IC - 13 - Social Services - Kris

[Mephistophilis]

1.30pm Friday 12th March 2010, Buckinghamshire Social Services, Aylesbury

Nineteen hours since Regina Balfour was abducted.

Kris takes an unmarked CID car and heads up to Aylesbury. It takes him about thirty minutes, not least because he finds himself driving the country roads a little more slowly after his experiences last night.

The air is chilly but the sun briefly breaks through the dappled cloud cover and warms his tender skin. He locates the social services department in an ugly sixties municipal building.

Roxanna Goldfarb meets him inside and shows him Lindsay's desk and computer in a large open plan office. There is a packing box beside the desk which she indicates contains Lindsay's old case files. She pulls a slim one off the top and hands it to him, 'This is the Balfour file.'

OOC,Let me know what you're looking for or roll a Library Use.

[Philulhu]

Kris took the file, sat down and started to read. He turned to the back of the file first of all, to see when the case was opened and what the catalyst for social services involvement had been.

”It’s quite a thin file,” he commented, looking up at Roxanna. ”Given the outcome for Lindsay, I thought there would be more here.”

OOC,Kris will look for the issues mentioned above. Library Use (30%) - [dice]0[/dice]

[Mephistophilis]

There is actually very little in the file. It was started around three years ago, there are a few handwritten notes regarding some welfare checks on Regina Balfour at that time. Then from two years ago there are copies of court documents including applications to the court, an emergency care order and extensions, and then the ultimate dismissal of the case. The application alleges child neglect and abuse and the emergency care order places Regina into foster care. The complaint is long on rhetoric about a dangerous household but short on details, and everything is based on an unnamed 'confidential source'.

Lindsay Peale made the original application that began the process of removing Regina (then three years old) and this resulted in Regina being put in emergency temporary foster care. The council obtained several continuances and managed to drag the initial court hearing (at which the Balfours had their first chance to defend themselves) out for over a week. At the court hearing, the judge dismissed the complaint (over objection from Ms Peale) and Regina was returned to her parents. The judge openly questioned the motivation for the application in the first place given 'the utter lack of any evidence of abuse'. The judge threatened to hold Ms Peale in contempt of court if she ever tried anything like this again.

There is no information in the file from third parties or anything to substantiate the claims of child abuse documented in the court application. There is also nothing recent.

Looking over his shoulder at the notes Roxanna sighs and says 'Yes, well, that was part of the problem, why she was criticised by the judge and why she was subject to disciplinary proceedings.'

[Philulhu]

Kris skimmed through the file again. ”And there’s no indication of who this ‘confidential informant’ might be?” he asked. ”Could it have been her uncle? He’s mixed up in this too.”

[Mephistophilis]

'Thats the thing, she refused to reveal anything about her source, even at her disciplinary hearing, she just apologised and took the consequences. It could have been her uncle, or it could have been anyone.'

[Philulhu]

Kris set the file aside. ”Can I see Lindsay’s emails? Hopefully there’s more information there.”

[Mephistophilis]

Roxanna explains that IT have unlocked her work email account and computer. Accessing the computer Kris can see that as a social worker Lindsay’s work email is archived for seven years in line with data protection legislation. There is nothing recent that has anything to do with the Balfours, but there is one email from George Lewiston’s address dated about three years ago. It simply reads:

• 'Lindsay, I need to talk to you about a child in need of aid. Have you ever heard of the Church of the Passover Angel? It’s going to be tough to believe. Let’s do lunch. Uncle George.'

This date corresponds with the onset of the 'welfare checks'.

The lack of pertinent email traffic is quite unusual, as a police officer used to dealing with the courts, Kris would expect lots of emails back and forth between her, her supervisors, and the council legal team about any effort to take a child away from their parents. Similarly, the file on Regina Balfour is much more sparse than Kris would expect given the concerns being raised.

