THIEVES ON THE FENS a gripping crime thriller full of twists (DI Nikki Galena Series Book 8), page 1
THIEVES ON THE FENS
A gripping crime thriller full of twists
(Nikki Galena Book 8)
JOY ELLIS
First published 2017
Joffe Books, London
www.joffebooks.com
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places and events are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental. The spelling used is British English except where fidelity to the author’s rendering of accent or dialect supersedes this.
©Joy Ellis
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THERE IS A GLOSSARY OF ENGLISH SLANG IN THE BACK OF THIS BOOK FOR US READERS.
Please note
DROVE: This is not a typo. It is an ancient way along which cattle were taken to market.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
CHAPTER THIRTY
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
EPILOGUE
OTHER BOOKS BY JOY ELLIS
The DI Nikki Galena books
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Character List
Glossary of English Slang for US readers
Dedicated to the memory of Doreen Wells, a dear friend and such a wonderful advocate for Nikki Galena! Fridays are not the same without you.
CHAPTER ONE
‘Get your team together, DI Nikki Galena. You have a murder to solve.’
‘Who is this?’ barked Nikki.
There was a low, guttural laugh, and then a click. The line went dead.
‘Trace that last call to my office!’ Nikki shouted down the phone.
DS Joseph Easter looked up in surprise. A few moments before, they had been calmly discussing a recent spate of burglaries in the villages around Greenborough. ‘Another anonymous call?’
Nikki’s face was a mask of concern. ‘The last couple of times it was just kind of creepy. He just kept saying my name, over and over. I thought it was a hoax. This time he’s telling me we have a murder to investigate.’
‘A murder is announced,’ murmured Joseph.
Nikki stood up. ‘Only he didn’t sound as if he’d stepped out of a bloody Miss Marple novel. He sounded really sinister.’ She frowned. ‘In fact he was downright menacing.’
‘They couldn’t trace the last one, could they?’
‘And I suggest they won’t this one either.’
As if in confirmation, a civilian entered her office to tell her that the last call was from a pay-as-you-go mobile, so no trace.
Joseph looked across the desk, his expression grave. ‘You think we should take this seriously?’
‘At the risk of sounding alarmist, I think that man was deadly serious.’ She grimaced. ‘You didn’t hear his voice, Joseph. It sent shivers down my spine.’ She shuddered. ‘I wonder if the call was recorded?’
Joseph nodded. ‘I should think so. I believe they are monitoring all incoming calls now, not just 999 emergencies.’
‘You need to hear him, Joseph, you really do.’
Joseph ran a hand through his hair and stared at her. ‘It’s not like you to be rattled by some creep who is clearly out to do just that — get under your skin.’
Nikki took a breath. ‘You’re right. The last thing I want to do is let him win, although what he’s up to, I have no idea.’ She shook her head, then picked up the phone. ‘It could just be some prat who loves to cause trouble for the police, but I’m going to request IT to send us a transcript and a voice recording, then you can hear him for yourself.’
‘And tell Control to monitor the calls coming in to your office.’
‘I will. That makes three calls so far, and I doubt we’ve heard the last of Mr Creepy.’
‘Unfortunately, I have to agree with you.’
Nikki made her call, and they returned to reviewing the series of rather disturbing break-ins that had been bothering Greenborough over the past month.
‘They seem to be escalating, don’t they?’ Joseph ran his finger down the reports from uniform.
Nikki frowned. ‘And spreading to some of the further villages. Problem is, we can’t be everywhere at once.’
‘Maybe that’s the idea. Divide and conquer.’
‘It has to be an organised gang, don’t you think?’ she said.
Joseph nodded. ‘And it looks like they have a shopping list. From the list of goods taken, they are probably stealing to order.’
‘And that makes it career villains, not some opportunistic little scrotes grabbing whatever they can in order to buy their next fix.’
‘They seem very clued up on the occupants’ whereabouts, and the kind of thing they have.’ Joseph rubbed at his chin thoughtfully. ‘We need to find a tradesperson or a ‘bone fide’ caller common to them all. Someone who gets in and checks the place out, then passes on the info to the thieves.’
‘Poor local window cleaners — in for another grilling, I see.’
‘And the meter readers, although there are fewer of them nowadays, plus the delivery drivers.’ Joseph shrugged. ‘Although we’ve already had uniform working on those for weeks. There has to be someone we’ve missed, hasn’t there?’
Nikki yawned. ‘Then it’s back to the beginning, I guess. Go over all the homeowners’ statements again, and see if we can find a link.’ She handed Joseph half the pile of reports in front of her. ‘I think we deserve a coffee if we are going to tackle this lot again.’
‘My thoughts exactly. A proper coffee?’ He grinned at her.
‘Get someone to go to the Café des Amis.’ She took a note from her purse and passed it to him. ‘My turn today. And a small lunchtime snack wouldn’t go amiss.’
