DEAD UNLUCKY: A Joe Box Story

by Jim Reeves

  ‘Reported what?’

  ‘The door. I’ve been away for a few days. Somebody broke the lock.’

  The two policemen looked back at the door then looked at each other.

  ‘Why didn’t you report it?’ asked Austin.

  ‘What chance is there of catching the culprit?’

  ‘Did they take anything?’ Austin asked.

  ‘Don’t think so,’ Joe shook his head and looked around the sparsely furnished room. ‘There’s not much to take.’

  ‘Did anybody else in the building have any trouble?’

  ‘Not as far as I know,’ Joe said.

  ‘Always worth reporting things,’ Austin said. ‘Lets us know what’s going on in the area, if nothing else.’

  ‘Did the building maintenance people report it?’ asked Joe.

  ‘We’re not here about your lock,’ Austin told him.

  ‘Oh,’ Joe feigned surprise. ‘Well would you like to sit down? Can I get you a coffee?’

  The two men sat on the settee. ‘We’ll pass on the coffee,’ Austin said. ‘But thank you.’

  Joe sat facing them. Prior, the younger and better dressed of the two took out a notebook. Joe could have used a drink. His mouth was suddenly very dry. He was very aware of Bishop’s briefcase, the eight thousand pounds cash, the Webley gun, the whisky glass and two wallets all lying in full view just a few feet above them on the floor of the gallery. What a lot of explaining that would take. He would probably end up facing a murder charge for sure if they saw the stuff. He tried not to think about it.

  ‘What’s it about?’ asked Joe, trying to steady his voice. Clasping his hands together to hide the slight tremor.

  ‘George Bishop,’ Austin said. He waited for a reaction from Joe. Joe stared blankly back at him.

  ‘Local nightclub owner. You might have heard the news of his death,’ Austin said.

  ‘I saw the report on television last night,’ nodded Joe.

  ‘I understand you knew him.’

  How could he know that? Surely not Fish? But who else? No point in lying. Austin obviously knew something. ‘We met briefly,’ nodded Joe. ‘A few days ago.’

  ‘Can I ask what your meeting was about?’

  Joe thought about it and decided to tell the full story about Maggie Dancer giving him the job of finding the cat. How he had followed a cat into the Fat Katz Club. How he was offered the job of delivering a package to Salzburg.

  Austin and Prior listened. Prior made one or two notes along the way.

  ‘You trying to put us out of a job, looking for the cat?’ smiled Austin when Joe had finished.

  ‘Not much chance of that,’ Joe said. He relaxed a little. The story had sounded believable. If Austin checked with Maggie Dancer, she would confirm that he was doing a job for her.

  ‘What happened to the cat?’

  ‘Wrong cat,’ Joe lied. He hoped the distaste didn’t show on his face.

  ‘Why did you take the job of delivering the package?’ asked Austin.

  ‘It was good money,’ Joe told him. ‘I’m out of work at the moment.’

  ‘What about Maggie Dancer?’

  ‘Didn’t work out. I’m still looking around.’

  ‘Do you know what was in the package?’

  ‘He didn’t say,’ Joe said.

  ‘Didn’t you think to ask?’

  ‘Yes, I did. He said it was confidential stuff so I didn’t push it.’

  Austin stared at Joe thoughtfully for a few seconds. His eyes burrowed right through him. Assessing him. Dissecting him. Deciding if he was telling the truth. Wondering what he really did know.

  Joe stared back trying to look impassive, although impassive was the last thing he felt.

  ‘Why was Vince Kent looking for you?’ asked Austin.

  ‘Vince Kent?’

  ‘Bishop’s bouncer.’

  ‘Was he?’ Joe thought for a moment. Was there any reason why he should know that Vince was after him? He decided not.

  ‘Apparently,’ Austin said.

  ‘I was late getting back,’ Joe said. ‘Maybe he was worried about me.’

  ‘You think he was the worrying kind?’

  ‘Sounds like it.’

  ‘Why were you late getting back?’ asked Prior.

  Joe was surprised to hear him suddenly speak. Was this going to be a two pronged approach now? Good cop, bad cop maybe.

