Disclaimer: I don't own Rookie Blue or any of the characters…
Thanks as always for the reviews, favs and follows.
To the guest who said most other writers in the fandom have stopped and/or abandoned their stories, I hope that's not true. Things have been a little quiet update wise but people get busy and hopefully we'll see more updates soon. The next episode of EOINA will be out in a few days too!
And to another guest – there is no way Gail will ever fall for McNally, but I think you already know that! :) When I wrote that scene, where Gail asks Holly to move in with her at the Penny, I didn't mean to reference that time Nick asked Gail to move in with him.
Hope you enjoy this. There is quite a bit about the crime, but it is necessary to set the scene. Apologies for mistakes – I did my best to proof this but now it's late and I just want to post it! Let me know what you think and happy reading.
…
'Geez, Peck I thought you'd at least get something of a tan on holidays,' Frankie teased.
It was Gail's first day back at work after a week in Antigua. The trip was a present from Holly for Gail's thirtieth birthday. Well Holly and Elaine. Turned out Elaine had invited Holly to lunch to quiz her about a suitable gift for Gail. When she heard about the Antigua plan, Elaine decided to upgrade their accommodation to a cabin on the beach.
Gail wasn't sure if her mother had simply felt magnanimous or if it was another attempt to reel Gail back into the Peck fold. Holly believed Elaine's intentions were good, but then Holly tended to see the best in everyone. If she hadn't, they probably never have become friends or got together that first time, Gail thought. Still she didn't regret accepting Elaine's generosity and it was a nice change from a gun, which was Elaine's usual go to gift.
'Did you even leave your hotel room,' Dov leered.
'Or did you buy a burkini like I suggested,' Frankie laughed.
'Well, the thing is I happen to have an awesome girlfriend,' Gail began.
'Yeah we know that, Gail,' Dov interrupted, 'and we're still trying to figure out how that happened.'
'Ugh, keep up Epstein,' Gail said dismissively, 'my girlfriend is so awesome she booked us into a resort by the sea with lounges and massive umbrellas and waiters who bring you food and drink so I could totally avoid blemishing any of this.' Gail gestured to her body.
'It was 5 star,' said Chloe, who had walked into the detective pen while Gail was speaking, 'I've seen the photos. It looked amazing. Not only was their room right on the beach, they had their own private plunge pool.'
Gail did her best to school her features as images of just what she and Holly had done in that plunge pool popped into her head. It was certainly not something she should be thinking about at work.
'Eww,' Frankie said, 'I don't think I wanna know about the private pool.'
'Just cause you were freezing your ass back here in Toronto,' Gail countered, 'or was Dr Alannah keeping you warm.'
Frankie narrowed her eyes at Chloe.
'What? I didn't tell her anything Frankie,' Chloe protested.
Gail laughed, happy to deflect the attention away from she and Holly, and rather pleased with herself for managing to confirm something was indeed going on between Frankie and the doctor. Before she could continue her teasing, Oliver and Traci appeared in the pen.
'Ah welcome back, welcome back my not so petulant Peck,' Oliver said in his genial way. Since Holly's return to Toronto, Gail was not nearly so querulous and so Oliver had modified his nickname for her. Although, while he liked this mellower Gail, he was glad the snark was still there. 'Later I wish to see the photographs.'
'Just not the ones of the private pool,' Frankie sniggered.
'I take it these miscreants are somewhat envious of your and the good doctor's sojourn abroad,' Oliver said, 'however we will deal with their petty jealousies later, perhaps over a drink at the Penny this evening. We have a case.'
'A case?' Gail asked.
'It would appear so. Superintendent Peck has summonsed us to my office immediately.'
First day back and Superintendent Mom was already at the station. Really it was like the woman did have a bat sense when it came to her, Gail thought.
'Us? All of us?' Chloe asked.
'Indeed, every single one of you' Oliver said, 'and Traci as well.'
…
Elaine was seated behind Oliver's desk. Gail wondered if that annoyed him. The way the Superintendent just assumed ownership. Then again she always did that wherever she was. Would it help Ollie to know that? He probably had figured it out, Gail decided.
'Oh good,' Elaine said, barely looking up from the file in front of her, 'you're all here. Welcome back Detective Peck. I thought you might at least have returned with something of a tan.'
Elaine said it like Gail had somehow let her down for failing to get a tan. Gail could hear Dov start to snicker and then abruptly stop when Elaine looked at him sharply.
Extra chairs had been placed in the office for the meeting, making the room more cramped than it was already. Elaine motioned them to take a seat.
'Niall O'Leary's ten year old daughter has been missing since 3.15 pm yesterday,' she said without preamble.
Gail sucked in a breath. Niall O'Leary. It was a member of his gang who attacked Steve in prison and it was an informant from his gang who told Frankie if Steve stayed in Toronto he was a dead man.
It wasn't clear whether that directive had come from O'Leary. Frankie thought not and Traci, who as head of Guns and Gangs knew more about the way the gangs worked, had been inclined to agree. A few mavericks, she said, although it didn't pay to take any chances. So Elaine bundled Steve off to Calgary and a bright new future as a partner in a security firm.
Last time Gail had spoken to Steve he sounded bored and flat, resigned to the fact his life had narrowed to this. Fitting alarm systems in family homes, with the occasional office security contract thrown in to pique his interest.
Gail looked across at Traci and Frankie to gauge their reaction to O'Leary's name, but their faces remained impassive.
'I don't think I need to stress how sensitive this is,' Elaine was saying, 'the girl has been missing for seventeen hours and they have only just reported it.'
'Just now?' Gail said, astonished.
They all knew the first twenty-fours hours were crucial in a missing persons case. In fact, the chances of a successful recovery diminished every hour that passed from the time the person was last sighted.
'This is why it's sensitive. O'Leary has it in his head Caitlin has been kidnapped by a rival gang. He believes Lee Chou is responsible. Apparently Chou's boys have been muscling in on O'Leary's territory.'
Elaine looked across at Traci, who nodded in confirmation.
