Three Weeks in September Read online

  He sat across the room in silence until Athena looked up at him.

  “What happened, Phoenix? Do we know how she died? Where is her body?” she asked.

  Geoffrey composed himself somewhat, and still clinging to his daughter, listened as Phoenix told them what he had learned.

  “Grace was on the right-hand side, two-thirds of the way up the front car. It’s thought she hit her head on the seat in front when the train decelerated, immediately following the blast. The autopsy will provide the final answers, but her head injury doesn’t appear to have been severe enough to cause her death. Initial examinations suggest she may have suffered a cardiac arrest.”

  “Poor Mummy,” said Athena. “If she had a heart attack in many other circumstances she might have lived, despite the problems we know she had. In a crash like that, it would take too long for anyone to get to her.”

  “We can only hope it was quick,” said Phoenix.

  “Where did they take her?” asked Geoffrey.

  “I’ll call the driver,” said Phoenix, “and ask him to return here. We can go to see her. The autopsies will take place over the next few days. It might be too early to make funeral arrangements. I’ll ask what timetable they think we’re working on. We can stay here tonight. I’ll return to Larcombe in the morning. Darling, you need to be with your father. Stay as long as you both need.”

  Athena nodded. She wanted to return home to her daughter, but Phoenix was right. She was needed here. Maria Elena would cope, and Phoenix could take the opportunity for father and daughter time. For her own part, her heart was set on getting her father through the ordeal, and to prepare him for the future. Athena was not prepared to lose him for many years yet. He was only in his late sixties, and in good health.

  “The car’s outside,” said Phoenix.

  “I’ll grab a coat,” said Geoffrey, and he hustled out into the hallway.

  Athena took the tray of cups and saucers through to the kitchen. She glanced at the His and Hers calendar on the wall by the fridge. Appointments were written on it for the hairdresser, the chiropodist, the dentist, and of course, the doctor. The flowers in the bowl on the window sill were her mother’s favourites.

  As she followed the two men to the waiting car, she realised that although the little things her mother had done to make this house a home remained, nothing would ever be the same.

  After they arrived at the morgue, they confirmed who they were. Then Geoffrey was taken through to make a formal identification of the body. Phoenix and Athena accompanied him. Grace looked serene, apart from the wicked-looking bruise on her forehead. It was as if she was merely sleeping.

  Phoenix watched as Athena and her father wept. The glass between them and their loved one made the situation even more painful. However, he understood that protocol had to be observed. The autopsy must be carried out first. When they returned to reception, there were two other couples waiting. Two more families going through the same nightmare.

  “Go ahead, darling,” whispered Phoenix. “I’ll ask when we might expect to collect your mother’s belongings and get information from a member of staff before I leave. Wait for me in the car.”

  He joined them five minutes later, and they drove to Vincent Gardens. Once they were inside the house, Phoenix made sure Geoffrey was settled in a chair. Athena took a seat beside her husband.

  “Her belongings will be released within forty-eight hours. It might be a week before we know an exact date for the body to go to whichever undertaker you choose. I think we’re looking at two weeks from today before any funeral can take place.”

  Phoenix then left Geoffrey and Athena alone discussing what until then had always been a taboo subject. Athena had never asked what funeral service her parents wanted. Along with many others, it was something she hoped she didn’t need to worry over for ages. He went into the hallway and called Giles again.

  “It was bad news, Giles. It seems Grace died of a heart attack. The shock of the explosion was too much for her already weakened heart. She didn’t suffer any traumatic injuries, thank goodness. At least she was spared that.”

  “I’m so sorry, Phoenix,” said Giles. “I’m sure my colleagues here at Larcombe wish me to send their condolences. What will you do now?”

  “I’m returning tomorrow. There are things I need to attend to. Athena will stay here for the time being.”

  “Right, I’ll warn Maria Elena to keep Hope occupied until you’re free to care for her,” said Giles. “Leave that with me. I’ll ask Artemis to tell Rusty that you’ll be back in time for the missions planned.”