‘I’ll go myself. I need to stretch my legs.’ The smile widened. ‘That way I can make sure you don’t go ordering something that’s really bad for you.’
‘Spoilsport. I like things that are bad for me.’
‘Don’t I know it. But today, it’s a healthy tuna pasta salad.’
Nikki pulled a face. ‘Can’t we send Dave? He’s much more amenable to a proper varied diet.’
‘You mean he’s easier to bribe and he’s scared to contradict his boss?’
‘Something like that.’
Nikki smiled as Joseph left her office. He did his level best to keep her eating healthily, but after years as a beat bobby, the craving for junk food still lingered.
She sat for a while and stared at the silent telephone. Joseph had said she was rattled by the anonymous calls. It was true. Just the man’s voice was enough to awaken a sense of foreboding. She sensed not just threat, but something unhinged. In short, she believed they could be dealing with a very dangerous individual.
Her mobile rang and she jumped. Did Mr Creepy know her personal mobile number too?
She looked at the display and sighed with relief.
‘Mum? How are you?’ Nikki hadn’t known about her biological mother until a few years back, but now they were very close.
‘Nikki, I just wanted to tell you that I’m going away for a couple of days, and I didn’t want you to worry.’ Eve Anderson sounded in very good spirits.
‘Sounds interesting. Where are you off to?’
‘There’s a reunion in London, lots of the women from my RAF days. My old friend Jenny Foxwell has suggested we make a proper break of it and take in the flower show at Hampton Court Palace.’
‘Oh, that’s lovely, Mum. What a good idea.’ It wasn’t Nikki’s thing, she could hardly tell a flower from a weed, but she was sure that her mother, who was also a very good pastel artist, would have a wonderful time. ‘When are you off?’
‘Tomorrow morning. I’m meeting Jenny at the hotel. We’ve splashed out on some pampering spa treatments, then we go to our reunion dinner. The next day it’s off to Hampton Court, and maybe even the theatre in the evening. We’ll play it by ear. Neither of us has to hurry back. We may even stay over and go round the galleries, look at an exhibition.’
‘Why not? Go have a great time
‘I’d gladly join you for dinner, especially if it’s Joseph cooking, but regarding every single thing I get up to, my lips will be forever sealed.’
They both laughed, and then Eve rang off.
About time her mum had a break, thought Nikki. She had seemed unsettled lately. She had spent her whole life living at breakneck speed, on active duty in the RAF and as a MOD operative. Now she was retired, and everything had suddenly ground to a halt. Nikki suspected that Eve was horribly bored. She understood exactly how she felt. She would be the same. What would she do if she couldn’t be a police officer anymore? The force ran through her veins and gave her life. Without it . . . Nikki couldn’t even contemplate the idea.
Joseph was the same. He had come to the police by a very different route, via the army and the special forces, but now he was as committed as she was. They both lived on Cloud Fen, a rather remote rural spot close to the river and the marshes. It was the perfect antidote to their frenetic, and sometimes traumatic, working life. Nikki lived in her old family home, Cloud Cottage Farm. Joseph was a stone’s throw away, in tiny but characterful Knot Cottage. Joseph was the closest friend Nikki had ever had. Many thought they must be an item, but their career choices had put paid to that. Now they had a very special relationship. It might not be perfect, but it suited them.
Joseph pushed the door open with his shoulder and backed into the office, carrying a cardboard tray with their lunches. ‘I’ve just been talking to Niall, and he thinks the same as we do, that the thieves are personal shoppers. He reckons it’s rife in the cities — you text the thief with your order, and hey presto, he delivers. Just like Amazon.’
PC Niall Farrow was Joseph’s son-in-law. Nikki really liked this young uniformed officer. She had been thrilled when he married Joseph’s daughter Tamsin, and even more delighted when they decided to buy an old house on Jacob’s Fen and renovate it.
‘So why here? We are hardly a metropolis. Everything else we do is way behind the cities.’ Nikki looked at the tuna pasta salad. She would have preferred a cheeseburger, but still. ‘So what’s attracting the designer robbers?’
Joseph handed her a fork. ‘Internet, probably. Even here in the backwaters we have some pretty innovative criminals. They are just moving with the times.’
‘I’m so pleased,’ muttered Nikki, loading a forkful of pasta. ‘Does Niall have any leads?’
‘Not so far, but he’s really getting his teeth into this one. His sarge has let him have a fair bit of rein, so he’ll be keeping his ear to the ground on the streets.’ Joseph sipped his drink. ‘He’s taking his sergeant’s exam next week. And Tamsin is helping him cram, would you believe? I never thought I’d live to see my Tam actually supporting a police officer!’
‘It’s good to know we are no longer the enemy,’ Nikki said. ‘She’s grown up a lot in the last few years, hasn’t she?’
