Shadow Line

by Stephen Edger

  Vincent looked back at Mercure, and the look in her eyes told him all he needed to know.

  ‘I will make sure they get everything they need,’ Vincent said, as he turned to leave.

  ‘Jack,’ she added, ‘when the music stops, I don’t want us to be the ones left without a chair.’

  ‘Understood, Ma’am,’ he called over his shoulder, closing the door behind him.

  *

  Vincent took his time returning to the Major Incident Room, only to see Agent Smart in his office, her feet on his desk and her ear pressed to the telephone.

  ‘Probably telling her bosses how well she is doing,’ Davies commented as he moved across.

  ‘How are we doing, Kyle? Any progress to report on?’

  ‘No, Guv. Her ladyship called everyone together to explain who she is and why her team are here. The session broke up a moment ago. Bit of a kick in the teeth, huh?’

  Vincent didn’t like the feeling of somebody else running the investigation, particularly some unknown entity from M.I.5. He had only had minor dealings with the government agency in his career, and had even applied to join a couple of years after entering the force, but his application had been rejected. The truth was it was this rejection that was putting him on edge right now.

  ‘Guv,’ shouted D.C. Emma Jarvis from across the room, ‘Armed robbery just occurred at the Securitas cash depository in Segensworth. We’ve got two units en route to the site asking for back up.’

  ‘That’s Portsmouth’s patch, not ours!’

  ‘They’re asking for support, Guv, as the crooks were last seen heading in our direction.’

  ‘Christ, that’s all we need!’ Vincent muttered. ‘Alright, Emma, phone the D.C.I. and tell her we’ll go take a look.’

  ‘We, sir?’ Davies enquired.

  ‘You stay here Kyle and make sure that she doesn’t interfere too much. I’ll take Jarvis with me and go see what’s what. I need some fresh air.’

  ‘What should I tell her? Davies questioned.

  ‘You can tell her where we’ve gone, if she asks. If she doesn’t, just keep it under your hat. It has nothing to do with our on-going investigations, I’m sure.’

  Jarvis hung up the phone, grabbed her bag and coat and was down in the car with Vincent in under five minutes.

  ‘Uniform is reporting that four or five armed men, posing as guards, arrived at the depot half an hour ago to collect a routine pick-up,’ Jarvis reported while Vincent drove.’ They seemingly got through the various security checks but then overpowered the guards at the vault and made off with most of the cash.’

  ‘How much are we talking?’

  ‘The Manager is checking at the moment, but we’re talking millions rather than thousands.’

  ‘Jesus Christ!’ Vincent coughed.

  ‘Guv, we’re gonna need to get Forensics on this aren’t we?’

  ‘I guess you’re right, Emma,’ he replied glumly. ‘You better phone the office and see who we can spare. You better tell Kyle to let Agent Smart know that we’re gonna need to pull resources over to this one as well.’

  ‘Understood, Guv,’ Jarvis replied, punching digits into her mobile phone and then relaying the message to the scientific branch of the team.

  Vincent pushed his foot down hard on the accelerator as they cut through the traffic on the M27. He was within his rights to put on his lights and siren, but there really wasn’t a requirement. They arrived at the depot within thirty minutes and found the site’s Manager speaking hurriedly to one of the uniformed officers.

  ‘Mr Parker, this is Detective Inspector Jack Vin-sent,’ the officer said, introducing the two men as they shook hands.

  ‘Have you managed to review the CCTV yet, Mr Parker? We need licence plate details, van size, colour, make and model, that kind of thing. We’ll notify the local ports and airports to keep an eye out.’

  ‘There’s no need to do that, Inspector,’ he replied. ‘We’ve already done it. We managed to get the faces of two of the robbers from the CCTV and have already faxed them out. As I was just explaining to your officer here, the company learnt a lot of lessons from the heist in Kent back in 2006, you know? We now have standard protocols for dealing with these situations. The van’s registration details match one of ours so we assume they must have been using fake plates. The actual van with that I.D. is in a repair garage.’