'O'Leary sent out his own lieutenants to search for Caitlin. Shake down some of Chou's gang. As you can imagine it got ugly. I believe Doctor Stewart has one of Chou's men waiting for her on a slab in the morgue.'
Gail grimaced. What a welcome back present.
'He was dumped on 27's patch so Detective Swarek caught that case. We'll need to liaise with him.' O'Leary's wife – Maree – finally persuaded O'Leary to contact us this morning,' Elaine explained.
'Why us and not missing persons?' Dov asked, 'don't they have the expertise to handle cases like this.'
'Yes, but given the sensitivities surrounding this case, I'm not going to bring them in just yet. If we don't find this girl soon, it could be all and all out gang warfare. Because these gangs are based in 15th's precinct, we - Detective Nash in particular – have the advantage of knowing them well. I think we have a better chance of containing any flare ups while searching for Caitlin.'
'So, is there anything to suggest Chou took Caitlin?' Gail asked.
'Nothing,' Elaine said, 'but at this stage nothing points to an alternative scenario either.'
'We very much need to keep an open mind,' Oliver added.
'Yes,' Elaine nodded in agreement, 'so, Detective Nash and Peck I want you to start by interviewing O'Leary and his wife. You'll be the main liaison officers working with the family. Detective Anderson and Price, you've got Lee Chou. Epstein, we need to circulate a photograph of Caitlin as well as her details to all airports, bus and train stations and the Border Services Agency.'
Elaine held up a photograph of Caitlin. She was grinning widely, her smile framed by a set of dimples. Her green eyes had a mischievous sparkle and jet-black hair framed an impish face. Her skin was fair, almost as pale as Gail's. She looked happy, as if she had not a care in the world, which Gail reflected was how it should be when you were ten. Though she wondered if Caitlin knew what her father did for a living.
'Sergeant Shaw has copies of these photograph for each of you and details about Caitlin's height and weight etc. I have also emailed you electronic versions. Caitlin was last seen leaving school on her bicycle yesterday afternoon. Normally she rides home with her best friend Macy but Macy had a dentist appointment and left school early.'
'So I should start by looking at any CCTV footage on her route home. Do we know what her usual route is?' Dov asked.
'No,' Elaine shook her head, 'but that is something Detectives Nash and Peck need to ask the parents. Detective Epstein, I also want you to compile a list of registered sex offenders in the area. We'll interview them as well.'
'Did she have a phone we can trace?' Gail asked.
'Not with her,' Elaine shook her head, 'it was confiscated by her class teacher and Caitlin forgot to collect it before she went home. You and Nash should speak to the teacher after you interview the parents. Julia Lombardo.'
'What about media?' Frankie asked.
Normally if a child went missing their photograph and an appeal for information would be released to the media. If there was reason to believe a child had been abducted or was in grave danger, the police could also issue an amber alert.
'We'll hold off on that just for now and on an amber alert until we know more,' Elaine said, 'it's a tough call but once the media find out it's O'Leary's kid who is missing they will be all over this. I don't want to do anything to impede the investigation or escalate tension between the O'Leary and Chou gangs.'
Frankie and the other four detectives nodded.
'Sergeant Shaw and I will be coordinating the investigation so you will report directly to us.'
'Superintendent, we'll need forensics to go through Caitlin's room,' Gail said.
'I have already informed Dr Stewart. Forensics are on standby to come to the house once you get permission from the parents.' With that Elaine dismissed the five of them.
As Gail followed the others out of the office, Oliver motioned her aside.
'Looks like will have to take a rain check on that drink at the Penny,' he said, 'I still want to see those holiday snaps.'
As Gail started to nod, she noticed her mother observing she and Oliver with interest.
'Yes, I'd like to see those photos too,' Elaine said, realizing she'd been caught out staring. The words came out stiffly and Gail could tell her mother was trying not to make them sound like an order.
'Ah yeah. Okay,' Gail said somewhat uncertainly, and then gesturing awkwardly to the door, 'I um guess I better go now.' With that she made her escape.
….
'Hey boss,' Rodney said as he walked into the autopsy suite, 'good holiday? It looks like you got quite the tan.'
'It was great,' Holly smiled, 'I could have done with at least another week but it's back to rain and, can you believe it, 2 degrees this morning. And of course a dead body.'
'Who've we got?'
'Mickey Chen. 23 years old. A member of the Chou gang. Looks like he was tortured and then strangled to death.'
Holly gestured to the body laid out on the autopsy table. There were deep groves marks around Chen's neck, which indicated he had been strangled. Rodney noticed ligature marks around the man's wrist and ankles as well. He had deep slashes on his arms and all of his fingers were severed at the knuckle.
'Gang killing?'
'Most likely. Do the severed fingers remind you of anything.'
'Isn't that O'Leary's signature?'
It wasn't the first time Holly and Rodney had seen a body like this. The police had never been able to pin anything directly on O'Leary, but it was well known his gang's favorite method of interrogation was to sever the victim's fingers.
'Yep,' Holly nodded gravely, 'It could be related to the disappearance of Niall O'Leary's ten year old daughter, Caitlin. Superintendent Peck believes O'Leary took matters into his own hands before calling the police in.'
'Hell,' Rodney said, immediately realizing the implications of this.
'If the parents agree, I'll go over to the O'Leary house shortly to go through Caitlin's room. I thought I'd take the interns if you conduct the autopsy.'
'Yeah, of course,' Rodney said, 'Wilson and Natasha haven't worked a missing's person case yet.'
'That's why I thought they should tag along.'
'So it's possible Chao's responsible for Caitlin's disappearance?'
'Apparently that's what O'Leary believes. If it's true or if the police can't prove otherwise, we might be seeing a lot more gangbangers on our table,' Holly sighed.
…..
Traci handed Gail the car keys knowing she preferred to drive. Neither of them said a lot to begin with. Gail and Traci had tried to remain friends after Steve went to prison but it had been strained and after awhile neither of them made much of an effort. Gail knew she was a constant reminder of Steve's betrayal. At work they were always professional, but Gail had rarely worked with Traci since what she drily referred to as the great piri piri mystery, and the two of them hadn't been partnered since Gail made detective.
