The Value of Life Read online

  Chapter 8: The Beachams

  When Josef arrived at the Beachams' house Bentworth was already there. A young PC opened the door and Josef was mildly irritated to find Mason there too, but he said nothing.

  "Josef," Bentworth said, a little too urgently, "come in here." The living room was filled with a blue haze of cigarette smoke. There were two women on the sofa and a young boy playing a games console in the corner. Someone had thoughtfully given the boy headphones and he seemed oblivious to the tension in the room.

  "Josef this is Mrs. Beacham," Bentworth introduced, "and this is Mrs. Wagstaff and her son Tom." Josef nodded to both women and gave the boy a glance. "This is DC Lindahl. He's here to ask you a few more questions, probably the ones we missed," he laughed a little, "but he's here to help," Bentworth concluded, then he turned to Josef. "Mrs. Wagstaff and her son Tom walked Jamie home from Karate this evening," he said. "They watched from the end of the street and saw Jamie come into the garden so they walked on. Jamie never made it into the house."

  Josef nodded. Inside he was in shock, that's as near to impossible as impossible gets.

  "I take it you were home and waiting for Jamie?" Josef asked. She nodded. "You take it in turns to walk the boys to Karate?" Another nod. "Is it far?"

  "Just at the Hoskins Community Center, 'bout ten minutes away," she said.

  "Yeah I know the place," Josef said, his mind now racing with questions. However, he decided he'd get more information by letting them tell the story than by asking questions so he bit his tongue. People answer the questions you ask them, but when people tell you about something, they answer the ones you don't ask. He put his digital recorder on the table and switched it on.

  "Mrs. Wagstaff," Josef smiled, "please could you wait in the kitchen while I speak to Mrs. Beacham."

  "Of course," she smiled back, not in the least outwardly bothered by the request. "I'll make some more coffee. Would you like a coffee too?" she asked.

  "Yes please," Josef nodded eagerly. "I'll come and get it when I'm ready When she'd gone Josef turned to Mrs. Beacham.

  "Where's Mr. Beacham," he asked, "if there is one?"

  "He's out looking for Jamie with Stella's husband. He couldn't just sit here you know, he had to be doing something." Josef nodded his understanding.

  "Please, in your own words tell me everything you can remember about this evening, start from the time you got home from work."

  Josef listened carefully and by the end it was clear that Mrs. Beacham wasn't going to be able to help very much. She'd basically got home, cooked, watched soaps, waved goodbye to Jamie and watched more soaps, with Mr. Beacham by her side the whole time after he got in from work thirty minutes after her. Josef was stumped.

  "Think very carefully," he asked. "Think over the last few days, have you noticed anything out of the ordinary, anything at all that."

  "Like what?" she interrupted.

  Josef's mind wanted to scream and laugh and shake the woman.

  "Like anyone watching the house, following you. A stranger in the local shop watching Jamie, anything like that?" he suggested.

  "No, nothing like that," she said, almost without thinking.

  "How about cars parked in the street, this is a pretty small street, so you must know nearly every car. Have there been any you haven't seen before, anyone in your space anything like that?"

  "I don't drive," she said sadly. "I don't really take much notice of cars, I'm sorry. I want to help

  Josef felt bad. "There's as much to be learned in finding out nothing as in finding out something," he said tactfully. "I'd rather hear there's nothing significant you remember than twenty little things we spent time checking out that come to nothing."

  He paused and looked at one of the others to help him, when none did he continued. "You're being much more helpful than you think." She looked unconvinced so he changed tack to some questions she could answer.

  "Can you fill me in on all the family details, like where Jamie goes to school and what you and your husband do for a living, friends, hobbies, that kind of thing?"

  "I've already told them everything," she said indicating Bentworth and Mason.

  "Good," Josef smiled, "OK, then I've two more things and they're favors. Can you call your husband and ask him to come back here, I need to talk to him."

  "I've already done that too," she said.

  "Good, then lastly, I want you to get a notebook, keep it with you and write down anything you can remember from the last three weeks that might help, a stranger talking to you at a bus stop, in a shop, especially if you had Jamie with you, anything like that."

  "I'll try," she said. Josef took out a card and handed it to her. "Call me if you think of anything that might help," he said, "can you do that?"

  "Yes," she said hopelessly.

  "Good, thank you. Now I think I'll get that coffee."

  Josef stood and left the room. Bentworth and Mason followed, they stopped him in the hallway, Mason closing the living room door behind them so they were alone.

  "What do you think?" Bentworth asked. "Is it another one?" Josef was thinking and was about to answer when Mason broke in.

