A nurse let him into the room. Grace was alone, dressed and sitting on the bed, reading a magazine. She smiled.
“Have you come to take me home? They said I could go before teatime. Mum couldn’t pick me up, she’s looking after Holly.”
“You’re alright? The baby? Is it . . . ?”
“Yes, we’re both fine.”
There was something in her eyes. A question. Greco knew he should reassure her, take control like Pat wanted, but he couldn’t.
“Apparently, it was down to that bloody salad. If I get the urge to eat anything like that again, stop me.”
He saw the look. Grace was analysing his body language. He should at least take her in his arms. Tell her he was pleased, and that he’d look after things from now on. But neither the actions nor the words would come.
“Try and crack a smile, Stephen. It’s good news. The babe is still on track.”
“Sorry. I was worried that you might have . . .”
“What — lost it? No such luck.” There was anger and disappointment in her voice. “You would have preferred that, wouldn’t you? Problem gone, no decision taken by you or me. The hand of fate and all that.”
He could not answer that.
“You are a piece of work! You make me so mad, Greco. We. Are. Having. This. Baby. Get used to it. I will be back at work tomorrow, and it’s my intention to tell folk. This can’t stay a secret any longer. Apart from which, I have maternity leave to sort.”
“Let me tell the team, and McCabe first.”
She had that doubtful look on her face again. “If they don’t know by lunch, you’re toast. Got it?”
What was the use? She was right.
Chapter 20
Day 6
Vasili Pakulski packed a small suitcase with what he thought he might need for the trip. He was out of his depth. He’d never had a job like this before. He was more used to short hauls, no more than fifty miles a trip. He liked to get home at night. Take care of his family. But in order to keep his landlord, Barton, sweet, he had no choice but to take what had been put on the table. He had been warned by friends who also rented from Barton, and knew better than him what the man was capable of. Barton was not a man to cross. You did as you were told. Vasili was stuck with things as they were. It was the job with Greysons, whether he liked it or not.
They set off from the lorry park at Salford Quays at five in the morning. George Potts, the driver, made no attempt to talk to him. Vasili didn’t know if it was because of his own poor English, or if the man was simply rude. Consequently, all the way to Dover they mostly had only the radio for company. When they reached the port, Vasili rang his wife, Nadia. He tried to keep it upbeat.
“The job is easy. We are still travelling,” he told her in Polish. “All I have to do is sit and watch the countryside go by.”
“You will be gone for days,” she protested. “I don’t like it. Your old job was fine, and it paid well enough.”
She was upset, and rightly so. “You know the score, Nadia. I work for Mr Barton, or we lose the house. Until I can find something better, we have no choice.”
George Potts was beckoning him. He’d climbed back into the cab and started the engine. Vasili knew Potts would not wait. Customs sorted, he was ready to drive onto the ferry.
“I have to go. I’ll phone you later.”
“Once we’re on board the ferry, stretch your legs, have some breakfast. But don’t get lost,” Potts warned him. “When we get the call to return to the vehicle, I won’t come looking. We still have a long way to go.” Potts nudged him. “There is a schedule to stick to. We’ll stop for the night at a place I know, another hundred miles or so. It’s nowt special. A café with cheap beds. If you can’t afford it, then the cab’s all yours.” He grinned.
Barton or no Barton, Vasili knew then that he could not continue to earn his living this way. He would have to find alternative accommodation for his family.
* * *
Bob Bowers had arranged Dee’s post-mortem for ten that morning. Greco went to the station first to check if anything had come in overnight. Grace was at her desk.
“I thought you might take a couple of days off,” Greco muttered.
“No, Stephen, you were hoping I would. That would get you out of telling the others, wouldn’t it?” She looked up at him. “Well, I’m here, and we have a bargain. Lunchtime. No later.”
Greco looked around the room. The others were busy, but had they heard? It would have to be McCabe first, and he wasn’t looking forward to it. But he’d get the PM over with before he did anything else. Who to take?
“Joel, you will come with me to the Duggan this morning.”
The young DC smiled. Despite the horror of it all, Greco knew that Joel wanted the experience.
Speedy shuffled on his chair. “What do you want me to do, guv?”
“The community centre. You and Leah go and speak to Clovelly. Find out who was there yesterday, and what Dee had been up to the past few days. We can rule out Max Marsh. He came here and then returned to the centre, where he stayed until late. Get hold of Dee’s phone records too. After that, the forensic report on Ava Whitton’s flat should be about ready. If not, chase it up. If there is anything interesting, let me know.” Greco turned to Joel. “How did you get on with the houses that back onto that ginnel?”
“No one admitted to seeing anything, but one bloke was out. I’m going back later.”
“Grace, take a close look at all the CCTV you can get hold of. Dee left here mid-morning. Where did she go? Did she meet anyone? We need answers. We also need to know who her family are.”
“Uniform tried to find someone last night,” Speedy told him. “She has a mother somewhere in Openshaw but they haven’t been in contact for a while.”
“Ask at the centre. Perhaps Clovelly will know.”
