Find Me

By Thomas Laughlin

Penny Small is a nine year old child who has lost both her parents in a car crash at the begining of the year, still suffering the effects of the crash and lossing her mother and father she is living with her grandfather (ex- special forces) but is abducted when she tries to help her drunken neighbour by a serial killer who is targeting the drunk who is a leading police officer in the Strathclyde Police force in the small town of Coatbribge, Detective Seargent Pope Cole is using drink and drugs to see and speak to his dead wife who was killed by the serial killer after Pope mocked him on live TV, Pope decides to find her with the help of his gangster sister and Penny's grandfather. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Thomas Laughlin
• Release date: Jun 2, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393867487

Book preview

Chapter 1

Watching all her friends screaming with joy as they ran after the ice cream van that had just turned into their street, Penny allowed herself a smile, she had never really known just how busy and noisy her street could get when all the kids like her were out playing until now, sitting and watching from the front step to her tenement close she watched her best friend Emma Cairns run back with her ice cream cone with a smile on her face the size of the River Clyde.  Penny’s attention was drawn to her neighbour across the road a big man she has known all her life and used to play in his garden with his wife until her accident. Pope Cole used to let her dress up in his police uniform and run around his house chasing her and playing other games with her but looking at him now Penny felt sad. Pope was always scruffily dressed and working on his old car before he leaves for work, he was always coming and going and he was always sad but he always smiled and shyly waved at her before he left for work in a taxi, today he was cursing and swearing and kicking the old car before he turned and entered his house.  Penny most nights would see him from her bedroom window directly across the road around seven or eight at night she would hear his taxi pull up to his house and watch him pour himself out of it onto the pavement completely drunk, a sight that often made her giggle now she watched him wave to her as he got into his taxi, still with his sad looking face. 

Do you want to come to the park with us Pen?.  Asked Emma licking the ice cream as it ran down onto her fingers.

No thanks going in soon for dinner, Pops said it will be ready soon just you go Emma.  Answered Penny.

We won’t be there long, all our pals are going.  Said Emma licking her ice cream cone.

It’s alright, just you go.  Repeated Penny.

Alright I’ll see you tomorrow then.  Emma said before running off to catch up with their friends but suddenly stopping when her ice cream fell out of her hand and onto the ground. Emma sighed and yelled No as she looked back at Penny, both laughed before Emma waved and ran off.

Penny sat and watched her catch them up and Emma turned smiling and again waved back at Penny.  Penny could only smile sadly.

You can go with them if you want dinner can wait for another half hour.  Said her grandad taking a seat next to her on the front steps.  Penny just smiled and looped her arm through her Pops arm and rested her head on his big shoulders.

Not ready to play yet, what’s for dinner?.  She asked with big blue eyes.

You’re favourite, cod and spaghetti hoops with fries I’ll call you to come in and eat in five minutes okay beautiful girl.  Her grandad replied getting up and going back inside his flat.

Okay, the scruffy man has gone to work he waved at me Pops.  Said Penny and he knew she was talking about Pope from across the road.

1

Penny lifted the locket around her neck and opened it to gaze at the picture of her mum and dad smiling with Penny sitting in between them her Pops had took the picture when Penny turned two and bought Penny’s mum, his daughter, the locket as a birthday present.  Staring at the picture her attention was suddenly drawn to the taxi pulling up in front of the scruffy man’s house across the road and watched as he fell out of the taxi and onto the pavement, drunk, it was going on dinner time and he was already drunk as he lay there Penny ran across the road and stopped to help him up from the ground when a man suddenly appeared and stood over Pope then knelt down beside him and pulled something from his coat pocket, Penny saw something shine in the strangers hand before the man turned and looked at Penny the stranger then stood up and looked around the street then back at Penny, and smiled.

Dinner is ready beautiful girl, don’t forget to wash you’re hands please.  Shouted her grandad from the kitchen.  Penny’s grandad had just put the dinner on the table and again shouted for Penny to come in and wash before dinner but got no reply, again he called to Penny but again no answer.  He left the small kitchen and made his way down the hall to the front door and looked out to see where Penny was when he didn’t see her in the street he turned and went into the toilet to see if she was washing her hands before dinner but Penny was not there either, quickly he ran out of the flat and into the street calling Penny’s name as loud as he could drawing the neighbours attention soon the whole street was out looking up and down the street and calling Penny’s name, after almost three hours searching real fear was now setting in, panicking, Penny’s grandad called the police.  Within twenty minutes DS Kent Collins and DC Tom Miller arrived along with two Constables at the flat to interview a shaking old man trying to hold it together before they both entered the flat they had to push through the gathering neighbours all shouting for the police to do something anything, just start looking for the little girl.  Kent had worked several missing children cases over the last few years and thankfully the children had all been found and returned to their homes unharmed as he sat with Penny’s grandad and took down his statement he then ordered Tom and several PC’s to get statements from any of the neighbours that last saw Penny, he then made a call to his station requesting more men to form a search team within the hour he had not only the search teams but a Mobile Command Unit set up at the top of the street.