  "Did you learn anything from the parking situation?" he goaded.

  "Knock it off," Bentworth said, and the authority in his voice surprised both Josef and Mason.

  "Well," Mason said defensively, "he's not helping, he's just upsetting the woman."

  "Good point," Bentworth said. "Can you go in there and keep her company Brian." It was not a direct dismissal but Mason was still not happy about it. He glared at Josef and then left.

  "Don't mind him," Bentworth smiled, "he means well and he's a good detective. He just doesn't trust anyone until they've got ten years under their belt. So tell me, what do you think?"

  "I think it's highly likely it's the same man. Both kids went missing between the end of the street and the front door, they're both the same age and did you see the photo on the bookshelf, they both have short dark hair. I think there'll turn out to be more similarities yet but that's just for starters."

  "OK," Bentworth said, "I'll call the scene of crime team to take a look in the garden, if the mothers friend," he said nodding at the kitchen "saw the boy go into the garden he must have been taken from there. We might get lucky and find something, we'll need surveillance too."

  "I don't think the garden will turn anything up but it's worth a try," Josef said. "You could get the same surveillance team in here that were at the Martins' last night, they did some good work there. We could really use the help again."

  Bentworth pulled out his phone theatrically. "Anything else," he said jokingly.

  "Not right now but I'll be first to ask," Josef said and opened the kitchen door.

  "I'll be there in a minute," Bentworth said, the phone already to his ear. Josef was immediately surprised as he was met by a small furry dog, its tail wagging furiously as it sniffed at him.

  "Just in time," Stella Wagstaff said, "coffee just made, sugar?"

  "Two please," Josef smiled and took the offered cup. "Have a seat please Mrs. Wagstaff," she sat, offering him the sugar bowl and a spoon. Josef put his dictaphone on the table and switched it on, Mrs. Wagstaff eyed it casually.

  "Don't worry about that," he grinned, "I've got such a bad memory."

  "Somehow I doubt that," she said politely, then looked him in the eye, her face deadpan. "I think you study people and you use that thing to help you," she said, "helps you play at being them." She paused, then her face broke into a friendly smile. "Sorry," she said, "just my little game."

  "What is it with people called Stella?" Josef shook his head.

  "What do you mean?" she asked seriously.

  "They're all psychic I swear," he joked. "If I have a daughter I'm gonna call her Stella, I think it must be a magic name." They laughed a little together then sat quietly sipping coffee, after a moment Josef broke the silence.

  "Anyway you can't be psychic," he said.
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br />   "And why not? I'd be so disappointed," she smiled.

  "Because it's just a habit from university," he said pointing at the Dictaphone. "I just used it for lectures because I found making notes and listening at the same time impossible. I'd rather listen properly and make notes after, fill in what I don't remember from this," he pointed at it again.

  "Typical man," she said and smiled, "can't do more than one thing at a time." At that moment the door opened and Bentworth came in.

  "Sorry," he said, "have you been waiting for me?"

  "Just having a coffee while we wait Sir," Josef said. "Thought you'd want to be in on this."

  When Bentworth was seated Josef began again with the evening's events. There was nothing in Mrs. Wagstaff's recollections that gave Josef any hope, and when she was finished he sighed.

  "Please, go back in your mind to the point where you came out of the Karate lesson. Picture it in your mind, try to remember every little detail from then on: smells and sounds, anything you can think of that helps. Close your eyes and relax." He paused as she settled herself. "Tell me what you see."

  She thought for a long time.

  "The boys were talking about an upcoming grading, it was a bit cold and they weren't wearing socks so I made them put their socks on outside. Tom's feet and trainers stink if he doesn't wear socks. I smoked while I was waiting. When they'd put their socks on we walked up Tilbury Road, then up Freemasons Lane. A few cars went past, nothing I remember specifically. Some kids were hanging around near the corner of Wellbeck Road but that's it. There was nothing much else special, we just walked and talked. When we got to the end of the street the boys said goodbye and Jamie ran up the street and into the garden." She opened her eyes but Josef interrupted.

  "Wait, wait! Go back to the moment when Jamie left you." He waited again until she settled.

  "Mmm," she said.

  "OK, you watched Jamie running up the street to the garden. Try to picture the cars in the street, are there any parking spaces empty, are there any big cars parked in the street, or any vans, is there a car parked outside this house." She thought for a second.

