Just Kill Them

by Michael Leese

  “There isn’t a chance that you’ll be walking out of here tonight. We may be able to do a deal, we may even agree the terms of a deal, but we’ll need to see results first before you go waltzing off.”

  Savage tried to look as though he was offended by this, but couldn't hide the faintest trace of a smile. “Where would you like me to start?”

  Without looking at his boss, Roper stepped in. “The beginning will be just fine,” he said as he and Brooker prepared to start taking notes.

  Savage stared down at the ground for almost a minute – but the three detectives were determined to wait. Eventually he took a breath, placed his hands on the table, and began.

  “I’m guessing that by now you probably know about how we got started. A couple of years after we left school, I was approached by a man who had connections to Emily’s father. He said Emily’s dad wanted to set up a business which would involve all three of us. He said the girls were vital as they would create the right image for Diamonds and Pearls. He had a simple business plan which meant we had to hand over forty per cent of the profits, not turnover, so it seemed like a great deal. If I’m honest, I didn’t think too hard. It was a great offer.”

  He stopped, puffing out his checks and tugging his ear. Hooley knew they were heading for the real stuff.

  Savage carried on. “At first, things went well, and I was sure we were onto a winner. But I was wrong. The intermediary came back and, this time, it was no longer all smiles and nice words. He was quite insistent that a new deal was needed. I didn’t like his tone, but back then I was still under the impression that he could be negotiated with. I twice told him no, but he came back. This time he claimed he was offering £10 million for just ten per cent of the company.

  “I was played like a piano,” Savage said. “They knew which notes to strike. I got it into my head that I could make a lot more money than they were offering.” He paused again. This time he had gone pale and there was a thin sheen of sweat on his face.

  Hooley sensed this was the moment to remind him what was at stake. “I can see this is hard for you, but you need to explain why you have been a victim in this.”

  Savage sniffed loudly before continuing. “I was told I needed to meet the money man at a flat near Harrods, that it was all a done deal with just a few loose ends to tie up. But I turned up and it went wrong, very badly wrong. The moment the front door shut; I was grabbed. All I can remember was being in this hallway and two men jumping me. One had my arms. The other punched me in the stomach. They dragged me into a back room. I don't really know how many people were there. I got the impression about half a dozen, but one man was clearly in charge.”

  “Who was he?” asked Roper “Had you seen him before?”

  Savage shrugged. “I’d never met him. He was huge, far taller than me and I’m six feet one inch. The other thing which stood out were his shoulders. They were massive, really broad. I had this ridiculous thought that he must have struggled to get clothes that fitted him. And… he just started punching me in the body. I've never been hit so hard in my life. Afterwards, I couldn't help wondering if he’d been a boxer. I put his age at about forty, but he could have been younger.” Savage looked between them. At last, his words were frothing out. “The beating seemed to go on for ages. I don't really know how long. The only reason I didn't fall over was because I was being held up by either arm. When they let me go, I collapsed.”

  He turned his head away, clearly wanting to stop talking. Roper leaned forward, “You need to tell us everything.”

  Savage’s reply was a whisper. “I soiled myself. It was incredibly humiliating, but I was terrified. They told me to go and wash. I used a downstairs shower, rinsing out my trousers. My clothes were wet – but at least they were clean. By now I was desperate to get away, but the big man laughed at me and told me they were just getting started. I had one chance, and one chance only. I had to agree to do whatever they said – and then they would give me a week to prove myself. If I failed, they would kill me.”

  He looked down again, this time looking as though telling the story was hurting him.

  Brooker stepped in to keep him going. “What happened next?”

  “They told me they’d be sending a money man to make sure I understood what needed to happen. Basically, they were going to launder a lot of cash through our accounts. My job was to find a way of hiding it. I could barely take it in. I was just desperate to get out of there.”

  “Why did they attack you in front of your sister and Susie Wong? Why did they do that if they’d already broken you?” Brooker was giving him her most intense scrutiny.

  “That was the big man again. He said it was a good reminder to me what might happen, and it would let the women know what they were up against. I think he’s the type of man who likes hurting people. He told me what he was going to do and warned me to co-operate.”

  At this point Hooley made his break, standing up and saying he would be back shortly. He was pleased to get out; there was something irritating about the way Savage was telling the story.

  The DCI thought he probably was telling the truth, but he was making the most of it to make sure he looked like a victim. For the next forty-five minutes, he watched from the observation room as the other two took down a lot of details about how the money laundering was done.

  Finally, it looked like Savage was running out of steam, so Hooley walked back in. Five minutes later it was over. “That’s it, that’s everything I have – at least everything I can think of.”

  He gave them a broad smile while trying to look as open and honest as possible.

  Hooley returned the smile with one of his own.

  “I have one question for you.”

  Savage looked expectant.

  “Do you think all policemen are idiots? Or is it just the three of us?”

