Indigo Hazard 93
Chapter Nine
Mistreated and Forgotten
Summary: A distraught mother deals with her daughters kidnapping while a girl chases after a man wanted by the police. Neil/Grace.
Disclaimer: I don't own The Bill or its characters all original characters are my own.
A/N: I'm so sorry for the delay in posting, I've had this chapter written for a while but I haven't posted it because if I did then this story may not have gotten finished. Enjoy the second to last chapter of Indigo Hazard 93 :)
Seven am saw the briefing room filled with both Uniform and CID alike. The gathered officers were awaiting the information and orders regarding the obbo set up to catch Eden Murphy, Roberto Constantineand Joe Frederick. The information linking the final two men to the crime had come in late in the afternoon on the previous day. Sun Hill had hoped to bring down all persons involved.
"Today we'll be following this man, Eden Murphy, we are hoping that he is going to lead us to Roberto Constantine and his bodyguard Joe Frederick. Familiarise yourselves with their photos which are being passed around."
"Gov isn't Joe Frederick the guy that Tom Reid was going to meet when his stepdaughter went missing?" asked Terry.
"Yes he is. Stevie reinterviewed Tom Reid who was able to identify Joe Frederick as the man that he met up with. Also just a reminder we don't want to spook Eden Murphy as these men are wanted for the trafficking and prostitution of underage girls and we want to bring down the whole outfit,"
"What if this Eden Murphy guy doesn't lead us to the other two?" asked Nate.
"In the event that he doesn't lead us to Constantine and Frederick we'll try again. Is there anymore questions?"
Neil's question was met with silence from everyone in the room so he proceeded to issue out orders. "I'll be running this operation from here at the station and I want three teams, one at 98 Slone Crescent who will be following Eden Murphy, another over at 50 Clefton Street and finally another at the tube station he's been known to use. Mickey and Terry, you will be at Clefton Street, Murphy has met Constantine there before and I want you two there in case this is where they're meeting again. Stevie you'll be at the tube station," Neil Turned to Callum. "Callum, you'll also be there and can I get you to assign your officers?"
"Yes Gov, Mel and Nate I want you over at Slone Crescent, you'll be following Murphy and everyone else will be with myself and DS Moss."
A chorus of "Sarge" sounded from the uniformed officers.
Nate and Mel sat in the car positioned just up the road from 98 Slone Crescent for just over an hour now. Movement inside the house told the two PC's that the suspect they were to be following was still inside.
"What would drive a person to the extreme of kidnapping young girls? If they need the money there are other ways of getting it."
Nate turned to face Mel. "I don't know Mel, some people when they need money they get desperate and this is what they do to get it and others would do something like this because they like it."
The front door of Number 98 opened and out walked Murphy. "He's on the move," stated Mel. "Sierra Oscar 70 from 148. Target has left his house and is on foot heading west down Slone Crescent, following on foot."
Mel climbed out of the car. Her ballet flats silent as they hit the ground as she walked at a distance behind Murphy.
Nate pulled up to the curb on Hoffan Street where Mel was standing up against a tree and pretending to be texting on her phone. Mel had been lead here by Murphy almost ten minutes ago before he entered one of the houses. Mel put her phone in the right pocket of her jeans and climbed into the passenger side of the car.
"Murphy went into Number 30 about five minutes ago."
"Could he have gone out the back?"
"I don't think so, I've been able to see movement from inside the house since he entered."
Murphy walked out of the house. He paused for a second before he walked over to a green Kia and got in.
"Sierra Oscar 70 from 148. Target has just got into a dark green Kia licence number Lima Oscar 1 2 Charlie Bravo Foxtrot."
"Received. We'll run it and get back to you with the results."
With eyes on the car down the road Nate turned the key in the ignition and the engine roared to life. The pair put on their seatbelts and continued tailing Murphy.
Several minutes later Nate and Mel were given the results on the vehicle trace. The Kia they were following was registered to Roberto Constantine. This finally gave them the evidence that proved that Murphy was at least associated with Constantine.
"Target has turned onto Winslow Road and is now northbound," said Mel into her radio.
"Mel I don't think he's heading for the tube or Clefton Street."
Mel opened her mouth to respond but Neil's voice coming over the radio cut her off.
"Winslow Road, that's the opposite direction, he must be going somewhere else."
"We were just thinking that ourselves Gov."
"Alright, keep following him and I'll get Mickey and Terry to join you."
"Received."
The pair continued to tail Murphy along Winslow Road for several miles before Nate flicked on the left indicator and followed the other car around the corner, Mickey and Terry not far behind. The area of Canley they were now headed towards was one of the more prestigious neighbourhoods, an area of town which was much too expensive for Murphy to b e close to anyone who lived there.
