Look After You
6. Simultaneous

Max was driving the CID car back to Sun Hill when his boss’ phone began ringing shrilly, Jack answered after fishing the device out of his pocket with difficulty - the seatbelt laying tightly across his pocket.

“DCI Meadows?”

“Guv, it’s Jo …”Jo’s voice floated from the phone loudly, and despite a slight crackle Max could make out what she was saying easily whilst driving.

“…I’ve been to Elliot’s, the manager was under the impression that the car was parked out back where the vehicles that aren’t in use are kept, he checked before believing me that it was gone.”“So what does that mean, Chambers has an accomplice? We have to find two men now?” Jack asked, sighing tiredly.

“Well that’s the thing; a Mickey Heralds was meant to be using that car to pick up a woman from Gatwick airport but minutes after he left the office he phoned in complaining of a migraine. Someone else was sent out and he was told to drive the car back in before getting off home.”“You think Heralds and Chambers are in this together?” Jack questioned.

“Seems likely, I mean it must’ve looked suspicious to a normal person… Max chasing after the cab with the manager of ‘Dance 78’ in tow, with Chambers dragging an unconscious woman around with him … unless of course the driver was expecting this.”

“Okay, so we need to find out as much as possible about these two men then. Meet us back at Sun Hill, Jo. We’ll talk more there.” Jack finished the call and turned to Max. “You hear all of that?”

“Yep, so do you think two men could be involved?” Max asked.

“I suppose so, I mean, it could explain why Chambers grew in confidence and began abducting the women? He could easily claim that the victim could’ve used that cab at any time within her life.” Jack speculated.

“I agree.”

“Good. This means we’re one step closer to finding Sam.” Jack told him.

Max let out his breath. “I know.”

By the time Jack and Max returned to CID, Jo was already sat at her desk, coffee cup steaming beside her and many windows up on her computer screen. She looked at them and called; “Guv, Serge.”

They approached her and she showed them her screen. “I found Heralds on CRIMMIT. Mickey Heralds was first brought in when he was twelve for delivering drugs, but obviously we couldn’t do anything and he wouldn’t give any names. Then when he was seventeen he was hauled in for petty theft and since then nothing.” Jo brought a picture of him up on her screen. He had dark features and a scowl on his mean face. Physically, he looked strong and powerful, like he enjoyed having control over the people around him.

“What d’you think?” Max asked. “Chambers is brains, Heralds is brawn?”

“Could be.” Jack answered. “Jo, can you get his current address up for me. I think we need to get in there, and soon.”

Jo clicked around on her computer a couple of times before turning back to them. “Right, last known address … 43 Gradients Street, Canely.”

“How do you want to play this?” Jack asked his Sergeant.

Max looked startled. “I decide?”

“This was your case originally.” Jack replied.

Max thought for a moment, before deciding swiftly. “Okay, I think we need to do two arrest teams but go in there fast and efficiently. The teams need to go at the same time. That way, neither of the suspects can contact the other.”

Jack nodded. “Sounds like it can work. I’ll brief the troops again.”

An hour and half later, Max was sat outside Chamber’s flat in the CID car with Jack. They’d chosen to go with the brawns as a feeling that if one of them had Sam, it would be Chambers.

DI Neil Manson was in charge of the other team and awaiting the signal, they were on Gradients Street outside the house Herald’s lived in with his mother. Jack and Max both raised radio’s to their mouths; Max’s connected to everyone outside the flat, Jack’s connected to everyone on Gradients Street.

Jack gave a nod before they simultaneously called for the troops to “go, go, go!”

They charge into the house was full of adrenaline, panic and hope. Hope to find the missing DI, feeling as fine as she could be. But Max felt bitter disappointment as he searched through the flat and found no-one. Most of the troops walked out of the house but Max lingered, taking a good look around for any clue. Jack searched through paperwork, looking for a lock up or a warehouse. Anywhere, where Chambers and Heralds may have taken her. Max passed the sofa and paused, he looked closely whilst pulling out a pair of gloves. He snapped them on and crouched beside the furniture.

Jack’s attention was caught at the sound of rubber and turned, he looked down at his Sergeant before marching over. “You found something?”

“I think so …” Max picked something up of the sofa and showed Jack. Between his fingertips there was a strand of fine hair. “Blonde.”

Jack looked closely at the hair and then the sofa, sure enough a few strands of hair had caught on the material of the sofa. He bent and looked closely. “We’ll get forensics down here, but it sure looks like she was here.”

“At least we know we’re on the right path.” Max said, feeling his hopes raise slightly but he wondered how long this path would run for. Had the other team found something, or were they as hopeless as them? Had they wasted time that they hadn’t had in the first place?

As if in answer to his question, Jack’s radio crackled to life with Manson’s voice. “Guv, there’s nothing here. Neither of the men or Sam. Sorry Guv.”

“It’s okay Neil, we’ve found a small amount of forensic evidence down here but that’s it. Go back to the station and we’ll talk more there.” Jack instructed.

Max dropped the strand of hair back down where he’d found it, before following Jack out of the flat, who was making a phone call to forensics.

Max sat in the CID briefing room with Neil and Jack, subconsciously pushing his chair from side to side to push some of the anxiety out of his body. Jack and Neil were discussing what each had found in the searches which resulted in not very much. Max rubbed his eyes with his hands tiredly, and looked up as the door was pushed open by an eager looking DC Moss.

“Guv’s, Serge.” Stevie acknowledged before carrying on. “I’ve been running some checks on Chambers and Heralds. I got into contact with Chambers bank and found out he has more than one bank account. The first he uses for everyday things but the second he puts money in that he collects from rent. Turns out, he owns a property in West Canely and rents it out. A family lived their until a month ago, it was empty for a while but since Saturday … has been being rented by Heralds. And Chambers has made him pay less rent than the previous family.”

Max felt his pals sweat at just the thought of finally catching the men, had they really just made a mistake. He looked up to see Neil and Jack exchanging a look. Half optimistic, half worried.

And Max knew why, was it too late? Had they found out about the raid and ’done the deed’? Or had they not found out but felt aroused by the whole danger of nearly being caught?

“Stevie, go round up some uniform. Use ones that had been on the raid recently if you can, tell them to be in the yard. We’re going to run with this immediately.” Jack told her.