  ‘I met a lady on the plane. We got talking. I told her it was my first visit to Austria and she offered to show me around. So I stayed over a couple of days.’

  ‘In Salzburg?’ asked Austin.

  ‘No, we travelled to a place called Eichl. She lives there.’

  ‘Bit of a ladies man are you?’ asked Austin.

  ‘Not so you’d notice’ Joe shook his head.

  ‘But you met this woman for a couple of hours on the plane then spent the next two nights at her place? I’d say that was pretty good going.’

  DC Prior smirked knowingly, as he made notes.

  ‘You say something?’ asked Joe, looking sharply at Prior.

  ‘Just making notes,’ said Prior, innocently.

  ‘Lose the smirk,’ advised Joe, ‘you might get yourself a serious smacking one of these days.’

  Prior bristled and glared at Joe but didn’t say anything.

  ‘You a college boy fast tracking your way to the top?’ Joe asked.

  Prior reddened but didn’t answer.

  Joe looked at Austin. ‘Some things, they don’t teach in college.’

  Austin held up a restraining hand. ‘Can we just get on with this? What happened to the package?’

  ‘I handed it to some bloke at Salzburg airport.’

  ‘Do you know his name?’

  Joe shook his head. ‘We didn’t do much talking. My German’s not too hot.’

  ‘But he took the package?’ Austin said.

  ‘He was expecting me,’ nodded Joe.

  ‘Then you stayed two nights in Eichl?’

  ‘That’s right.’

  ‘What was the lady’s name?’

  ‘Betine.’

  ‘Betine what?’ asked Austin.

  Joe thought for a moment. ‘I don’t remember. She may have said but I don’t recall.’

  ‘How do you spell Betine?’ Prior asked.

  ‘You’re the college boy,’ Joe said drily. ‘You tell me.’

  Prior scowled at Joe as he wrote something down.

  ‘Do you have an address or phone number?’ Austin asked.

  Joe shook his head. ‘We got off the bus in Eichl and walked to her place. We crossed a bridge over a river and walked up a hill past a hospital. It was dark by then. She lived in an apartment block. I could find it again but I don’t know the address.’

  ‘Not planning to keep in touch?’ Austin asked.

  ‘No,’ Joe shook his head.

  ‘We might want to speak to her to check out your story,’ Austin said.

  ‘Why would you want to check out my story?’ Joe asked.

  ‘So we know where you were for the last few days.’

  ‘Is that necessary?’

  ‘Tying up loose ends,’ Austin said.

  ‘I flew back to Stansted on Tuesday morning,’ Joe said.

  ‘We think Bishop died early Wednesday morning,’ Austin told him.

  ‘They said that in the news report,’ Joe nodded. He hoped his face was expressionless as Austin and Prior scrutinized him.

  ‘How did you get home from Stansted?’

  ‘Friend of mine picked me up.’ He thought about saying he had used the train but if they asked him about train times they would soon know he was lying. He would have preferred to keep Fish out of it, but decided to stick to the truth as far as possible.

  ‘Can we have his name please?’

  ‘Reginald Fish,’ Joe said. He gave Fish’s address. He would have to speak to Fish before Austin got to him, otherwise he might fall apart.

  ‘What time did you get home?’
/>   ‘Mid-afternoon,’ Joe said. Not quite true but how could they know any different?

  Prior made a note.

  ‘And you found your front door lock broken?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Two days ago? Did you report it?’

  ‘Not right away. I was tired.’

  ‘Weren’t you worried about somebody breaking in again?’

  ‘I wedged the door closed with a chair. I didn’t go out. Just caught up on some sleep. I reported the lock to the maintenance people yesterday.’

  Austin went into deep thought again. Considering the answers. Deciding if they prompted any further questions.

  ‘Can you account for your time from Tuesday evening through until Wednesday morning?’ asked Austin.

  ‘Do I have to?’ Joe asked.

  ‘It would help eliminate you,’ nodded Austin.

  Shit, Joe thought. He knew that he could say he had been with Sally all night. She would back him up but he didn’t want to involve her.

  ‘I was with a friend,’ Joe said.

  ‘All night?’

  Joe nodded.

  ‘Does your friend have a name?’ asked Austin.