Gail had seen a little more of Traci after the knife attack a few months back. Leo asked to visit and after that Gail had him over a few times for rowdy gaming sessions and movie marathons and even sleepovers when Traci had to work overtime. They were small steps, and mostly involved hanging out with Leo but Gail was hopeful she and Traci could be friends again.
Holly had never seen Gail with kids before. She was fun and open and somewhat overindulgent with Leo. When he stayed over it was always Holly or Chloe who imposed bedtimes. Gail would go all wide-eyed and innocent as if the thought a kid might need to go to sleep by a certain time was news to her. In many ways she was like a big kid herself, which amused and worried Holly in equal measure. She realized if they had children Gail might expect her to be the bad cop. That was something they'd need to talk about. Still Gail's delight in having Leo around was infectious.
Then Holly realized she actually wanted to have children with Gail one day and this was new because it wasn't something she'd ever contemplated with any of her previous girlfriends. At least it would make her parents happy. Becca and Kurt never said it, but Holly sensed they were disappointed that neither she nor her brother Zach were in a rush to furnish them with grandchildren.
It was after one of Leo's visits, that Holly turned to Gail and said, 'I want kids. I know I said that before but now I'm 100 percent certain that, when we're ready, I want them with you.'
Gail had grinned from ear to ear. 'Really?' she'd asked, and when Holly nodded, said 'it won't be easy, with our jobs, but I think we could work it out.' Holly had nodded again. 'You know with us as parents they'll be brilliant delinquents,' Gail said. Holly had laughed indulgently and given Gail one of her lopsided smiles and then kissed her. Thinking about it now, Gail started to grin. She really did have an awesome girlfriend.
The traffic was slow and Gail found herself drumming her fingers against the steering wheel. Traci was sitting very still, staring straight ahead at the cars in front of them. The awkwardness was there again.
Maybe she should ask about Leo. That was always a safe topic. In fact when Traci came to collect Leo last time he stayed over, she had stopped for a coffee. Which was a positive sign. And Gail knew Holly and Traci sometimes caught up for lunch too. Holly had told Gail she just needed to be patient, that Traci was coming round in her own time. Gail's therapist had said much the same thing, so Gail decided not to push it.
Was that why her mother had partnered her with Traci? Was she trying to help Gail mend fences? Surely not. Elaine would see anyone who ignored a Peck as someone not worth knowing. Besides, it was unlikely it would occur to her that Gail would be saddened by the loss of Traci's friendship, let alone recognize that Gail was sad in the first place.
'Bet you'd prefer to be lying on a beach in Antigua right now,' Traci finally spoke.
'Mmm,' Gail's reply was distracted.
She couldn't understand why Elaine had partnered her with Traci. Her mother must have been aware of the uneasiness between them. Not much escaped the Superintendent's notice. Then there was the whole connection between Steve and O'Leary. If he didn't already know, O'Leary would probably guess she was Steve's sister and Gail wasn't sure how well that would go down. Chances were he also knew Steve was Traci's ex.
'Why'd you think Elaine sent us to speak to O'Leary given our connection to Steve?' Gail asked abruptly.
Traci didn't answer for a moment and then she said quietly and very carefully, 'I don't have a connection to Steve.'
Gail bit her lip.
'Okay. My connection. She could have partnered you with Frankie or Chloe but instead she chose me. Is she trying to unsettle O'Leary for some reason?'
'Not that I know of,' Traci replied, 'does your mother always have to have nefarious reasons, Gail? Maybe she chose you because you're good with kids. I'm head of Guns and Gangs.'
Gail nodded. 'Yeah, I can see why you're the obvious choice but Elaine always has a reason.'
Traci shrugged. 'Are you okay working with me?'
'Of course! It's not that,' Gail said hastily, 'maybe you're right. I shouldn't try to second guess my mother all the time.'
They lapsed into silence then until Gail pulled up in front of O'Leary's house. It was in one of the better suburbs or at least one going through a process of gentrification. There were still pockets of disadvantage next to freshly renovated homes and the occasional new fuck you mansion like the one that belonged to O'Leary.
It was big and imposing and modern. Clearly architecturally designed. Two stories of grey stucco with large plate glass windows, a sweeping gated drive and Gail would bet a week's pay a swimming pool out the back. O'Leary must have knocked down a row of houses to get enough land, she decided.
'Not a man who likes to hide his wealth,' Gail observed.
'It is ostentatious,' Traci agreed.
O'Leary had several legitimate business holdings through which it was suspected he laundered the colossal profits made from his illegal activities. He must have a good accountant, Gail thought, because so far no one had been able to catch him out.
'Any chance we're looking at a kidnapping for ransom?'
'You'd be really stupid to target a gang leader, especially one like O'Leary who has a reputation for showing his enemies no mercy.'
'Well Traci, you know what I think about criminals.'
'They are idiots and losers,' Traci laughed, 'we can't rule it out but there are softer targets for kidnappers.'
'Geez, that's reassuring. Although, I guess by now the kidnappers would have contacted O'Leary with a ransom demand.'
There were two men posted at the gate who inspected Gail and Traci's badges before waving them through. Gail and Traci were half way up the drive when O'Leary came out of the house. He stood on the wide steps that led up to a double front door and a strange kind of portico with columns, an incongruous nod to the past on such a resolutely contemporary building. O'Leary's arms were crossed and his expression was anything but welcoming.
'I don't want you here,' he shouted.
For a moment Gail thought he was referring to her, then she realized he was looking at Traci.
'Mr O'Leary,' Traci started but he interrupted.
'You're Guns and Gangs. I don't want you using my daughter's disappearance as an excuse to go sniffing around my business.'
'Mr O'Leary,' Gail said, 'Detective Nash and I are here to find Caitlin. That is our first and only priority. To bring back your little girl. Detective Nash knows you and she knows Lee Chou. If Chou took Caitlin, doesn't it make sense to have Detective Nash on the case.'