‘My little baby, married.’ Joseph shook his head, then grinned. ‘And I couldn’t be happier. Niall’s a great kid.’
‘Married man, Joseph. He’s no kid anymore.’
The phone rang before he could answer. They looked at each other, and Nikki nodded to Joseph. He picked up the receiver.
‘DI Galena’s office. Can I help you?’
Joseph’s face fell. He pressed the loudspeaker button.
‘Well, well, DS Easter, isn’t it?’ There was a muffled chuckle. ‘I’m sure she’s there listening in, so I’ll give you both my message.’ There was a brief pause, then the voice said, ‘When? Where? Who?’
‘When, where, who? What are you talking about?’ Joseph asked quickly.
‘You may think you’re the fenland’s finest, but you’ll need help. Maybe tomorrow.’ There was a click and the hum of an empty line.
Joseph slowly replaced the receiver and stared at Nikki. ‘I see what you mean. He sounds really malevolent. He’s playing with us alright, and I didn’t like his message.’
‘He missed out “Why?”’ Nikki looked at Joseph. ‘And he knows you too. I have a dreadful feeling that we are on the verge of something very unpleasant.’
Joseph puffed out his cheeks. ‘Time to talk to the super?’
Nikki pushed back her chair. ‘Absolutely. And since I’ve just gone off my lunch, I might as well get it over sooner rather than later.’
* * *
Superintendent Greg Woodhall sat back in his chair and surveyed Nikki with a sombre air. ‘What is your workload at present?’
‘The break-ins, sir. They are on the increase and we are pretty sure we have a gang of thieves working this area.’
Greg nodded. ‘Some of the more remote houses are ripe for the picking. No neighbours and no camera surveillance for miles.’
‘Yes, sir, and that’s the kind of place they are targeting. They aren’t trashing them, just taking very specific items.’
‘Right. And now you feel there is someone out there with an intention to kill?’ Greg raised his eyebrows.
Nikki looked down. ‘I know it sounds ridiculous, after just four anonymous calls. Hell, we get threatening and abusive calls all the time, but there is something about that man that says he has some kind of nasty agenda.’
‘Well, you’ve got enough experience behind you to know a prankster from a real menace.’ He put his fingers together in a steeple and touched his lips. ‘The thing is, there is very little we can do at this point, other than be vigilant.’
‘I just wanted you to be aware of the situation, sir. And to let you know that even at this early stage of the game, we are taking him seriously.’
‘Best to err on the side of caution, and at the same time pray he’s just a time-waster.’
Nikki left the office more certain than ever that this was no time-waster.
CHAPTER TWO
Nikki woke at two in the morning with her duvet in a mess and her pillows on the floor. That voice had resounded through her dreams. For the first time, Nikki felt uneasy about living in such a remote spot.
With a tired sigh, she switched on the bedside light, pulled the bed together again and walked to the window. There was Knot Cottage, white in the moonlight. Joseph was just a few minutes away.
Nikki pushed her feet into her slippers and went downstairs to the kitchen. She pulled a jar of Ovaltine from the cupboard and boiled the kettle. She should be used to broken sleep. Shift work played havoc with your body clock, and most officers admitted that you never really got used to the constantly changing routines. Tonight, however, Nikki felt almost scared to go back to sleep and face those disturbing dreams.
With a grunt of annoyance, she made the drink and took it back up to her room.
She sat on the edge of the bed and held the hot mug between her hands. This was plain stupid. She was a bloody tough woman. She had faced more danger and more thoroughly rotten people than she could count, yet that voice on the phone had reduced her to a quaking wreck! It was stupid, but she couldn’t dismiss her unease.
She climbed back into bed and sat waiting for her drink to cool. She had a sudden urge to ring Joseph and talk to him — just for reassurance really, to hear his gentle, sensible voice, rather than that other one. She glanced at the clock. He wouldn’t mind, she knew, but it was hardly fair.
She finished her Ovaltine and put the light out. It was probably the not knowing. The waiting for something to happen. Patience had never been one of her virtues. She was an energetic and industrious police officer — even as a child she hadn’t been able to abide inactivity.
Waiting for the hammer to fall. Where did that come from? Her resolve began to return. This was clearly a game, and if she continued to feel like this, he would be the winner. She had to back off, calm down and see what tomorrow would bring. He had said they would need help, so if this was the kind of game she suspected it was, the next step would be a clue. And then they could act.
She had a good team. In fact she had the best team. When the chips were down, she was certain they would be a match for this . . . arsehole. She smiled in the darkness. The term made her feel much better. Only an arsehole would consider taking on Nikki, Joseph, DC Cat Cullen, DC Ben Radley, and retired detective, now civilian officer, Dave Harris. Plus the powerful and reliable back-up from Niall and his partner, WPC Yvonne Collins.
