‘Put an urgent call out for officers to head to the Braddocks’s house. We know that Omar has been watching Annabel. He probably saw that we’ve been regularly driving by so left his mother’s car here and walked. Actually, hold that. I don’t want him scared off by lights and uniforms if he is loitering around there. Wyre and I will head over in a minute. We’ll walk down. We’re not in uniform so that shouldn’t alarm him but be ready on standby with backup.’
‘I’ll get that sorted now.’ Smith turned away and began to radio base.
‘Will anyone be moving that thing, only it made one of our deliveries awkward earlier? The lorry had to come in through the front and load everything off in the visitor spaces. Not good. Is it stolen? It looks like someone has abandoned that car.’ The short bald man loosened his tie.
She had to agree. It was parked halfway across the delivery entrance and half in the road. She pictured Omar driving with no license. Maybe he’d mastered his mum’s automatic well enough to blend in on the roads but parking was another matter. ‘Do you know when the car arrived?’
‘No. All I do know is that whoever parked up came too late to get a safe space on the road. It gets busy here. There’s talk of a park and ride system to stop idiots parking like this.’ The man pointed his stubby index finger at the car.
‘Do you have CCTV?’
‘Only that which covers the perimeter of my units. It doesn’t cover the road.’
In her mind, Gina knew that Omar could have been parked here all day.
‘Will you be getting rid of it? I have more deliveries in the morning and I could do without a repeat of today.’
‘Guv.’ Wyre beckoned her over.
‘Excuse me. Yes, we’ll get the car towed away shortly.’ The car was now evidence.
‘Thank you. I’m working for the next hour if you need me. Just go to reception and ring the buzzer.’ The man scurried off.
Gina nodded and smiled as she hurried over to Wyre. ‘What have you found?’
Wyre bent down and shone her torch on the front of the car. ‘Bumper damage and slight denting to the edge of the bonnet.’
‘Smith, could you please get this car taken away for forensics to examine when you have a moment? It looks like it’s been bumped.’ She turned back to Wyre. ‘It’s looking likely that Grant Braddock’s Mercedes was used to run Jennifer over but there’s nothing like being certain. Let’s go and look for the boy.’
Several minutes later they arrived at the road where the Braddocks lived. ‘That line of hedges and trees on the opposite side of the road is perfect for hiding out.’ Gina hurried across the road with Wyre close behind. She spotted an area of flattened grass and just behind it, layer upon layer of bike tracks were etched into the mud. She glanced into the darkness beyond then turned on her torch. A rabbit hopped in the middle of the field.
‘It looks like someone’s been here.’
‘We’ll get forensics to check this area out. Let’s go around the back of the row. See if he’s there.’ They followed the frontage until they reached the dark path that led to the back gardens. Wyre held the torch as they walked on the uneven tarmac. Gina nearly tripped on a hunk of weeds that had burst through the pavement.
Wyre touched Gina’s arm and whispered, ‘Wait. I heard something.’
They turned left at the end of the back gardens, again they could only see trees and hedges and there was no street lighting. Wyre flashed the torch ahead.
‘Omar,’ Gina called, but there was no response. ‘Your mum is worried about you.’
She could now see the back of the Braddocks’s house. Something shiny caught her eye. ‘What’s that?’
Wyre stepped closer and held the light’s beam still. ‘Looks like Omar has been here.’
The keyring glinted again. They’d found Nina Abidar’s car keys. Gina’s gaze travelled to the bushes. She could see that a cut through had been trodden underfoot. She stepped a little closer. ‘There’s an open rucksack. I can see textbooks and exercise pads. They have Omar’s name on the front. He has to be here. We must have scared him off.’
Wyre stood straight and wedged her body between the trees, onto the field. ‘I can’t see anyone. I know I heard someone though.’
‘Message Smith for backup. We need this area cordoned off.’
Wyre stood dead still and held a finger up. ‘I heard it again, guv.’
‘What?’
She replied in a whisper. ‘Someone is up ahead, just off the path. I’m calling backup.’
Gina crept off the grass and onto the path, frantically holding her torch out. ‘Omar?’