O'Leary turned to regard Gail.
'Who's she?' he asked Traci.
'Detective Gail Peck,' Gail answered.
'The weasel's sister?' O'Leary said, 'you don't look much like him.'
To Gail's astonishment, O'Leary took his time checking her out, his gaze lingering where her shirt strained slightly across her breasts, then on her hips and her legs, which were encased in tight black jeans. It seemed strange that a man, who surely must be desperate with worry, would in this moment sexualize her like this. Gail suspected that for O'Leary this perusal of her was as unconscious as breathing, that it was simply a reflex to view all women as commodities.
'She on the take too?' he asked Traci.
'No. Detective Peck is straight down the line. She's one of our best. That's why she's on this case.'
O'Leary considered them both for a moment. 'Okay,' he said finally and then jerked his head to indicate they should follow him inside.
Traci and Gail trailed him down a central corridor. If the outside of the house was ostentatious, the interior was even showier. The thought more money than taste popped into Gail's head.
The grey color scheme had been continued inside with the walls covered in textured grey fabric wallpaper. It was a confusion of shaded lines, the effect like that of distressed wood. The ceilings were a glossy almost silver and the carpet a deep grey shag pile. Gilt mirrors and gold light fixtures with wild geometric designs only served to add to the gaudiness.
O'Leary bought them into the living room. Here white leather couches were adorned with grey and white striped cushions. Fussy little side tables made from gilt and glass had been placed artfully next to each of the couches.
A woman, who Gail guessed to be Caitlin's mother, rose from one of the couches as they entered. She had the same pale skin and jet-black hair, the same dimples as her daughter. It was hard to tell if she shared the impish smile because her mouth was down-turned, her eyes red rimmed, and in her hand she cluttered a damp tissue.
After the introductions had been made, Traci asked the couple when they had realized Caitlin was missing.
'Do we have to go through this again,' O'Leary sighed heavily, 'we've already told the uniforms.'
'Niall we need to do this, if it helps,' Maree look at her husband imploringly. She was younger than him by about twenty years and Gail speculated it was a second marriage for Niall. She knew he had two adult children who both worked for him. It was unlikely Maree was their mother given she looked about the same age as Gail.
'I'm sorry to make you go through this again. I realize how distressing it is but it does help us,' Traci said gently, 'so when did you realize she was missing?'
'I started to wonder where she was just before 4pm,' Maree said in a tremulous voice, 'the school is close by. Normally she's home by 3.30pm. I tried ringing her phone but it kept going to messages. Then I tried Macy's number. I thought maybe Caitlin had gone over there to play and had forgotten to tell me.'
'And did Macy pick up?'
'No,' Maree shook her head, 'After the dentist, Paula, her mother, took her to the mall and Macy left her phone in the car. But I called Paula when Macy didn't answer and she said she'd collected Macy from school early and they hadn't seen Caitlin.'
'So does Caitlin always ride her bike to school?' Gail asked.
'Mostly. The school is only a ten minute ride from here. That's why we let her take her bike. Macy lives two doors down from us. The deal is she and Caitlin can ride if they go together and come directly home after school.'
'So yesterday Macy didn't ride?'
'I didn't know, not until I spoke to Paula. Otherwise I never would have let Caitlin go alone.'
'She loves that bike,' O'Leary spoke for the first time since complaining about having to go through the details of Caitlin's disappearance again. Rather than take a seat, as had the three women, he was leaning against the doorjamb almost as if he wasn't really part of the conversation. 'She doesn't care if the weather is bad, she's always begging us to let her ride it to school.'
'Yesterday was what. 14 degrees?' Gail asked, having looked up the temperature for Toronto while waiting in the departure lounge at the airport in Antigua, 'not exactly the warmest weather for bike riding.'
'It didn't bother her,' O'Leary said.
'So can you describe the bike?' Traci asked.
'I can do better,' O'Leary strode over to the mantelpiece and picked up a framed photograph, 'I took this on her birthday. That's when she got the bike.'
He handed the photo to Gail, who was seated nearest to him. Caitlin was standing holding the bike by the handlebars and she was beaming, her delight palpable. It was a bright orange BMX. Caitlin was dressed in cut off denim shorts and a Pikachu t-shirt. Someone, Gail guessed Maree, had decorated the bike with colorful streamers and a lone balloon.
'So Caitlin's not real girlie?' Gail asked.
Maree shook her head.
'She loves anything physical. Sports. We've got a trampoline out the back and a swimming pool. I take her rock climbing sometimes,' O'Leary seemed to forget his earlier antagonism toward Gail and Traci and sounded almost proud as he spoke.
'So any chance she may have taken off for a longer bike ride?'
'No,' O'Leary was adamant, 'she's a good girl. We're very strict about coming straight home and she knows that.'
'Could she have gone home with someone else from her class, another friend?' Gail asked.
'Macy and Caitlin are inseparable - best friends – they usually do everything together. Caitlin has two other close friends - Ben and Amelia. I called their parents but they hadn't seen her. In any case if she was over at a classmate's house, wouldn't she be home by now or wouldn't they have called if something had happened to her.'
'Still, we'll need the numbers for Ben and Amelia's parents,' Traci said and Maree nodded.
'What kind of kid is Caitlin?' Gail asked
'Happy, a dreamer,' Maree said, 'but sort of bold too.'
'An adventurer,' O'Leary supplied.
'So an explorer?' Gail said.
'Yes, yes for sure,' Maree said fondly.
'So, would Caitlin have gone off exploring on her own?'
'Not here in the city. She knew not to do that,' O'Leary broke in, 'as I said she was very good about coming straight home after school.'
'So what did you do when you realized she wasn't with Macy?' Traci asked.
'I called the school. That's when I found out she'd left her phone behind. Her teacher, Julia um Miss Lombardo, had confiscated it because she was playing with it in class.'
'Stupid dago bitch,' O'Leary said under his breath, but loud enough for Gail and Traci to hear.
'Miss Lombardo said Caitlin left as soon as the bell went,' Maree continued as if O'Leary hadn't spoken, 'and by the time she realized Caitlin hadn't collected the phone, Caitlin was gone.'
