Maps
Chas stared at the paper map spread out over the desks in the SI10 office. He knew what Spikings had told him to do was an almost herculean task. There was no way he could possibly know where all the old abandoned train lines and stations were in the area. They had no idea if Dempsey was still in London. It was all instinct and trying to work out what they had from the forensics and the one phone call Dempsey had been able to make. He couldn't shake the feeling that the gunshot at the end of the call had ended his friend's life. He had no idea what Harry would do if that was the case. He sighed heavily as Kate walked into the office.
"Chas."
"Hi."
"Any news?"
"Nah." He shook his head. "Nothing really."
"You think he is dead? That we are looking for a body rather than a living officer?" The red haired woman looked him in the eye. Chas nodded once. "Agreed. I know we have to hope but I have to be realistic too. Gordon," She paused. "He won't hear of it. He's barely slept since Dempsey went missing. I'm worried what this will do to him."
"His heart?"
"Yeah." She paused. "He's softer than you lot know."
"I've known him since I was a PC. He's the best boss I've 'ad."
Kate smiled as she thought of her fiance. She knew he loved his small, tight knit team like family. What she didn't know was what that could cost him. He had only just got back on speaking terms with his children, his ex-wife was a nightmare. Now they had to deal with the possible murder of one of his team. She had no idea how much more he could take. Chas stared at the map once more.
"Harry thinks Coltrane is behind it."
"He's dead."
"Yes, but he had friends. Friends who would like to get revenge on Dempsey for what happened in America as well as here."
Kate looked at the map. She had thought the same thing, revenge had to be the motive but she couldn't help but think if Dempsey had been the target of revenge. If it was him they wanted to destroy it was going to be Harry that was taken, or his sister in America. Not him. He would be left to suffer. She sighed.
"It is revenge. Not what we assumed though."
"How so?" Spikings asked as he entered the room. "Kate? You have any theories on this?"
"Only if it were me, if I was the one looking to get revenge on one of those pair then I would take and attack the other. If it were you taken I would assume it would be me who was the target. Mental torture, not knowing is worse than anything." She watched as he frowned. "And forensics have matched the blood spot on the steps outside their apartment to a known associate of." She paused. "Swabey."
"What?" Spikings hissed. Kate held his gaze.
"John Potter. Small time crook, which is how we have his DNA on record. On the plus side, we know it isn't belonging to Dempsey." She paused as both men stared at her. "Convicted of GBH and attempted murder around three years ago. Shared a cell with Swabey junior until last month. I'm guessing he has been pulled into whatever little vendetta this scumbag has now."
"Hasn't he done enough to them?" Chas spat angrily. He flopped back in his chair. "Right, so I found thirteen stations that haven't been used by British Rail in more than twenty years. I also found that six of them are now car parks or have shops on them. It has to be one of these, if he is still in London and we are still on the right track."
Spikings sighed, running a hand over his face he hoped his team were right. He had no idea who John Potter was but he had every intention of finding out.
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