  “Thanks, Giles,” said Phoenix. “I’ll catch up with you tomorrow, to find out what you’ve discovered. Yes, Rusty and I are heading north again on Wednesday. Athena and I posed as day-trippers over the weekend, checking the lay of the land around Rotherham.”

  “I can give you the latest figures in the morning, Phoenix,” said Giles, “but your initial thoughts were correct. The number of men charged with child sexual abuse offences so far is only a drop in the ocean compared to the true scale of what has gone on unchecked for a decade.”

  “Rusty and I will head to Rotherham and Rochdale on Wednesday morning. We will meet with our colleagues from the nearest Olympus groups and carry out our own reprisals. We can’t rely on the police to be quick enough off the mark to stop hundreds of potential suspects fleeing the region, or even flying back to Pakistan.”

  Phoenix returned to the lounge where he found Athena and her father looking through photographs he had taken at the christening. The last happy occasion they shared. Little did they know. Phoenix sat on the settee, and his mind drifted to the events which had led to the need for direct action in the north of England.

  Twenty years ago, care-home managers had investigated reports children in their care were being picked up by taxi drivers. Over a decade ago, names of alleged perpetrators, several from one family, were passed to the authorities. Four years ago, the first group conviction took place, when five British-Pakistani men were convicted of sexual offences against underage girls. The ringleaders were never arrested. Two years ago, the Times newspaper had reported that sexual exploitation in the town was widespread, and the authorities had known about it for over a decade.

  That same year the trial of a Rochdale child sex abuse ring took place. Nine men were jailed for a string of offences against up to fifty young girls over the previous three or four years. At long last, someone in government thought action was required. The report from the resulting independent inquiry had been discussed in the morning meeting at Larcombe last Tuesday.

  The report’s conclusion showed that the council had a bullying, sexist culture of covering up information and silencing whistle-blowers, and was not fit for purpose. Failure to address the abuse was attributed to factors revolving around race, class and gender. Phoenix had read the report and despaired of any real justice for the fourteen hundred victims.

  The apologists would have a field day. There would be a good deal of hand-wringing for the TV cameras. A few officials would do the decent thing, resign and then walk away with an obscene gold-plated pension. Another inquiry would follow in time, and the horrors swept under the carpet as soon as the spotlight fell on another sector of society.

  Sometimes the Olympus way was the only way.

  “Do you want a hot chocolate, darling?”

  It was Athena, she had interrupted his train of thought.

  “I don’t think so, thanks,” he replied.

  “Daddy will try to get a few hours’ sleep,” said Athena. “I won’t be long behind him. What time are you leaving in the morning?”

  “I asked the driver to collect me at seven, sorry. I have to get back.”

  “Well, you had better have a word with Daddy now then, while I find the cocoa. I doubt he’ll be out of bed that early in the morning.”

  Phoenix nodded. Athena headed to the kitchen. He sat closer to Geoffrey.

  “What a day, Phoenix,” the old
man said, with a deep sigh.

  “We’re all going to miss her, Geoffrey,” said Phoenix, laying his hand on his father-in-law’s arm. “Do you mind if I ask you a question?”

  “Fire away,” said Geoffrey.

  “What sparked this change of routine? The taxi firms around Belgravia have done a roaring trade, with trips to restaurants, theatres, railway stations, and airports. Why was Grace using the bus and train combination to visit her Greenwich friend?”

  “I don’t want Annabelle to worry,” said Geoffrey, “but our investments have taken a hit over the past few years. We’re not alone, I understand that, and thousands of couples would love to be in our position. When we had both reached sixty, they offered us these concessions, but we always refused them. Grace agreed with me there were far more deserving cases across the capital. Then, on our last visit to the chap in Harley Street, the chap warned us Grace was risking her health by not being more active, and not exercising to reduce her weight. So, I contacted the authorities and took every card and concession going. Then we planned how to get Grace to visit her friend, how to organise a trip to the theatre, etcetera. It saved a good deal of money. We walked further, which helped both of us get fitter, and using the brain to find devious ways to get the most out of the system exercised the brain cells. We thought it was a ‘win-win’ situation. Sadly, it didn’t last as long as we planned.”

