Backlash

Chapter Seventeen

In the darkness of the early morning, the preparations were well under way. The forecast was gloomy and heavy rain was expected, so teams of officers were being kitted out in protective overalls and boots. The catering wagon ‘Teapot One’ had already opened up. It was very cold and the caterers would be kept busy all day with so many people to serve. On one side of the quarry there was a vast area of flattened ground, which became the operation’s main base as the vehicles could park up with ease.

Fifty metres from their base was the cavernous quarry pit with many ridges and smaller pits, and a crumbling cliff edge. Officers began to cordon off the area with crime scene tape. Anyone entering the location would have to show identification. The two sniffer dogs and their handlers remained in their van, and the barking of the animals echoed across the vast quarry.

Mike had commandeered a large tent, inside which there were tables and chairs, and a board propped up on two easels with photographs and maps of the area divided into squares. Four of the search teams were already exploring the easiest route down to the deep pit. Abseiling equipment, rope ladders and steel extendable ones were being unloaded. A coach with more officers drew up and twenty men and women alighted to await instructions. The marine support unit van was also on site with two large inflatable dinghies and dredging equipment to search the large water-filled areas at the lower end of the quarry. The divers were busy putting on their wetsuits and testing the breathing apparatus. Mike gave them the go-ahead to start searching the pond area as soon as they were ready.

Anna arrived in her Mini and parked beside the coach. Remembering the state of her shoes after her last visit, she was wearing wellington boots and a thick fleece jacket with a hood. She joined Mike and Barolli for a coffee at the catering wagon just as Mike received a call on his mobile to say that Oates had left the station and was on his way with a large escort. They made their way over to the big tent and Mike pointed to the map of the wood.

‘We get him here and then, as he says he came up to the quarry from the wooded side, we start from there, let him guide us to where he says he tipped the bodies over. He claims he also went down into the main pit. How the hell he got down there and back up he’ll have to show us, but it’s bloody steep.’

Anna looked around.

‘I suppose if he’d parked near here someone might have seen him, so coming in via the woods would have been better cover for what he was up to.’

Mike made sure his earphones were working as his phone began to ring constantly. He used a microphone attached to his earpiece to relay messages to the teams, which were still arriving. The police helicopter, India 99, was on standby at its base in Lippitts Hill, Essex, all ready to take off when required, although the thermal image sensor on board would not be of much use unless Oates had recently buried a body. But even after five years they would be able to identify from the air possible ground disturbances in the open parts of the quarry and the Nitesun high-powered searchlight would also help the officers on the ground.

‘Is Langton going to show?’ asked Barolli, who’d just arrived.

Anna smiled and said she doubted that he would miss such a big event.

‘Well he should watch out for himself, this place is lethal – there’s potholes everywhere and the clay makes it like an ice rink.’

‘Yeah, but at least the rain is holding off.’

A large tent with rolled-up sides and a tarpaulin floor had also been erected for the forensic team and they were unpacking boxes of equipment inside. At the same time officers from the POLSA support van began taking out the huge arc lamps.

‘Well it looks like everyone’s here except the star of the show,’ said Barolli. He looked around, impressed: this was a major operation. ‘Eh, look who’s driving up – his nice shiny BMW’s gonna be caked.’

Adan Kumar was showing his identification to the uniformed officers standing by the cordoned entry to the parking area and was directed to park alongside Anna’s Mini. They watched as he got out and looked at the ground. He was wearing his cashmere coat and toggled leather shoes.

‘Silly bugger’s not got wellington boots, and it’s a pity we don’t have any extra protective gear to help him out.’ Barolli grinned.

Mike glanced at his watch. ‘He made good time, I only gave him the location an hour ago, woke him up. Mind you, I never mentioned it was gonna be a mud bath.’

They laughed as the elegant Kumar threaded his way across the potholed muddy ground, side-stepping and hesitant. The hem of his beautiful coat was already covered with white splashes of chalk and he drew it up to avoid a really slithery area as he reached the duckboards set down around the catering van.

‘Do you have any extra boots?’ he demanded.

Mike shook his head and apologized. ‘I regret to say they’re all allocated to the officers. I suggest you sit in your car, Mr Kumar – nothing will be happening for a while, as we’re waiting for your client.’

Kumar asked for a black coffee and brown toast. He then did a tripping dance back to his car with his breakfast balanced on a paper plate. By now the back of his coat was covered in stains as well.

‘Well, that’s him out of the way,’ Barolli said and then he looked up.