[Philulhu]

Kris pushed his chair back from the desk and turned to look at Roxanna. ”Where’s the rest of it?” he said bluntly. “A case where a child is removed from her parents and the file is wafer thin? And all I find in her email is this from ‘Uncle George’ which kicked off the process but nothing else? Someone has been through these and removed a load of information, so what’s going on? Someone covering their arse here?” He was angry and his voice was raised, so people in the office were starting to look around.

OOC,Kris will take another look at the file. Is it a ring binder or a card folder? Does it look new or old? Does it have any type of fastening that would papers in place?

[Mephistophilis]

OOC,The records are kept in buff folders that have plastic fasteners so individual sheets could be added or removed. There are no obvious gaps that Kris can see however. The folder itself is slightly worn but otherwise unremarkable, it could be three years old, but equally it could also be ten years old and hardly used, or only a few months old and frequently handled.

Roxanna recoils from Kris, looking frightened. 'That's all there is. It's what I've been trying to say, Lindsay went rogue on this one, served the papers and dealt with the courts without approval from me or the legal team. You can see her HR file if you want confirmation of that.'

[Philulhu]

OOC,Kris will check the fasteners. Essentially, what he is looking for is any sort of fold lines which would indicate that the folder was once thicker but has been reduced and the fold lines are again closer to the back of the folder. Also, the folder itself, if it had more papers in, then that would affect the folds in the spine.

”The Care Quality Commission are going to have you for breakfast over this!” snapped Kris. “How on earth did someone in your team get a court to agree to take a child away with zero oversight?!” He didn’t wait for an answer, but said, “Right, I need to see whatever files Lindsay had on her computer. Hopefully, she’s got something there that’s going to help dig you out of this mess!”

[Mephistophilis]

OOC,It is difficult to be certain but from looking at the plastic fasteners, which do crease when folded, Kris doesn't think this file has ever been thicker.

Lindsay's computer is full of files and documents about scores of cases. But conspicuously nothing about Regina Balfour.

OOC,Computer Use roll to look further

[Philulhu]

OOC,Computer Use (65%) - [dice]0[/dice]

[Mephistophilis]

Looking through Lindsay's computer files reveals nothing of interest. On the off chance, Kris opens up her web browsing history and finds nothing of significance there either. Except, on one occasion a few days ago she accessed a Gmail account and when Kris returns to the page it is still logged in. Curiously there are no emails in the account, none sent, none received, nothing in the deleted folder, but several blank drafts.

[Philulhu]

Kris clicked the mouse button and ran the mouse pointer down the screen. If there was any text that had been hidden from view becomes the text colour had been changed to white, then that should uncover it.

[Mephistophilis]

But nothing appeared. These were truly blank emails.

[Philulhu]

Kris checked for an ‘undo’ button, to see if something has been typed then deleted.

[Mephistophilis]

But he is unable to find one.

[Philulhu]

Kris swore under his breath. He turned back to Roxanna. ”I need someone from your IT department, now!” he snapped.

He turned back to the screen and pulled out his mobile phone. He dialled DS Bates and when she answered, he said, “Lucy, I’ve got a gmail account full of blank drafts but everything else looks like it’s been deleted. Can we get a warrant to get the email backup from the email provider?”

[Mephistophilis]

'I'll get onto it' replies Bates. 'Who is the email provider? If it is overseas you might be better off trying to sweet talk them yourself, these things can take weeks otherwise, especially with the Yanks.'

Roxanna makes a phone call and passes it to Kris, 'Yeah, alright, what d'you want?' says the male voice on the end of the line.

[Philulhu]

”This is Detective Constable Kris Sapru from Thames Valley CID,” said Kris. “I’m investigating an abduction involving a member of your staff, Lindsay Peale. She’s taken a young girl who has a medical condition, who could die in the next couple of days if we don’t find out where Lindsay has gone.”

“I’ve checked her email account and it appears that she’s deleted a number of emails. Can you check your back up and see if they can be restored?”