PEEL-BEHIND THEIR EYES. Book 1 (Complete)

Chapter 17. Leads

Peel stood with arms crossed as he brooded over the conversation he'd had with Mason during breakfast, momentarily forgetting the crowded briefing room waiting behind. He faced the large expanse of the white pin board that was gradually disappearing beneath photographs and evidence of the three missing girls. Smiling family snaps stared back at him, goading him, insisting he finds them and their abductor. The first picture was of Tina Phillips happily cavorting on grass with her younger brother, another she was alone smiling for the camera, the next took a sinister turn, she was sitting reading a newspaper her body posed by her murderer in Louth's marketplace. In the final picture, Tina was ashen, a naked corpse lying on the unforgiving stainless steel table of the hospital morgue. Peel focused on that one as he tried to tuck away Mason's observations of his father's case and private life into the recesses of his mind.

Although he knew that Tina's death was not his fault, he still felt a sense of guilt settle on his shoulders for not finding her in time. He knew he was wasting his time but he couldn't help but think that there must have been clue's that they had missed something that could have pointed to the kidnapper, something that could have saved her. Experience told him otherwise, he knew that he and his team were only playing the cards dealt them and there was nobody better than this rabble to win a game of high stakes such as this.

Glancing at the accruing evidence being pinned beside the pictures, he thought sourly "we are moving far too slowly, we're losing too much time".

Annoyed with their lack of progress Peel growled, soon he would be growling at his assembling team, especially if they didn't have promising developments. Running a hand over his eyes and letting it settle across his mouth he stifled a yawn. Turning to face the packed room Peel impatiently waited for the members of his teams to end their discussions and quieten down, his patience was short.

"Shut it, the lot of you"

The room fell deathly silent; all eyes settled on Peel, they were ready to act upon his sometimes harsh but respected command.

Peel threw his hand up into the air pointing his thumb over his shoulder and with a raised voice, spoke.

"Tina Phillips is dead, Rebeca Dillad and Macy Shepard soon to be dead of that I'm sure of. In little over a week, three girls have been snatched from the streets of Grimsby, one of which has been returned mutilated and murdered. I don't know about you but I'm shocked, furious and vengeful. If we don't act now the other two are going the same way. Let's run this by the numbers, if you have nothing useful to say keep it shut and listen. The quicker we get this done the quicker we can get back out there pushing the case"

Just then the door to the briefing room opened and Havers unconvincingly snuck in, immediately stepping behind a group of his more punctual colleagues hoping to blend in unnoticed. No such luck was afforded him as Peel, like a teacher at the front of the classroom piped up.

"I'm sorry Mr. Havers is the case getting in the way of something more important, if so please share"

Havers dropped his head in defeat and with a crimson face said "No boss nothing is more important than the case, sorry"

Peel glared at the tardy detective a while longer before turning side on to the evidence board. He tapped a finger on a group of stills taken from CCTV footage gathered from sites local to each crime scene, all of the full and partial images of small white vans.

"So far we have traced all but two of these vans; all have been eliminated from our inquiry. As far as eye witnesses of the abductions go, there's nothing. Broad daylight and no one see's a thing, I for one don't believe that someone somewhere saw something, they may not realize it but they did. Pliers and Reed I want you to re-canvas the snatch sites, Macy Shepards first, especially after the school run at Teatime. Even if the parents are too busy that Sunday morning to see Macy disappear, I bet their kids were out and about sticking their noses into everything, go ask them. As for Phone calls and text messages, all a dead end, as are emails and social media"