‘That’s not ours, is it?’

Mike and Anna followed his gaze skywards. A helicopter was making a slow circuit around the perimeter of the pit.

‘It’s not fucking press, is it?’ Mike said angrily.

‘Can’t see, but it’s moving off.’

‘Can we check with air traffic control if there’s clearance? If it’s press it’ll be a bloody pain in the arse.’

‘I don’t think you need permission to fly at certain heights, but it’s moved well off now.’

Their attention was then drawn to the black-out armoured wagon surrounded by police motorcyclists. It was held at the cordon and they saw an officer gesturing for it to drive on towards the coaches. Behind this was an armed response vehicle, with two armed officers on board. Oates would be handcuffed at all times and the armed guards would be close at hand.

Oates looked clean and well in a police-issue grey track-suit. He had asked to have a shower and for clean clothing before leaving the station on what he referred to as his big day out. He was asked to remain in the wagon and given hot chocolate with, as he requested, four teaspoons of sugar. The marine unit had warned that the climb down into the pit would be very hazardous. They had attached abseiling ropes to deeply buried anchor poles, but it was a steep drop down to the bottom of the quarry. As more ropes, harnessing and descending equipment were laid out it began to look like a mountaineering expedition. The last vehicle to enter the cordon was an open-backed Land Rover with a high-powered rear winch. The winch was to be fitted with a stretcher and body bag, ready to be lowered when required. It was also decided that the winch could be used alongside the abseiling ropes to lower officers down into the quarry and speed up the descent time. The forensic archaeologist had told them that bodies buried in chalk for a year or more would be badly decomposed due to the limestone content, but the bones themselves should remain in good condition. They felt they had covered every possible problem that could occur and Mike didn’t want any further delays.

It was almost seven when the operation began. Anna and Mike joined the armed officers in their van and were driven along the dirt road leading to the wooded area. They drove for almost two miles, half the perimeter of the quarry. The officers with Oates radioed back to warn them they were close and to slow down as the prisoner thought he recognized the area where he had usually pulled over. The wood had become much more dense and they could see that the wired fence had a break in it.

‘This is it,’ Mike told them. He turned to look back as the prison van stopped. Their own vehicle backed up a few yards to halt directly in front of the police wagon, which was now parked between the armed officers and the backup team of six more men.

Anna and Mike got out, and the armed officers followed as they took their positions by the rear doors of the prison van. Oates had now been given an all-in-one protection suit and wellington boots.

‘Can you step down, please, Mr Oates.’

Oates, with an officer either side of him, his hands cuffed in front, was helped down the steel steps of the wagon.

‘I was gettin’ claustrophobia in there,’ he said irritably.

Mike apologized and with himself and Anna either side of Oates they all turned towards the ditch and the wood.

‘You see that big tree there, one with the black marks up it?’

They did.

‘That was from me setting light to the Jeep, so I know I’m in the right place, it’s been my marker, but mind the ditch, it’s wider than you think.’

It was. Anna jumped over, and Mike helped Oates steady himself before he too jumped to the other side. Oates stood peering at the trees, then he pointed.

‘Just a bit further up, there’s a gap between two firs.’

They made slow progress as the ground was very uneven, but after a short distance they found themselves on a narrow path covered in thick rotting leaves and branches. There were thick brambles with sharp thorns on either side, making it necessary to walk in single file. The wood was becoming increasingly dense and Anna was growing suspicious, it seemed impossible that Oates could have come this way carrying a body.

‘You sure you’re on the right track?’ Mike asked Oates, who was now leading them.

‘Trust me, I can be certain in a few minutes. All right, everyone halt.’

Oates held up his handcuffed arms and everyone behind him stopped. It would have been comical if the reason for their being there hadn’t been so dreadful. Oates turned around, squinting upwards, but the branches were so dense they could only see glimpses of the sky.

‘No, not yet, forward.’

Mike threw Anna a look and she shrugged.

They continued walking slowly and whether or not Oates knew where he was going they could do nothing but follow in silence. He was like a little sergeant major and obviously enjoying himself as he kept on stopping and looking up, before ordering them to get going once more.

‘How much further?’ Mike asked.

‘Not sure, but I’m on the right track. I’ll know for certain in a minute. See, the trees are wider apart now.’

It was true, they were. Yet again he stopped and turned around, looking upwards, but then shook his head. On they went for another fifty yards or so before he did the same thing, stopping and looking upwards. This time he gestured for them to look up.