  ‘And there’s no chance they could have stolen the van?’

  ‘No, we’ve checked the GPS and it’s still there. No, this was not our van.’

  ‘Okay, Mr Parker. Here’s what will happen from here. My officers will cordon off the area where the intruders entered so that we can look for fingerprints and fibre transfers. We will need to interview any members of your team who had inside knowledge of the inner workings of this facility, including yourself, do you understand?’

  ‘I understand perfectly well, Inspector. I have nothing to hide and welcome the chance to eliminate myself from your list of suspects. They knew too much, Inspector.’

  Vincent watched Parker carefully.

  ‘They were in and out in under five minutes. They knew the layout of the warehouse, how much we had in the vault, our security protocols and the various items of paperwork used in a transfer: it had to be an inside job, Inspector, and I want to know which fucker it was!’

  Parker glanced around at some of the guards who were busy speculating about what had happened. Vincent was about to ask him if he suspected anybody in particular when the Manager’s mobile phone started ringing. He answered the call and immediately relayed the message to Vincent.

  ‘Someone’s just reported one of our vans abandoned in the B and Q car park not five minutes from here.’

  Vincent and Jarvis ran back to their car, jumped in and sped off in the direction of the store. The Segensworth area is home to various national retail outlets, including furniture and DIY stores. Vincent knew the car park in question and arrived in minutes. The van, matching the licence plate of the suspect vehicle, was parked in a far corner. The rear doors were wide open.

  Vincent and Jarvis parked up nearby and moved in to examine the vehicle, being careful not to disturb the scene.

  ‘Shall I call it in, Guv?’ Jarvis asked and pulled out her phone when Vincent nodded his response.

  Vincent looked around the car park for any sign of CCTV cameras that might have identified what vehicles were used by the robbers to leave the vicinity. Spotting a camera near the store he marched off towards the entrance to see what it might have recorded.

  20

  Kyle Davies was finally on his way home. The ten minute drive usually took three times as long if Kyle travelled along the Millbrook bypass during rush hour. Tonight, however, he had finished late at the station and so benefited from a quieter drive home. It had been a decidedly hectic day and all he wanted to do right now was put his feet up, sip on a beer and doze off in front of the television.

  The afternoon had been manic in the Major Incident Room. Vincent had rushed off to the depository heist like a bloodhound, leaving him in the unfortunate position of handling Agent Lauren Smart. She had spent at least an hour in Vincent’s office on the phone, before reappearing, grabbing one of her colleagues and disappearing from the room. He had been watching her closely, as Vincent had instructed, and sensing that something just wasn’t right, he had followed them. He watched as she strode purposefully towards the custody suite and waved a piece of paper that she pulled from her jacket at the unsuspecting Custody Sergeant. From where he had been hovering, he could see the Sergeant examining the piece of paper before shrugging his shoulders and leading Smart and her colleague towards the cells. He continued to watch as the three emerged, bringing with them the bomber. His hands were now ’cuffed behind his back, which wasn’t standard practice if he was only being taken for an interview.

  The Custody Sergeant made Agent Smart sign some paperwork, and then indicated towards the elevator. It was at this point that Davies decided to intervene.
He thrust the suite door open and stomped towards them, demanding to know where she was taking his prisoner. She had waved her hand dismissively, before her colleague impolitely said they were taking custody of the prisoner as they were now investigating the incident. Kyle had naturally demanded to know what authority they had when the Custody Sergeant stepped forward and confirmed that they had provided the necessary documentation to take him.

  The prisoner looked nervous, seeing his captors arguing. Kyle had asked whether this had been discussed with Vincent or D.C.I. Mercure, and had received back a raft of ‘jurisdiction bull shit’. He had watched helplessly as they had entered the lift and descended to the car park, before presumably putting the prisoner in a secured vehicle and taking him to God knows where. He had placed twenty or so calls to Vincent immediately after, before his boss eventually answered. He explained what had happened and Vincent had been furious.

