by Lee Wood
The outside of the church was festooned with floral tributes and poster-size photos erected on stands left by relatives and friends.
It was a lavish emotional send-off. And obvious that absolutely no expense had been spared.
Over sixty police officers had been drafted in to keep control and DI Eden Gold and DS Tracy Archer joined the mourners in their capacity of keeping track of Sadie, but also to see if Tyson made an appearance. She would be allowed to attend the church service and burial but not the wake that would follow.
According to an article in the Trentbridge Times newspaper, an insider had revealed the flowers alone had cost over £50,000 and the total for the funeral had been ‘just short of half a million pounds’.
It quoted the chief undertaker, who didn’t want to be named but said, ‘I’ve organised quite a few large funerals in my time, but nothing on this scale.’
The article went on to say that the police had called on pubs and local businesses to warn them to shut early.
The travellers had planned a celebration of Lennox’s life into the early hours of the morning at a secret location.
The newspaper also mentioned the large amount of trouble and damage caused at the wake. Four people were arrested but later released without charge.
A special Facebook page paying tribute to Lennox O’Connor had been set up where over two hundred messages had been posted.
Following the article, the online edition the newspaper received a large number of comments:
I don’t think you can blame anyone for disliking gypsies – It’s childish to compare them to any other racial group. They are just criminals who hide behind the law when it suits, hate all the gorgeas [non gypsies, who they consider fair game for criminality and violence], and break the law when it suits them – which is all the time. I expect Mother Teresa would have hated the gypsies and wished a plague on them. If they had lived next door to her they would have nicked her shrubs and pooped in her garden. Not so much a different race of humans – more a different species through persistent interbreeding from a thankfully very small gene pool.
But of all the comments in the newspaper the one that got the most response was the one that simply said:
‘Truly a great loss for the UK.’
45
The Farm
“Hello, Kevin. It’s Vinny. Just calling in with news on our friend. It looks like another day of following his daily routine.”
“Okay. Listen, Vinny. I’m going to call Davy at the farm and get him to check over the box. When we take our friend for a ride. You stay where you are until midnight. I need to make sure we don’t lose that bastard. Then go home and get some rest and meet us at the farm at six.”
“Sure, Kevin.”
Kevin dialled a number on his mobile. “Davy. I’ve got a special job. Some rubbish I need to dispose of.”
Davy knew exactly what Kevin meant. “No problem, Kevin. Just tell me where and when.”
“Check over the horsebox and be ready to be on the move tomorrow. Make sure it’s filled with diesel and check the tyres and lights. We don’t want to get stopped because something’s not working. I need it all to be ready to go for early tomorrow. Vinny and I will be at the farm at six.”
“You can rely on me, Kevin.”
Situated just outside of town on the Stonebridge Road and set back behind a row of trees was Grainger’s Farm. A small property of six acres that Kevin O’Connor had bought nine years earlier, although he used an Irish cousin’s name on all the paperwork. The property looked run down, but deceptively, one of the barns had been restored and made extremely secure. In the early years, it was used as a place to hide stolen vehicles until they could be moved on or cut up for spares. Since then its main purpose had been to store drugs. The farm was situated about a mile downstream from Kevin’s house and on the opposite bank of the river. It was the place where Kevin had held Roger’s parents, and his mother’s body was in a shallow grave, awaiting its final journey to a plot in the middle of a field that held a lot of other secrets that had been ‘stored there’ over the years.
Vinny and Davy were both distant cousins of Kevin. He had given each of them a home when they had needed one after being released from prison for petty crimes. Vinny lived in a caravan on the Two Oaks Caravan Park. Davy lived at the farm and looked after the three dogs that were kept as a deterrent for unwelcome visitors. Both men also did odd jobs for Kevin and helped out with his dodgy deals. They also kept an eye on the slave workers that Kevin used who were kept in locked sheds at the back of Kevin’s property.
It was 5.50 a.m., as Kevin drove into the courtyard at the farm. He still had his left leg in plaster, and luckily his car was an automatic. He was pleased to see Vinny and Davy already there. As usual, Davy had a roll-up hanging from the corner of his mouth. Vinny was sipping tea from a mug. Kevin knew it might contain a small drop of whiskey but not enough to be over the limit for driving.
After a few words to explain what they were doing, they all got into the vehicle Davy had prepared and set off.
Thirty minutes later, Vinny pulled up at the gates to JM Equestrian Centre and got out and went over to the gates and using large bolt cutters, he broke the chain attached to the lock and threw it into a nearby hedge. Then he got back into the vehicle and drove along the path towards the main building.
Roger had moved the folding bed from the container to inside the main building and into one of the offices.
He was awoken by the sound of an approaching vehicle.
When he looked out of the window, he saw a horsebox coming up to the front of the building and stopping. A man got out and looked around as if he was lost.
Roger walked out, looking a little suspicious. “Can I help you?”
“Hello, I’ve just moved to the area, and I saw the sign for the equestrian centre and stables, and I’m looking for somewhere to keep my daughter’s horse.”