‘See, I’m right, there in that tree, can you see it?’

‘What are we looking for?’ Mike came close to Oates.

‘Can’t you see it?’

‘I don’t know what I’m looking for.’ Mike was getting tetchy, but Oates lifted both hands to point.

‘It’s up in the big branch that curves over your head.’

‘Is it a ball?’ Anna asked, gazing upwards.

‘No, it’s a riding hat. See, the strap is caught, the chin guard is hooked over a branch and it’s probably full of water by now, but that’s my marker.’

‘How did you get it up there?’ Anna asked.

‘Threw it, of course, chucked it up. I mean, you’d never notice it was there if you didn’t know about it, right?’

They left two officers to get the hat down, while the rest of them walked on.

Oates still led them and gradually the wood began to get less dense and the ground beneath their feet grew soggy. It looked as if at one time a number of trees had toppled into the quarry, as there were many dangerous roots just waiting to trip someone up and a couple of trunks lay on their sides rotting in the wet clay. There was a shout from behind them and yet again everyone halted. It turned out to be the officers who had retrieved the riding hat, which they now handed to Anna. The velvet was covered in moss, and inside it was full of cones and broken twigs. She gently rubbed the moss away from the protective padding and although it was badly faded she could make out the name Rebekka Jordan written in marker pen. She asked one of the officers to take the helmet back to the forensic tent. Oates was getting impatient. ‘Come on, what are we waiting for?’

The path was now wide enough for Anna and Mike to walk either side of Oates and then it opened up onto flat ground.

‘Watch your step, this is all crumbling, so take it easy cos you slide and you’re going down into the pit,’ Oates warned.

Rather ominously they were now at the edge of the wood overlooking the giant quarry. From their position they could see all their vehicles and men waiting across on the other side of the quarry. To their right, about two hundred metres away at the lowest part of the old quarry, they could make out the pond area and the marine unit busily working away searching through the cloudy water.

‘Step back, please, Mr Oates.’ Mike was concerned he would jump and kill himself, but he laughed.

‘You’ll have to get a bit closer, pal. Look down and you’ll see a ledge, it’s about twelve feet down, then there’s another one below that, and then it’s free fall to the bottom.’

Oates was not at all out of breath and made a gleeful point of telling everyone that he was more athletic and fitter than any of them. He indicated where he had slithered over the sloping side of the quarry.

‘I was shit-scared, I admit it, cos it was pitch-black and I didn’t know if I was done for, but I was on me back as I slid and I almost dropped her. I had her by the hair and we just came to a stop. Got to remember I had the shovel in me hands as well.’

Mike sighed; this was going to be a more formidable task than anyone had anticipated as the gradient of the slope was not only extremely steep but everything was dangerously wet and slippery. To bring in the winch vehicle or heavy excavating equipment through the woods would be impossible. The uniformed sergeant, who was the search adviser from the POLSA team, suggested to Mike that they drop further abseiling ropes from where they were standing down to the ledge. This would allow one of his men to descend to the ledge and then drop rope ladders and harnessing equipment to the bottom of the quarry. His team, who were still at base, could then go down into the quarry pit using the winch and abseiling lines already set up by the operation’s base on the opposite side. They would then be able to cross the floor of the pit and climb up to the ledge indicated by Oates.

Oates told them he had buried Rebekka somewhere along the first ledge, and then he had dug another grave further along and the others were on the second, wider ledge.

‘How did you get back up from down there?’ Anna asked.

‘Clawed up, used the shovel as a chisel – ground was quite hard then, so I could get a good grip. It took me a long time, but there are lots of tree roots to hang onto so that made it easier. I also got another route to show you, one I found later; it’s easier, but it’s further along and that’s where I took the other girls.’

They followed Oates along the crumbling edge of the wood to another section, which was less steep, and with a vast amount of roots. Now there was another ledge visible.

An hour later they were driving back to the base. Everyone was covered in clay and chalk dust, their boots thick and crusted with it. Oates was taken back to the police wagon, where he would be given a hot drink and some food. It was nine-thirty.

Mike was surrounded by his team as he pinpointed on the map the areas where Oates claimed to have buried the bodies. As the search adviser had anticipated, it was felt that it would be less dangerous to go down into the main quarry, cross and climb upwards rather than attempt to go over the ridge, as it would be difficult to get all the equipment over there and through the woods. They already had the ropes in place ready for the men to abseil down. Mike now gave the order for the helicopter to circle the quarry and use its high-definition cameras to look for any noticeable ground disturbances in the areas indicated by Oates.

