"Have we got anything from the surveillance at DC Master's house? Anyone hanging around or showing more than a passing interest in her place? Any gas vans from our company seen in the area?" Sam was growing increasingly desperate as their 24 hours were ticking away with nothing concrete to suggest Jo's bait had attracted any unwanted attention.
"Nothing Sarge. One van in the area, we checked with the company and there was a representative in the area reading Jo's meter as per her telephone conversation when she changed her details. The van wasn't being driven by Mark Somerton, it was a Wendy Gibb so I think it's fair to say she can be ruled out as a suspect." Suzie reported back, looking tired and drawn, exasperation evident in her demeanour.
"Jo's reported to me that she's had three hang ups and two further silent phone calls on her mobile, the number she gave when she left a contact number with Easigas, but given her acrimonious split with Tessa it could turn out to be a domestic issue rather than a criminal one." Phil added his own findings. "Ramani and Terry are there now, both voluntarily working unpaid in the hope that we can get something before tonight's deadline."
"Ok people, find me that something we can use to bring this guy down, preferably before six o'clock so that DI Tanner doesn't have the pleasure of standing down the surveillance. Phil, a quick word?" Sam took Phil to one side lowering her voice to avoid anyone overhearing what she was about to ask. "Any chance of you doing a bit of subtle digging around, see what you can find out about DI James Tanner?" Phil just winked and put his finger to the side of his nose.
"Already in hand, give me an hour we should know everything there is to know about him, even down to how he chooses his underwear!" Sam grimaced at the mental image that conjured up but thanked Phil all the same.
"Let me know as soon as you find anything out." Sam knew he would but felt the need to re-iterate the point anyway. "You're watching Jo's place tonight aren't you?"
"Yeah as long as Tanner doesn't pull the plug before then." Phil flicked through a stack of faxes Suzie had just handed to him, scanning the pages for information.
"Well if he doesn't and you feel like some company, let me know. I'll be happy to tag along and do another few hours." Phil looked up at Sam's words, hearing the forced casualness behind them.
"She's a tough cookie Sam, nothing's going to happen to her. We always knew it was a long shot, that chances of her being picked out as a victim were slim. I know it's frustrating having to wait and see but Jo'll be fine." Sam hoped Phil's words would prove to be true but she still could not shake the nagging dread that was eating at her core.
"Ok thanks for that." Zain ended his telephone conversation, having intercepted Phil's phone seeing him busy with Sam. "Sarge, another gas van's just been spotted in Jo's road, Terry said it seemed to be following her home, waited right behind her as she parked outside her house and then drove on. He's given me the index number if you want to check it out, I've got to go to the docks." Sam snatched the scrap of paper from his outstretched hand, a thrill running through her at the implications.
"Let's give Easigas a ring, check if it could be the same van as earlier. Phil, can you call Terry back, see if he could see the driver?" Phil nodded and picked up his receiver, rapidly dialling Terry's mobile number. He had a brief conversation with the detective whilst Sam spoke to the gas company, both calls ending almost simultaneously.
"Easigas have no record of any vans needing to be in that area of Sun Hill this afternoon. I gave them the registration number, Terry must have been mistaken, they don't own a vehicle with that plate."
"Terry said he couldn't see the driver clearly, but it was definitely an IC1 male, dark hair. Could be Somerton but it could also be half the male population."
"It's not enough. Let's run a PNC check on this licence plate, see who it does belong to if not Easigas." Sam sat down at her computer and began keying commands, warring with her conscience over whether to call and warn Jo. "Jo should know if we think she's been followed, we should tell her."
"Let's see what we find out first. It might turn out to be nothing and we'll have got her worked up unnecessarily." Phil placed a hand on Sam's shoulder, wondering if she realised how cute she looked when chewing her bottom lip and wearing a worried frown.
"Well what do you know? The license plate comes back to a black Ford Mondeo, registered to a Miss Karen Jenkins. Let's call and see if she's noticed her car has turned into a gas van recently." Sam picked up her receiver once again, dialling the number on screen and waiting for an answer. When an answerphone kicked in, she left a message asking for Miss Jenkins to contact the police station and ask for herself or Phil directly as soon as possible. "There's no mobile number listed for her so I guess it's just a case of waiting for her to get back to us for now."
"DS Nixon, are you ready to wow me with your progress on the rapist case?" Tanner strolled into the office, a smug expression adorning his oily features.
Sam glanced at the clock before answering, noting that he had seen fit to bring the deadline forward with no prior warning. "Guv, we still have another hour before the deadline you set. We're trying to follow up a sighting of a man matching Mark Somerton's description in the vicinity of Jo, DC Masters', house earlier today. The gas company have no record of anyone being there and the plates on the van appear to belong to a Ford Mondeo. I'm waiting for the owner of that vehicle to get back to me." Sam felt her irritation showing but had had enough of Tanner's interference to bite it back.
"Is that all? A 'possible' sighting? Not even a confirmed one. And are we sure that the licence number is correct? Could be all a mistake, tiredness can set in, letters and numbers look alike. Do we have any actual evidence of foul play? Good job your colleague isn't relying on you for her safety, I'd dread to think what would happen! Call off the surveillance. There's nothing to suggest it's necessary and you are already in danger of exceeding your budget for this month – how when we're only two weeks into it is beyond me but times are changing. If you can find anything to suggest that surveillance on DC Masters' house is necessary then we will consider re-instating it, until then, I see no point in wasting the man hours that could be put to better use elsewhere." Tanner turned on his heel, satisfied with himself and ignoring the piercing glares emanating from those CID officers present.
"I'll phone Terry and Ramani then." Zain sighed, crossing to his desk and picking up his phone. Sam reached into her pocket and pulled out her mobile, heading for the stairs as she called to her team that she would inform Jo.