'Do you have the phone now?'
O'Leary slipped a lime green phone out of his pocket and handed it to Traci.
'Password 150611,' he said, 'her birthday. Year, month, day.'
'So did anyone at the school actually confirm they saw her leaving?' Traci asked.
Maree and O'Leary looked at each other hesitantly.
'I don't think so,' Maree said tentatively, 'after I spoke to the school, I called Niall and he sent someone over to get the phone.'
Niall nodded in confirmation. 'I sent Craig, one of my, ah, people. I don't think he questioned anyone. Do you think something might have happened to Caitlin on the school grounds.'
'It's important we establish when and where Caitlin was last seen,' Traci explained patiently, 'we'll need to speak to Craig too.'
O'Leary nodded.
'So what happened after you called your husband?' Traci asked Maree.
'I went outside and began to look for Caitlin. I walked all the way to school and back again. Then I tried different routes.'
'So does she normally take the same route to school?' Gail asked.
'Yes,' Maree nodded, 'before she was allowed to ride we agreed on a route. It's a little less direct but there's a lot less traffic and even a bike track part of the way.'
'Okay, can you write down her exact route. The first thing we can do is check for CCTV footage.'
'And then?' Traci prompted, 'what did you do next?'
'Then Niall arrived home with some of his staff. They spent the next hour searching the streets.'
'Did you do a thorough search of the house?' Gail asked.
'Yes,' Maree said, 'that's the first thing we did when Niall got home. We also looked in the garage. The poolroom. The garden shed. Caitlin's tree house.'
'What time was it by then?'
'Close to 6.30 pm.'
'And you didn't think to call the police?' Traci asked.
'I,' Maree rang her hands together. Her bottom lip was trembling and she unconsciously bit it, 'I wanted to. Niall said he would handle it.'
Gail exchanged a look with Traci. They had a feeling they knew exactly how O'Leary had handled it and the result was now lying in the morgue.
'And how did you handle it?' Traci said, turning to O'Leary who had returned to his position in the doorway.
'We kept searching until it got light and then we called you.'
'Searching? Where?'
'Just all over the neighborhood.'
Gail could tell O'Leary was lying. Even though he made a point of staring straight at Traci, his eyes shifted to the left for the briefest of moments.
'We'll need a list of everyone who took part in the search,' Traci said.
'Of course,' O'Leary agreed.
'And anyone who regularly visits the house. Cleaners. Employees. Your associates,' Gail said.
'I can vouch for my people. They adore Caitlin. She's that kinda of kid.'
'In a case like this, it helps if we can quickly rule people out' Gail explained.
'I don't know why you're bothering. It's obvious Lee Chou took her.'
….
Frankie and Chloe were ushered into an office at the back of the warehouse from where Lee Chou directed his business. Unlike the main part of warehouse, which was stacked full of boxes, Chou's office was plushly furnished. A red leather Chesterfield took up most of one wall. In the center of the room was a big oak paneled desk, in front of which were two single leather chairs that matched the Chesterfield.
Behind the desk, was a large cabinet also made from oak, which ran the length of the wall. The bottom section consisted of cupboards and above was shelving, on which Chou had displayed a series of framed photographs of a smiling woman and a number of children who Frankie guessed were his family. The desk was obsessively neat with an in and out tray, fixed line telephone and two marble dragon bookends which Chou had probably bought back from Hong Kong. Except for the large desktop computer, the office had the feel of a traditional gentleman's club.
'Mr O'Leary and I are business competitors,' Chou was explaining, his words measured, his hands steepled as if he was merely considering a trifling but nonetheless interesting puzzle rather than being questioned about the disappearance of a little girl. 'Children are off limits.'
'What do you mean by that?' Frankie asked.
'Our children are never used as leverage in our business. Never, ah how should I put it, targeted.'
'Honor among thieves,' Frankie said sarcastically.
'If you like,' Chou bowed his head graciously, apparently not offended by Frankie's tone.
'So you know nothing of Caitlin O'Leary's disappearance?'
Chou shook his head.
'Word is you're responsible for kidnapping Caitlin.'
'Whose word? O'Leary's?' Chou said, unruffled by the accusation.
When Frankie didn't say anything, Chou nodded his head again.
'O'Leary is wrong and Mickey Chen is dead because of it,' he said.
'We don't know who killed Mr Chen,' Chloe started to say.
Chen laughed mirthlessly. 'Whoever killed Mickey will pay.'
'Mr Chou, I strongly advise against taking this matter into your own hands. Mr Chen's death is being investigated by the police,' Frankie said.
'Who said anything about retribution,' Chou smiled but his eyes remained flat, 'I am not in the business of kidnapping. O'Leary knows that. He had no reason to come after me.'
'Is that your family?' Chloe indicated the photos behind Chen, who nodded.
'You have beautiful children.'
While Chou reacted to their questioning with apparent calm, Chloe had noticed something stiff in the way he held himself which suggested an underlying tension. Now at the mention of his children he visibly softened and this time his smile was genuine.
'Where are your children now?' Frankie asked.
'Hong Kong. My wife has taken them to visit her sister there.'
'And when are they due back?'
'In a week.'
'If we haven't found Caitlin by then, it may be best if they stayed away a little longer,' Frankie said.
'Are you telling me O'Leary is going to come after my children, Detective?' Chou said, the faintest trace of alarm in his voice, the first sign he'd shown of being unsettled.
'No, I'm just being cautious,' Frankie said, 'and I suggest you are too Mr Chou. With the disappearance of Caitlin and the death of Mickey Chen, we will be keeping a close eye on you and your associates, as well as O'Leary and his people, so I recommend you tread very carefully.'
…..
'Apart from Lee Chou, is there any one else who might have a reason to take Caitlin. Someone who holds a grudge against you or perhaps found themselves on the bad end of business deal with you,' Traci asked.
'You've got to be kidding!' O'Leary exploded, 'you know what I do for a living. Of course I have enemies. More than I can count on my hands.'