Barolli was still concerned that the other helicopter, which they’d noticed earlier circling the quarry, wasn’t one of theirs. They had been unable to see it whilst walking in the woods, but now Mike watched as it came into view again. It circled the entire perimeter of the quarry and swooped audaciously low over the gaping pit, at which point they could read on its side: News Flight Aviation.

‘It’s the fucking press!’ Mike shouted above the noise. He wondered helplessly how they could get the damned thing ordered out of the area.

‘When our lads fly in, they’ll put the wind up them,’ Anna said, glancing over to the parked BMW. Kumar was sitting in the passenger seat staring at them. ‘Somebody bloody tipped them off and I wouldn’t put it past that slimeball.’

Barolli agreed. Kumar had ventured out from his car twice, to get refreshments, but otherwise nobody was speaking to him. He had been seen on his mobile phone a great deal. Mike asked if Anna would go and talk to him, to inform him that his client had been of assistance. It almost choked him to use the word assistance, as it had been obvious to them all that Oates was thoroughly relishing all the attention.

Kumar lowered his window and then turned in surprise as Anna opened the passenger door and got in beside him. She liked the fact that her mud-covered wellington boots left thick stains on the car’s pale blue fitted carpet.

‘Mr Oates has been very informative and has given us the locations where he claims he buried his victims. We have also retrieved Rebekka Jordan’s riding hat; he used it as a marker to find the way to get rid of his other victims.’

‘I would like to talk to him.’

‘I’m afraid for security reasons you will have to have armed officers present, so any consultation will not be private. He is being very helpful and we may need to take him down into the quarry, but if you wish to climb down as well I am sure I can arrange for you to do so.’

‘I don’t think that will be necessary.’

‘Can I also ask that you do not use your phone as we have our helicopter coming in to check the area, so mobiles have to be turned off.’

‘Really?’

‘Yes, really, Mr Kumar. As you may have seen, we have another helicopter circling which belongs to the press. Extraordinary, isn’t it? But some idiot must have tipped them off that we were here. Let’s just hope there isn’t some God-awful accident, but we’ll get the local air traffic control onto them as soon as possible.’

‘I’ve heard it circling.’

‘Have you now – sad, isn’t it? We are here trying to uncover the victims your client claims he murdered and buried. And yet it’s possible that before we are able to identify the bodies and inform relatives there could be photographs splashed over every paper.’

Kumar turned away from her.

‘You know the names of these women,’ Anna went on. ‘If it is leaked in any way that we are looking for their remains, then it must be obvious the information came from someone very close to the investigation. I know it’s none of my team, so that leaves…’

‘I don’t like what you are implying, Detective Travis.’

‘Really? Well I dislike intensely anyone who feels that media attention will be beneficial to their career. You’ll get your moments of hype at the trial of your client. Meanwhile, keep off your mobile or I’ll have you arrested for obstructing a police investigation, not to mention the more serious offence of perverting the course of justice!’

‘Would you please get out of my car?’

‘Can’t wait.’

She slammed the door so hard the car rocked, then she headed back to where Mike and the search teams were gathered ready to begin the climb down into the quarry pit.

Marked up on maps were crosses indicating where Oates said he had buried the victims. Mike decided that the first body they should attempt to exhume would be Rebekka Jordan’s. Although on a high ledge it looked more secure than the other areas pointed out by Oates. The police helicopter observer radioed down to Mike that they couldn’t see any unusual disturbances in the area, but there was a lot of moss covering the ledge, which had obviously re-grown over the five years since she was buried. Mike was keen to avoid taking Oates down into the quarry and across onto the ledge, as he knew if anything happened to him there would be serious repercussions. He decided that a team of four plus the archaeologist should go and examine the ledge for any signs of evidence that might pinpoint the exact spot. The archaeologist chose this moment to tell an increasingly agitated Mike that he suffered from vertigo and there was no way he could go near the edge or down into the quarry. He hadn’t admitted this before as he hadn’t thought the pit would be so deep.

Anna stood by watching as the four search officers began abseiling down into the quarry. The winch vehicle was brought in to lower the equipment the men needed and then they made their way across to the opposite side and attached themselves to the abseiling ropes that had now been put in position. The police helicopter came in low, hovering above the team base, the blades creating a storm of chalk dust. The air grew thick and many officers began reaching for their face masks so Mike radioed to the helicopter to go higher.

