Chapter 8: A Police Siren Sounded

Lewis went out and checked Albert was still secure in the garage. He saw some old dust sheets, so he spread a couple over him. Then he came out, locking the door behind him.

Returning to the kitchen he found Tom on the phone to Derek the station sergeant. Lewis sat down and compiled a request to the group to terminate Albert. As soon as he had sent it off, he waited until Tom had finished.

As soon as he had hung up, Tom said, ‘Albert is wanted for questioning about two missing children. His parents told the police he had run away, and they had no idea where he was. They also said that they didn’t want him back. Two of the children there is nothing known, but there are two who have been reported missing.’

Lewis looked at his notebook. The two Tom had underlined as missing where the two Albert claimed to have killed. Just then Lewis’s phone and Toms phone pinged almost together. It was their notice to vote on the termination of Albert. They both voted and then went through to the lounge. As they went in Nigel put his finger to his lips. He was sitting on the settee with his arm around Cliff who was cuddled up to him fast asleep.

‘Leave him be for a while,’ Lewis said, ‘Would you like another coffee?’ Nigel nodded so Tom and Lewis returned to the kitchen. As Tom made three coffees, Lewis did another check on Albert. ‘How long are you going to keep me here?’ he demanded. ‘Not long now,’ Lewis told him, ‘It looks like you’ve been a good boy and told me the truth.’

He returned to the kitchen. Tom had taken Nigel’s coffee through to the lounge, so they sat at the table having theirs. As they were finishing Lewis got a message saying, ‘Termination approved.’ He showed it to Tom.

‘What happens now?’ Tom asked. ‘I’ll request a collection.’ Lewis told him. He sent a message to the same number giving the address and where Albert could be found. ‘He’s lying on an old carpet,’ Lewis reported. ‘He could be rolled up and carried out in that without being seen. Tom is here with me.’

‘Twenty minutes.’ came the response. Lewis and Tom went out to the garage. Lewis put all his kit back in his bag, including the camera box and extension lead. Tom undid Alberts knees, pulled his legs down straight and tied his ankles together. Then he undid his arms and tied his wrists together. Finally, he pulled his arms down straight and tied a rope between his wrists and the rope round his ankles.

Albert was very confused. This didn’t seem like any police drama he had ever seen on tv. Tom sat in the armchair to keep an eye on him whilst Lewis went and stood by the gate. Soon he saw an unmarked white Ford Transit approaching. He waved to it, and it pulled up across the driveway.

It was driven by Sergeant Derek Goodfellow, the desk sergeant. He was also Toms uncle, but few people knew that. ‘Hi Lewis,’ he said, ‘I’ve got my delivery drivers hat on today. I’ll need to borrow Tom, but I’ll drop him back again straight away.’

He opened the back doors, and Lewis led the way into the garage. Derek handed Lewis a small box. ‘Here you go,’ he said, ‘You’re the expert.’ Lewis took the syringe out and held it behind his back as they went in. He knelt down at Alberts side and said, ‘Goodbye Albert.’ He stuck the needle in his arm and seconds later Albert was unconscious.

They rolled him up in the mat and tied a piece of rope round it at both ends. Then with Lewis leading the way, Tom and Derek carried the roll of carpet out and put it in the van. Once they had driven away, Lewis collected his bag from the garage, closed it up and went into the house.

Leaving his bag in the kitchen, Lewis went into the Lounge. Cliff was still fast asleep under Nigel’s arm. Lewis sat down in a chair opposite him and told Nigel a brief outline of what had happened to Cliff and how he had become involved. ‘I’m sure Cliff would prefer it if it was never mentioned again after today.’ he said. Nigel nodded.

‘What made you come out to the garage?’ Lewis asked. ‘I became suspicious when Albert, who hardly ever moves from the tv went missing as Cliff left on two occasions. I had no idea he could do anything like that, but I know he can be violent. I had a look around, found nothing and just decided to check out the garage by chance.’

‘For your ears only,’ Lewis said, ‘I sometimes work undercover with the police. Albert confessed to me in the garage that he has not only raped five boys including Cliff, but he has also killed two of them. Of the names he gave me, we have confirmed that two of them have been reported missing. Albert has now been taken away and all that will be further investigated.’

‘I’d never have believed it,’ Nigel said, ‘But after seeing what he was doing to Cliff and then the way he attacked me, I can.’

‘We like to do things quietly,’ Lewis told him, ‘So I’m afraid you have lost a carpet. He was taken away rolled up in that.’ ‘You mean the old one on the garage floor?’ Nigel said. ‘I’ve been intending to take that to the dump for ages.’

‘How did Albert come to be living here?’ Lewis asked. ‘He just arrived a month ago unannounced.’ Nigel told him. ‘He said he’d had a row with his parents and left home. I’ve never been over fond of him, but we’ve always got on ok, so I said he could stay for a while.’

‘Do his parents know he’s here?’ ‘Yes, I rang them the next day. Albert wasn’t keen but I told him he couldn’t stay unless I did. I don’t like them, but I felt they should know he was safe.’

‘He’s wanted by his local police to be interviewed over the two missing teenagers,’ Lewis told him. ‘His parents said he had run away from home, and they had no idea where he was. They also said they didn’t want him back.’

‘How sad is that.’ Nigel said, ‘My wife died years ago, and we never had any kids, but I can’t imagine turning your back on your own child, no matter what. What will happen to him now?’ ‘He’ll be kept in a secure unit whilst he helps with the investigation, then he’ll be sent to prison. You won’t see him again. He’ll get life at least.’

‘What about Cliff?’ Nigel asked, looking down at him, ‘How will it affect him?’ ‘The only people he knows who know anything about it are you, me, and Tom,’ Lewis told him. ‘He may never meet Tom again and he’ll only see me occasionally. So, you and he will have a special bond.’

‘You’ll each know about it but will never mention it. Even so, Cliff will know that he can aways come to you if anything about it troubles him. He can come to me too, but I suspect you will be his first choice. Clearly, he will not want his parents to find out about it.’

Just then Cliff stirred and woke up. He looked up at Nigel and smiled. ‘It’s all over now,’ Lewis told him. ‘There’ll be nothing in the press and you’ll never see Albert again. No one you know knows anything about what happened to you, nor will they ever find out. After today Nigel won’t mention it, but he and I will always be there if you need to talk to anyone. That’s about Albert or anything else.’ Lewis added.

Cliff got up and went over to him. He sat by him and hugged him. ‘Thank you,’ he said, ‘I don’t know what might have happened if I hadn’t come to you.’ ‘You try and forget about now,’ Lewis told him. ‘I’ll be in touch soon and you can come to the shop to tie up any loose ends. But you concentrate on being Oliver and a star.’

Lewis’s phone pinged. He checked and it was a text from Tom to say he was back outside in his car. Lewis stood up, ‘Right, I’m off,’ he said, ‘Do you want a lift home?’ he asked Cliff.

Cliff looked at Nigel uncertain. ‘You’ve had a terrible experience here,’ he said, ‘And if you don’t want to come here again, I’ll understand. We can always find somewhere else to rehearse. But if you can cope with being here, consider it a second home, you’ll always be welcome.’

Cliff smiled at Lewis, ‘I’ll stay for a bit thanks,’ he said. He gave him another hug and thanked him again. Nigel saw him out. At the front door he shook hands with Lewis. ‘I’m still confused as to just who or what you are,’ he told him, ‘But I’m so glad you’re a friend of Cliffs.’