CHAPTER 26
“Right, then boys and girls, we need to have a bit of a brainstorm here. We’ve got a bit of a lead from that camera footage, but unless Alun can pull off a match it gives us nothing more than evidence we can use after we catch the gentleman in question.

Now, what we have so far is nine assaults we can definitely link, plus five other possibles. They all involve three or more assailants, and apart from our rape they all take place in public toilets or nearby. None of the victims has admitted to cottaging, but in the immortal words of Saint Mandy, well, they would say that, wouldn’t they?

“More importantly, none of the victims has described their new friends as cottaging themselves. What it has been is instant nastiness. As soon as opportunity presents itself, our villains pile straight in. The footage from the Smuggler’s shows they are picking their target and tailing it, so if we ever catch up with them I want phones lifted immediately. I am open to suggestions here, but there is one thing staring us right in the face: the assaults, at least the ones that fit this pattern, have all taken place in either Caerdydd’s pink corner or the equivalent area of Abertawe. That’s Cardiff and Swansea for you foreign speakers, aye? There’s been sod all in any of the towns in between, and that gives me thoughts and ideas”

Diane had her hand up. “The two cities do concentrate the pink punters a bit, ma’am, but I see your point. Are we looking at someone who lives in between, or are we looking at mates split between the two?”

Blake was nodding. “Split between, I think. What’s happened so far shows a lot of local knowledge, and you don’t get that by living in Porthcawl or Bridgend”

There was a quiet “No, you just get inbred” from someone at the back, but I ignored it. “Right, then. I think you’re on the money there, Blake. What I’m wondering now is work. If these lads are living so far apart, they won’t be working together, and if one or two are on shifts, that will limit the number of occasions when they are all off at once. Just a thought, aye, but Blake, can you look at the intervals between attacks, see if there is any pattern? Might come to nothing, but it’s a way in. Besides, if there is a pattern, it should let us know the best night to leave our goat outside”

Chris winced at that one, but he seemed to be gelling with my crew, which was good news. They might move just that little bit quicker if they saw him inside our group rather than as some random civilian. Our targets were well-organised, and if we were slow in reacting he could be very badly hurt.

“Alun, want to start on those files? Ta! Chris, this is not being reverse sexist or anything like that, but we’ve got the makings over there, and, well, if you want to hang around…”

He laughed. “Nothing else I can do to help! I could do a food run if you want. Your cakes have almost evaporated. I don’t know much about this stuff apart from what I see on the telly, but I suspect it’s going to be a long one. Oh, you DO keep going on about sexism, don’t you? Too much equality and diversity”

Blake called out “I could get to like this one, ma’am! Just not in that way!”

Chris grinned. “Oh, you’re just playing hard to get, big boy!”

Tea was made, and from somewhere down the road Chris managed to get a couple of loaves of bread, some margarine and several bags of chips.

“You could have picked up some dog rolls in the canteen, butt!”

“Na, proper chip butties, that’s what growing men need. There’s a chippy round Bute Street and they had some bread in the back. I was walking round the corner and the smell just came out and pulled me in. The other bag's got some pies and battered sausages”

There was a little ripple of applause, and he blushed. “Don’t see this as a regular thing, but what I saw in that lad’s eyes, shit. If I can’t help with the real work, well, just give me a shout for brews and stuff”

Diane came over and hugged him. “You’ll fit in just fine, Chris. Mine’s white without, just for the future”

He drifted off to make the tea. “Diane?”

“Yes, ma’am?”

“What is it about Alun and those keys?”

She smiled in an evil way. “Young PCSO, innit? One of the lads told me he keeps a camping mat on top of the lockers, the dirty little sod, and when a night is a slow one he looks to liven it up a bit”

I tried not to laugh, but a snort slipped out. “I didn’t hear that, Detective Constable!”

“I didn’t tell you it, Inspector”

“Just tell him to keep it zipped while we’re on this one, aye?”

She shook her head. “No need, ma’am. He’s one of the good ones, just a bit of a randy sod. Ah, my cuppa. Ta, mate”

It was clear just then that I had picked exactly the right goat, for Chris was slipping seamlessly into the team. I’d have to nag them all about levels of confidentiality, of course, but as long as they liked him I could expect no slacking when and if we finally went live. I slept that night better than I had in days, spooned by my wife and with the first holes beginning to show in the bastards’ camouflage.

It was a bright morning the next day as I parked up and made a quick visit to Custody, as it was the quickest way into the back of the station.

“Ma’am?”

“Aye, Vic?”

“Sergeant Gould was looking for you, said to let you know when you came through. Front desk will be able to get a call to him, he was here only ten minutes ago”

“Thanks, Vic. Can you give them a ring to let him know I’m going straight to our room?”

“Will do, ma’am”

I made my way to our little empire, and Gould was there two minutes later.

“We’ve got another one, ma’am”

“Shit, already?”

“Sorry!”

“No, not at all. What’s the score?”

“He’s unconscious, ma’am. They’ve got him sedated for medical reasons. They did a real number on this one, and he’s got a depressed fracture of the skull”

“Shit and more shit. Where is he?”

“Three rooms away from the other poor lad, ma’am. Thing is, he was found out by Cowbridge, not far from the Cross Inn. There’s a hotel out that way, and they have a really secluded drive, almost a parallel road, see? I mean, the road itself is a lane, really narrow, lots of trees. Hotel guest saw the victim as they were leaving after breakfast, called an ambulance. Thing is, the member of the public is ex-Met, and they sort of secured the site, kept people off it. Bit full of themselves by all accounts, but it looks like we have tyre tracks at the scene”

“SOCO?”

“Already on their way, ma’am. I sort of took the liberty… hope you don’t think I’m treading on any toes”

“Not at all, Sergeant. This is the sort of thing that can open a case right up. I’ll detail a couple of the team to get out there”

“Er… I sort of already did that bit as well, ma’am”

I couldn’t hold the laughter this time. “Sergeant Gould, you are cooking on gas today! Can you write that lot up for me, quick summary for the records, and then do me a favour? Another favour, that is?”

“What do you need, Ma’am?”

“Brief the rest of the team with me. No Chinese whispers, just the straight stuff”

“Will do”

“Come on, then. They should be in, most of them. We had a long one yesterday”

I led the way into the room, and they were all there, which pleased me, apart from Diane and Blake, who I assumed were the two told off by Gould to get to the scene of the latest attack.

“Boys and girls, Sergeant Gould here has the SP for the latest incident, so rather than me cock everything up, he’s going to talk us through it. Sergeant Gould?”

“Ladies, gentlemen. The victim has been identified from his wallet contents. He is Omar Mohammed, twenty two, and from Tiger Bay. He was last seen by his neighbour going out to a gay pub in the city, a place called the Smuggler’s, which I assume you are all aware is a very pink place indeed. I have a couple of uniform at his digs, but I didn’t want to shake the pub up before you got to it. The victim was found in one of the private lanes by the Crossways hotel near Cowbridge at nine this morning by a retired sergeant from the Met. The victim was badly injured, and is now in dock with a depressed fracture of the back of the skull. There are ligature marks on his wrists… as well as a number of cigarette burns. He was partially-clothed when found, which was in a secluded and wooded lane. It was muddy where he was found, and our former colleague made sure to keep people away from what looks like a set of tyre marks. SOCO should be there by now”

“Thanks, sergeant. Anything else of note?”

“I’ve told SOCO to come directly to you, ma’am. I can’t get involved, you see: the neighbour is my nephew. And yes. He was raped”