Torchwood Three; Cardiff, Wales
Ianto Jones considered his options. The two cultists that chased Sarah were dumb thugs. Lindon and Palfreyman were insane. Family and friends of the original five victims, that could be located had nothing to add. Maxwell Evanson's brother Leith disappeared, possibly with their mother and her husband that worked for Gordon-Glen. According to a neighbor, Maxwell had a friend or girlfriend named Deidre. They hadn't been able to find her. Unless she spoke to Maxwell's neighbor, she probably didn't know they were looking for her.
Suspected Gordon-Glen associates might be useful. Toft Leger died trying to abduct Maddox was reportedly his father's coworker in Liverpool although they'd been unable to confirm it. Heartfield was following Teleri and arguably intended to abduct her. The question was what to do with the information.
Teleri Voyles was an odd target. Her family's church was nothing like the Light and the Way. She'd been exposed in an unknown way after the first failed attempt. She was the only known immunity. Heartfield wasn't a thug. Teleri's Anwen-like response to being followed had probably been unexpected.
While he didn't want to press any of the kids, showing Teleri, Wynne and Sarah pictures shouldn't be traumatic. The question was who to include. The five original victims, Sawyer, Beddoe, Leger, Heartfield, the two cultists, Lindon and CCTV from the restaurant sounded like a good place to start.
Ianto checked his watch. Dmitri had Michael for another hour. That would be enough time. Ianto tapped his ear com. "Jack, Gwen, who's in the hub?"
"What do you need?" Jack asked.
Ianto pushed his desk chair back. "I want to talk to Mrs. Purcell and the kids. Can Trefor sit with you?"
"Yeah. Are you in your office?"
"Yep." Ianto stood.
"Give me a few minutes."
"Uncle Jack?"
"Yep." Ianto quickly organized the photographs on a tablet. Heartfield was problematic. They had an ID photo and several old ones from Europol.
The door opened. Ianto looked up and smiled. Jack wore his coat and carried Trefor's. While they'd had an early lunch, Trefor could use a break. With his sister in the infirmary and everyone worried about safety, he'd been inside for to long.
"Pizza?" Trefor's eyes lit up.
Ianto tousled Trefor's hair. "Be good."
"Pepperoni."
"Do not throw food."
"Babies throw food," Trefor's countered.
Jack gave Ianto a hug. "We can go to the pirate themed restaurant for supper."
"We're not picking up women," Ianto said quietly. The first time he and Jack went there was a hen party eying Jack.
"Men?"
Ianto groaned. "Movie?"
"Maybe."
It was a ridiculous, fake argument. They needed to go back to the events Nessa recommended. It would help with the stress. Without Laren it wouldn't be as fun. But the brief pang of jealousy said the anxiety was worsening again. Dinner out would be a nice start. Even if it felt wrong with Anwen and John in the infirmary.
Ianto couldn't help but wonder about Laren as he headed for the former alchemy lab where Meredith Purcell and all three girls were making the best of the situation. Laren accepted a foster child who turned out to have an alien symbiont and a corporation after him. She went into protective custody with the child. The last time he talked to her, she was asking about the boy's mother, and whether her injuries had healed enough to be reunited with Maddox. It was impressive. The whole situation showed there were kids whose own families didn't care about them nevertheless foster parents.
Which was similar to Mrs. Purcell's current situation. Her and Wynne were brought into the hub because of Teleri. Not only did Mrs. Purcell not complain, she had accepted responsibility for keeping an eye on Teleri and later Sarah. Without her help, he'd be trying to juggle his office duties and keep track of the girls.
David Purcell was another story. A background check said he was an arse. His wife kicked him out of the family home on Christmas for a variety of offenses. While the Voyles family called, complained and threatened legal action over Teleri being at the hub, Purcell was quiet. From what they'd learn from the court system, he attempted to use both the restaurant situation and what happened with Teleri against his wife in court filings. There was no indication he'd inquired about Wynne's safety or current whereabouts. The remaining question about David Purcell was why he wasn't listed in the police investigation of the restaurant. There was no indication he was involved, but he should have been a suspect in the beginning.
