Chapter 49: Chapter 49

“….. It was probably no more complicated than listening in to you giving instructions to your helicopter pilot.”

My stomach tightens.

I was shouting to make myself heard….

“Of course, we can never be one hundred per cent sure,” says Will, “but we are ninety-nine per cent sure, that, in terms of police infiltration, Corby was acting alone.” He glances around the table. James raises a brow. Michael simply sits, his lips a hard-pressed line.

“Remember,” continues Will, “he even manoeuvred himself into being the officer to interview Charlotte about Blessingmoors, then tried to use that to attack James.”

And it was Charlotte who put a stop to it….

“So, you know who he is, or was?” asks James.

Will pushes a slim file to him. “He was essentially Klempner’s right-hand man. Certainly, that was his role in the days of the original investigation. This was known at the time, according to the records, but was never provable, because witnesses either clammed up or vanished entirely….”

These men will stop at nothing….

Elizabeth….

…. But you’re with Charlotte….

“…. In time, Corby himself, or as he was then known, Elliot Bech, also vanished, and in truth, it was assumed he’d probably been murdered himself in some form of gang dispute. They’re a violent bunch, and occasionally, what was left of them would be found floating face down.”

James is flicking through the file contents, speed-reading notes, looking at photos then passing them to Michael next to him. He hovers over an image, blurred and faded, ‘Lawrence Klempner’ I would say fixing it in his memory. “So, Corby… what? Had a change of identity and joined the police force?”

Will flushes….

This can’t be comfortable for him….

…. Tough…

“…. So far as we can tell, yes. He had been there as a sleeper for years, positioning himself to be in the right place if there were movement on the Blessingmoors investigation or any of the other inquiries which we now know to be linked to it….”

I interrupt. “How did you establish those links?”

“Through Charlotte’s identification of individuals known to her from Blessingmoors, but also known to us through other activities. It’s a huge network, working internationally, and all on the general theme of trafficking vulnerable individuals; children, migrants, the dispossessed. The movement is typically from one country to another, where the victims don’t speak the language, don’t know the local laws and have no way of requesting help. However….” Will takes a deep breath, steepling his fingers. “…. large as the network is, Klempner is the king-pin, the common link. Take him out of the system, and a lot of it simply falls apart.”

Will pauses for a moment, chewing his lip, then, “On the subject of Blessingmoors itself, I have to say that I am pleased that Charlotte is not present to hear this, although I suspect I am not going to say anything that she didn’t actually know already….”

His eyes flash to James, questioning. James gives him the smallest of head shakes….

Did Michael notice that?

…. Did he ever tell Michael he’d been down there?

…. Then his eyes flash to mine….

But the blond man does not seem to have noticed.

Will continues, “…. The cellar that she led us to on the site: forensics have now had the opportunity to re-excavate, from where the site had been demolished over it, and investigate…. “

James’ knuckles are white. His breathing looks laboured.

“…. What they found is not good. The examination of the site is still by no means complete. Suffice it to say, that a number of shallow graves have been identified. The human remains within have been recovered, and there is an on-going effort to identify the individuals concerned….”

Michael looks about to speak but then simply listens in wide-eyed silence.

“Under the circumstances,” continues Will, “I’m not going to dwell on this too much. All I am going to say is that there is all the motive in the world, for the culprits to try to remove Charlotte, as a witness to much of this, from the picture, and to prevent her giving testimony at court. All aside from the considerable monies made from the trafficking, she is effectively witness to institutionalised murder.”

And now Michael breaks in. “So why have they not simply murdered her?”

He’s right….

…. That would be the usual route with people like this….

Why are we not burying Charlotte right now?

Will fends him off, raising his hand. “I’m coming to that.” He sucks at his cheeks.

He looks guilty….

…. Why?

“I have to say,” he continues, looking around the table, “that we are missing certain records….”

Michael looks enraged, James merely thoughtful.

“…. Corby may be responsible for that, or it may be that over twenty years or so, they have been misplaced or misfiled, and we have simply not yet located them. However, some things have come out, about which we are clear…. and there’s no easy way to deliver this…. Charlotte’s father, Frank Conners, was murdered, either by, or at the instruction of, Lawrence Klempner.”

There is stunned silence, then, “Is it known why?” asks James. “He was involved with their trafficking trade?”

“We don’t know the motive. Perhaps that was it. What is also unknown, as yet, is how Charlotte herself, or as she then was, Jennifer Conners, came to be in Blessingmoors at all….”

“That file you had on her, said she was placed there as a ward of the court; that her mother was unfit….” I point out.

“Yes, that’s so.” agrees Will. “However, here we have a discrepancy because what has also emerged, is that Michelle Conners was not, in fact, deemed unfit as a carer, as the mother of a young baby.

When we cross-referenced to the court records, there is nothing there to support the content of the Blessingmoors file….”

I am about to interrupt again, but Will raises a finger, silencing me. “And, what we now know is that in fact, Michelle Conners was, at that time, given a new identity for her own protection. Her child should have been with her at that point.”

“So, Charlotte’s mother is alive? She has a family?” demands James.

“We don’t know. We can’t find her. We have had officers visit her last known address, but that is from over twenty years ago. She’s dropped off our radar.”

He is about to say more when his phone rings. He glances at the scene. “Excuse me a moment. I need to take this call.”

He listens in silence then, “Yes? Good… and… Yes? I’m on my way.” He taps off the mobile. “The attacker they dragged from the building has woken up. He wants to plea-bargain. He’s ready to talk.”

“Does he know where Beth and Charlotte have been taken?”

“I’ll let you know as soon as I do.”

*****