'Any you can think of who might do this?'
'No,' O'Leary shrugged angrily, 'I don't know. Chou's the obvious one.'
'And we are looking into him, but you need to tell us if there is anyone else you suspect could be behind this.'
'Yeah, okay. Okay. There's no one I can of think of right now'
'What about social media? Does Caitlin have a facebook account or anything like that?' Given O'Leary's outburst, Gail decided it best to steer the questioning in a different direction for now.
'No, she's not allowed,' Maree said, 'We said she could go on Facebook when she was 12.'
'Okay, but sometimes children hide these things from their parents.'
'Not Caitlin,' Maree said adamantly.
'We'll check her phone but does she have a computer or iPad?'
'No. I let her use my iPad.'
'Okay, with your permission we can access your metadata from your service provider, see if Caitlin has been in contact with anyone who might have arranged a meeting.'
'Not happening, Detective,' O'Leary sneered, 'don't think you're going to use my daughter's disappearance to come sniffing around me. If I give you access to our metadata, you'll use it to get information on me and my business. You're as cunning as your brother.'
'As I said before, Mr O'Leary we are to find your daughter,' Gail responded calmly, careful not to react to the mention of Steve. 'We'll check Caitlin's phone and if we think we need to access her online activity, I'll ask you to reconsider the request.'
'The answer will still be the same.'
'Niall,' Maree implored, 'we need to help the police find Caitlin.'
O'Leary looked at his wife for a moment and then back at Gail.
'Okay, I'll reconsider, but only if you believe that information is essential.'
'One other thing. We'd like to collect DNA samples.'
'Now you really are kidding me,' O'Leary said.
…..
'I don't think he did it,' Chloe said as she and Frankie got in the car after interviewing Chou.
'Why?' Frankie asked, as she put the car into reverse.
'The way he reacted when we talked about his children. I don't believe he would do anything to jeopardize their safety.'
'True. Chou's smart enough to know that if he took Caitlin, O'Leary would come after his children. Anyway, I don't see what he has to gain by kidnapping her,' Frankie said, 'from what Traci's told me, Chou is moving in on drug and illegal weapons imports. He's associated with the Hong Kong triads and is simply undercutting O'Leary, offering a cheaper deal. By all accounts it's working.'
'Eliminating the competition,' Chloe said.
'Yep and O'Leary doesn't like it one bit.'
'We aren't talking small time gangs here are we?'
'No. O'Leary started small but now I'd say he and Chou are both making millions of dollars each year from illegal activity. Chou's smart though and O'Leary, well he's just a thug. His older brother Pat used to run the gang. He was the one with the brains.'
What happened to him?'
'Disappeared. No one knows what happened to him. Rumor is O'Leary killed Pat so he could take over the gang.'
'Nothing like brotherly love huh,' Chloe said, 'so do you think Chou will take revenge for Mickey Chen?' Chloe asked.
'God, I so hope not,' Frankie sighed, 'but I suspect Chou's not the forgiving type. There are a couple of unsolved murders Traci hasn't been able to pin on him, but the victims had all crossed Chou in some way.'
'The Superintendent's right then. This could start a gang war.'
…
Maree had offered to make them coffee and Traci, seizing on the opportunity to get her alone without her husband, followed her into the kitchen. That left Gail with O'Leary. He glowered at her and then said he had to attend to some business and would be in his study.
Gail rubbed her face. Hard to believe that this time yesterday she was still in Antigua. In fact lying in bed tangled up in Holly. They were booked on a late flight back to Toronto and Gail was determined to make the most of their final day. That mainly consisted of staying in bed until Holly had dragged her up to have breakfast on their deck overlooking the sea. Then she made her go for a swim, even though Gail needed a thick application of sunscreen for that particular activity.
Not that Holly minded or even needed another excuse to put her hands all over Gail and Gail certainly wasn't complaining. By the time Holy had finished applying the last of the sunscreen to Gail's back, Gail had lost any interest she had had in the beach, and all she wanted was for Holly to put her hands on all the parts of her concealed beneath her swimmers.
She turned to face Holly and pressed an eager kiss on her lips and pulled her in close. Holly laughed and pushed Gail back lightly, and then picking up her towel and sunglasses, gave Gail a playful swipe on her ass. As she sauntered outside, Holly called over her shoulder, 'are you coming, Peck.'
'Well clearly not,' Gail harrumphed, 'because you're making me go to the beach.'
That earned another laugh from Holly. She made up for it when they returned from the beach. The shower was spacious and it had two large square shower roses and there were no problems with waiting for the water to heat up or of running out of it for that matter. Gail found it almost impossible, well no it was impossible she had to admit, to be in the shower with Holly and not fuck her.
This time though it was Holly who pushed Gail against the smooth tiles and who kissed her fiercely, and then lifting one of Gail's legs around her hip, teased her fingers through her folds, paying particular attention to her clit, and then after a bit trust those fingers inside Gail. It was urgent and a little rough and had Gail gasping and then asking Holly to go deeper and faster until suddenly she found herself coming so hard Gail swore she did see stars.
Holly laughed softly just as she always did when Gail came. That magical laugh that to Gail sounded like love and which was full of affection and wonder and delight.
'Good thing we're checking out in a couple of hours,' Holly said.
'Why?' Gail asked confused, distracted by the pleasant hum suffusing her body as the orgasm subsided, her heart rate not yet back to normal and her legs trembling just a little.
'You were very loud,' Holly laughed again.
'And who's fault is that nerd,' Gail sassed.
That made Holly laugh again and kiss her once more and then again and again. In that moment Gail couldn't believe how lucky, how blessed she was that Holly loved her.
Now Gail stared out the window at the O'Leary's backyard. The contrast between this and the view from the cabin yesterday couldn't be starker. There was the odd browning leaf left on a branch, but apart from these stranglers the trees were bare. A cover had been placed over the pool for winter and the pool hut was closed up. Beyond that Gail saw the trampoline and Caitlin's tree house, which had been built around a big old oak.
