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“I’m going to search upstairs, with particular focus on unearthing any sedatives, sleeping tablets, or other tranquilizing drugs,” Adams uttered, chin jutted.
“Okay,” Owen said.
“You search the garages, all four of them, and both the outbuildings. With particular focus on any woodworking tools. I’ve detailed the types of nails and wood used in the first raft. The specs are here with me. Now they’re with you.”
With a flourish, Adams sent the details to Owen’s iPad.
“Let’s touch base in half an hour and see what progress we’ve made,” Adams announced, as if he was a sergeant major giving orders to an army of one.
“Absolutely,” Owen agreed enthusiastically. There was no harm in Adams being self-important. As long as evidence was found.
This case was so big, so worrying, so downright weird. It was consuming all their focus, Owen knew. He couldn’t wait for it to be solved, to know that the killer who was committing these sadistic crimes, taking young lives and devastating families, was firmly behind bars.
Then he could get back to the usual worries of his life, such as his workload, and the upcoming salary reviews in July, and of course, whether he would ever be able to ask May on a real date.
Not a sort-of going for drinks date, but a proper date, with dinner and wine, at a fancy restaurant, and maybe dancing afterward. He had a shortlist of two places that he couldn’t wait to book.
But he had to wait, because life was complicated and dating work colleagues was tricky. Especially in the police, and especially since he was so shy about it, and it meant so much to him, that he kept messing it up. And he wasn’t sure if May really wanted to, or if it would even be the right decision.
Putting these thoughts aside, Owen put on his gloves and foot covers and headed outside to the side door that led into the quadruple garages.
He began with the first garage, which was occupied by a massive SUV, an Audi A8.With the crime in mind, Owen noted that this vehicle had a spacious trunk and could easily have transported a raft, plus victim. The darkly tinted windows would certainly have been an advantage.
He opened the trunk and checked it carefully. He ran his gloved hands along the interior, but no piece of wood or nails were in evidence.
Next, he checked the second and third garages. The second one was home to an Aston Martin, and the third one contained a low-slung vintage Lotus. Both were immaculately clean. The final garage was empty and locked, presumably the home of the Mercedes.
With a frown, he went back outside and headed over to the outbuildings.
In the first building, he found nothing of interest. It was a storage shed, with old boxes and a lot of gym and sporting equipment piled up.
In the second building, he found more useful evidence. Opening the door, he felt a flare of excitement as he stared into the neat, but dusty space.
The spacious room was clearly used as a workshop. It smelled of sawdust and oils. On the floor, he could see discarded pieces of wood and nails. There were several power tools and saws on brackets on the wall, and there were at least twenty boxes of nails and screws and hinges and fittings, all of different sizes.
Owen guessed that the nails used in making the raft, which were a common size, would definitely be in one of the boxes.
Owen photographed the evidence carefully and double-checked the specs of the nails, working methodically, knowing that the photos he took now and the records he noted down might be used in a court of law to prove Jessop’s guilt. Responsibility weighed heavy on him as he worked through the room.
This was what fighting crime was all about, and why he found it fascinating. It was partly action, danger, controlling someone who was violent and chasing down a suspect. But it was also this collection of evidence, which was so important and where the small details could make a huge difference.
Finally, Owen felt he’d done a thorough job that May would be proud of. Checking the time, he saw it was almost time to meet up with Adams. He hoped that he’d also had a successful search.
Owen headed back to the front of the house and saw Adams coming downstairs. He, too, wore gloves and foot covers, as well as a satisfied expression.
“There were several packets of sleeping tablets and barbiturates in the master bathroom. Definitely strong enough to be effective in sedating the victims. The other interesting thing I found is that there’s a soundproof movie room in the basement.”
“Seriously?” Owen asked.
“Yes. It’s soundproof with a lockable door. So potentially, he could have held the victims in there without anyone hearing.”
“That’s interesting,” Owen agreed. He’d been wondering how Emily had been held captive for so long without managing to alert anyone. He’d been imagining a remote location. But a soundproofed room would also work.
“I found a well-equipped workshop, with evidence of woodworking and the right type of nails,” he said.
“Excellent!” Adams praised. “Now, let’s go back to the offices and have a look in his personal vehicle, the Merc. He seems to use that for his everyday work, so there might well be something useful inside.”
They climbed into the unmarked and Adams started it up, setting off on the short drive back to Jessop’s offices.