“We’ve had an email from that DI at the drug squad,” Leah told him. “You know, the one who thinks he can dictate the rules of the game. He wants a meet. What d’you think?”
“Okay — arrange it for later today. Ask him to come here.”
Grace glared at him as he left the room, Joel in tow. “Lunchtime.”
“Has Grace been ill, sir?” asked Joel. “Only, she looks very pale.”
“You’ll have to speak to her,” Greco said. The last thing he wanted was to get into a conversation about Grace. He had other things to think about. He tossed Joel the car keys. “You can drive.”
They badly needed a break on the case. As each day passed, things got more complicated. He’d no idea what Dee’s murder meant. With luck, Bob Bowers would have something for them. If not, they would struggle.
* * *
“Superficially, it looks the same as with Riley and Holt,” the pathologist told them. “But in my opinion, it was rushed. I think your killer was either disturbed or was short of time. She was killed by a blow to the head. Whoever did it used a piece of rusty blunt metal. We found both rust and traces of motor oil embedded in the head wound. Her fingers were cut off after death, plus a number of heavy blows to the body were inflicted. Several bones were broken.”
“Very similar to Craig and Vinny. Same killer or a copycat?” Greco asked.
Bob Bowers nodded. “Could be a copycat. The murder of those two lads has been widely reported. I read the gory details myself in one of the more salacious dailies. Reporters have collared anyone and everyone with a connection. I caught a couple of them harassing one of the cleaners yesterday.”
At that moment, Roxy Atkins joined them. She was one of the centre’s senior forensic scientists. “I have been running tests,” she confirmed. “All three victims were drugged prior to death. Due to the state of Riley and Holt’s bodies it is not possible to determine for certain how it was administered. But Dee Sampson’s body was in fairly reasonable shape. We found a needle mark on her upper arm. She was injected with ketamine.”
“She wouldn’t just let someone do that,” Joel pointed out.
> “I agree,” said Roxy. “The syringe was thrust hard into her arm, through her clothing, and it bled a lot. The two lads had also been given ketamine.”
This suggested that it was the same killer. “What about Tomasz Bilinski?” Greco asked.
Roxy shrugged. “Decay is too advanced.”
“How would our killer get hold of ketamine?” Joel asked Greco.
“It’s easily available on the streets.”
“He’d have to get hold of syringes too,” Joel added. “Some chemists are a bit funny about selling them over the counter if you don’t have a condition that needs injections.”
Roxy had overheard him. “I am still running tests but I found the faintest trace of insulin in the injection wound. It is possible that your killer has access to insulin, or cares for someone who takes injections daily. Instead of disposing of the sharps properly, he has been hoarding some of them.”
Greco thought about this for a moment. That information could be key. “Any idea what sort of weapon was used, other than being metal and oily?”
Bob Bowers shook his head. “I’m afraid not.”
* * *
Speedy and Leah walked towards the centre entrance. “I’m getting sick and tired of coming here,” he said.
“Don’t antagonise Clovelly,” Leah warned. “We need him onside. The kids trust him. We’ll get nowhere without his help.”
Max Marsh was in his room as usual. Graham Clovelly was talking to a group of youngsters in the café. The atmosphere in the place was sombre. They must have heard what had happened to Dee.
Graham stood up and came to meet them. “She didn’t come here at all yesterday. I’ve spoken to everyone. Dee didn’t talk about her personal life much. But she did tell Gina over there that she was seeing some bloke.”
“Can we speak to the girl?”
Graham beckoned her over. “This is Gina, one of our regulars, and one of the community angels. If Dee had a best friend, then it was our Gina here.”
“She kept some things secret from me,” Gina said at once. “That bloke of hers, for instance. She wouldn’t say who he was, or what he did. But she did bring him here once. He played pool with the lads. Stuck out like a sore thumb, he did. His clothes alone must have cost a fortune.”
“Are you sure you don’t know who he is?”
Gina looked at Leah. “She called him Dom, if that helps.”
“Do you know where she was going yesterday?” Leah asked.
“To see you lot. Shit scared, she was. Reckoned you thought she stole that necklace. And she didn’t. Marshy gave it to her like she said. I saw him. He was short of money. Dee gave him a couple of notes for it.” Gina glared at them.
“Do you know if Dee ever saw her mother?”
“That old witch is a waste of space. Dee went round there a few weeks back, but all she got for her trouble was a mouthful of abuse. She was never up to much, even when Dee was little, so I’ve been told.”
“Do you know where she lives?” Leah asked.
“The Crosslane Estate in Openshaw. You’ll find her most nights in the Roebuck pub.”
“Do you know where Marshy got the necklace from in the first place?” Speedy asked her.
“Look, I don’t want to get anyone into bother.”
“Dee was murdered, Gina. So were Craig and Vinny,” he reminded her. “This killer has to be stopped, and we need your help.”
Gina looked at Leah. She appeared to be weighing up her options. “Craig gave it to him,” she said at last. “Payment for some favour or other.” She backed away, raising her hands. “That’s it. I’ve said enough.”