Holly would be here soon. Traci had called her when the O'Leary's gave their consent for forensics to go through Caitlin's room. Now Gail wished she'd suggested Holly leave the interns behind. It wasn't that she was worried about O'Leary exactly. There was just something a bit off about him like he could snap at any moment. Not that she could blame him. To have your kid go missing was surely the worst nightmare.
Still it might have been better if Holly had brought Rodney. Gail decided she should go and wait by the gate. Make sure Holly and the interns got into the house okay and weren't too freaked by the guards.
…
'You can see Caitlin leaving school,' Dov pointed out the small figure on the computer screen to Elaine and Oliver.
Caitlin could be seen coming out of the school gates pushing her bike. Her backpack was slung over her shoulders. She was surrounded by a number of other kids and parents all on their way home, and she stopped just outside the gate to talk to a dark haired boy. Then she put on her helmet, waved the boy goodbye and got on the bike and started pedaling. Then she turned left onto a street bordering one side of the school grounds.
'Is this surveillance from the school?' Elaine asked.
'Yes, the footage comes from their cameras. I've also got footage from CCTV cameras on main roads surrounding the school and the O'Leary house but Caitlin disappears after she turns that corner.'
'So the school only had cameras out the front?' Oliver asked.
'Front and back but none on Caldicott, which is the street she turned onto. The school has a huge brick wall on that side of the grounds. Too high for anyone to climb so they didn't think they needed surveillance.'
'So the cameras are there to keep people out rather than track students,' Oliver said.
'Yeah.'
'And do we know if Caitlin always turned onto Caldicott Street to get home?' Elaine asked.
'No, it's not her usual route,' Dov said, 'her parents told Gail she always turns right onto Smith Street which is one block down.'
'Any footage for Caldicott?' Elaine said.
'None,' Dov shook his head, 'and as I said once she turns down Caldicott she disappears. Caldicott isn't a big street but it feeds into a major road which has CCTV but she doesn't show up on that.'
'Could she have turned off into another street?' Oliver asked.
'There are only two other streets – Blake and Grimes - coming off Caldicott, both of which lead to intersections with CCTV. Caitlin wasn't picked up by those cameras.'
'So Caitlin disappeared on one of those three streets,' Elaine said.
'It looks that way,' Dov agreed.
'So what made her change her usual route and turn down Caldicott Street. What or maybe who was waiting for her there? Something must have lured her.'
'Any registered sex offenders on Caldicott Street?' Oliver asked
'No,' Elaine shook her head, 'but one four streets away. Detectives Anderson and Price are on their way to interview him now.'
'Is he a likely suspect?'
'According to his file, he preferred little boys, though he didn't always discriminate.'
Dov made a disgusted face.
'As far as we know, he hasn't reoffended since he was released from jail 10 years ago. Detective Epstein, how sure are you Caitlin doesn't appear in any of the other surveillance footage you've obtained?'
'Very certain. I've been through all the footage twice. I can look again.'
'Do that. To be sure. In the meantime Oliver can you spare six uniforms? I think we need to door knock Caldicott, Blake and Grimes streets. Find out if anyone saw anything.'
'Yes. We've got McNally, Diaz, Robinson and Moore, and I can pull Grainger and Caras off traffic duty,' Oliver said. 'What about sending them in once school gets out, around the time Caitlin disappeared? It might help jog someone's memory.'
'Good plan,' Elaine agreed, 'the officers can go back this evening to catch any residents they've missed who were out or at work.'
Oliver nodded. Missing children. It always meant overtime. Not that anyone begrudged that.
…
'I don't have to talk to you. I've done nothing wrong,' the man said, trying to shut the door in Frankie's face.
Frankie had quick reflexes and stuck her boot in the door, ignoring the sharp pain in her foot as the man repeatedly tried to ram the door shut.
'We can cuff you and haul your ass down to the station,' Frankie said, 'would you prefer that? Bet your neighbors would enjoy the spectacle. Then we'd have to explain they were living next door to a known sex offender.'
'Screw you' the man said, but opened the door anyway.
'Graham Fielding?' Frankie asked, holding up her badge, 'I'm Detective Anderson and this Detective Price. We just have a few questions.'
'I have nothing to do with it. I haven't touched anyone.'
Fielding was in his mid fifties. His grey hair was close cropped and he wasn't exactly handsome but his features were pleasant. Nothing about the way he looked said pedophile, although in Chloe's experience most pedophiles looked completely ordinary and it was only a few who conformed to the archetype of a sex offender.
'Do with what Mr Fielding?' Chloe asked, careful to keep her tone light and pleasant.
'Whatever it is you're accusing me of.'
'What makes you think we're accusing you of anything?' Frankie asked.
'Why else would you come barging down my door? You know what, this is harassment. I could make a complaint about this.'
Frankie regarded Fielding skeptically until he looked away.
'Is there something you've done that you need to tell us about?' Chloe asked, 'something you need to get off your chest.'
'Fuck, no,' Fielding replied vehemently.
'Why then did you say you haven't touched anyone?' Frankie asked.
'I'm a registered sex offender. The only reason you'd want to question me is if a kid's been assaulted, but I swear I haven't touched any children since I was released from prison.'
'So where were you around 3pm yesterday?' Frankie said.
'On my way to St Stephen's. I had an appointment with my priest at 3.30. He counsels me about my ah urges.'
'St Stephen's is about six blocks from here. How did you get there?' Chloe asked.
'Walked. I don't have a car. I don't work. Nobody wants to hire someone like me.'
'What time did you leave home?'
'About 3pm.'
'Okay,' Frankie nodded, 'do you mind if we take a look around?'
'Yeah, why not. I've got nothing to hide.'
Fielding's apartment was tiny. Just one bedroom and an open plan kitchen and living area. The carpet was threadbare and the walls badly in need of paint. Despite its shabbiness, Fielding kept it well ordered. He had few possessions, which gave the place a spartan and impersonal feel. A suit and a pair of jeans hung in bedroom closet, along with one good shirt. T-shirts, socks and underwear were neatly arranged on shelves lining one side of the closet. There was a religious cross over the bed and a bible on the bedside table, which Frankie picked up.