"Jo Masters."
"Hi Jo, it's me. Sorry to disturb you, I didn't wake you up did I?"
"Hello me, no I was up anyway. Let me guess, he called off the surveillance." Jo had already guessed that it would happen knowing that only the most concrete and irrefutable evidence would satisfy Tanner.
"I'm afraid so. I was wondering, since there's no need for you to be on your own now, would you consider taking up that offer of a spare room at my house? Abi loves having you around, we both do and I'll only worry about you there on your own without any sort of backup." Sam paced back and forth in front of the station as she spoke, trying to work out her frustration safely.
"It's a really kind and generous offer, Sam but I think I'm probably better off staying where I am for the moment. I've managed to get a lot of things sorted out and in some ways working nights has helped me – I've had surveyors in to value the house this week so I know how much to put it on the market for. It's not that I don't want to spend time with you or that I don't enjoy the evenings at your house but I need some time on my own to sort my head out. When I'm with you, it's too easy to forget everything that happened, I need to work through it so that I can let go and move on properly. We can still get together on my nights off or your days off, if you'd like to?" Jo felt the familiar stirring of longing ignite within her on hearing Sam's voice, the memory of lying in bed beside her occupying her last waking moments each night since then.
"Jo, please reconsider? Terry spotted an Easigas van following you home earlier, with a man driving. We ran a check on it, there was no one due to be in the area this afternoon and the plates don't match any of the companies vans. The guy driving matches Somerton's description." Sam knew her tone was pleading but she couldn't bear the thought of Jo being subjected to the degrading torture previous victims had suffered.
"Sam, that's even more reason for me to stay here. It might mean he is showing an interest, I don't want to put him off now. I know you're worried but I'll be fine." Jo crossed to the window, watching Terry and Ramani carrying the last of the surveillance equipment out of the flat over the road, scanning the area for signs of anyone watching.
"Promise me one thing though Jo, if you're going to insist on staying in that house alone; promise me you'll ring me every day and let me know you're ok. I don't care what time you get in, let me know you're safe, please? Until we catch this guy, I'm not going to be able to relax knowing that you could be on his list." After receiving a solemn promise that she would report in each day, Sam continued, referring back to Jo's earlier question, "and of course I still want to spend time with you, I can't imagine not doing. Besides, Abi hasn't stopped going on about how good your foot-rub was the other night, I'm thinking I might have to press your services into action myself, purely for research purposes." Sam joked, hearing Jo's smile in her reply.
"Anytime, your wish is my command."
"I'll bear that in mind!" Sam felt a flutter in her chest as she thought of her deepest wish for Jo, wondering if there would ever be a time when she would consider Sam as a partner. Not wanting the conversation to end, Sam asked, "have you heard from Tessa since she left? Any more phone calls we should know about?"
"No, I haven't heard a thing from her, not that I'm really keen to after the messages she left for me on her way out. I think it's best that we have a clean break from one another. There've been a few more silent phone-calls but nothing to cause alarm. My number's not exactly well known but I don't withhold it either, it could just as easily be one of these mass dialled numbers everyone's so fond of these days."
"Jo, it could just as easily be someone trying to unnerve you!" Sam growled into her own mobile, her own nerves on edge.
"I just don't think our guy is the sort to pull a stunt like silent phone calls, he likes control, what would he achieve by calling and not saying anything? None of the other victims have reported any crank calls." Jo stretched out on her sofa, running a hand through her hair distractedly, wondering why Sam was so insistent that she jump at every shadow. "Sam, do you trust me? Do you trust my judgement?"
"Yes, of course I do, Jo…" Sam heard Jo cut her off before she had a chance to elaborate.
"In that case, trust me when I say the first sign of something to be worried about and you'll be the first person I ring, ok? Stop worrying and fussing so much, you'll have me scared of my own shadow!" Jo laughed into the phone, hoping Sam wouldn't be offended. Changing the subject, the chestnut-haired DC continued, "how's Abi doing? Any sign of Bump putting in an appearance yet?"
"Abi's fine, she sends her love and asked when you were coming over again. Bump is too cosy where he is at the minute to want to join us in the big wide world. Abi's hoping it won't be too long though, she's really uncomfortable now, can't find any position where some part of her body isn't being compressed by the bundle inside her." Sam found chatting about the impending birth of her grandchild an effective balm for her troubled mind, heedless of the time.
"Let me know as soon as the little 'un does make an entrance won't you? I'm not promising to knit a pair of booties or anything but I do a good line in 'ooh-ing' and 'aah-ing'. When are you next off shift?" Jo suddenly felt an overwhelming desire to spend time with both Nixon women, remembering how relaxed and complete she felt in their company.
"Tomorrow, why? You fancy getting together?" Sam's heart leapt at the thought of spending an evening with Jo again so soon, fearing that it might be weeks until they could find time for more than a quick telephone conversation.
"I'm working tonight but then get a night off tomorrow, that is assuming Tanner doesn't see fit to re-arrange my schedule again at short notice. I was wondering if I could interest you in a movie and popcorn night? I'm not promising to be scintillating company, my body has yet to adjust to the night shifts but I think I can keep up with a night in front of the telly with a DVD or two if you're up for it."
"Mmm, that sounds ideal. I'm sure Abi would love it too, if you don't mind her gate crashing the evening?" Sam felt a broad grin attach itself firmly to her face, knowing that it would be short-lived once she returned to her desk but grateful for the brief respite from despair and bitterness.
"I was assuming it would be the four of us, counting Bump. Have a word with Abi, see if there are any films she really wants to see. If you text me with a couple of suggestions, I'll pick them up on my way over. Want me to bring a bottle?" After finalising the arrangements for their evening, Jo conceded that she had better let Sam get back so that she could finish up for the day.