  On his return to the office, the D.I. had dragged him into Mercure’s office, where a heated debate had broken out over authority levels. Vincent had wanted to know why the prisoner had been taken away, where he had gone and whether his team should still be continuing to work the investigation. Mercure had remained diplomatic and informed him that the prisoner had been taken to an undisclosed safe-house out of fear for his safety, and that the team were to continue their enquiries. Mercure had added that Agent Smart and her team would be staying in a local hotel in Southampton, so this would not be the last they would see of them.

  Vincent had still been simmering when he left Mercure’s office, and had openly spoken of his frustration when he and Kyle had returned to his office. When Vincent finally realised how late it was, he told Kyle to go home. Now, as Kyle pulled into his driveway, he was surprised to see a small blue car parked on his drive.

  He opened the door to the sound of chatting and laughter, and deduced that one of his wife’s friends was inside. Heading to the lounge, he saw Megan and her best friend Nina nattering away. When Megan spotted him she moved across to give him a hug.

  ‘Honey, Nina popped round for a catch up and a drink and we ended up eating together; you don’t mind do you? Your dinner is still in the oven, but I’ll go and warm it up for you.’

  ‘No, that’s okay,’ he replied pecking his wife on the cheek. ‘I’ll do it, you stay and chat. Evening, Nina,’ he added, before heading for the kitchen.

  Opening the oven door he saw a plate of mashed potatoes and sausages staring back at him. He closed the door again and turned the oven on. He selected a bottle of lager from the fridge and savoured the taste as he put it to his mouth. He knew Megan wouldn’t mind him taking a seat with them in the lounge, but he decided to remain in the kitchen for two reasons. First, he didn’t want them to feel the need to censor their conversation with him present; and second, he didn’t want to feel that uncomfortable awkwardness with Nina.

  Kyle and Nina had embarked on a torrid affair six months before he had married Megan. The liaison had lasted only two months with both deciding that they couldn’t hurt Megan. Even so, he had to admit he was still very attracted to Nina. It wasn’t that he didn’t love Megan; he did with all his heart. It was just Nina had a spark in her that he found difficult to ignore; whether it was the confident way she carried herself or the tight-fitting outfits she chose to wear, he didn’t know.

  Six months before the wedding, Nina had just moved into a new flat and had been struggling to sort out her internet connection. Megan had volunteered Kyle to go and take a look at it for her. Being the dutiful fiancé he had naturally obliged and had accepted the glass of wine she offered when he arrived. It had been quite straight forward to fix the issue and it was all up and running inside half an hour. They sat and chatted for a bit before he realised it was getting late. He had risen to leave, downing the remaining contents of his glass and she followed to open the door for him. She had leaned in to give him a kiss on the cheek and as she had pulled away she lingered for just a moment, almost enticing him to make a move. To this day, he could not explain what came over him but he moved forward and kissed her on the lips. She didn’t pull away and, if anything, welcomed the embrace.

  He had eventually pulled away when he had realised what he was doing and had quickly apologised for acting out of character. He had said he should leave, but she had pushed the door closed and told him he didn’t have to rush off. Seeing her at the door, in a black mini-dress, her long satin-covered legs and eyes yearning for him, he lost control and pushed her up against the door, their lips locking again; their hands all over each other. She led his hands where she wanted them to go, and had not been shy about how she wanted him to be with her. What they had done up against the door; it wasn’t love making, it was passionate lust.

  He had been unable to sleep that night when he returned to Megan, the guilt eating him up inside. Nina had tried to call him several times the next day but he had ignored her calls, hoping they could forget it had ever happened. She had left him several messages asking if they could just talk things through. He had eventually relented a day later and driven around to her flat. They had talked about what had happened, and concluded that it could never happen again as they both loved Megan and could not bear the thought of hurting her. They agreed not to tell Megan what had happened and he had risen to leave again. Before he had reached the front door, they were entwined again, tearing each other’s clothes off.