  ‘I’d prefer not to involve her unless I really have to.’

  ‘Married lady?’ asked Austin raising his eyebrows.

  Joe shook his head, ‘No, but she likes her privacy.’ He shot a glance at Prior. His face was expressionless.

  ‘We’re probably going to need to speak to her,’ Austin told him apologetically.

  Joe thought it through. There was no other way. ‘Sally Beaumont,’ he said quietly. He gave them her address and Prior scribbled it in his notebook.

  ‘Do you own a gun?’ Austin suddenly asked. He stared at Joe. Looking for his reaction.

  Joe looked suitable taken aback. ‘A gun? No, I don’t.’ Not entirely true but he knew Austin wouldn’t be thinking of a .44 Magnum and he didn’t really own the Webley gun on the floor of the gallery. Not for much longer, anyway.

  ‘Vince Kent had a bullet in his leg. Came from a .45.’

  ‘I don’t know much about guns,’ Joe said, and that, at least, was true.

  Austin considered his answer and seemed satisfied. ‘We might want to get in touch with the lady in Eichl,’ he said.

  ‘Do you have to?’ asked Joe.

  ‘We’ll see,’ Austin said. ‘Do you have your flight details for the outgoing flight?’

  Joe thought for a moment. ‘I didn’t keep the paperwork. The flight was 6:30 on Sunday morning from Stansted.’

  ‘We can probably check with the airline,’ Austin said. ‘They must have a passenger list. Can’t be too many ladies called Betine. We should be able to find her if we need to.’ He thought for a moment. ‘Your flight was at 6:30?’

  ‘That’s right,’ Joe said.

  ‘But it was dark when you arrived at her apartment in Eichl? Is it far from Salzburg?’

  Joe hesitated. ‘We spent a few hours in Salzburg.’ It was a lie and he knew it sounded like one. The moment of hesitation had been the give-away. Fortunately, Austin didn’t pursue it. Austin and Prior exchanged glances and stood up as though by some pre-arranged signal.

  ‘Right. Thanks for your time Mister Box’ Austin said. He looked around the apartment. ‘Neat place you’ve got here.’ He looked up at the gallery. ‘You sleep up there?’

  ‘That’s right.’ Joe’s mouth suddenly felt like old parchment as he spoke.

  ‘Very compact,’ Austin nodded appraisingly.

  ‘Suits me,’ Joe said as they walked towards the door.

  Austin shook his hand as they parted. Prior just stared sullenly at him. Joe closed the door and leaned against it. His face felt like it was on fire. His mind was racing. His heart was thumping. It hadn’t gone well. Somewhere along the way, he had tripped over his own lies. What had brought them here in the first place? How much did they know? Not enough yet or he would already be on his way to clink. But how did they know Vince was on his trail? He was pretty sure they would be back.

  He telephoned Sally to warn her that she might get a call from the police. She didn’t sound too thrilled by the news but told him not to worry. She would confirm his story.

  His next priority had to be to get rid of the evidence. He shouldn’t panic though. Give them time to get well clear of his apartment. He suddenly wondered if he might be under surveillance. He went to the window and looked down at the street just in time to see Austin and Prior climbing into an unmarked car. They drove off almost immediately and turned left at the end of the street. Maybe he was being paranoid.

  Joe decided to risk a call to Fish. Betty answered the phone.

  ‘Hi Betty it’s Joe,’ he tried to sound cheerful. ‘Is Fish there?’

  ‘What have you two been up to?’ she asked. ‘He’s like a jackrabbit. Can’t sit still for five minutes.’

  ‘He’s probably worried about finding a job,’ Joe said. ‘Being out of work has hit him pretty hard. Can I have a word?’

  Betty didn’t answer. Joe heard muffled voices then Fish came on the line.

  ‘Joe?’

  ‘How’re you doing,’ asked Joe.

  ‘A bit on edge,’ admitted Fish.

  ‘No need to be,’ Joe told him. ‘I just had a visit from the law.’

  ‘What?’ Fish gasped.

  ‘No problem. It’s all sorted,’ Joe lied. He was more worried than Fish right then. ‘They’re just following things up.’

  ‘How did they get on to you?’