  Savage’s reaction was almost comical. His mouth opened and his jaw dropped. He tried to speak but could only stammer, “I, I, I, I…”

  Hooley wasn’t going to let him settle. “That was all terribly sad about you getting beaten up. We all really felt for you. And I do believe what you said, every word. You were obviously scared out of your mind… except you weren’t.”

  Savage started looking desperate, but the DCI kept rolling.

  “We have a credible eyewitness that tells us you and your Mr. Big were best friends. Now why would you tell us he was torturing you? Well I’ve got the answer. You’re trying the old three card trick on us. You want us to concentrate on what you’re doing with your right hand, so we don’t notice what’s going on with your left. If you’re going to all this trouble then that tells me, that whatever you’re hiding is the most important thing of all. So,” he went on, “here’s what’s going to happen. While we leave you to have a little break, I want you to do some serious thinking. When we get back, you need to share those thoughts with us. If you don’t, there is no chance of a deal at all.”

  Hooley led his fellow detectives into the observation room where they studied a clearly shocked Mark Savage. The DCI said, “I had the strongest sense that he was holding something big back. What did you make of it, Jonathan?”

  “You beat me to it. He was telling the truth but only to try and stop us asking questions.”

  “Good, that’s good,” said Hooley. “I would have hated to misread that. I think we’re edging closer to the truth.”

  Chapter 43

  Healy pressed her fingers against her face. Somehow, she could feel no injuries. How this had happened, she had no idea. She could have sworn she felt something slicing into her face.

  In the harsh neon light, she looked at the man she thought had attacked her. His eyes were glittering, and he had a mocking smile – but all he held up was a dessert spoon.

  How could this be? she wondered. She had been attacked with what felt like a blade. It was so bizarre she could feel a sense of hysteria building.

  Then Street appeared, looking smug. “Did you forget everything I e
ver told you about the power of the mind? How, if you set things up properly, you can make people believe anything? You thought my man was going to wound you… your brain did the rest.”

  She was filled with an intense fury, thrashing against her restraints as she tried to lunge at her former lover. The straps bit into the flesh around her shoulders. She started to bleed, ironically causing the sort of damage she’d been imagining.

  Healy fell back onto the cot, all her energies spent. The day was taking a brutal toll.

  “You need to calm down, Mary Lou. You’re not helping yourself with all this thrashing around. You need to do what you do best – think. Because, if this carries on for much longer, you will get hurt – and this time for real.”

  He leaned forward and patted her on the cheek, at the spot where she thought she had been cut.

  “If you’re mad enough to try and hold out, this will get deeply unpleasant – and you really will end up with damage that will spoil your looks. Now, why would you want that? At the end of the day, Mary Lou, you’re going to talk, so just get it over with. That little demonstration just then should really help you along. All you have to do is tell me the truth. You could choose not to co-operate, but, as I said, that would be pointless.”

  As he spoke, she felt her resolve melting. She tried to zone him out, but he was getting through; she knew she would work with him. Even though it was her only option, she felt awful. Even now, she couldn’t escape the sense that she was betraying everyone.

  Somehow, he seemed to read her mind. “You’re probably feeling bad right now because you’ve made the right decision. If it’s any consolation, you’ll eventually realise it was your only sane choice. Personally, I’m already feeling a lot better, knowing that we won’t have to hurt you. I won’t lie, I was willing to take this as far as necessary, so it’s a real bonus this won’t get all messy and you can live to fight another day.”

  Mary Lou Healy seriously doubted she was coming out of this alive, but his terrifying demonstration had broken her will to resist. She also knew that this was her only chance to find out what was compelling him to go to this much trouble.

  By the end of their relationship, she had learned one thing about Street: he never got involved in anything unless he had a direct personal stake in it. Even quite major company business was effectively ignored if it was deemed to be just part of a process.

  She lay back on her cot, staring up at the ceiling. “You win,” she uttered. “Ask me what you want to know, and I’ll do my best to answer.” She summoned up what strength she still had inside her and finally added, “I do, however, have two requests.”

  Street showed no reaction. “State your wishes. If it’s in my power, I shall grant them.”

  This comment was topped off with another of those irritating little smirks that she wished she could wipe off his face. She kept that thought to herself, something to savour on her own.

  “I really need a drink. Water will do. Especially if you want me to do a lot of talking. Whatever your man gave me has left me feeling dehydrated. The other thing is… could you release me from these constraints, or at least loosen them?”

  “I knew you’d see sense,” Street replied. “I have some water right outside. And yes, we can release you now. It was always overkill – because you ain’t getting out of this room unless I say so. Do remember, though: if you mess up, you get tied up again.”

  They left her sitting on the bed with two half-litre bottles of water for company and the promise that they would be back in ten minutes. Unable to hold back, she drank the first bottle in one, barely pausing as she swallowed it. The second bottle, she saved.

  Leaning against the wall, she closed her eyes; she felt sure she was getting a migraine, something she hadn’t had for a while.

  Moments later, she was shaken awake.

