The Death of Innocence: A heart wrenching, twisting British murder mystery crime thriller (Detective Tom Blake Book 5) by J.F. Burgess

Author:J.F. Burgess [Burgess, J.F.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-02-27T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 20

They stood for five minutes in the reception area waiting for Professor Hessler to arrive.

A smartly dressed man in his late fifties, wearing a tweed jacket and jeans, entered through the glass doors, his greying hair neatly combed over on top and shaved around the sides. He slipped the glasses on a cord around his neck on and studied the police officers. ‘What’s this intrusion all about?’

‘As I told your porter, based on an anonymous tip-off we’re here to search the place,’ Agent Kamberi said, losing patience.

‘Search the place? Whatever for?’

‘There have been reports that the children are being mistreated,’ she continued.

‘Mistreated, that’s absurd! All the children in our care are looked after extremely well. Isn’t that right, Lamach?’ he said exchanging a glance with the porter.

‘We still need to search the place,’ Kamberi said.

‘This is an outrage. I’m not having it, waking children up at this time of night.’

‘The more fuss you make the more disruptive it will be, so let’s just get on with it.’

‘It doesn’t seem you’ve left me much choice. What do you need to see first?’ the professor asked.

‘Take us to where the kids sleep and we’ll go on from there,’ Kamberi said.

‘How many orphans do you have here, Professor?’ Blake asked as the three of them followed him up a wide mahogany staircase leading to the first floor. The creepy porter skulked behind like a reprimanded child.

‘Currently, there are twenty-two boys and six girls all under ten years old staying with us. Please be respectful as they have had very troubled lives. Some are victims of the war in Chechnya. Others are runaways whose parents worked in the sex trade in Russian outposts.’

Turning to them, he lifted a finger to his lips before quietly opening the first door on the right of the landing. ‘Wait here. We don’t want to startle the poor fëmijë.’

****

Blake felt a little ashamed about waking these poor kids up at 11 p.m. but, along with the Interpol officers, he needed to see them for himself.

Like a scene from a vintage Famous Five novel: six small dark-haired boys with a slight Romany look stood at the foot of their beds, all dressed in the same pale blue striped pyjamas.

The professor reached out a hand and placed it under the chin of the boy closest to him. Tilting the child’s head back slightly he said, ‘See, nothing wrong with these boys whatsoever. They are fine healthy specimens destined to become strong young men.’

Kamberi looked at their solemn faces as they stared at their little feet. The bulbs from the converted chandelier on the ceiling glowed on the centre of the dark parquet flooring.

‘Boys, I’m sorry we had to wake you. My name is Olivia Kamberi. I’m a special type of policewomen and these men are fellow officers. Don’t worry; you’re not in any trouble. I just wanted to ask if you are all being looked after properly?’

Collectively, they glanced nervously in the professor’s direction for confirmation they should answer the question.

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