  “I get it now. Geoffrey. When you feel ready, carry on what you were doing. Use your brain, stay fit and healthy, and who knows? You might see Hope learn to drive, reach a university, even get married.”

  “Might Hope have a brother or sister?” the old man asked.

  “It’s not out of the question,” replied Phoenix.

  “Annabelle’s forty this year,” said Geoffrey, “time’s not on her side. Especially with the two of you so involved in this charity business.”

  “We’ll see, it’s very much in our plans, but unforeseen events may overtake us.”

  “The best-laid plans and all that? Today has been a stark reminder of that, Phoenix. I’m glad you’re here with Annabelle. She’s in safe hands. I’ll not keep her fussing over me for any longer than necessary. You and little Hope need her more than me in the long run.”

  “I’m away first thing tomorrow,” said Phoenix, shaking the old man by the hand. “I’ve got business to attend to up north, but I’ll be back by the weekend. How long I can stay will depend on what’s uncovered in the next few days. Never fear, I’ll attend Grace’s funeral. I had grown very fond of her in the brief time we knew one another. I was never fortunate enough to have a loving mother.”

  “Charity business up north, is it?” asked Geoffrey, probing for the truth, as always.

  “Missing person cases,” replied Phoenix.

  Athena had returned to the lounge and caught the end of the conversation. Her father gave her a hug and wished them both goodnight. After the door closed behind him, Athena asked what Geoffrey’s response had been to the question of why they had been saving the pennies.

  Phoenix gave her father’s reasoning as best he could without disclosing the under-performance of her parents’ investments. Geoffrey hadn’t gone into any detail. The banking crisis and subsequent recession had been a testing time. Athena seemed satisfied enough with his explanation.

  “What did you mean by missing person cases?” she asked.

  “OK, I admit the men involved don’t know they will be missing in a day or two, but it was the best I could come up with at short notice. Your Dad is always keen to trip me up, to trick me into revealing too much on what goes on at Olympus.”

  “We had better get to sleep,” yawned Athena, “that driver will bang on the door before we know it.”

  “That wouldn’t do in Vincent Gardens, would it?” said Phoenix, as he followed Athena out of the lounge to the stairs. “The neighbours would have an attack of the vapours if he rolled up, and tooted his horn, to let me know he’s arrived.”

  “You’re incorrigible,” said Athena.

  “How much did you overhear?” Phoenix asked, “your Dad wondered about the chances of an addition to the family.”

  “Not tonight, sunshine,” Athena replied.

  They had reached the landing. The light under the door to her parent’s bedroom suggested Geoffrey was still awake. She raised a hand to knock. Phoenix shook his head.

  “He won’t thank you,” he whispered.

  Sleep didn’t come to either of them for what seemed forever. Grace Fox had been taken from them far too soon. Geoffrey couldn’t imagine life without her. Athena worried that her father left so alone, wouldn’t be long before following his beloved wife.

  Phoenix was thinking of the suspect they had spotted. Was he part of a cell? What were their future targets? How long before he could take his revenge on the men who murdered his mother-in-law?

  Sweet dreams.

  Tuesday, 2nd September 2014

  Phoenix was awake early. In truth, he had only cat-napped during the night. Athena was still asleep beside him. The light under Geoffrey’s door had gone by one o’clock. Phoenix crept downstairs and made himself a coffee. It was six-thirty. He needed to shower and dress. He went back upstairs.

  “Is that for me, darling? How thoughtful,” purred Athena,

  He handed over the coffee and headed for the shower. Perhaps he could get the driver to pull in to Heston Services on the M4. He might find a bacon roll for sale to go with his coffee. He was soon dressed and ready to leave. The car pulled up outside the house at one minute to seven.

