might be possible to prove the dealer/stepfather killed the children. You might have realized now that our target is actively trying to prevent that cold-case review – it could send him down for a long, long time.’
‘And to do that he must eliminate the ex-prisoner? Silence him. Kill him in other words.’
‘Right.’
‘So it’s our task to draw that villain into our net, and get him convicted?’
‘That about covers it, Brian.’
‘Good God! How did we get involved in this? Here we are, a peaceful rural police force working among beautiful scenery with soothing religious music in this wonderful abbey and now this! So who are we trying to draw into our web? Am I allowed to know?’
‘As I said, it’s the stepfather of those two little girls. He framed an innocent neighbour, the man who is now out on licence. The stepfather is trying to locate that released prisoner because he knows too much and could get him sent down. DI Radcliffe had been shadowing the ex-prisoner in a protective role whilst trying to secure enough evidence to convict the stepfather of harassment at least. I should add that the stepfather has a known history of violence and drug dealing in a big way as well as other crimes. He shows no mercy to those who cross him. None whatsoever. There are indications he’s murdered the children of other rivals. He has always avoided prosecution – through a lack of evidence and no witnesses. But what we know and what we can prove are quite different, Brian.’
‘So what’s new? Does DI Radcliffe’s murder mean that the stepfather has been operating in this area?’
‘We’ve discovered he lives not far away under an assumed name. He’s always changing names and addresses; he’s dangerous, cunning, clever and rich. Our task in Operation Rainbow is to draw him into our net and get him locked away.’
‘Where does the girls’ mother fit into all this? Is she still around?’
‘She is but I’m sure she had no idea her husband killed her children. We need to find her – it’s widely thought she is the brains behind the cover used to conceal the drugs deals. Almost certainly the couple are still together. We believe the girls were killed as an act of revenge against another drug dealer, their real father. It removes his bloodline, that taint has effectively been eliminated … it tells you a lot about the man we need to draw into our web.’
‘You’ve learned a lot in a short time, sir.’
‘It’s par for the course, Brian. We never know what a murder investigation will throw up but this is not going to be easy. To be frank, we don’t really know how or why Radcliffe turned up dead in that woodland. The forensic examination of his remains and clothing hasn’t provided as much evidence as we’d hoped except that he might have died a couple of days before he was found. That brings us to Saturday. However, it’s clear from Radcliffe’s death that he was in danger. Whether his killer knew he was a cop isn’t known, but on balance it seems his cover had been blown.’
‘With no mercy?’
‘None whatever. There is a story that our drug dealer once blew up a rival’s house with explosives to kill him. He’s that sort of person. He’ll stop at nothing to get his own way. It means, Brian, that with DI Radcliffe out of the way, the man he was protecting and watching is all the more vulnerable, especially as he can testify against the villain. That witness is now our responsibility and needs our protection.’
‘Do we know who he is?’
‘Hereabouts he is known as Father John Attwood.’
‘Good grief! The missing monk?’
‘The very man.’
‘I don’t understand all this, boss! You’re saying it was ourmissing monk who was found guilty of killing those two little girls?’
‘Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying. When he was released on licence, he was given a new identity and then joined this monastery. The jury had found him guilty but it is now felt, after
‘And to do that he must eliminate the ex-prisoner? Silence him. Kill him in other words.’
‘Right.’
‘So it’s our task to draw that villain into our net, and get him convicted?’
‘That about covers it, Brian.’
‘Good God! How did we get involved in this? Here we are, a peaceful rural police force working among beautiful scenery with soothing religious music in this wonderful abbey and now this! So who are we trying to draw into our web? Am I allowed to know?’
‘As I said, it’s the stepfather of those two little girls. He framed an innocent neighbour, the man who is now out on licence. The stepfather is trying to locate that released prisoner because he knows too much and could get him sent down. DI Radcliffe had been shadowing the ex-prisoner in a protective role whilst trying to secure enough evidence to convict the stepfather of harassment at least. I should add that the stepfather has a known history of violence and drug dealing in a big way as well as other crimes. He shows no mercy to those who cross him. None whatsoever. There are indications he’s murdered the children of other rivals. He has always avoided prosecution – through a lack of evidence and no witnesses. But what we know and what we can prove are quite different, Brian.’
‘So what’s new? Does DI Radcliffe’s murder mean that the stepfather has been operating in this area?’
‘We’ve discovered he lives not far away under an assumed name. He’s always changing names and addresses; he’s dangerous, cunning, clever and rich. Our task in Operation Rainbow is to draw him into our net and get him locked away.’
‘Where does the girls’ mother fit into all this? Is she still around?’
‘She is but I’m sure she had no idea her husband killed her children. We need to find her – it’s widely thought she is the brains behind the cover used to conceal the drugs deals. Almost certainly the couple are still together. We believe the girls were killed as an act of revenge against another drug dealer, their real father. It removes his bloodline, that taint has effectively been eliminated … it tells you a lot about the man we need to draw into our web.’
‘You’ve learned a lot in a short time, sir.’
‘It’s par for the course, Brian. We never know what a murder investigation will throw up but this is not going to be easy. To be frank, we don’t really know how or why Radcliffe turned up dead in that woodland. The forensic examination of his remains and clothing hasn’t provided as much evidence as we’d hoped except that he might have died a couple of days before he was found. That brings us to Saturday. However, it’s clear from Radcliffe’s death that he was in danger. Whether his killer knew he was a cop isn’t known, but on balance it seems his cover had been blown.’
‘With no mercy?’
‘None whatever. There is a story that our drug dealer once blew up a rival’s house with explosives to kill him. He’s that sort of person. He’ll stop at nothing to get his own way. It means, Brian, that with DI Radcliffe out of the way, the man he was protecting and watching is all the more vulnerable, especially as he can testify against the villain. That witness is now our responsibility and needs our protection.’
‘Do we know who he is?’
‘Hereabouts he is known as Father John Attwood.’
‘Good grief! The missing monk?’
‘The very man.’
‘I don’t understand all this, boss! You’re saying it was ourmissing monk who was found guilty of killing those two little girls?’
‘Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying. When he was released on licence, he was given a new identity and then joined this monastery. The jury had found him guilty but it is now felt, after
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