  "I don't think there were any vans because I could see him all the way to the gate and he was on the other side of the road after we crossed. Other than that I couldn't say but when we got the call and John and I came here Dan's car was parked right outside the house and I don't think he'd been anywhere in it." When she'd finished speaking she sat up and opened her eyes.

  "Not very helpful I know, but I'm afraid it's all I can remember." Josef thought for a few minutes while he finished his coffee.

  "Your son and Jamie, they looked quite alike. You don't seem worried that it might have been Tom that was abducted and not Jamie." Stella Wagstaff stared at him for a long time.

  "I realize you have to ask these questions detective, and I was just starting to like you and everything," she said. "But Tom has been very ill since birth, he's nearly died nine times and he's actually died twice! Every day I spend with Tom is a blessing. So I'm sorry if I don't seem sympathetic enough for you, or protective enough, or whatever it is you think I should feel, but I am distraught for Kate and Dan. I wish I knew how to cry for someone else but I don't." Josef was about to answer when the doorbell rang.

  "Saved by the bell," Stella said and left the kitchen. Josef looked at Bentworth

  "Sorry sir, but you know I had to ask," he said.

  "I didn't see anything wrong with the question," Bentworth said. "I thought it was a bit strange when you mentioned the likeness between Daniel Martin and Jamie and then I thought about her son too, they could all have been brothers. I see the significance." Bentworth continued. "But for our man to make that choice he would need to know about her son's condition and that's not likely. More probable he just chose this boy because he's alone in the garden. She," Bentworth said indicating the empty chair, "lives by the park in one of the tall houses by the toddlers playground and that's all neighborhood watch round there. Wouldn't be so easy to snatch a kid there." Josef could see the point but he wasn't totally discounting anything yet.

  Mrs. Wagstaff returned with two men in tow, the first of which filled the kitchen with his bulk.

  "My husband John," she said, introducing a fully bearded colossus wearing worn out jeans and a Harley t-shirt. Josef introduced himself and Bentworth did likewise.

  "Dan, Jamie's father," she said, guiding the second man into the nearly full kitchen. They introduced themselves again and shook hands, then Mrs Beacham was at the door.

  "Anything?" she looked hopefully to her husband.

  "Not yet," he said, "we've just come back to talk to the officers then we'll go out and keep searching, something'll turn up." He tried to sound hopeful but failed. There was not enough room for everyone in the kitchen.

  "Come and sit with me Kate," Mrs. Wagstaff said. "We'll leave the boys to talk." When they were gone Josef turned to Mr. Beacham,

  "I'm really sorry to have called you back here but we need to ask you a few questions." Mr. Beacham just nodded and looked at the floor. He picked up the dog.

  "Have you seen anyone hanging round, have there been any cars parked in the road that don't belong to any of your neighbors, maybe someone in a car, anyone watching you at all, watching the house?" Mr. Beacham thought about it.

  "Not that I can think of," he said.

  "Has anyone spoken to you, maybe when you were with Jamie, at a bus stop or in a shop?" Beacham looked even more puzzled.

  "I don't think so, I mean, I do talk to people sometimes but," he shrugged, "nobody special." He looked hopeless, but the hulking Wagstaff laid a hand on his shoulder.

  "Mr. Beacham does Jamie have access to a computer, can he use the internet?" Josef asked.

  "Yeah, there's one upstairs. He mostly just plays games on it though."

  "What're not telling us like?" Mr. Wagstaff said in a heavy North Yorkshire accent. "You know sommat 'int right here, you should say what it is." Josef looked at Bentworth who nodded and when Josef was about to speak the doorbell rang again.

  "Saved by't bell," Wagstaff said and left the kitchen.

  "Perhaps we should go into the living room," Bentworth suggested and rose. The three of them left the kitchen and went into the living room, where they were joined by Wagstaff and PC Whitlock, the policewoman who had taken watch at the Martins'. Now the living room was crowded but everyone found somewhere to sit except the uniformed officer who stood by the door. Josef took a deep breath.

  "Mrs. Beacham, do you know a Mr. and Mrs. Martin? They have a son named Daniel, who goes to St Benjamin's. It's not far from here. they live quite close by too. Near the recreation ground on Brighton Road." she was shaking her head. "Please think, it's very important, Michael Martin, Janet Martin and Daniel Martin, he's eleven." She was still shaking her head.

  "What's this about?" Stella Wagstaff asked. "Do you think this other boy ran off with Jamie somewhere, or took him?"