  “Ring me tonight, darling,” said Athena. “I’ll see how Daddy is this morning, in a few minutes. Give Hope a kiss from Mummy. Tell her I’ll be home soon.”

  Phoenix kissed his wife goodbye. As the door closed behind him, Athena heard her father moving around upstairs.

  She knew they faced difficult days ahead. No time like the present to get started.

  The morning meeting at Larcombe Manor was scheduled to begin at nine o’clock. Minos took the chair, with the two senior agents away in London. Giles and Artemis had already arrived. Rusty and Alastor weren’t far behind them. As he read through the agenda that Athena had left yesterday, he heard Henry Case plodding along the corridor outside. Good, they could get started on time. Standards had to be kept.

  When Henry had joined them, Giles spoke: -

  “Phoenix was leaving London at seven this morning. To keep everyone abreast of what’s happened in the past twenty-four hours; Athena’s mother was one of the victims of yesterday’s terrorist attack on the Dockland Light Railway network at Heron’s Quay. Athena will remain in Belgravia with her father until further notice. Phoenix is heading back to carry out the scheduled missions in the north of England. Everything is going ahead as planned, Rusty.”

  “How horrible,” said Alastor. “Eighteen deaths so far, and two more unlikely to recover, I heard on this morning’s news.”

  “The outfit calling itself Islamic State has claimed responsibility,” muttered Henry, “and another video has been posted online.”

  “I haven’t seen that yet, Henry,” said Minos, “another beheading? These are sick individuals at the forefront of this latest terrorist organisation to hit the headlines.”

  “The act of beheading was a standard method of execution in pre-modern Islamic law,” Henry continued. “Its use has been abandoned in most countries, only Saudi Arabia keeping the tradition alive. In recent times, non-state Jihadist organizations have used beheading as a method of killing captives. Since the turn of this century, organisations such as IS have circulated beheading videos as a form of terror and propaganda.”

  “Two weeks ago, they posted a video of a US journalist being executed in this manner,” said Rusty. “That got the world’s attention rapidly.”

  “Where did the victim come from this time?” asked Minos.

  “He was an American-Israeli journalist kidnapped in Aleppo a year ago,” said Henry.

  “This group must e
xpect reprisals,” said Rusty. “It doesn’t pay to mess with the Israelis, even if he left the homeland a generation ago.”

  “Talking of reprisals,” said Giles, “are you up to speed with the arrangements for Wednesday, Rusty?”

  “Phoenix relayed the details they gathered over the weekend before they left yesterday. I spent an hour in the orangery yesterday afternoon going over the timetable.”

  “While the cat’s away?” grinned Artemis.

  “You were on a shift in the ice-house, and it helped to clear my head and confirm the details. I totally get why Phoenix spends so much time there.”

  “Good to know a few of my good habits are rubbing off on you, at last,” said Phoenix, as he slipped into the meeting room.

  “Welcome back, Phoenix,” said Minos, “you made good time?”

  “We could have been home faster if we hadn’t stopped for breakfast,” said Phoenix.

  “Do you want to take over, Phoenix?” asked Minos, half out of his chair.

  “No, you can stay there, Minos, I want to touch base with Giles and Artemis, then I’ll spend the morning with Hope. She was without both her parents at the weekend, and Athena won’t be back for several days because of yesterday. Rusty and I move up the country to Rochdale and Rotherham this time tomorrow.

  Each of the senior agents had something to say regarding the DLR terror attack. Grace Fox’s death was personal. She was a member of the extended Olympus family. Phoenix listened to their comments, and words of sympathy.

  “I’ll pass your thoughts and condolences on to Athena when we talk this evening. Make no mistake, we must redouble our efforts to find out who was responsible and take appropriate action. We have other priorities needing our attention. This week’s mission is one, and the increasing threat of the Grid can never be under-estimated. Whatever in-fighting might be taking place, the criminal network it represents must be challenged. They have had things their own way for too long. However, that’s for another day, our first task is to put a name to yesterday’s bombers.”