Their Lost Daughters (DI Jackman & DS Evans #2)(39)

‘Oh, I was told these parties are really cool.’ She gave him a shy smile. ‘My name’s Petra.’

The boy ran a hand through his shock of dark hair and looked at her thoughtfully. ‘You don’t look like the slags this place usually attracts. I’m Will.’

‘Why do you come here if it’s such a crap place?’

‘Good point.’ He took a long slug of his lager. ‘To keep an eye on someone who shouldn’t be here, but who seems to have some kind of death wish.’

‘Girlfriend? Sister?’

‘Dumb brother, actually.’ He rolled his eyes. ‘He was such a cute kid, too.’

Will reached down beside his chair, lifted up a second sealed can of lager and passed it to her. ‘If you want a drink, Petra, have this. Never touch the wine, or anything anyone offers you that has already been opened.’

Rosie put down the wine on the scarred, damp table and accepted the can. She peeled back the ring pull, allowed the froth to settle, then sipped the drink. ‘I should have thought of that. You’ve actually seen the drinks being spiked?’

‘Regularly. It’s all part of the fun — so they tell me.’

‘And is that too?’ She gestured with her head towards a long table cloaked in shadow at the very back of the room.

Three men sat along the far side of the table and watched the teenagers intently, particularly one couple who were frantically groping at each other’s writhing bodies. Rosie saw a tiny red light. One of the men was operating a small handheld digital camcorder.

‘As I said, they’re wankers. There’s no such thing as a free lunch or a free drink, Petra.’ He sniffed. ‘Oh, you’ll be alright tonight. They never try anything on your first visit, but after a couple of times they’ll want payment, in some form or other. Know what a voyeur is?’

‘Better than you think,’ she murmured, knowing that he wouldn’t hear her above the music. ‘If those guys are perverts, why doesn’t someone shop them?’ She hoped she sounded na?ve.

‘The men take pictures of everyone, and they warn you off by threatening to send copies to your parents, or whoever they think would scare you the most.’ He looked rather sadly across the floor to where a younger boy was being fondled by a drunken girl with a tragic haircut and make-up that would have scared birds.

‘And as most of these idiots finish up half-naked and off their heads, it’s not something they want to share with Mummy and Daddy.’

Rosie followed his gaze. ‘Your brother?’

Will nodded. ‘Sean. He’s only fourteen, and the way he’s going he’ll be lucky to make it through the next couple of months without picking up an STD.’

‘And he won’t listen to you?’ Rosie tried hard not to sound too adult, but she had a strong feeling that Will was on the level.

‘He’s addicted to these parties. Apart from tying him down, the best I can do is just be here and watch out for him.’ He frowned. ‘I’ve no proof, but I reckon worse things happen here than just a few sick old blokes jerking off over some horny young girls.’

Rosie swallowed. ‘Like what?’

‘Don’t mean to scare you, and I’m probably wrong, but I think certain girls are “picked out,” if you know what I mean, for other things.’

‘Dirty bastards! I assume you mean for sex?’

‘What else would they want them for?’ said Will morosely. ‘I’ve seen those old guys take some of them to one side, then later they’ve gone, just disappeared.’ He turned a serious face to Rosie. ‘You don’t belong here. Get out while you can — and don’t come back.’

‘I may just do that, Will. Tell me, have you ever met a girl called Emily while you’re here?’

Will shook his head. ‘Don’t think so. Why?’

‘She’s a friend of mine,’ Rosie lied. ‘She went all secretive on me and I haven’t seen her for a few days. I wondered if she had been coming here, that’s all.’ She looked around again. ‘But what about you? Surely the men that run these parties notice that you don’t, er, join in?’

Will smiled at her. ‘Well, I’m not actually dead from the waist down. For the sake of watching out for Sean, I do occasionally find a fit bird and have a quick game of tonsil hockey.’

Rosie laughed. ‘I’m afraid I haven’t seen too many fit birds here so far.’

‘No? I thought I was looking at one right now.’

Rosie stiffened. There was no mistaking the look in Will’s eyes. How far would she need to go in order not to blow her cover?

*

Charlie Button chuckled softly in the darkness.

They had found a small deserted outbuilding attached to the derelict mill and almost directly behind the boathouse. The signal from Rosie’s hidden microphone was strong, and the hi-tech equipment sensitive enough to filter out the background noise, leaving Rosie’s speaking voice, even her whispers, coming through crystal clear.

‘I do believe that girl is enjoying herself,’ he said.

‘What the hell do you mean by that, Charlie?’ Max said.

Jackman turned his head. Max never spoke like that to Charlie.

‘Just that she’s getting on with the job rather well.’ Charlie sounded nonplussed. ‘And she’s acting out her part as a teenage raver very convincingly.’