“How did you get through the gates? We’re not open for business.”
“They were open. I just drove in.”
Roger thought for a second. He was certain he had locked the gates, but maybe he was mistaken, with everything that was going on. “No, I’m sorry. We’re not open and can’t take in any horses.”
“Okay, I’ll find somewhere else. The back doors of the horsebox have come loose and it takes two people to fix it. I don’t want to drive around with it like that. Would you mind giving me a quick hand?”
“Yes, of course, no problem.”
Roger thought it strange. The horsebox looked almost new. He recognised it as an Oakley Super Sport horsebox. He had looked at buying one for Julie but thought before he bought one he would let her choose the colour. He knew it had two stalls and all the latest gadgets.
Before Roger had moved, Vinny quickly walked round to the back of the horsebox and opened the two doors. As Roger walked round and looked inside, he caught a glimpse of Kevin sitting on a chair. He noticed the Taser aimed at him, but it was too late.
“Two can play at your game,” Kevin said as he aimed and fired.
“Quick, tie him up and get him in the back,” Kevin said as he carefully climbed down with the aid of his crutches.
Vinny drove the horsebox up to the front gates and stopped. Davy, who had been previously crouching down to hide in the well of the passenger seat, got out, and after the vehicle had driven through, closed the gates and locked them with the new padlock, they had brought with them.
46
No Escape
Roger awoke to find himself with his legs tied and handcuffed round a horizontal metal bar. The horse stall he was in had a door with what appeared to be two-thirds solid made and the top section of metal bars. As he looked up, he could see a camera trained on him, obviously being fed to the dashboard and used to keep an eye of the horses when they were being transported.
An hour and a half later, he felt the vehicle stop and then heard the warning beep as it slowly reversed and came to a halt.
>
Roger felt the rays of light emersing him as the back doors opened and then the metal door to the stall was opened to reveal three men.
“We’re going to take you for a little ride. I hope you’re a good swimmer.”
Vinny opened the metal door of the other stall. Roger watched as the men took out its various contents. First was a wheelchair. Followed by a blanket, two plastic boxes slightly larger than shoe boxes, a large metal jerry can and two bags of cement.
Vinny got in and undid the handcuffs, and together with Davy they lifted Roger out of the stall and placed him in the wheelchair and then handcuffed him to one of the arms.
Roger could see they were in the car park of a marina.
“You’ll keep quiet if you know what’s good for you,” said Kevin.
Davy walked in front with Vinny pushing the wheelchair and Kevin hobbling along behind as they made their way along the walkway past a row of boats.
Suddenly they stopped by a boat called Voodoo Child. Roger knew enough about them to recognise it as a 44-foot long Sealine SC 44 cruiser with room for up to seven people.
Vinny and Davy grabbed the wheelchair, one on each side and carried it across onto the deck. Kevin hobbled down with the aid of his crutches.
Kevin went through to the cockpit and started the engine. Davy got off and untied the vessel from its moorings, and the boat moved as Kevin gently reversed it from the dock.
Once they were into clear water, Kevin changed the thrusters from reverse, and the boat moved graciously forward.
Roger could feel the power of the twin Volvo diesel engines surging through the water. It was a lot quieter than Roger expected, but he thought that might be Kevin not driving at full speed.
They had been at sea for around forty-five minutes when Kevin cut the engines and came back to the open deck.
“We’ve got some cargo to collect and then we’ll be dumping some cargo – you!”
Kevin picked up a large phone. Roger noticed some writing on it. ‘Iridium GO 9560 Satellite’
Kevin dialled a number and after a few seconds, Roger heard him say, “How’s it going? Yeah, fine. All ready. Usual co-ordinates.”
Fifteen minutes later, what looked like a fishing trawler came into view and made its way over to the boat.
Kevin could see two men on board and once both vessels were close, a small boat made its way over from the trawler with one man on board and unloaded ten boxes onto Kevin’s boat. Kevin handed over a briefcase and the men shook hands and the boat made its way back to the trawler.
Kevin laughed. “That’s the cash you left when we did the exchange. You just paid for my latest shipment.”
Vinny and Davy took the boxes below deck.
“Thanks to you, I’m going to make a tidy little profit. But back to the business at hand.”
“Now, you bastard, where’s Tyson’s body. What have you done with it?”
“I’m sorry he died but it was an accident. He escaped and knocked me unconscious and then fell into the swimming pool, as I explained to you. I’ve put his body in the kitchen freezer at the place where you picked me up. You’ll find him there.”
“Yeah. I better had find him there.”
“Okay, boys. Hold our guest for me.”
Vinny and Davy held Roger’s arms.
Kevin stood directly in front of Roger.
“This is for Tyson,” he said and directed a hard punch at Roger’s face. As his fist made contact, so did the large ring on the middle finger of his right hand and scraped across, breaking the skin as it went. Blood poured from inside Roger’s mouth.
