Chapter 32
"What's the panic, Gally?" Billy asked as he sat down in the little cafe in the side street.
"No panic, Billy. We're just extremely keen to get a better view of what's been happening with our subject." He glanced up as the waitress hovered over them. "Three mugs of tea please, with milk."
"I'll bring the milk over and you put your own in. Sugar's on the table on the other side of the menu," she replied in a monotone. Gally noticed the rings on her third finger left hand and concluded it had to be her large chest and not her charisma that had attracted her husband.
"What do you want to know exactly?" Billy asked.
Sandy replied, "Anything in any order you want to tell us and we'll pick the bits out of it."
They talked over some admin matters until the teas arrived. Billy, helping himself to the milk and sugar, stirred his mug and let a noise of satisfaction escape as he took his first mouthful. "I know her personality could do with a ray of sunshine but they do decent scoff in here and the tea is lovely." He rested his mug on the table. "Right, down to business. We've got a hide in the woods opposite the project entrance. We see her come and we see her go. We follow her here and we follow her there. She's not security-minded, takes the same route to and from work and to the shops. There's a window cleaner, calls once a week. We saw him Tuesday but one of the lads got chatting to him in the street. An old fella, not long to retirement he tells us. Anyway, she keeps pretty much to herself so far but it's still early days. We have seen her briefly talking to a neighbour. Oh, and then there's the solicitors. That was Wednesday."
Gally idly inspected the condiments as he listened. "Has she had any visitors at all?"
"Last night, about half five. A woman. Mobile hairdresser. Stayed about two hours."
"How d'yer know she's a hairdresser?"
"She had a little sign in the window of her car. I had Stan do a walk past. I've got the details here." He foraged around in his pockets and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. "The name's Wendy and there's a phone number." He handed it over. Gally stuffed it in his jacket.
"What did she look like?"
"Looked quite fit from the back. Long blonde hair."
"I thought you said she was only there for two hours. Nobody see her face?"
"She was. We just never saw her come out."
"Then how do you know she did?"
"Because we saw her car drive off and it was definitely not Ward if that's what you're thinking because we saw her putting the milk bottles out."
"How could you miss her coming out?"
"Gally, when you need to piss in a bottle it's best to make sure your dick's in the right place before you start. My guy just took his eyes off the plot for a couple of seconds. I haven't got a lot of resources to throw at this and there's a night shift as well. I've already had to reduce the people I've got keeping an eye on the redhead."
"We've not got a full team on her?" It was Sandy.
"No, mate. I've got her covered either end of the street on two shifts. Her house backs on to others so, seeing as this Ward woman was put to me as the priority, I cut the pack accordingly." He stared back at them. "Is there a problem with that?" he said with meaning.
Gally and Sandy glanced at each other and replied together, "No!" Sandy adding, "Of course not, not a problem at all." They sipped their teas in silence before the conversation drifted onto the football and the coming final. Apparently, the day shift weren't too happy about missing it but Sandy pointed out there was always the highlights. Billy didn't look impressed.
As they left, Gally remembered something he'd meant to ask. "What make of car did the hairdresser use? It wasn't a Morris Minor was it?"
Billy shook his head. "No, mate. A red mini."
"Oh, right. Well, we'll bugger off then and go see your lads at the redhead's."
***
"The thing is, Mick, we know you're on the bones of your arse with this one but is there any way she could leave the house without you knowing?"
Mick thought about it briefly. "She could use the gardens backing onto hers. We can't get an eyeball on that. There's no walkway or alley we can contain but she'd have to know the people there surely? Otherwise, we've got it boxed off."
"Is there a red mini in the street?" Sandy asked.
"Her street? No. The street at the back? I'd have to ask the lads."
Gally: "Could you do that now, Mick?"
He picked up the radio, "Mick to Dazzler?"
"Dazzler."
"Mick. Anyone seen a red mini in the street?"
"Dazzler. Not this one but speak to Tich. He mentioned something the other night.”
"Mick. Roger. Out."
He turned to Gally. "I'll have to get back to you. Tich is on the night shift."
Gally nodded. "Ok, but make it as soon as you can. Oh and ask him if there were any signs in the window."
"Like what, exactly?"
"Just a sheet of paper with handwriting on it. It should say something about mobile hairdressing if he got close enough."
"Ok, I'll ask him."
Sandy raised a finger. "Just one more thing. I believe you've seen our redhead in the company of a young copper?"
"Yeah, we've seen him at hers in his uniform and they've met up a few times, local pub that sort of thing. He seems quite enamoured but then again who wouldn't be. She's a real fitty after all."
They went back to the office where it was time to type up their reports. Both two-finger typists, it took a while.
The phone on Gally's desk rang. "Home Office Statistical Unit."
"Hello, Gally, it's Danny from across the road. Mick's been on and says he's confirmed with Tich. There is a red mini that parks up in the next street at number fifteen. Chaucer Street is the name of the road. The woman that drives it is dark-haired, bit on the plump side. Tich went back for a second look 'cause he likes a bigger girl."
Gally smirked. "Thanks, Danny, get back onto Mick and tell him we need the registration number then try and speak to Billy when he makes a contact call. See if they made a note of the number of the red mini they saw. I forgot to ask him earlier. Cheers, mate."
He sat back in his chair eyeing the phone then went to his jacket on the stand and retrieved the piece of paper Billy had given him. He dialled the number. If it was answered he'd bullshit and then say he'd got the wrong number. Unobtainable. As he'd suspected. In Reg's office, he sat and had a cup of tea whilst he read the info sheet. "So, our redhead's called Joanna Dalton. It fits somehow, although I was always hopeful it might be Wanda." He noticed his colleague's vague stare. "The name just added to her allure in my little fantasies, Reg," he explained before reading on. "Lived at the address for six years. Thirty years of age. Previous occupation: hairdresser. Current occupation: receptionist. Where's that at, Reg?"
"A solicitors and before you ask it's not Crantwell Evans."
"Where'd you find that out, by the way?"
"Taxman. I'm still working on her and Helen Cherney and Crantwell and Evans. I'll let you know as soon as I can, if that's ok with you?"
"Where's Clive at the moment?"
"I sent him out to do some leg work at the solicitors with a cover story of needing to get some estimates for his bedridden aged mother's last will and testament."
"Very inventive, Reg, or were you also interested in an estimate for yourself? Can I have your envelope collection?" Reg chuckled. "You'll have what you're given. Incidentally, I didn't tell you before because it doesn't really change things but Cherney did report the damage to the Humber to Swindon police and there was a Masonic Ladies Night on that evening which they attended. I checked with local taxis, no joy on any trips from and to their address or nearby. Of course, it doesn’t mean the car was ever there in the first place. They probably used one of his other motors for that.”