It was almost two o’clock by the time two of the team had abseiled down into the quarry to join their colleague who had already descended to the ledge from the wooded side. He had fixed two rope ladders and pulleys to haul up not only all the digging tools but also additional safety equipment to harness themselves to the ledge. It was all frustratingly slow. The quarry walls were breaking up and the ledge, already extremely slippery in some areas from the moss, was crumbling away. The rain started spitting at first, which in some ways helped as it kept the chalk dust down, but it also added to the dangers as the ledge became even more slippery.

Mike banged on the wagon door. The team on the ledge had found nothing unusual to indicate the location of Rebekka’s body so he decided he had no option but to ask Oates if he would be willing to assist the search team further. Oates agreed to be winched down into the quarry and then climb up the other side onto the ledge and point out the burial site. Kumar had been present and Oates had been very positive, but the search officers were wary about him joining them on the ledge. Kumar, egged on by Oates, complained about his client’s safety if he had to continue to wear handcuffs. Mike and Anna conferred, but they really had no option but to agree as it was very obviously a steep climb up and down from the ledge. Mike told Oates that the handcuffs would be removed but the armed officers would accompany him. If he pulled any stunts then he would be returned to the police wagon and they would continue without him.

Oates was behaving himself, smiling and showing off. He had to wait for the armed guards to reach the bottom before he was allowed to make his way down via a harness attached to the winch.

Anna and Mike looked down as Oates was winched to the bottom of the quarry and then crossed with the officers to the ledge opposite where a safety harness was attached to him before he climbed up the rope ladder. He was very fit and agile, using his physical strength to pull himself quickly up onto the ledge to join the search team. Mike passed his binoculars to Anna and she was able to see Oates waving his hands around and then guiding the search team further along the ledge. She saw him pointing downwards and nodding.

‘Christ, he’s even helping them dig – take a look.’

‘I can see,’ Mike snapped, clearly frustrated at not being a part of the physical activity. He turned up the collar of his protective suit. The rain was still coming down, thankfully not heavily, but it was nevertheless making visibility more difficult, especially for the two cameramen recording the entire operation. Mike was in constant radio contact with the helicopter, explaining that if a grave was uncovered they could have another flight to check over the lower ledge.

Anna lowered the binoculars. Even without them she could see four men digging and one who was hacking at the side of the ledge as Oates kept digging alongside them. Then he was shaking his head and turning this way and that.

‘I don’t think they’ve got the right spot… they’re moving further along. This is ridiculous, Mike – he couldn’t have spent all that much time digging up there by himself. The chalk and clay is pretty hard, so it had to have been somewhere more shallow.’

Mike turned away, pressing his earpiece.

‘They got something.’

The excitement was awful; it was so inappropriate to what was happening. But the team on the ledge gave the thumbs-up, and then they put down their spades and started to use their hands to clear the surface clay and chalk as the forensic officers made their way down into the quarry.

‘Bring him back,’ Mike ordered.

The first thing the team found were Rebekka’s riding boots. As the clay was delicately scraped back they could see they had a very decomposed body, virtually a skeleton. Oates climbed back down and made his way across the quarry to be winched up. As he reached the top he was handcuffed again.

‘I found her,’ he said, smiling.

He didn’t like being taken back to the wagon, and complained once more that he was claustrophobic, but after they cajoled him and arranged for food to be provided, he acquiesced and went inside.

It took a long time for the body to be excavated by the three forensic officers who were now working on the ledge. Eventually the remains were placed into an airtight body bag and lowered down into the pit and then taken across to a metal caged stretcher, which had been attached to the winch. They could not use the helicopter to lift the body as the downdraught would be too dangerous for anyone on the ledge, but by four-thirty the body was finally lifted out of the quarry. They carried the body bag into the forensic tent, where Anna and Mike stood outside watching.

The helicopter went back into action, scanning the lower ledge as the forensic team began to descend for a break. The rain was still coming down and rain capes had been handed out. At least it stopped the dust.

As the black body bag was unzipped Anna moved closer. It was without doubt Rebekka Jordan, even though her long hair, caked in clay, was no longer attached to her skull. The jodhpurs, riding boots and sweater were still in reasonable condition. The jacket was in shreds. Nobody touched her; the bag was zipped up and she was taken to the mortuary van.

‘One down, four to go,’ Mike said quietly.

The helicopter circled for the fifth time. Suddenly they radioed that they had found an area of possible disturbance near a small very narrow pathway that was invisible from the forensic tent.