Kevin swung again. And again. After several more blows, Roger lost consciousness.
Twenty minutes later, he was woken abruptly as he felt water being thrown in his face.
“Rise and shine, you fucker.”
As he regained his senses, Roger could feel something around both his feet. He looked down as best he could with the swelling to his face. His sight was a little fuzzy.
He could see the two plastic boxes he’d noticed earlier were round his feet and had been filled with concrete.
“We decided to treat you to some new shoes. This fast-setting concrete mix only takes ten minutes to set. The wonders of modern science.” Kevin laughed.
Vinny reached down and pulled off the plastic boxes as he lifted each of Roger’s feet up one by one. Then Vinny and Davy carried him to the edge of the platform at the rear of the boat. Roger could see his back was three inches from the edge.
As he looked round, he assessed the situation. Thoughts rushing through his mind.
Things are not looking good. He’s finally got me trapped. I’m on his boat with my feet wearing a pair of shoes made of concrete. Each block must weigh at least 40kg. My wrists are handcuffed in front of me, and this is real life, not a movie, so I don’t have a paperclip handy to undo the locks and save the day. Not that I’d know how to do it, even if I had one. We must be at least ten miles out to sea. So there’s little chance of the cavalry charging over the hill at the last moment. His two goons have dragged me to within a couple of inches of the edge of the platform on the rear of the boat. My back is to the ocean. All it will take is one push, and I’ll be in the water and going down fast. This is it. I never thought it would end like this.
47
The Send Off
“Okay Vinny, I think it’s time for our guest to leave us. Let’s give him a good send off,” said Kevin.
As Vinny moved forward to carry out the command, Roger looked at Kevin.
“What, getting your minions to do your dirty work? Not man enough to do it yourself? Losing your bottle in your old age?”
“I ain’t scared. You’re not the first person I’ve killed, and you won’t be the last.”
Kevin pointed his finger at Roger. “The next two will be your father and ex-wife. I’ve got a special treat in store for them.”
Roger bellowed at Kevin. “I lied! It wasn’t an accident. I killed Tyson. Looked him right in the eyes when I finished him. Why don’t you come and look me right in the eyes and do it yourself.”
Kevin’s face grew red with anger. “You’ve been dead lucky to stay alive until now. But your luck just deserted you. Now all you’re going to be is fucking dead.”
Kevin held up his fists in rage as he hobbled over, leaving his crutches behind, and stood inches from Roger’s face.
Normally, Roger was two inches taller than Kevin, but in the concrete shoes the gap was more like five.
“This is for Tyson,” Kevin said and raised his arms to push Roger backwards into the water.
As Kevin reached out to push him, Roger swung his handcuffed arms as high in the air as he could and brought them down over Kevin’s head and gripped them around his waist and pulled Kevin into the water with him.
The move took Kevin completely by surprise. Normally he might have been able to get out of the way, but with the plaster cast slowing him down, he wasn’t able to respond in time. Roger knew what was coming and had time to take a deep breath, but Kevin had been caught totally off guard.
The concrete shoes and Roger’s tight grip on Kevin ensured they plummeted as Kevin desperately tried to break free, but Roger’s grip was so tight he could barely move. He tried to headbutt Roger and kick out, but he was restricted by the plaster cast. Roger knew he had to hold on whatever happened. He was going to drown, and he was determined to take Kevin with him. If he didn’t, his father and ex-wife would both be dead within a week.
As the two men descended below the waves into the freezing water, Kevin tried every trick he could think of to escape but whatever he did, Roger continued his vice-like grip.
Kevin’s two helpers were shining their torches into the water but couldn’t see anything.
“Are you going in after them?” asked Davy.
“Not fucking likely.”
Just then they spotted a large boat nearing on them. It was closer than they realised as their concentration had been
elsewhere. It was the coastguard, and they didn’t have time to dump the six kilos of heroin and the cartons filled with 100,000 bags of monkey dust they had below deck.
Without Kevin to show them what to do, both men were lost. As members of the coastguard were on board, how would they explain the two plastic boxes with powdery remnants and the two sacks of cement?
It seemed likely they would be spending quite a few years behind bars, but perhaps it was a better choice than the watery grave that awaited their boss.
It had been over a minute and without the sharp intake of breath, Kevin’s lungs were about to give out. With all of the blows and struggling he had received, Roger was also coming to the end of his breath but still managing to hold on as Kevin tried to breathe in but couldn’t, and slowly his body went limp.
Roger was aware Kevin might be faking, hoping Roger would loosen his grip. He couldn’t allow that to happen so would continue to fight for every second, for every inch they descended. He knew he only had seconds to live, but the deeper they fell, the less chance Kevin would have to make it back to the surface.
The water was getting darker on every side as the two figures descended. It must have been nearly two minutes and the darkness was encasing them. Roger knew it was too late for either of them. Kevin’s body was now still and become a dead weight. They were past the point of no return. There was no chance either could possibly make it back to the surface alive.