Hushabye by Celina Grace

Kate was just about to say goodbye before Rebecca said suddenly, “It’s funny, about Nick. He looks so, so adult and successful and together. You wouldn’t have thought anyone could put anything over on him. But underneath it all, he’s just a scared little boy.”
    Kate’s eyebrows went up. “Is that–” she began, but Rebecca was speaking again.
    “Just a scared, uncertain little boy. Perhaps that’s why he needed so much mothering .” For a moment, bitterness pervaded her voice. “Anyway, I hope I’ve been of help.”
    Kate assured her that she had, and they said goodbye. Kate stared at the replaced handset for a moment, tapping her pen on the edge of the desk and thinking. Then she lifted the telephone again and asked to speak to Anderton.
     
    *
     
    “Costa?”
    “That’s right, sir. She said ‘Costa’ or ‘Costa.’”
    Anderton and Olbeck exchanged glances. Kate interpreted it.
    “You know the name then?”
    “Yes,” said Anderton. “You’re new here, DS Redman, so I’ll forgive you for not picking this up. “ He smiled briefly. “The Costa brothers are known to us.”
    “What have they done?”
    Anderton looked at Olbeck, who took up the conversation.
    “Fraud, arson, extortion – or at least, that’s what we’ve tried to charge them with at various times. Sometimes successfully and sometimes not. They’re extremely wealthy and have a crack team of lawyers on their side.”
    “They’ve both spent time in prison,” said Anderton. “Both are currently free, though. And they were free on the night of January 14th.”
    “Hmm,” said Kate.
    “Hmm, is right,” said Anderton. “A lead worth following up, I think. Talk to Nick Fullman about his association with the Costa. Ask him why he didn’t think this little nugget of information was worth mentioning when we questioned him before.”
    “Would you suspect them of something like this, sir?”
    Anderton shrugged. “I don’t believe they’ve ever stooped to murder or kidnapping before . That’s not to say it’s out of the question. It’s a lead.”
    Kate and Olbeck nodded and went to get up.
    “Wait,” said Anderton. “While you’re with Mr Fullman, you can ask him about this little matter as well.” He reached into a desk drawer and withdrew a small sheet of white paper, enclosed in an evidence bag. He handed it to Olbeck, who smoothed it out on the desk top and read it aloud.
    “‘ Ask Fullman about Councillor Jones’ . What’s this? When did you receive this, sir?”
    “This morning, in an anonymous envelope, in the post. Addressed to me.”
    “Councillor Jones?” said Kate. “That’s the–” She groped for a moment. “That’s the guy he was having a drink with on the night of Charlie’s disappearance, right?”
    Anderton nodded.
    “Councillor Gary Jones is a District Councillor for Abbeyford. He’s on the planning committee and the brownfield regeneration committee. Nick Fullman works in property. Now, there may be nothing more natural than the two of them being buddies, but I want it looked into. If someone wants to cause trouble, enough to go to the effort of writing, or typing, an anonymous note, there may be something in it.”
    He tweaked the note from under Olbeck’s fingers and waved a hand at them both. “Off you go, then.”
    Outside Anderton’s office, Kate turned to Olbeck.
    “Phew,” she said. “Where to start?”
    Olbeck began to count on his fingers.
    “We’ve got Casey to question about Ali Saheed, Fullman to question about the Costa brothers and Councillor Jones, Mrs Bright to question full-stop, Councillor Jones to question about Nick Fullman and the Costa brothers to question if only for a reason for their revolting existence.”
    Kate rubbed her forehead.
    “Where do you want to start?”
    Olbeck started to walk down the corridor. Kate hurried after him.
    “I’ll take the Costa brothers.” He shuddered. “God, for my sins. Theo or Jerry can do Councillor Jones. Why