I’ll need a recent photo of you’re grand-daughter and a list of all her friends, a list of all her favourite places she plays at and I need you to please allow us to take it from here I understand just how hard this is for you but please Mr Walker let us do our job, we don’t need the neighbours shouting at us to do this and do that and arrest this man and that man I know they just want her found but most times they actually hinder us.  Kent said standing across from Martin with his hands behind his back.

They have watched my grand daughter grow and play in this street they all know about the accident, we look after each other in this street they just want to help find Penny.  Said Martin wiping the tears away from his eyes.

I understand that sir but let us do our job please, I will keep you up to speed with everything until we have an outcome.  Said Kent.

Outcome, what the bloody hell does that mean? A body? Is that what you mean? You have her dead before you even start to look for her.  Yelled Martin as he broke down in tears.

2

Please Mr Walker I just meant you’ll be informed with everything we do.  An apologetic Kent said.  Kent left Penny’s grandad in the hands of the station’s liaison officer as he sought out his colleague DC Miller whom was surrounded by the neighbours all giving statements to Kent’s Constables and demanding the police get off their backsides and do more.

We need to get back to the station Tom the Superintendent will want a complete brief and we also need to bring in some outside help from other stations, we need officers with this kind of case experience.  Said Kent.

I understand the little girl lost her parents not long ago Kent.  Tom said.

Yeah she was the only survivor in her father’s car, took her a long time to to deal with losing her parents but how do you get over something like that at her age.  Replied Kent scanning the neighbours giving statements.

How old is the kid?.  Asked Tom.

Nine, she’s only a baby and we need to find her fast.  Kent replied.

Arriving back at the police station just off the main street in the centre of town Kent called in the officers he wanted to work the case, all from the neighbouring town of Airdrie. Kent’s Commander Superintendent Dickson had called to inform him any and all resources will be made available to find Penny as quickly as possible.  Superintendent Dickson knew the case would be front page news and that his Commander from HQ Scotland would be all over him to get the right result or it would cost him his post, something that Superintendent Dickson would never allow which is why he appointed DS Collins as the lead investigator.  DS Cole was his best officer in the Coatbridge Police Force but he was a loose cannon of late and would draw to much bad press as much as he wanted DS Cole to assist Kent he decided to let Kent run the team and pick his own second in command, a decision he knew would not backfire on him.  Kent has been a Detective Sergeant for going on ten years with nineteen years experience as a police office and more importantly he is a Coatbridge man and knows the town and it’s people a highly respected and determined Detective Sergeant Kent had taken DC Miller under his wing since Tom’s promotion five years ago. DC Miller was also a local man with a proven track record both where completely different in appearance and how they approach a case but worked really well together, Kent was hoping Tom in time would be a better officer than DS Cole the stations prodigal son.  Tom stood six feet and was always well turned out but his scar under his right eye running along to his cheek and stopped before his ear lob and his deep rough voice gave him the look of someone to be feared in contrast to Kent who stood six two always in a smart suit and who spoke with a quiet tone and was always well mannered but his retirement was coming up and Kent saw Tom as the new face of Scottish policing but someone who lacked real experience in leading a major case, experience Kent was eager to give him if he wanted to reach the heights of Superintendent and in charge of his own station one day but for now he was happy to let Tom take second lead with a view of stepping back and letting him make the decisions in the case, Kent was looking forward to retirement soon and he had already put his home up for sale with a view to settling down in a small village near the west coast he holidayed every year since his wife passed away from cancer four years ago.

3

Chapter 2

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Kent had gathered all the officers at his disposal into the main briefing room that adjoined the serious crime squad room of operations on the first floor, these were experienced child crime officers and all were known and respected police officers within the police force who held reputations for working hard and around the clock until their case’s were brought to an end and not one officer had a cold case. Kent had already set up his board with a recent picture of Penny Smalls in the centre of the board and other details and information already gathered by Kent’s own officers about Penny’s immediate family and friends and underlined what he wanted done. Once the briefing ended he then reported upstairs to his case Supervisor, taking a seat outside the office he could hear his Supervisor shouting at some officer about his appearance and behaviour Kent turned to look at the secretary who was trying to pretend she could not hear the raised voice, Kent smiled at her sheepish and embarrassed face. 

Who’s getting it now?.  He asked the secretary but before she could answer the office door flew open and Pope stormed out and cursed his Supervisor before smashing through the main office door and going down the stairs back to his desk.

In Kent. Shouted the Superintendent.

