‘But the babies had been changed.’
‘So without knowing it, she took the wrong baby. She and her husband did what they had planned and retreated with their baby to a holiday cottage. I didn’t manage to get hold of them until three days later, when we could arrange to swap the babies.’
‘How much have the Scanlons paid for Ellie?’
‘You make it sound so vulgar. The parents make a donation to cover our expenses. It’s entirely voluntary.’
‘How much?’ Mariner asked.
‘I really don’t remember. I’d have to check my records.’
‘Don’t worry, we’re already doing that for you,’ said Mariner. ‘And I’m sure the Inland Revenue will be interested in them too. And that’s quite apart from your involvement in the illegal sale of a child.’
‘We didn’t consider it—’
‘You consider it what you like,’ said Mariner. ‘I call it selling babies, and you’re in deep shit. Though it could be worse. Baby Ellie almost died.’
For the first time that day Trudy Barratt looked shaken. ‘What do you mean?’
‘Paula Scanlon tried to kill herself and the baby. Fortunately for you, they both survived and baby Ellie will be reunited with her birth mother, so that’s one less tragedy on your conscience.’
‘I don’t understand.’
‘Tell us about this girl, Nadia,’ Mariner said, placing the photograph down on the table.
‘I’ve never seen her before. Really.’
Mariner felt sure she was telling the truth. ‘And where is Mr Zjalic now?’
‘I really have no idea.’
* * *
‘Know what the really fucking annoying thing is?’ said Mariner afterwards. ‘She’ll come over all philanthropic, helping all these poor childless couples and girls who can’t afford to keep their babies and probably get a suspended sentence.’
It was two days before they had further good news and Mariner came into Granville Lane to find a message waiting: Goran Zjalic had been picked up at Harwich, trying to board a ferry. He was being returned to them pronto.
Chapter Eighteen
When Zjalic arrived at Granville Lane the first thing Mariner arranged was for Valenka to come in and make a positive identification. DCI Sharp caught Mariner in the corridor. ‘What’s going on?’ she asked.
‘Valenka is coming in to do an identity parade.’
‘Good. I’ve got that nasty little man Cahill coming in. I’ll be able to tell him that we’re making progress.’
Afterwards Mariner couldn’t say what made him do it. It was just a hunch, pure and simple. He went down to reception to meet Valenka and Katarina, who had come in to translate for her friend. While he was down there he had a word with Delrose on reception. ‘Could you let me know when Mr Cahill arrives?’
The identity parade went smoothly and Valenka didn’t hesitate in her identification. Mariner was gathering further background from her, in one of the rape suites upstairs when he was paged. ‘Let’s take a break,’ he said. ‘Get some fresh air.’
The timing was perfect. As they got to the top of the stairs Mariner could see the carefully combed-over pate approaching from the floor below and was careful to position himself between the girls and the councillor. Within a few feet of him, Valenka gave a little involuntary cry of fear and, forgetting herself, clutched at Mariner’s arm. She retched. The exchanged glance lasted only seconds, but in that time Mariner could see the spark of mutual recognition, before Cahill hurried up the stairs to Sharp’s office. When they got back to the interview room Mariner asked Katarina: ‘Do you know that man?’
Valenka was silent, her eyes afraid.
‘It’s all right,’ Mariner soothed. ‘He’s not a policeman. He’s er, an official, someone who gives us a lot of trouble.’
‘He was one of her clients,’ Katarina said at last, and it was the first thing in days to make Mariner smile.
He lightly touched Valenka’s arm. ‘He makes me sick, too,’ he murmured under his breath.
* * *
It was only as he was writing up statement notes later that Mariner noticed the date. It seemed significant for some reason but he couldn’t think why. Then he realised it was the day that Anna was moving out. Rounding her street corner he saw with some relief that the removal van was still there. He parked up and went into the house. ‘Anna!’
He was greeted by a total stranger. ‘Hello, can I help you?’
‘I was looking for Anna Barham, she’s moving out today.’
‘She’s gone. We’re moving in.’
The man was happy to let Mariner look around, but none of his stuff was there. Mariner went back to his home on the canal and could hardly get in the door. Everything from Anna’s house had been dumped in the hall.
Katarina was in the kitchen, stirring some kind of beef stew. ‘A woman brought it,’ she said. ‘She was upset, angry I think. She asks me to tell you: “I hope you will be happy.” But she’s not smiling when she said it.’
‘No. I don’t suppose she was.’
‘It’s your woman?’
‘Not any more. It’s finished.’
‘Oh.’ She smiled. ‘I made stew. You want to have some?’
‘Why not?’
Mariner was introducing Katarina to Casablanca when there was a rap on the door. He opened it to find Anna standing on the doorstep. ‘I let the van go down without me. I couldn’t just go, not without saying goodbye.’ She looked beyond him into the lounge where Katarina sat.
‘This isn’t what you think,’ Mariner said hastily. ‘I’m only putting her up until—’
She managed a smile. ‘I know. I talked to Tony a couple of days ago. It doesn’t make any difference though, does it?’
‘I suppose not. I hope you find what you want, Anna.’
‘You too.’ And with a soft kiss on his cheek she turned and walked back up the path.
THE END
DI MARINER SERIES
Book 1: DEADLY LIES
Book 2: INNOCENT LIES
Book 3: KILLER LIES
Book 4: BABY LIES
Book 5: MARRIED LIES
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DI TOM MARINER BOOK 1: DEADLY LIES
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Journalist Eddie Barham is found dead in his home. A syringe is in his arm and a note by his side reads, ‘No More.’
Jamie is the only witness to his brother's death, but his severe autism makes communication almost impossible. Mariner is determined to connect with Jamie and get to the truth. Is the journalist’s death related to his investigation of a local crime kingpin?
