Read Online Endangering Innocents by Priscilla Masters - Free Book Online
Authors: Priscilla Masters
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the school, Baldwin?”
He put the cards down, neatly, deliberately, in two identical-sized packs. “You’re wasting your time being here with me, asking me questions. It’s them you should be asking.”
“Who?”
“Her mother. The thug who poses as her father. Ask him what he does to little girls.”
Joanna went cold. “What do you mean, Baldwin? Counter accusations aren’t going to take the heat off you, you know.”
“That little girl. Madeline. She was cruelly used.”
For some reason Joanna recalled the strange, enigmatic conversation with Gloria Parsons that she had had at the christening.
If you suspect a child is being badly treated?
“What do you know?”
Baldwin’s eyes flicked down towards the twin decksand he put his hands down to cover both of them. He knew he wasn’t going to say anything yet.
Joanna was going to have to do the work.
“Is it from your observations outside the school?”
Baldwin was exercising his right to silence.
The green eyes stared into hers.
Korpanski’s knock on the door sounded urgent. His eyes were shining. “They’ve found something at Baldwin’s place.”
Chapter Seven
7 pm
She and Mike went immediately back round to Haig Road.
The lights were on, two police cars outside. It looked a scene of high drama. One or two neighbours were clustered around the gate, muttering. Joanna ignored them. Sergeant Barraclough met her in the doorway.
“The team have just done a once over,” he said. “It’s only a small flat. There’s nothing obvious here. We’ll take the computer and download it. Just to see what turns him on in his spare time. But there was something they found in a box underneath the bed and thought you should see.”
It was spread out on the bed, bright diamonds of blue, yellow and scarlet silk, a royal blue curly wig, huge, spangly joke shoes. Joanna eyed it for a moment then turned around to meet Mike’s eyes. Barra indicated a small vanity case standing on the dressing table. In it was a collection of greasepaint.
Phil Scott handed her a small business card. “Joshua the Clown”, it read. “Children’s parties a speciality.”
“It’s a great way to get near to children,” he said. “Parents wouldn’t suspect a thing. Neither would the little ones. Uncle Joshua. Children a speciality.”
Deft hands stacking up cards. A clown’s grotesque disguise.
There was more to Baldwin than met the eye. A completely new dimension.
“Bag them up,” she said to Scott.” Get them sent to forensics.”
“The Scenes of Crime boys will strip the joint,” Barra said. “And the garage has got some items I guess he uses in his act too.”
“And the van?”
“Already on to it.”
9 pm
This time when she observed Baldwin through the two-way mirror he was sitting with his eyes closed, his fingertips pressed to his temples as though he was playing at thought transference. Joanna pushed the door open.
“Communicating with Madeline?”
He didn’t open his eyes. “I wish I could.”
“It isn’t one of your tricks then?”
Baldwin looked almost hurt.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were Uncle Joshua, children’s funny friend?”
“Why would I? What’s it to do with you?”
“It brought you into contact with children.”
Baldwin nodded. “But not for …”
“Not for what, Baldwin?”
“Not for what you think.”
“We’ll see. And you attended children’s parties?”
He waited.
“Any of the children from Horton Primary?”
“A couple.”
“And yet none of the parents …”
“Recognised me? No,” he said bitterly. “I was in disguise. I’d arrive already in my costume. And I expect you’ve seen the greasepaint. They’d never have known me in my ordinary clothes in a month of Sundays. I was the funny one. Someone they could all laugh at when I fell over or hit me head on a plank. But I was the onewho astonished them too. I was the one who could find an egg behind their ear or make a sweet
He put the cards down, neatly, deliberately, in two identical-sized packs. “You’re wasting your time being here with me, asking me questions. It’s them you should be asking.”
“Who?”
“Her mother. The thug who poses as her father. Ask him what he does to little girls.”
Joanna went cold. “What do you mean, Baldwin? Counter accusations aren’t going to take the heat off you, you know.”
“That little girl. Madeline. She was cruelly used.”
For some reason Joanna recalled the strange, enigmatic conversation with Gloria Parsons that she had had at the christening.
If you suspect a child is being badly treated?
“What do you know?”
Baldwin’s eyes flicked down towards the twin decksand he put his hands down to cover both of them. He knew he wasn’t going to say anything yet.
Joanna was going to have to do the work.
“Is it from your observations outside the school?”
Baldwin was exercising his right to silence.
The green eyes stared into hers.
Korpanski’s knock on the door sounded urgent. His eyes were shining. “They’ve found something at Baldwin’s place.”
Chapter Seven
7 pm
She and Mike went immediately back round to Haig Road.
The lights were on, two police cars outside. It looked a scene of high drama. One or two neighbours were clustered around the gate, muttering. Joanna ignored them. Sergeant Barraclough met her in the doorway.
“The team have just done a once over,” he said. “It’s only a small flat. There’s nothing obvious here. We’ll take the computer and download it. Just to see what turns him on in his spare time. But there was something they found in a box underneath the bed and thought you should see.”
It was spread out on the bed, bright diamonds of blue, yellow and scarlet silk, a royal blue curly wig, huge, spangly joke shoes. Joanna eyed it for a moment then turned around to meet Mike’s eyes. Barra indicated a small vanity case standing on the dressing table. In it was a collection of greasepaint.
Phil Scott handed her a small business card. “Joshua the Clown”, it read. “Children’s parties a speciality.”
“It’s a great way to get near to children,” he said. “Parents wouldn’t suspect a thing. Neither would the little ones. Uncle Joshua. Children a speciality.”
Deft hands stacking up cards. A clown’s grotesque disguise.
There was more to Baldwin than met the eye. A completely new dimension.
“Bag them up,” she said to Scott.” Get them sent to forensics.”
“The Scenes of Crime boys will strip the joint,” Barra said. “And the garage has got some items I guess he uses in his act too.”
“And the van?”
“Already on to it.”
9 pm
This time when she observed Baldwin through the two-way mirror he was sitting with his eyes closed, his fingertips pressed to his temples as though he was playing at thought transference. Joanna pushed the door open.
“Communicating with Madeline?”
He didn’t open his eyes. “I wish I could.”
“It isn’t one of your tricks then?”
Baldwin looked almost hurt.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were Uncle Joshua, children’s funny friend?”
“Why would I? What’s it to do with you?”
“It brought you into contact with children.”
Baldwin nodded. “But not for …”
“Not for what, Baldwin?”
“Not for what you think.”
“We’ll see. And you attended children’s parties?”
He waited.
“Any of the children from Horton Primary?”
“A couple.”
“And yet none of the parents …”
“Recognised me? No,” he said bitterly. “I was in disguise. I’d arrive already in my costume. And I expect you’ve seen the greasepaint. They’d never have known me in my ordinary clothes in a month of Sundays. I was the funny one. Someone they could all laugh at when I fell over or hit me head on a plank. But I was the onewho astonished them too. I was the one who could find an egg behind their ear or make a sweet
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