Isolated. M. A. Hunter
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Название: Isolated
Автор: M. A. Hunter
Издательство: HarperCollins
Жанр: Ужасы и Мистика
Серия: The Missing Children Case Files
isbn: 9780008443290
isbn:
‘What did Turgood say when you spoke to him?’ I ask now, pins and needles prickling at my thighs and forearms.
‘He said he didn’t recognise her name and that he hadn’t watched all of the videos on his hard drive. He claims not to recall the particular video in question, but admits to sharing such videos with others and said that it could have been inadvertently included in his stock. He was being very vague, and without a solicitor present he was cagey.’
I remember the first time I met Turgood and presented him with Freddie’s allegations. He laughed me out of his home, ridiculing the claims as nothing more than spiteful lies. But I’d known he was lying. When I’d first arrived, under the pretence that I was undertaking an investigation into why government cuts were closing valued social care facilities like St Francis, he’d welcomed me with open arms. But the moment I’d mentioned Freddie’s name, the atmosphere turned decidedly cold, as if someone had opened a window. He’d crossed his legs, folded his arms, and avoided answering my questions. His reaction had given me all the confirmation I needed to keep digging. That’s why I need to look into his eyes today and see what happens when I mention my sister. His body language will tell me whether or not he’s lying.
The car grinds to a halt as we join the end of a tailback on the M40. Jack curses quietly as his eyes fall on the long line of brake lights stretching as far as the eye can see.
‘What else did he say?’ I ask.
Jack sighs. ‘He said he wouldn’t be surprised to see the faces of a host of missing children appear in those videos. He said there’s an entire network operating along the south coast. Your sister might be just the tip of an iceberg that stretches back decades.’
I turn so I can study Jack’s face. ‘Did you believe him?’
The grimace confirms that he did, even if he didn’t want to.
He meets my gaze. ‘He didn’t offer any specifics, but my next job will be to request the same facial recognition software is run against any other open missing-children cases to see if further matches can be established.’
I catch sight of the ETA on the sat nav display and my heart sinks. It now says we’re unlikely to arrive before half past four, and if we don’t, my chance to get an answer will certainly end for today.
‘Isn’t there an alternative route we can take?’ I snap.
Jack begins to fiddle with the sat nav. ‘Maybe… Once we get to the next junction, we can try to get off the M40 and find a detour, but we’re on the slip road, so like it or not, we’re trapped on this course for now.’
I sit on my hands as my blood boils with frustration. I don’t tell him, but I sense his words may be more prophetic than he realises.
Chapter Three
Now
HMP Stafford, Staffordshire
We finally make it in through the gates of the prison and into the visitor car park just after four. I’m conscious about how long it may take to get through the sign-in process in the visitors’ centre, so as Jack is applying the handbrake, my hand is already on the door handle.
‘Hold on a sec, will you?’ he cautions, killing the engine. ‘Before you go in there, are you sure you want to?’
I frown at the unnecessary delay. ‘I wouldn’t have come with you if I wasn’t.’
‘I know, I know, but I kind of put you on the spot when I turned up this afternoon. I didn’t give you the opportunity to say no. This will be the first time you’ve seen Turgood since his trial. Are you sure you’re ready? Mentally prepared, I mean.’
My chest tightens as I picture his face in the dock. Even when his whole world was about to come tumbling down, there wasn’t an ounce of remorse in his eyes. I wanted to laugh at him, and tell him how good it felt to see justice finally being delivered for Freddie, Mike and Steve. Yet, when the verdict was delivered, I didn’t feel any pleasure whatsoever. I have no doubt he finally got what he deserved, but at what cost to Freddie and the others? How many other children suffered at the hands of Turgood and his cohorts but didn’t feel brave enough to come forward and have their lives put under the microscope?
I exhale deeply. ‘The video on his hard drive is the biggest breakthrough I’ve had in years. I’d never forgive myself if I didn’t see it through.’
Jack nods in reluctant acceptance. ‘Very well. The governor is arranging a private room for you to meet him in and I’ll be there with you, but as a friend rather than in any formal capacity. I’ll hang back so the two of you can speak freely, but I want to warn you to be careful.’
The words catch in my throat. ‘Careful?’
Jack momentarily looks out of his window as if summoning the strength to speak again. ‘It’s going to be weird enough for you coming face to face with him again, but remember it’s his first time seeing you since the trial too. Since he last saw you, he’s been sentenced to spend the rest of his life behind bars. Okay, in a facility specifically used to house sexual offenders, he won’t be subjected to the level of violence and recrimination he might have experienced at another Cat-C facility, but it will still be a sharp change to the lifestyle he was used to.’ He sighs. ‘What I’m trying to say is that he will hold you accountable for this change to his circumstances, and he’s had weeks to think about what he might say to you in the event your paths ever crossed again.’
‘Sticks and stones may break my bones,’ I mutter, prising the door open, until he reaches for my arm.
‘I’m saying, don’t let him get a rise out of you. Right now, you’re in shock with what I’ve told you and you need to keep a clear head in there. Ask him what you want to ask him but don’t take whatever he says to heart.’
I fix him with a firm stare and nod. ‘I’ll be fine. Now, can we get a move on before they say we’re too late?’
Exiting the car, we hurry through the car park and into the visitor centre. Jack explains who we are to the guard at the desk, who then asks us both to provide identification. Once he’s found us on the computer screen, he makes us sign the register and invites us to deposit any personal items in one of the lockers that line the wall at the side of the building. Once they’re satisfied we’re not carrying any weapons or contraband, one of the guards escorts us through the gates, along a narrow windowless corridor, and into the beating heart of the facility.
We arrive at a steel door, reminiscent of a cell door in a police station. Outside the room there is a monitor receiving a signal from a camera within the room. It currently displays a table and three chairs but it doesn’t appear that Turgood has been brought down yet. The prison guard who escorted us advises that he will wait outside the room and will observe us from the monitor, though won’t be able to hear anything said. He tells us he is there for the prisoner’s protection as much as our own.
Unlocking the door, he ushers us inside before closing СКАЧАТЬ