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A NEW CRIME THRILLER WITH A COMPELLING DETECTIVE WHO WILL STOP AT NOTHING TO AVENGE HER DAUGHTER
Glossary of English Slang for US readers
A & E: Accident and emergency department in a hospital
Aggro: Violent behaviour, aggression
Air raid: an attack in which bombs are dropped from aircraft on ground targets
Anorak: nerd (it also means a waterproof jacket)
Artex: textured plaster finish for walls and ceilings
A Level: exams taken between 16 and 18
Auld Reekie: Edinburgh
Au pair: live-in childcare helper. Often a young woman.
Barm: bread roll
Barney: argument
Beaker: glass or cup for holding liquids
Beemer: BMW car or motorcycle
Benefits: social security
Bent: corrupt
Bin: wastebasket (noun), or throw in rubbish (verb)
Biscuit: cookie
Blackpool Lights: gaudy illuminations in seaside town
Bloke: guy
Blow: cocaine
Blower: telephone
Blues and twos: emergency vehicles
Bob: money
Bobby: policeman
Broadsheet: quality newspaper (New York Times would be a US example)
Brown bread: rhyming slang for dead
Bun: small cake
Bunk: do a bunk means escape
Burger bar: hamburger fast-food restaurant
Buy-to-let: Buying a house/apartment to rent it out for profit
Charity Shop: thrift store
Carrier bag: plastic bag from supermarket
Care Home: an institution where old people are cared for
Car park: parking lot
CBeebies: kids TV
Chat-up: flirt, trying to pick up someone with witty banter or compliments
Chemist: pharmacy
Chinwag: conversation
Chippie: fast-food place selling chips and other fried food
Chips: French fries but thicker
CID: Criminal Investigation Department
Civvy Street: civilian life (as opposed to army)
Clock: punch
Cock-up: mess up, make a mistake
Cockney: a native of East London
Common: an area of park land/ or lower class
Comprehensive School (Comp.): High school
Cop hold of: grab
Copper: police officer
Coverall: coveralls, or boiler suit
CPS: Crown Prosecution Service, decide whether police cases go forward
Childminder: someone who looks after children for money
Council: local government
Dan Dare: hero from Eagle comic
Deck: one of the landings on a floor of a tower block
Deck: hit (verb)
Desperate Dan: very strong comic book character
DI: detective inspector
Digestive biscuit: plain cookie
Do a runner: disappear
Do one: go away
Doc Martens: Heavy boots with an air-cushioned sole
Donkey’s years: long time
Drum: house
DS: detective sergeant
ED: accident and emergency department of hospital
Eagle: boys’ comic
Early dart: to leave work early
Eggy soldiers: strips of toast with a boiled egg
Enforcer: police battering ram
Estate: public/social housing estate (similar to housing projects)
Estate agent: realtor (US)
Falklands War: war between Britain and Argentina in 1982
Fag: cigarette
Father Christmas: Santa Claus
Filth: police (insulting)
Forces: army, navy, and air force
FMO: force medical officer
Fried slice: fried bread
Fuzz: police
Garda: Irish police
Gendarmerie: French national police force
Geordie: from Newcastle
Garden Centre: a business where plants and gardening equipment are sold
Gob: mouth/ can also mean phlegm or spit
GP: general practitioner, a doctor based in the community
Graft: hard work
Gran: grandmother
Hancock: Tony Hancock, English comedian popular in 1950s
Hard nut: tough person
HGV: heavy goods vehicle, truck
HOLMES: UK police computer system used during investigation of major incidents
Home: care home for elderly or sick people
Hoover: vacuum cleaner
Hula Hoops: potato-based chip shaped like a wedding ring
I’ll be blowed: expression of surprise
Inne: isn’t he
Interpol: international police organisation
Into care: a child taken away from their family by the social services
Iron Lady: Margaret Thatcher, applied to any strong woman
ITU: intensive therapy unit in hospital
Jane Doe: a person whose identity is unknown/anonymous
JCB: a mechanical excavator
Jerry-built: badly made
Jungle: nickname given to migrant camp near Calais
Lad: young man
Lass: young woman
Lift: elevator
Lord Lucan: famous aristocrat who allegedly killed his children’s nanny and disappeared in 1974. Has never been
found.
Lorry: a truck
Lovely jubbly: said when someone is pleased
Luftwaffe: German air force
M&S: Marks and Spencer, a food and clothes shop
Miss Marple: detective in a series of books by Agatha Christie
MOD: ministry of defence
Mobile phone: cell phone
MP: Member of Parliament, politician representing an area
MRSA: A strain of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Myra Hindley: famous British serial killer
Naff: lame, not good
Naff all: none
National Service: compulsory UK military service, ended in 60s
Net curtains: a type of semi-transparent curtain
NHS: National Health Service, public health service of UK
Nick: police station (as verb: to arrest)
Nowt: nothing
Nutter: insane person
Nursery: a place which grows plants, shrubs and trees for sale (often wholesale)
Old bag: old woman (insulting)
Old Bill: police
OTT: over the top
Owt: anything
Pants: noun: underwear adjective: bad/rubbish/terrible
Para: paratrooper
Pay-as-you-go: a cell phone you pay for calls in advance
PC: police constable
Pear-shaped: go wrong
Petrol: gasoline
Pictures: movie
Pillbox: a concrete building, partly underground, used as an outpost defence
Pillock: fool
Pips: police insignia indicating rank
Piss off: as exclamation, go away (rude). Also can mean annoy.
Pissing down: raining
Playing field: sports field
Pleb: ordinary person (often insulting)
Portakabin: portable building used as temporary office etc.
Post: mail