‘Big enough for us to get through?’ demanded Mike.

Back came the distorted voice, warning that it was doubtful, but that it was conceivable a dog could make its way round to the ledge.

Not long after this news, Langton’s old brown Rover came splashing through the puddles and parked behind Kumar’s BMW. Barolli plodded over with a rain cape and boots. Langton pulled on the boots, but ignored the rain cape. He waved across to Anna before he headed over.

‘Mike sent me a text saying that you’d found Rebekka. I’ve been trying to track down who instigated that bloody press helicopter. I’d place a bet that it’s Kumar hoping for front-page news so he can allege Oates won’t get a fair trial. Anyway, air traffic control is onto it now.’

‘Yeah, I’d put my money on it being him too,’ she said, pulling her hood up as they made their way over to the mortuary van. Langton took a long time looking at the remains of the child it had taken five years to find. He asked that they take her straight to the mortuary, as he wanted a post mortem done as soon as possible.

‘Maybe wait – when we find the other bodies they’ll need to be taken to the mortuary as well,’ Anna suggested.

‘There’s a second van on standby and judging by how long it’s taken you to find her I doubt we’ll be uncovering the others until…’ He looked at his wristwatch. ‘Christ, it’ll be getting dark soon. I’ve not got this whole circus for another day, you know. Why is it taking so long?’

Annoyed with him, she walked off without answering. If he’d seen what they had been up against all day he’d have bloody known.

Langton, still refusing to put on his rain cape, joined Mike, who was at the catering wagon ordering sandwiches and coffee. They had pulled out a canopy for shelter, but the rainwater was flowing off the sides as if it was coming from a tap, creating an ever-deepening muddy puddle. Anna, who was with Barolli, could see that they were having a heated argument. Barolli pulled at his cape as the rain was dripping down his neck.

Mike came over to report that Langton wanted the burial sites found today, so he could cut the number of officers at the quarry by half and the digging-out could be done the next day. Anna remarked how Langton had already complained to her about the time they were taking. Mike was not happy.

‘I’d like to see him bloody climbing up and down those frigging rope ladders; it’s already very slippery and the rain’s getting worse.’

‘I doubt he’ll attempt a climb with his knee, but at least he’s now driving himself.’

‘It’s not him I’m worried about, it’s the guys doing the hard work on the ledge.’

Anna turned the binoculars onto the search team, who looked like black ants climbing up and onto the lower ledge. Some had already begun digging.

‘They got the sniffer dogs up there now,’ Mike told her, ‘but the handlers didn’t like it, they had to go round past the woods and miles on foot to the far side; it’s just a small narrow path and crumbling fast.’

There was a lot of action, but no radio feedback that they had found anything. All they could do was stand and wait as the ground all around became like a bog. Anna sat in her car for a while to warm up; her feet were freezing cold. She could see Mike pacing up and down, and Langton and Barolli sharing binoculars as they monitored the action on the ledge. Mike constantly had to fiddle with his earpiece to get reception.

‘Mike,’ Langton called over, from where he was sheltering under the canopy. Mike sloshed through the puddles towards him.

‘What’s going on over there?’ Langton demanded.

‘They’re having no luck; it’s a big area. One of the dogs got excited but it was a dead animal. I think it’s becoming too dangerous up there with the weather, so I’m thinking of calling them back.’

‘Get him out there. We’ll lose the light soon and it’s not going to be easy, arc lamps on or not. Get the pilot to do one more circle and to stand by with the searchlight; it’ll help the team on the ledge to see what they’re doing.’

Although Mike felt Langton was wrong to continue the operation he said nothing. As the senior officer present it was now Langton’s decision alone whether or not to use Oates again. Langton finally put on his rain cape and looked up to the cloud-darkened sky. In the distance they could see a flash of lightning, which was eventually followed by a low rumble as the sound waves travelled across the grey sky.

‘Looks like that storm is heading our way,’ Mike said in an attempt to dissuade Langton from continuing the search. But Langton walked off, leaving Mike to signal to the armed officers, who were sitting in their vehicle waiting for instructions.

‘Get him out!’ he shouted across to them.

Langton, back under the caterers’ canopy, watched as Oates was led to the edge of the quarry. He saw them remove his handcuffs and watched him clamber down, accompanied by the armed guards, to the floor of the quarry.

Anna, who was by the winch vehicle, turned as Langton came to stand beside her and Barolli.

‘If my knee wasn’t shit I’d be down there. Look at the little prick.’