'I found God in prison,' said Fielding, who had come into the bedroom, 'he is my redeemer. He stops me from doing evil.'
'Do you own a computer, Mr Fielding?' Frankie asked.
'No. I don't have anything that will tempt me to look at evil images. No computer. No cell phone. No cable television.'
'Have you ever seen this little girl?' Chloe held up the photo of Caitlin.
Fielding started. 'I, I. No. No. Never.'
'Are you sure, because from the way you reacted I'd say you recognized her,' Frankie said, 'how bout we continue this conversation down at the station.'
…..
When Holly pulled up in front of O'Leary's house, she hadn't expected it to be quite so huge or so showy nor had she anticipated the armed guards blocking access. The two interns, Wilson in particular, were looking nervous and Holly wished she hadn't asked them to tag along.
'Just stay close to me,' Holly had muttered as the three of them approached the guards.
Gail was standing on the other side of the gate and Holly wondered if she'd come out here on purpose to make sure she and the interns were okay.
'I can vouch for them,' Gail called out while the guards checked their IDs.
One of the guards looked up briefly, and then, ignoring Gail went back to scrutinizing Holly's work ID. Finally he gestured for the three of them to go through and the other guard opened the gate.
'Hey' Gail said softly, 'sorry about that. Everyone's a bit on edge.'
'Makes sense under the circumstances,' Holly said.
'Yeah,' Gail agreed and nodded at Natasha and Wilson, 'just stick to me until we get to Caitlin's room.'
'So O'Leary agreed we can go through her room but won't give DNA,' Holly said.
'Yeah, but Maree O'Leary – the mother – is happy for you to take her DNA.'
'Her DNA will be enough to match with Caitlin's. Especially if we need to rely on mitochondrial DNA.'
'Mitochondrial? Don't you use that when the DNA sample is impaired in some way.'
'Yeah, it's generally not as reliable as nuclear DNA but if the nuclear DNA is damaged, for example by extreme heat, it can't used for identification. But mitochondrial DNA can often be found in very small or damaged DNA samples.'
'So you'll get mitochondrial DNA from Maree?'
'Yes, we inherit mitochondrial DNA from our mothers.'
'Something else I need to thank Elaine for,' Gail said drily.
'Why has O'Leary refused to give a DNA sample? Is he worried we'll use it to link him to a cold case,' Holly asked.
Gail shrugged, 'Makes sense.'
'Does he realize we'll take samples of Caitlin's DNA from her room and those samples could be used to connect him to other crimes. Half her nuclear DNA comes from him.'
Gail stopped and put a hand on Holly's arm, 'Best not to mention that. He's reluctant enough as it is. The three of you should just keep your heads down in there. If O'Leary has any questions, I'll answer them.'
Gail's expression was impassive but Holly was starting to recognize the cop face, and she could see that below the outward calm, Gail was wary and alert. There was a tension there that most people would miss but Holly saw in the way Gail held herself, in the slight narrowing of her eyes and the smile with which she had greeted Holly, which for all intents and purposes looked like a smile but Holly knew wasn't Gail's real smile.
'Should we be worried?' Holly asked.
'No, I'm just being cautious. O'Leary's a bit volatile and I don't want anything to set him off.'
Holly nodded grimly.
'Anyway, I wouldn't let you in there if I thought it was dangerous,' Gail said, her tone reassuring.
Holly felt less nervous then. In truth she felt safe. Protected. It was odd in a way, or maybe not so much odd as new. She was used to looking out for herself at work and in her personal life. Here standing outside the house, Gail radiated a calm, a dependability and Holly trusted her to make the right call about O'Leary. And it wasn't just because Gail was her girlfriend. Holly wondered if members of the public experienced this when Gail went to their aid, this sense she could be relied upon to shield them from harm, to steer them through whatever misfortune had befallen them.
…
Caitlin's room was decorated in bold colors, mainly purples and reds and Gail had a feeling she'd like this kid. No girlie pinks here. Obviously an avid reader, she had the complete set of Harry Potter books lined up on a bookshelf over her desk. There were some mystery books too. Serafina and the Black Cloak and Serafina and the Twisted Staff, and several Nancy Drew mysteries which Gail suspected were a gift from a grandmother who had read the books as a girl.
It was a typical ten year old's room. Stuffed toys on the bed, bright prints on the wall, an old fashioned stamp set and a set of coloring pencils on the desk. Unlike the rest of the house, the room was painted an off white with a feature wall behind the bed of red, purple and orange squares bordered by white. Two large initials, CL, made from wood and painted lime green, adorned one wall and a glow in the dark solar system complete with shooting stars was stuck to the ceiling.
Holly had extracted hair from Caitlin's brush and bagged her toothbrush when O'Leary appeared in the hallway. He nodded at Gail and she moved aside to let him stand at the door. After a moment, he turned to Gail, his back to the room.
'So how is your brother?'
'Don't know,' Gail shrugged casually, her face neutral.
'Don't keep in touch?'
'We were never close,' Gail said matter of factly.
'So where's he living now?'
'No idea and I don't care either.'
'Yeah,' O'Leary took a step towards Gail and then another until he was looming over her.
He was taller than Gail and broad and there an ugly sneer on his face as he leaned in so close she could feel his breath, hot and sour, against her own face. From her position, Gail could see into Caitlin's room and she noticed Holly straighten quickly and move towards the door where she and O'Leary stood. So Gail did that thing where she didn't move her head and barely moved her eyes. In fact the movement was almost imperceptible yet somehow urgent, and it was as if she was actually shaking her head vigorously. Holly stopped, even though her instinct was to go forward, even though internally she was screaming at herself to ignore Gail's unspoken entreaty to stay back.
O'Leary didn't seem to notice Gail's look because he leaned in even closer and said in a harsh voice, 'You find my little girl and I'll forget my vendetta against the Pecks. Then you, and especially Steve, can breathe a little easier.'
….
Is Elaine up to something? And what has she got Gail into?
