Sugar And Spice – Chapter 6
Smithy stepped back from filling Gina in on what they found out, handing over the photocopy of the picture Paul had given him.
Gina sighed and glanced up. "Has he told you where to contact Jeffery?"
"He's in the interview room with Mickey now…" Smithy explained. "We're going to set up a meet and hope he bites."
"Has he made contact?"
"Once." Smithy nodded. "He definitely has the kid, and as far as we're aware he doesn't know that we're involved, he threatened Parker's kids if he spoke to us."
"Did he mention the kids when he called?"
Smithy nodded again. "He definitely has Rachel, he took her cos Parker stopped paying him and 'working' for him…this was a warning."
"Hell of a warning." Gina sighed. "Did he say what he wanted?"
"He wants Paul to prove his worth…there's a kid coming over from Africa who has no parents. He wants Paul and Jess to put her up, if he does and doesn't involve the police – he gets Rachel back…then even if he did come to us after, Jeffery has the defence of Paul having the kid first."
Gina sighed and shook her head. "He's not stupid."
"Not by any means ma'am." Smithy agreed. "We want Paul to contact Jeffery and arrange to meet him in Canley Park…we'll have him followed and see where he goes back to…"
"And then what? It's unlikely he'll have the kid with him."
"Well no, but if we can build up a picture of who he is and what he does then we'd be closer to finding her…"
"Take the long way around you mean?" Gina lit a cigarette.
"At the minute, it's all we've got." Smithy sighed, "If we rush in there and the kid isn't there…then we have nothing and whoever has the kid could kill her."
"Run with it." Gina sighed and nodded, "Inform the DI – and keep me up to date."
"Ma'am." Smithy flashed a quick grin, leaving the room.
An hour later, Smithy was sat in an unmarked car with Mickey, relaxing back against the seats in the warm sunshine, both men watching the jittery Paul pace the small area of park in front of them. "You think he's up to this?"
"He has to be." Mickey frowned a little, "He keeps glancing across…."
"Muppet." Smithy sighed and shook his head, "I told him not to make it obvious…"
Mickey scoffed and rolled his eyes, "I'm surprised he hasn't just turned and pointed us out to him…"
"Hang on…" Smithy leant casually forward, "Is that-"
"All units from DC Webb…" Mickey lifted the radio. "Stand by…suspect approaching. IC3 male, late 30's, early 40's, large build, wearing a dark suit and black overcoat." He nodded at Smithy and turned up the speaker to the wire Parker was wearing.
"Where is she?"
"Relaaaax." Jeffery grinned at the smaller man. "She's safe!"
"Where IS she?"
"Alright, Paul…" Mickey murmured under his breath. "Keep it together…"
Jeffery chuckled softly, "She's with a friend."
"I swear, if you've laid a hand on her…" Paul moved forward and grabbed his jacket.
Jeffery stared at his hand until he removed it, his eyebrow arching sharply. "I understand you want to make a deal…"
Paul swallowed hard and sounded choked. "I'll do it…"
"Good lad…"
"Come on Jeffery…" Smithy frowned, "Explain in detail for the tape…"
"She's arriving later this evening – I'll get her delivered to you, one breath to the police and you don't see Rachel again!"
"I won't!" Paul held his hands up. "I just want to see my little girl, please – I need-"
"DADDDDDY!"
"RACHEL!"
Smithy and Mickey both shot up in their seats, "He's got her with him?" Mickey blinked.
Smithy took a double take at the figure a little distance away from the two men, her hand clamped inside that of a larger thick set man, struggling against him. Paul made a bolt forward, held back by Jeffery.
"DADDY! DAAADDY!"
"DC Nadir – move your team further around the back of the park, he's got the child with him, I repeat the child is here." Smithy radioed urgently through. "ALL UNITS, GO GO GO."
Various police officers sprang from where they'd been waiting, all running towards them, CO19 in hot pursuit.
"You lied to me, Paul." Jeffery's voice dripped with poison. "After I trusted you…you lied!" He turned to run, coming face to face with Zain and Smithy, trying to get around them.
"DAAAAAAAAAADDY." Rachel shrieked, trying to get free and run to her father who was being kept back by Suzie. "DAAADDY!"
The thick set man who held her produced a gun, pulling the girl towards him and aiming it at her.
"Put the gun down and let her go…" Mickey held his hands up, backed up by CO19. "Just put it down NOW!"
"RACHEL!" Paul called back to her, trying to run over. "IT'S ALRIGHT, BABY – DADDY'S HERE!"
"Armed police!" The CO19 Sergeant aimed his gun. "Drop your weapon."
The man looked between Mickey and the armed officer, before holding his hands up.
"Put the gun on the floor." The officers moved in, Rachel running straight to Mickey's arms. Mickey lifted her up and carried her over to Paul whilst CO19 arrested the man with Will and Tony's help, Zain and Smithy having Jeffery bundled into the van.
"How is she?" Smithy asked Suzie, standing outside the cubicle with Gina and Mickey.
"There's no sign of sexual abuse…" Suzie told them quietly. "However, she has obviously been restrained and she has wounds and bruises on her wrists and ankles.
Gina sighed and nodded, her lips pursed. "Poor girl."
Suzie nodded in agreement. "She's been very brave. Her first question on getting here was about Hannah. Has she seen-"
"She's outside with her parents." Mickey smiled, having been sat with them since they arrived."
"Have you interviewed Jeffery yet?"
Smithy shook his head. "Waiting on his lawyer."
"And that won't be some legal aid nobody…" Suzie sighed.
Smithy shook his head and smiled a little. "With the evidence we have, and Jeffery's history, he'll never be able to wriggle out of this one."
Complete – thank you for your reviews! There'll probably be a sequel to this, but it will be a while away, things are busy at the minute.