Oates was shadow-boxing again, dancing around the two armed guards, fooling around.

‘He’s bloody loving it, isn’t he?’

Anna nodded as they watched Oates climbing up to join the search teams on the ledge.

‘Athletic little sod, though, isn’t he?’ Langton said.

Mike had ordered the huge arc lamps to be moved into position, and their iron tripod stands sank deeply into the clay. They had four lamps altogether, spaced around the quarry, each connected to the portable generator, ready to be switched on.

‘Is that ours?’ Langton looked up at the helicopter coming into view.

‘No it’s that News Flight one,’ Anna said. ‘It’s been in and out, hovering around us like a gnat.’

Langton snatched her binoculars, and swore loudly.

‘They got a fucking camera; they’re filming us. This was supposed to have been bloody sorted.’ He moved away, shouting into his mobile phone, heading for the cover of the caterers’ canopy to protect his phone from the rain.

Oates could be seen moving amongst the search team. He bent down a couple of times and gestured for them to move further along the ledge. He repeatedly leaned forwards, staring closely at the ground, and then straightened up, looking to his left and right along the ledge.

Anna passed the binoculars to Barolli.

‘You know, I think he’s stringing us along. He’s moving this way and that and it looks as if he doesn’t know what he’s doing. Maybe he never intended us to find the other victims.’

Mike returned, by now very worried about the encroaching lightning and the safety of everyone on the ledge.

‘Might be lucky – Oates could fall off,’ Barolli said.

‘Christ, don’t say that, Paul.’

Anna pointed across the quarry.

‘You know what I don’t like – that narrow path the dogs were let loose on. I’m just concerned that all this could be Oates setting us up; he’s got no handcuffs on, what if he did a runner? He said he knows this area like the back of his hand, maybe that was the way he got to that ledge because it’s a long way down from the first ledge and we’re supposed to believe he carried the bodies.’

Mike sighed and said that even if Oates attempted to escape, with two armed guards he wouldn’t get far.

‘I’d like to blow his head off,’ Barolli said, stamping his feet.

There was another ominous low roll as the thunder got closer. India 99 was again hovering above them, shining its Nitesun searchlight in the direction of the ledge, illuminating the area like a floodlit football pitch. The noise was deafening as it echoed around the massive pit and the blades created a downdraught that even with the rain created a thick mist of chalk. The press helicopter was hovering at a slightly higher altitude over the middle of the pit when suddenly it turned and moved off at high speed away from the quarry. At first they thought that air traffic control had been onto them at last, but then the police helicopter radioed to say that they, like the press, had to clear the area and return to base due to the incoming weather.

Langton shouted to Mike as the lightning and thunder got even closer.

‘Get the arc lights lit and give it another half-hour.’

‘The helicopter’s been grounded because the weather is getting worse. It’s dangerous out there in the open with the lightning so I think we should call it a day,’ Mike protested.

‘I make the decisions, Mike, it’s not on top of us yet. If they find anything we can dig it out fully tomorrow.’

The electricians started the portable generator, powering up the four huge arc lamps. One was focused towards the ledge and ladders, another shone down onto the base of the quarry and the two others lit up the winch and rope ladders used at the operation base. They could see very clearly Oates and his armed guards preparing to make their way down from the ledge, while the officers still on the ledge continued to dig.

It looked as if it was going to be a disappointing end to a long day when Mike received a radio message that set everyone alight. The dog handlers had been returning through the woods, following the markers, and when they reached the point where Rebekka’s riding hat had been recovered one of the dogs had begun to react, barking and pawing at the ground. Mike went over to Langton.

‘I think the bastard lied to us – the dog handlers have found a spade and a garden pitchfork hidden in the woods. The dogs have also sniffed out a possible grave.’

There was another, louder rumble of thunder as Langton told Mike and Barolli to go over and secure the area for the search team. Mike would have been happy to seal the site and continue in the morning but he could see no point in arguing with a very determined Langton.

‘This is madness,’ Anna said to Mike.

‘Well why don’t you try and make Langton see sense?’ Mike said and walked off.

Kumar, eager to find out what was happening, blew his car horn, flashing his lights as he wanted to pull out, but Langton’s car was parked across the rear of the BMW.

Oates made his way across the pit between the two armed guards, reaching the winch just as the search team were beginning their descent from the ledge. One of the armed officers was winched out first, followed by Oates, and by the time he had reached the top the storm was directly overhead. The second armed officer had attached his harness and was slowly being pulled up.