  "No Mrs. Wagstaff," Josef answered. "Daniel Martin was kidnapped yesterday afternoon between the end of his street and his front garden. His schoolbag was found IN the front garden." Everyone was shocked into silence. "His parents received a ransom note this morning indicating that Daniel was fine, so, you see the similarities." Mr. Beacham went pale and Mrs. Beacham started to cry.

  "You think we'll get a ransom note," Mr. Beacham asked lamely.

  "If this is the same person I'd say so," Josef said.

  "Do you think it is?" he asked.

  "I do, but he hasn't called yet and he called the Martins after taking their son," Josef replied. "But if he doesn't call we'll see if there's a note tomorrow." The doorbell rang and Whitlock left to answer it.

  "That'll probably be scene of crime," Josef said and Mrs. Beacham looked up. "It's nothing to worry about, it's just if Jamie was taken from inside the garden there might be some clues."

  The next hour was spent in turmoil, the SOC turned up almost at the same time as one more PC for watch duty. Ever
yone was busy for the next hour and after finding nothing more than one pound fifty in the garden, the two man SOC team left with the intention of spending it on a pint. When Bentworth was leaving he was carrying the computer to the Jaguar, he found Josef leaning on the hood of a small car a little down the road.

  "I wouldn't let anyone catch you doing that," he said a little haughtily.

  "OH," Josef said being pulled back to reality, "It's mine."

  Bentworth smiled.

  "Had you pegged as a SAAB man myself," he grinned, "you know, only dentists and solicitors drive SAAB."

  "Yeah," Josef laughed, "and young DC's drive cheap Renaults."

  "Thanks for the notes," Bentworth said changing the subject. "Good thinking. I need to know what's going on and I can't always be in the loop. What do you make of it?" he asked, flicking his head back towards the house.

  "I don't know," Josef said. "I think it's the same guy, an' if it is I've got a thousand questions - like how the hell he can take a kid from his own garden without leaving a trace or making a noise. I noticed the dog isn't a barker but if the kid had made a distressed noise or a struggle surely the dog would have barked. And why didn't he call?" Josef paused and thought again.

  "If it's the same guy then there's probably more than one person because you can't kidnap two kids in two days and send two ransom notes, it would be a real task. I mean it could be done but it would be difficult, you'd need someone to watch the first kid unless you locked him up. Then the victims don't make sense either. They're not rich families or anything so I don't think money can be the real motive, not when the kids look so similar. I don't know, I can't put it all together, there's still too many pieces missing"

  "Sounds to me like you're putting it together just fine," Bentworth said, his face softened by the streetlights. "We don't have enough of anything for a profile I know, but if a second note turns up tomorrow the press is going to go wild and I'll need something." Bentworth looked concerned and a little forlorn, and when he spoke again there was a hint of pleading in his voice "I'm hoping you can give me something?"

  "I'll put something together," Josef said smiling. "No probs. Oh, by the way, speaking of notes, did anything come up with our note, prints or anything, any news from the post office, or from the computer?"

  "I was in meetings most of the day, so I asked DS Ward to follow up with the post office earlier, you should ask him, I haven't had chance. The note went to forensics. We should have a report in the morning, same with the computer. Now," Bentworth looked at his watch, "there's nothing else we can do here and if you're just going to spend some time thinking, do it in bed at home eh?"

  "Yes Sir," Josef said. On the other hand he knew his mind was going somewhere, he just didn't know where, and the times he'd experienced this before he'd just given it the time to get where it was going. Unfortunately they didn't have time now and he wasn't in university anymore.

  Bentworth left and Josef was once again alone on the street. He decided to go home and sleep on it. Apart from anything else he needed the sleep.

  As Josef left the street he noticed Whitlock standing in the shadows of a tall hedge on the corner, he stopped.

  "Thanks for coming over," he said. "I wanted someone I could trust and you did a good job yesterday."

  "Thanks," she smiled, "it's nice of you to say so." Her eyes really were very stunning.

  "How is it going for the Martins, I mean, how did they seem to you tonight? Are they coping?" They spent the next ten minutes talking about the situation during which Josef learned that the Martin's had been to the bank and were bankrupt after freeing up all their money. It wasn't much, about ten thousand pounds, barely enough for a new car. Josef suddenly realized how difficult it was going to be for people to get money at such short notice. He suddenly felt very tired.

  "Can you make notes of everything and let me have them please?" he asked.

  "Sure," she replied.

  "Thanks," he paused, "Marcia?"

  "Close," she laughed. "Now bugger off, you're ruining my lookout."

  Josef drove away embarrassed, heading home with the window down and the stereo on, and when he got there he undressed and jumped straight into bed. He was asleep before the covers warmed up.