  That is how the affair continued. Every time she returned from her travels abroad, they ended up in bed together. Three months before the big day, Kyle got cold feet and vowed that the affair had to end. She had agreed and they had barely seen each other since, apart from the wedding day of course. He dreaded the day that she would spill the beans to Megan, but by the sounds of laughter coming from the other room, today wasn’t the day.

  He drained the beer from his bottle and fetched a second, before tucking into his food. He had nearly finished the sausages when Megan appeared in the doorway, saying she had come to make some drinks for them both.

  ‘You don’t need to hide out here, you know?’ she said. ‘We won’t bite.’

  ‘If only you knew,’ he thought to himself, but said, ‘I’m not hiding; I’m just trying to unwind and forget about work, that’s all.’

  ‘Oh, busy day was it?’

  ‘You have no idea.’

  ‘Okay, well you unwind, but don’t stay in here all night. Nina has something she wants to speak to you about.’

  Kyle dropped his fork as he contemplated just what that might mean.

  ‘You know that plane that crashed here on Thursday?’ she continued. ‘Well, it turns out, Nina was on board!’

  ‘Really? Jesus!’ he exclaimed, imagining how terrifying an ordeal it must have been.

  ‘That’s what she wants to talk to you about. Finish your food and go in and see her will you?’

  ‘Okay,’ he said reluctantly, wiping his mouth. ‘I’ll go see her.’

  She was sitting with her legs crossed as he entered the room.

  ‘Megs said you were on that flight that crashed the other night. Are you okay?’

  Nina smiled at the concern he was showing.

  ‘I’m fine,’ she said. ‘A bit shaken up, but otherwise okay.’

  ‘You were lucky the pilot was able to land as safely as he did. Some issue with the landing gear so I hear,’ he said, recalling the AAIB report.

  ‘Yeah right,’ she replied, rolling her eyes.

  ‘Hey, what’s that look for?’ he asked, picking up on her reaction.

  ‘Trouble with the landing gear is the official story, but believe you me that is not what really happened.’

  ‘You’re kidding right? I’ve seen the AAIB’s report into the incident. The landing gear failed to engage properly, meaning the pilot couldn’t attempt a conventional landing. The report says he had to take evasive action and land on grass, fearing that friction with concrete would cause a spark and ignite the fuel tank.’

  ‘I know what the report says. I h
eard the same lie on Friday morning, but that’s not what happened.’

  ‘Okay, Nina, you’ve got my attention, what really happened?’

  She proceeded to explain the events of Thursday evening to him, in the same manner she had explained it to the pair of suits who had interviewed her at the airport. Megan returned to the room with tea halfway through the account.

  ‘Who were the men in suits who interviewed you?’ Kyle asked. ‘Did they show you any identification?’

  ‘No, none. The same two turned up at my flat the next morning, and told me in no uncertain terms that I was to forget exactly what had happened aboard the flight and to report, if asked, that the crash was due to a problem with the landing gear. They told me I would be well compensated if I stuck to the story, and that I would regret it if I told anybody the truth.’

  ‘I don’t see why anyone would try to cover up what really happened,’ he mused. ‘It makes no sense. If the pilot really tried to crash the flight, as you say, then he should be brought to account. I don’t understand who benefits from a cover up.’

  ‘I spoke to one of the flight crew, and she said she was visited by the same two men and told the same story.’

  ‘Come on, Nina, you must admit it sounds a bit unrealistic, don’t you think?’

  ‘Do you think I’m making this up?’ she asked angrily.

  ‘No, no, of course not,’ he apologised. ‘But if you think about the level of authority required to mastermind this kind of cover up…it just makes you wonder.’

  ‘So who do you think is behind it?’ Megan asked, intrigued to be part of a conspiracy.

  ‘The British Security Services? Some other secret government agency? Who knows?’ he replied. ‘The ‘who’ is not important here it’s the ‘why’ that interests me.’

  TUESDAY

  21