Just then the arc lamp that had its beam of light directed at the basin of the quarry began to wobble, as one foot of the heavy iron tripod holding it up had sunk, over-balancing the massive heavy light. Almost in slow motion it toppled forwards, pulling taut the thick cables that linked all the lamps to the generator. The electricians were shouting and yelling for help to steady the arc lamp, when it suddenly lurched downwards and slid over the edge, dragging the other lamps with it. The front lamp stopped briefly, swinging in the air like a moving spotlight, but before anyone could react the cable to the generator gave way and the lamp began to tumble through the air, causing the search team below to scatter. The other lamps began to follow, the sound of the lights popping and blowing hardly noticeable above the thunderstorm. The second armed officer was dangling from the winch as one of the tripod legs smashed into his head, knocking him unconscious.

In the mayhem it took only seconds: Oates, still uncuffed, punched the first armed officer with such force that it instantly broke his jaw and knocked him senseless to the ground. It gave Oates enough time to take the officer’s gun, a 9mm Glock with a 17-round magazine. Screaming for everyone to back away from him, he started to pull the trigger repeatedly, and bullets sprayed the air as he began to run while everyone ducked or hit the ground. Barolli, still at base, was in an unmarked patrol car waiting for the search adviser to join him when suddenly he saw Oates was heading straight for him. He threw open the door and clipped Oates, who tumbled forwards then turned and kept on firing as Barolli got out of the car and moved towards him. There was no control – he didn’t even aim the gun but just kept on firing round after round, the recoil sending the bullets flying everywhere.

Oates threw himself into Barolli’s car, and to everyone’s horror he drove forwards, churning up the ground as he pressed his foot flat down on the accelerator and the car hurtled through the barrier and into the lane. No one could give instant pursuit as everyone was boxed in by a row of cars that belonged to the search team who were still down at the bottom of the quarry.

In the shocked few moments that it took to register what had happened, it was Anna who realized that Paul Barolli still lay flat on the ground, his face in the mud. She immediately ran to him and, panic-stricken, turned him over. Blood streamed from his mouth as he gasped for breath and she felt thick sticky blood on her hands, but couldn’t tell if he had a head or a chest wound. Langton moved her aside as he cleared the area and another officer hurried across with a medical kit. Someone shouted for a stretcher and eventually Barolli was carried into the armoured police wagon. It seemed horribly incongruous that he was taken to hospital in the same vehicle that had been used to transport Oates safely to the scene.

By the time anyone managed to call the incident in or set off in pursuit from the quarry, Oates had a good head start, and with no police helicopter in the air, due to the weather, he had an even greater chance of a successful escape.

Anna was shaking as she asked how bad it was. Langton reported that Paul had taken bullets to his chest and abdomen, so it wasn’t looking good. Then to her anger he turned and began barking out orders for the men to start taking action.

‘Start searching the fucking woods.’

Everyone looked at each other in confusion and a young officer spoke out.

‘We’ve only got torches, sir, all the arc lamps are at the bottom of the quarry and-’

‘Shut up and get moving.’

Mike was ashen-faced as Langton swore that they’d have Oates back within the hour, as there was no way he’d be able to get far. The important thing was they needed to finish up and concentrate on the reason why they were all there.

‘Travis!’ he shouted, gesturing for her to get into the coach with the other officers. As they headed out towards the woods she saw through the window Langton having a real go at the electricians, looking as if he was going to punch them. He was obviously angry. But she missed his final show of fury when Kumar, now in a state of shock, shouted at Langton for parking across his BMW so that he was unable to get out. Langton picked him up by the lapels of his cashmere coat and threw him at his car. Yet the solicitor still thought to warn Langton that he had better control himself. It was a mistake; Langton took hold of his lapels a second time and gave him a head butt so hard Kumar’s nose cracked.

‘Sorry, I slipped in the mud.’

He turned away and Kumar could feel his nose dripping blood. Terrified that he might get another whack, he announced he would report Langton for assault as he hurriedly got into his car, shrinking back as Langton held the door so he couldn’t close it.

‘Try it, because one, you have no witnesses, and two, if I find out that you have been tipping off the press I will screw your career and have you up for perverting the course of justice. Now fuck off out of my sight.’

Langton got in beside Mike, who was waiting to drive him over to the woods.

‘They picked him up?’ he asked, calming himself down.

‘Not yet.’

They headed out and Mike felt comforted as Langton rested his arm along the back of his seat.

‘Not your fault, son, not your fault. These things happen.’