don’t get many men in here, for obvious reasons, and certainly not in the main room. You are being honoured, son”

She counted the minutes down before leading the way to the connecting door, Blake’s eyes everywhere.

“Two houses together, aye?”

“Oh yes. Gives us the room we need, as well as two extra escape routes, if and when”

She left that one hanging, and apart from a raised eyebrow to me, so did Blake. The dining room was full of noise, but when we entered it managed to get even louder, with cheering as well as greetings to me. Deb held up both arms.

“QUIET!”

Calm descended, and she grinned. “Sometimes they listen to me, it seems”

She turned back to the girls.

“You’ve all seen this man on the telly, so you know who he is. He and Diane are off work at the moment, so this is a social visit, sort of get to know you thing”

“Why are you off work, Diane?”

Charlie, of course.

“Honestly? It was the trial. All a bit much for me, in the end. Got a result though, didn’t we?”

I waited patiently for the fresh wave of shouting to die down.

“Now, Blake’s off work to look after me, but he’s a good lad—you all know that, and I certainly do. So, at some point we want to give you an opportunity to talk to us formally. No compulsion, no forcing you to do anything you don’t want to. They are all going nowhere for a few years, so we have time to get together and add more than a few years to their sentences. Not asking anyone to commit themselves now, is it? Just saying you can hit back now, if you want. Not just them, either. We are here to listen. Oh, and who’s got the kettle duty?”

Gemma laughed happily. “Well, I’ve done the cakes, so someone else can do it. Megan?”

A dumpy girl I hadn’t seen before called over to me “Cocoa for you? And the man?”

I looked at him, and he nodded.

“Two cocoas, love, and he’s called Blake. Charlie? Tiff? Want to say hello?”

I introduced the two girls to a very quiet and softly-spoken partner, and asked the necessary question.

“Do either of you mind if I give him a quick idea of what happened to you?”

Tiff shook her head, while Charlie, as ever, sniffed.

“Not if it gets him more shit, no. Do it, Di”

“Thanks. Jump in if I get it wrong. Love---”

I saw them perk up at my very deliberate use of that word. Brutalised, raped, whatever had happened to them, they remained young girls dreaming of better, brighter things.

“Love, this is Charlie, and Tiff. Tiff had problems with her father, for starters. A little bit too interested when she let people see she was a girl, so she had to leave”

I kept my face turned away after that, for the expressions chasing themselves over his own face were disturbing.

“Obviously, she couldn’t stay at home, and she ended up being picked up by Joe Evans. Charlie here also met him, and some of our other friends. How old were you, love?”

“Fucking thirteen, Di”

“Thanks, girl. Blake, she was out for a walk, and she met Ashley Evans. Same as with me, in essence. Found in some bushes by a dog walker. Off to hospital, and had a visit from you know who, both of the bastards. So, she gets kicked out of home, ends up on the streets, and gets found by someone who looks after her, or so she thinks”

“Wonky-eyed cunt!”

A low rumble of a voice.

“Joe Evans?”

I pulled Charlie over into a hug.

“The very same, love. He gets her into a room, and I rather suspect he was looking to punt her affections out round his friends. Sorry, Charlie, if it sounds like I’m making a joke out of it, but it’s not easy for me, either”

No sniff this time. “Went out of the window, I did. Don’t know where I’d be now if I hadn’t, and Nana, of course. Enough, Di”

“Tiff?”

“Yeah, go on”

“Tiff was at home, and worried about how her Dad was reacting”

She was never forward, but this time she put her hand on my arm.

“Better if I tell this, Di. The girls all know my story. I was fourteen, came out to my parents. Mam wasn’t too bad, even took me shopping, and Dad seemed fine. At first. Then he started buying me clothes as well. Charlie?”

The other girl pulled her into a cuddle, and Tiff continued, speaking into Charlie’s chest.

“Not going into details, not now, but a lot of what he bought me was underwear. Stupid stuff. And then he wanted me to wear it for him… After, I told Mam, and she just shouted at me, called me a liar. She said, ‘Haven’t I done enough for you, you pervert?’, and I couldn’t take any more, couldn’t face another Daddy’s Girl night, so I left. I didn’t have any money, well, only a tenner…”

Her voice faltered for a moment.

“Same thing as Charlie, yeah? Wonky Eye picked me up in a Maccy D’s, last of my cash, nowhere to sleep, and he had a spare room. I didn’t get out of the window, though, not then. I still met Pritchard, though. And a couple of his mates”

Blake had my hand by then, and I thought he was going to crush it. His voice was still soft, though, his self-control as solid and safe as the way he drove.

“Thanks, girls. If you want, and only when you do, I’d like to put this down on paper. What we call a witness statement. We have other people we are looking at just now, but could you let me have the dates, especially your rape, Charlie. We need that to tie up some loose ends with some other people, and then… Then, there are some adjustments that need making to a number of jail terms”