“Get him over here,” Leah told Graham. She’d had enough of being led around in circles. Max Marsh would tell them the truth or he’d spend a night in the cells.
“We thought he was holding out on us all along,” Speedy told her. “Let’s hope he finally sees sense.”
“Sit down, Max,” Leah instructed. The young man was edgy. He looked like he would make a run for it any minute. “Last chance, and you’re bloody lucky to get one,” Leah told him firmly. “It’s time you told the truth. Why did Craig Riley give you that pendant?”
“Who said that?” he blustered. “They’re lying to make trouble.”
“We don’t think so. So, come on, where did you get it?” Speedy asked.
Marsh appeared to be wrestling with what to say next. His eyes darted around as if seeking the answer in the room.
“Okay, I’ll tell you,” he said at last. “It was payment, but not for anything dodgy. Craig owed me.” He fell silent, and looked from one detective to the other.
“Why did Craig owe you? What had you done for him, Max?” Speedy asked.
“I’m sick of this. You do someone a simple favour and it backfires for ever afterwards.”
Marsh was evidently upset. His face was flushed and he kept flicking his hair off his face.
“What favour?” Leah asked. “If you know something, Max, then you must tell us. There is no guarantee that the killer will stop. I think he’s covering his tracks now. Dee wouldn’t talk to us, and look what happened to her.”
Marsh looked at Leah and shrugged. “It was payment for getting him in with my group. Craig wanted to help, or so he said. He helped out in the room, setting up and the like. He got to know them all pretty well. They liked him. He could be a right laugh at times. Then, when they wanted stuff doing at home, Craig volunteered right away. I didn’t see any harm. He was trying hard. He did some decorating for one of them and it mushroomed. He and Vinny were at it almost every day at one time.” Marsh hung his head. “Now I realise what he was really up to. He and Vinny were robbing them blind.”
“Anything else you’re not telling us?”
“Dee didn’t have anything to do with it. As far as I know she never went near any of their homes. She didn’t think much of Craig or Vinny, either.”
“It looks likely that she was involved in this somewhere, Max,” Leah pointed out. “Otherwise, why was she killed?”
“Dee had friends she never spoke about. She earned money and never said how. She was secretive. She reckoned she was safer that way.”
Speedy looked at him. “Well, she was wrong, wasn’t she?”
Chapter 21
By the time Speedy and Leah got back to the station, Greco and Joel were already back from the post-mortem.
“What have we got?” Greco asked them. He looked over to Joel, who was deep in conversation on the phone.
“Max Marsh finally came clean,” Leah said. “The pendant was payment for letting Craig get pally with his group. They trusted Craig, let them into their homes. It seems likely it was a set-up. Once in there, Craig and Vinny helped themselves. Marsh says that he had no idea what was going on, and that Dee wasn’t involved in the theft either. She never got that involved with the group. Also, her mother lives on the Crosslane. Perhaps we should get uniform to go and tell her. That place is worse than the Lansdowne.”
Joel finally put the phone down. “That was a man whose flat overlooks the ginnel,” he told them. “The one who was out before. He confirmed that he didn’t see or hear anything. But he did say that the houses on the street where Dee was dumped are about to be refurbished. Alex Barton owns the lot. Plus, he owns one or two on the street behind — Balfour Street.”
“That name again,” Grace piped up. “It was Barton who Ava met in Manchester, don’t forget. I checked her phone records, and there have been several calls made to Barton’s office from her mobile. But even more to an unregistered mobile. Dee had also received calls and made them to that same number. I think both women know him, and Ava is doing business with him somewhere down the line.”
“You think Barton is involved with the drug trafficking?”
“And the rest. He might appear whiter than white but that is a fairly recent thing. About ten years ago he was a well-known villain. The fact he was never caught and imprisoned was down to an expensive solicitor and damn good
luck.”
“Did you speak to those two girls?” Greco asked Leah.
“No, they never came round long enough to talk sense. I’ll visit them both at home.”
“Make it a priority,” he told her. “Do we know if they overdosed or just had a bad reaction?”
“Could be either. The stuff they took was very strong,” Leah replied.
“Grace, we’ll speak to Barton. We’ll try his office first.”
* * *
“You haven’t said anything yet,” Grace said.
“Give me chance. We’ve been mad busy all morning,” Greco replied.
“I mean it, Stephen. You need to tell the team today.”
“You still don’t look well. Are you sure you wouldn’t be better off at home?”
“I’m fine. Drop it.”
“I’m only thinking of you — and the baby,” he added as an afterthought.
“You don’t get any better, Stephen. We’re pregnant, we’ve both decided not to change that. You have to accept it. Tell the bloody team and get your head straightened out!”
* * *
Barton’s office was about a mile from the station. He had the top floor of a new block. The place was busy. He employed a number of staff. Barton’s business certainly gave the impression of being above board.
“That unregistered mobile, you have the number?” Greco asked Grace as they got out of the lift.
“Added to my contacts, why?”
“I’ll give you the nod and you ring it. It’s taking a chance, but he might have the thing on him.”
Complete Detective Stephen Greco Box Set Page 66