"What are the chances of Murphy having family or friends who live here?" asked Mel rhetorically.
"I'd put my money on him meeting up with Constantine."
"Well I'd say you're right, he's about to pull into Number 54 and Joe Frederick is standing outside the door."
"We've got them."
Murphy pulled into the yard of one of the biggest houses on the street, Number 54. Nate drove past and pulled over three houses down on the western side of 54. A minute late Mickey and Terry drove past and continued around the block before they pulled over on the eastern side of the street.
"Sierra Oscar 70 from 148. Murphy has just entered 54 Addison Drive, how do we proceed?"
"Stay outside until backup arrives."
The four officers looked on as Murphy was let through the door of 54 Addison Drive while they waited for backup.
Police sirens sounded in the distance. Frederick tensed up at the unwanted sound as it got louder and closer. However, he slightly relaxed his posture when the sirens died off far enough away that Frederick wasn't further alarmed. He remained unaware, as he stood by the door, of the officers who sat in their vehicles either side of the luxurious property.
Not three minutes later the flash of a white van in his peripheral vision when it turned the corner at the eastern end of the street caught Frederick's attention. He turned his head to look at the vehicle and quickly noticed the distinctive markings of a Metropolitan Police vehicle, lights still flashing, which sent the tall man into action.
Frederick turned and rushed through the front door. He was headed for the office just a short way down the hall which spurred off to the right from the main entryway. This was where Constantine had taken his guest to discus business.
Before he entered the office Frederick thought if he should knock or just walk straight in. He decided that time was of the essence and went for the latter. Frederick reached out for the door handle and entered the large office.
The side walls of the office were lined with bookshelves filled with books and various statues and artefacts. In front of the window clad rear wall sat a large mahogany desk which Constantine sat behind with Murphy in one of the two seats on the side closest to the door.
"Joe you know you're not to interrupt me during my meetings and stay outside."
"I know that boss but the cops are here and we need to go."
Constantine shot out of his chair and turned his attention to Murphy. "Were you followed here?"
"I-I don't think so."
Constantine hastily walked around the desk and exited the office, forgetting about his guest. Just as he got to the door to the kitchen the front door burst open. Constantine was out of sight of the officers that flooded through the door but that didn't give him much time to flee the property.
Stevie caught up to Constantine as he was just approaching the backdoor. "Police, stop!" The Detective Sergeant's words didn't deter the man, he just continued towards the door. Stevie grabbed a hold of Constantine and stopped him in his tracks and endeavoured to handcuff him but the older man was deceptively strong. He fought off Stevie's every attempt at restraining him and would have succeeded in getting away from her had Callum not walked into the room at that moment.
Upon seeing Stevie struggling to handcuff the man Callum quickly strode over to Stevie and helped her restrain Constantine. "Thanks," responded Stevie to Callum's help.
The sound of the other two suspects being read their rights resonated throughout the front end of the house. "Roberto Constantine, you are under arrest for the trafficking and prostitution of underage girls. You do not have to say anything but it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something which you may later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence," Stevie's voice added to the others'.
Stevie walked over to the black Audi A8 that was parked in the large garage next to several other luxury cars. Eddie had just finished examining the interior of the vehicle.
"You look like you've found something Eddie."
"I sure have," Eddie's usual I-just-found-something-important smirk adorned his face. "Recent activity on the built-in Sat Nav shows repeated trips to 206 Ridgeway Road."
Stevie waited for Eddie to continue with anything else he had been able to find while she wrote down the address. "Thanks Eddie," she replied when he didn't continue.
Turning on her heel Stevie walked out of the garage and made her way over to Callum who stood next to one of the other uniform officers. She stopped next to the much taller Sergeant who was being informed by the older PC that the search of the property turned up nothing. The officer left several moments later leaving the two sergeants to discuss what they had been told about the case.
"We haven't found anything here, what do you say we call the DI and head back to the station?"
"I wouldn't get your hopes up just yet Callum. While Eddie was trolling through the Sat Nav he found repeated trips to one particular address," Stevie looked down at her notes. "206 Ridgeway Road. Could you run a check on that address?"
Callum pressed the button on his radio. "Sierra Oscar from 30. Can I hav a check on 206 Ridgeway Road."
"30 from Sierra Oscar. The address is a former warehouse owned by Roberto Constantine. The warehouse was converted into an office five years ago and there have been reports in the last five months that it's been used as a brothel but investigations turned up have nothing."
"All received."
Stevie pulled her mobile phone from her pocket and dialled the DI's number.
"Manson."
"Gov, the girls aren't being held here but they could be at the address we've just found."
"Alright, bring in Murphy, Constantine and Frederick then head over to the warehouse."
"Yes Gov."
A/N: And that's the ninth chapter I hope you enjoyed it, just one more to go and please review :)
