A Dreadful Weight (First Draft) - Outer Realms Book 2

Chapter 6

Mikayla had little luck reaching anyone helpful and left several messages but after twenty minutes Dominic came over and mimed writing to her. "Chief Inspector Keiran Finch at the Met? Friend or family? Alright, thanks a lot mate. Sorry again if it's a bad time. Yeah, alright. Bye." Dominic hung up. "UK council's man on the force. He's family. They're going to ask around their own people for us. Most are down for their morning naps though. Might take a little while to get anything back."

"This inspector going to be up?" Mikayla asked.

"No idea. Probably. I'm going to leave that to you. I'm going to check in with Queensland. See if my northern cousins have dug up anything about what happened up there yet. They're not organised like we are with PID. They have a few people keeping things under control the way I do though."

It was not difficult for Mikayla to search a number and get through to someone in England.

"Good Morning, this is the Metropolitan Police Service," Came an unenthusiastic female voice on the phone, "How can I help?"

"Hello," Mikayla said, "I'm Sergeant Wallis of the New South Wales Police Force in Australia. We've got a case here and I've been led to believe that Chief Inspector Keiran Finch can help me answer a few questions I have. Is there any way you can put me through to him? I know it's early over there and he's probably not in at the moment but is there anyway you can get a message to him? It's an important matter and there's a chance he's expecting my call."

"I'll have to put you on hold and I'll see what I can do, ma'am. Shouldn't be long." Poorly recorded music started playing and Mikayla put the speaker on so she could turn her attention to her computer. An hour dragged by in which Dominic disappeared and the girls came back down to take up residence in reception again. Eventually the woman on the phone picked up again. "Are you still there?"

Mikayla picked up the phone. "Yes, still here."

"The Inspector's actually just come in. I can transfer you to his office if you want."

"Yes, thank you very much." The hold music played again for a few minutes then someone picked up and a man spoke.

"Sergeant Wallis?" Came a raspy english voice.

"Mikayla will do," Mikayla answered.

"Keiran. How can I help?"

"Right. Sorry to drag you into work so early but I'm told you're the one to talk to over there." There was silence. "My unit here works with..." She glanced at Natasha. "The local community to deal with investigations of a unique nature that my other colleagues aren't trained for. Friends of the family if you know what I mean."

"I've heard rumours," the Inspector said, "I was asked to hear you out so what's got you calling me on the other side of the world?"

"We've had a couple of deaths over here. Maulings by animals that can pick locks. First two were a mother and her thirteen year old son three days ago. Third was another woman whose son we have in our custody now. Both the kids are family but the mothers weren't. The reason I'm reaching out to you is that we ran into a man with an English accent after recovering the boy. He claimed to be the boy's father but we have a good idea who the real father is and when we wouldn't let him take the boy, he pulled a gun on us before... putting on a change of outfit in the middle of the street. One of my colleagues believes he might have some military training or at the very leas,t handles himself very well in a fight.

"I was hoping that if he's English you might be able to provide some information, especially if he has done military service. I understand your council is already asking around for anyone that might have come over here recently and I know this guy might have emigrated years ago but I thought I'd ask in a slightly more official capacity."