Ianto stopped outside the old lab and tapped the panel. "Mrs. Purcell, I was hoping to ask a few questions."
The door opened a few minutes later. "Good news?" She sounded hopeful.
"No news. I have some pictures to show the girls. If they recognize anyone, it would give me a new direction."
Meredith Purcell stepped back and motioned him into the room. A television, movie rack and book shelves had been added for them. The storage boxes and lamp had been moved by Dmitri, making it look larger. Teleri, Wynne and Sarah sat at the table playing a board game. All three eyed him as he moved into the room.
"I have a question," Teleri said. "Torchwood can take on aliens and worldwide threats. Why do you work in a pit?"
"It's hard to break into." Ianto pulled a chair over to the table.
"How's Anwen?" Wynne asked quietly.
Ianto set the tablets on the table. "She's still in a coma, but holding on."
"Did you find my mum?" Sarah asked.
He hesitated. Veronica Isaacs was arrested by UNIT for her connection to bio-terrorism. "She's in jail." Signing her daughter up to be exposed would likely result in permanent incarceration.
Sarah nodded, staring at the table.
Ianto set a tablet in front of each of the girls. "Please look through the pictures. If you recognize anyone, show me."
Teleri made eye contact. "What are we looking for?"
"There has to be something we're missing," Ianto explained.
"Mr. Jones." Meredith Purcell motioned him aside.
He stood and crossed the room.
"David's brother sent me several text messages this morning. No one can find him." She held up her phone. "He wants to know if David's been arrested. They've called the hospitals and the morgue."
"Not that I know of."
"My husband is an arse, but he's a predictable arse. David likes drama and being the center of attention. The ridiculous flashy car. The affair with a woman half his age. He picked a fight with my youngest brother at Christmas." She sighed and rubbed her face. "But he goes to work on time. If his family calls, he answers. His mother's sick."
"I've seen this guy," Teleri said.
Ianto suspected it was Heartfield. He moved back to the table. An idea occurred to him as he looked at the image. He turned to Mrs. Purcell. "Would you look at the pictures?"
After a moment, shed joined them at the table. "Toft Leger." She picked up the tablet. "He's some type of project coordinator. He helps businesses find properties, contractors, equipment." She looked at him. "How's he involved?"
"I'm not sure. How do you know him?"
"David is a real estate agent. He has a lot of contacts."
Wynne held out a different picture. "I saw this man talking to dad before Christmas."
Werner Heartfield. That wasn't good. "Jack will need to talk to your husband. I need his business and contact information."
"This man is a cop." Sarah held out a picture of Sawyer.
Ianto reached for Sarah's tablet, and she handed it to him. He flipped through until he found a picture of Powell Beddoe. "Does he look familiar?"
Mrs. Purcell nodded. "He's a local businessman."
"Would you recognize any of the buildings your husband represented?"
She nodded. "Some."
Ianto had more questions than when they started. David Purcell was some way connected to Gordon-Glen. He should have been an initial suspect in the poisoning case. It was standard procedure. But he wasn't mentioned. If the kids were correct, he was involved with Leger, Heartfield and Beddoe. All three died in extreme ways. They needed to find David Purcell immediately.
Ianto motioned Meredith Purcell aside. "Did you husband's personality or behavior change recently?"
"Yeah."
"Can you think of anything that could have caused it?"
"He was diagnosed with cancer. But he got a second opinion. There was no cancer."
Ianto wondered if Gordon-Glen had somehow treated his cancer. They were known for custom genetics research. The general at one point had suggested a nanogene alternative project could have been involved. The question was how that connected to the alien and the bioweapon.
It also made him question whether Teleri was the intended target at the restaurant. No one could mistake Wynne for Teleri. But the person could have been distracted and mixed up the drinks. David Purcell had shown no interest in his daughter since she came to Torchwood. Like Sarah's mother, he could have intended to expose Wynne to the bioweapon for an unknown reason.