  ‘Bishop must have my name somewhere on his desk,’ suggested Joe, although he had checked pretty thoroughly and found nothing. ‘I told them I delivered a package to Salzburg for him. I said you picked me up from Stansted on Tuesday and dropped me off at home mid-afternoon.’

  ‘Why did you mention me?’

  ‘They asked how I got home. I wasn’t going to lie to them. They might come and see you. Just confirm my story then they’ll go away.’

  ‘I don’t like it.’

  ‘I’m not too keen myself,’ Joe admitted. ‘Just stick with the story. You’ve got no problem.’

  Joe ended the call with a promise to see Fish sometime the following day.

  There could be a problem if the police talked to Betine. He had told them he had stayed with her for two nights. She would probably say it was only one night. He had no way of contacting her except by travelling to Eichl. That wasn’t possible with the police breathing down his neck, so he would just have to sit tight and hope they didn’t follow up that line of enquiry.

  He decided to wait until late afternoon before taking a trip to lose the evidence. It would be dark then and the rush hour would be at full pelt. Hopefully he could get lost in the crowd. He would take a bus ride across Birmingham and dump the gun in a canal somewhere far away. Maybe he might just leave the case on the bus for somebody to find. He wasn’t sure if that was a good idea or not. Good if the finder decided to keep it. Not so good if they handed it in.

  He had to make a decision about the money. He was pretty sure the police would come back. If they did, and they searched the place, he would have a hard time explaining how he happened to have eight thousand pounds in cash lying around. If he said it was money he had saved, they would ask why it wasn’t in a bank. He would have no answer. He had a few hundred Euros left from the money he had taken from Otto Braun. Maybe he could explain that away, maybe not. Much as he hated the idea, he came to the conclusion that he would have to get rid of the cash.

  Chapter 42

  Joe hid the money under his mattress for the time being. Spread out so it wouldn’t create a bulge. Not very original but it was only for a day or so. He pulled on the rubber gloves and picked up the bin bag containing the briefcase and the bag containing the gun and the two wallets and let himself out of the flat. He made sure the door was locked although, as Vince had demonstrated, any idiot could kick it open if they wanted to.

  Outside he headed for Broad Street, intending to catch a bus int
o the heart of the city centre. It wasn’t too far and he would normally have walked at this time of day as traffic would be slow. However, he decided that it would be harder for somebody to follow him unnoticed if he was on a bus. He still wasn’t sure if he was under surveillance. He might be one of the last people to have had possible contact with Bishop. If he was desperate for leads, DS Austin might have detailed somebody to keep an eye on Joe.

  He took a seat at the very rear of the bus so that he could keep an eye on the other passengers. Three other people had got onto the bus with him. None of them had looked like the police but he was no expert. One of them, a young woman got off two stops later. He crossed her off the list.

  Joe took one of the wallets from the plastic bag and left it on the seat beside him. It was empty and thoroughly cleaned.

  When he jumped off the bus in Colmore Row near the churchyard, he noticed one of the other people who had joined the bus with him got off as well. A big guy. Maybe thirty years old. Anorak and jeans. Slight stubble. Could be, mused Joe as he headed across the churchyard. The big guy followed Joe, maybe ten yards behind him. He seemed to be watching Joe. When he reached the far side of the churchyard, Joe turned left towards Priory Circus. He wanted to catch a bus towards the east of the city. The big guy followed. Joe resisted the temptation to break into a run but increased his pace to a brisk walk. Every few seconds he glanced over his shoulder. His friend stayed with him, also hurrying.

  Joe reached the row of buses lined up in Priory Circus and scanned the numbers. He was trying to come up with a plan to lose his pursuer. He knew he couldn’t outrun him. The guy looked a lot fitter than he was. If he got on a bus, the man would follow. Maybe he should just lead the guy on a wild-goose chase around the city centre then go back home and postpone his plan to lose the evidence. He could walk right past the buses and be back amongst the crowded shops in a few minutes. That meant that he might still be holding the gun and the other stuff when the police came back to see him. Not a good idea. He stood to one side of the pavement, in front of a brightly lit store, thinking things through as crowds hurried past him by in both directions.