  “Sorry to disturb you, my dear, but I’m ready to ask you those questions now. So, let’s be sharp.” Street came into focus, hanging above her, evil personified. “My first question is: how did you find the connection to me? I have my own thoughts on this so it will be interesting to hear what you have to say.”

  Healy sighed, “I used the security people that John recommended. He spoke highly of them and said their discretion was guaranteed. I gave them permission to access everywhere, including my personal files.

  “They came back with details about when my private diary was accessed. I don’t use it for work. It’s there as a confidential back-up to anything we need to be really discreet about, but my guess is that you had a long, hard look at it. That was where you made a rare mistake. You opened it at a time when I was out of the office, taking Miss Kitty to the vet. She’d been injured in a cat fight and needed urgent attention. It happened so suddenly that I never logged out of the main system – so you must have thought I was in the office. Well, as soon as I saw the diary had been opened, I knew it had to be you. The incident with Miss Kitty is still fresh in my mind… so I didn’t even have to check to know that that was a day I spent most of the morning at the vets.”

  Street was still staring at her, his eyes fixed upon hers.

  Somehow, Healy found the strength to go on. “I had the strongest sense you’d somehow accessed my diary. Then, after the three incidents, I recalled something. When we met for the first time, I found you messing around with my laptop. Do you remember?”

  He nodded. “I most certainly do. I made up something about wanting to check the news. I wondered at the time if you would see through it, but you seemed to accept my explanation.”

  “I didn’t want to not believe you. It was only when it came back to me that I realised it was a silly excuse. I presume you used some sort of software that allowed you to access my personal files?”

  He bowed his head like an actor accepting an accolade. “Quite a clever bit of software actually. It hid itself away, only coming to life when you went into your personal areas. Then it taught itself what you were doing and piggybacked off your wi-fi to make a report.”

  She nodded, as if that explained a puzzle. “The other reason I knew it had to be you was because you read the details about John Ryder, when he was coming over, where he was staying and his appearance in Greenwich. But… if you don’t mind me asking, how did you know to look in my files for those details? I’m part of the UK team. I don’t have any involvement in his office set-up. It’s run from the States.”

  “That was a bit of luck, mixed with brains. I like to keep a close watch on my rivals and often used to marvel at the way Ryder was always able to turn up in places where he wasn’t expected. It struck me that he had to be having help with that. So I thought about it from his perspective. I asked myself who Ryder would trust with his personal secrets and the answer came back that it was you. After that, it was just about getting close enough to check.”

  With a sinking sensation, Healy realised the implications of what he was saying.

  “You targeted me because you suspected I was the way to get to him. You were never interested in me at all.”

  He shrugged. “You’re pretty enough, so it was no hardship. Now, while we’re being frank… Did he use you because you slept with him?”

  She knew this was a far more loaded question than he was making out with his relaxed demeanour. She had already discovered he was insanely – and she used the word advisedly – jealous of Ryder. In fact, he was obsessed with everything about him.

  “It was strictly business,” she said. “He’s not the sort of man to take advantage of his staff. As you surmised, he couldn’t just fly around without some planning. I used to book hotels and the like, under a false name, for the dates he wanted.”

  He pulled a face that suggested he wasn’t convinced – but all she could do was tell him the truth.

  Before Street could go on, the huge man turned up again with a bag full of convenience store sandwiches, more water and three large coffees.

  “We’ll take another break now,” said Street, “and leave you in pe
ace for a little while. My advice is to get some sleep – because the next thing you’re going to do is star in a little online movie. Well, we want you looking your best, don’t we, Mary Lou? You’ll be delivering an important message. It might just be the most important message of your life…”

  Chapter 44

  Hooley checked the time again. They’d left Mark Savage to his thoughts for the best part of an hour – and, observing him through the CCTV cameras, they could see that he’d spent most of that time with his eyes shut. He was worried at how quickly time was flashing by. It had been hours since Hooley and Brooker had come back from Chelsea Harbour, but it felt like just a short time ago.

  “Is he as relaxed as he looks?” Roper interrupted his thoughts. “Or is he actually tired?”

  Hooley himself wasn’t sure. “I think he’s ready to talk sense. He’s lost that swagger. He’s gone very still. I think we can get back in there and find out what he’s not telling us.”

  He looked at the other two. Though they looked bright and cheerful, ready to go on for hours, Hooley didn’t need a mirror to know he wasn’t looking the same. He tried to imagine his heart fighting his tiredness, or what Dr Turner might have said at seeing him standing here. Maybe it was time to call it a day. And yet…

  “He’s going to want reassurance. We need to offer to look after him.”

  He’d give it another go. If Savage wasn’t cooperating, he’d call it for the night and insist they all grab some rest before a 6am start.

  It turned out he wasn’t the only one thinking along those lines. “You look knackered,” said Roper. As usual, he made no attempt to play things down. He simply said it as he saw it.

  “Thanks for telling me what I already know,” muttered Hooley. “We’ll have one more go at him tonight. If he’s talking, we’ll get everything out of him. But, if he still wants to play silly buggers, he can have the night to reflect on the error of his ways.”