Kent took his seat across from a stone faced Superintendent Allen Dickson an officer of twenty eight years who had worked in just about every unit within the Strathclyde Police Force, highly respected and feared a man without humour a man without mercy strictly by the book and no bull shite type of man which earned him the nickname, the ball breaker.

So what’s the update Kent? This is high profile because of the little girl’s name, have you read the documents I had delivered to you’re desk in relation to the accident.  He said.

I’m all to aware of the accident sir but I read over it earlier, the coroners report was detailed but in summery February 10th 2015 a car driven by Mr Smalls was involved in a head to head collision with another car being driven by a Mrs Pamela Nichols, eight year old Penny survived but both her parents died and Mrs Nichols sustained sever injuries but was released a few months afterwards, the coroner ruled it an accident without blame.  Kent recalled.

And what’s you’re line of investigation, who is doing what and when? If you need more resources then they will be made available this is you’re top priority do you understand, I’ll be watching you and head office will be watching me, so don’t fuck this up, clear?.  His boss barked.

I have nine officers that will be located downstairs in the Ops/Briefing Room they will comply a list of all known sex offenders in a ten mile radius then bring them in for interviews, they’ll work in two’s for the interrogations, DC Miller will head back out and co-ordinate with the search teams on the ground we have broken down the search areas into grids making it easier and quicker to search I have also set up a Mobile Command Unit at the top of the street and again I will be speaking to the last person that saw the little girl, her grandad.  Replied Kent getting to his feet to leave.

Penny.  Said the Superintendent.

Sir?.  Asked Kent with raised eyebrows.

4

The little girl has a name Kent, her name is Penny.  The Superintendent said.

Forgive me sir, Penny.  An embarrassed Kent said quietly.

Every morning you’ll brief me with everything being done and I also want to see the case books from all officers involved downstairs before you start you’re morning and evening brief, is that clear Kent?.  Said the Superintendent.

Crystal.  Replied Kent.

Good, now close the door on you’re way out.  Said the Superintendent looking down at his paperwork and picked up his favourite fountain pen.

After Kent had left his office Superintendent Dickson opened his locked top drawer and pulled out the newspaper clippings that covered the road accident nine months ago, he was one of the first officers to visit the little girl in the hospital straight afterwards it was his first real case as the new Superintendent of the Coatbridge force.  Penny looked the image of his only daughter and it broke his heart to see her laying in the hospital bed sleeping as if she was in her own bed at home, her injuries thankfully where not life threatening but she required a long stay in hospital he personally took charge of the little girl by having her moved to a private room and placed a young officer outside her room to keep the press away from hounding her and her grandfather for a story, he also arranged for her to have toys to fill her room and personally picked Penny and her grandfather up from hospital after her discharge and drove them home.  Looking at the picture in the newspaper clip he took from the drawer it felt like only yesterday and he suddenly thought about his own daughter and felt his heart break again as he put the paper back into his draw before locking it.

Kent needed a cigarette but stopped smoking three weeks earlier but suddenly felt the need to fill his lungs, stepping outside the front entrance of the station and bummed a smoke from one of the officers standing in the smoking area he lit up and inhaled like his life depended on the nicotine.

Those things will kill you one day.  Said Pope through the cloud of cigar smoke.

You getting it up the arse again from the ball breaker?.  Asked Kent looking at him sitting on the small wall at the front of the station.

He really likes me Kent, I’ve been in his office more times than that secretary of his and they have been seeing each other on the fly for the last two years.  Said Pope drawing on his large cigar and blowing smoke rings.

Well he is divorced.  Stated Kent raising his eyebrows.

Separated, so still technically married but who cares eh, you have the missing child case I hear?.  Pope Asked.

Aye but you work murder cases not missing kids so why you interested?.  Asked Kent flicking his cigarette away.

Just asking.  Was all Pope said watching Kent go back into the station before taking out his phone and making a call.

5

Chapter 3

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Kent waited until Martin was finished taking his medication, after losing his only daughter and son-in-law he suffered a stroke which he quickly recovered from but walked with a slight limp. Along with a regiment of pills to take at the age of sixty one he still looked in great shape even after the stroke, a former soldier (Special Forces) he looked like he was still an intimidating figure but now after fifteen hours since Penny was last seen he looked like his whole world was collapsing in on him he looked scared and helpless, he looked broken.

We have over two hundred officers looking for you’re grand-daughter Mr Walker and over one hundred local volunteers in the search teams, we’re doing everything we can do.  Kent said sitting across from Martin.

I know you are but I just want my grand daughter home I’ve told you a thousands times about the last time I spoke to Penny so why do you keep going over and over it?.  Snapped Martin squeezing his hands together into a ball in anger.

I’m sorry but I don’t get how she could have disappeared in the time you last spoke to her and putting her dinner on the table, that’s only what? Two maybe three minutes? I can’t get my head around it.