When I arrived at the Home Office, I was met by some hapless civil servant who told me that Catherine, the Home Secretary, had recently got a bee in her bonnet about the ‘Ring of Steel’. Seemingly, she passed through it on her morning commute to the Home Office and was invariably delayed. Never more than a few minutes, but that was enough. Then I was rushed through corridors and upstairs to her office for what I presumed was going to be some form of rebuke.
It started off that way. In the room with us was some sycophantic, flunky Junior Minister, and a secretary who was taking notes. She asked Nicholas, the Junior Minister, if he had anything he would rather be doing, as he didn’t need to stay unless he wanted. He was off like a longdog. Shortly after, she told Kathy, the secretary, that she had a frog in her throat, and would she mind fetching a cup of tea for her.
As soon as we were alone, the Home Secretary dove into her handbag and extracted a small mobile and handed it to me. She told me to conceal it. At the time, I was rather confused.”
Alison said, “I could see that” before realizing that she was the only one to comment.
Graham continued unabated, “Catherine told me to keep it turned on every night between 10.pm and midnight. Then she disclosed there had been what she referred to as ‘irrefutable intelligence’ which showed the Chief Constable of the West Midlands was in bed with a top criminal who dealt in all crimes from murder to prostitution with impunity. If any Police Officer got close to obtaining any evidence, they were promptly moved by the CC to an obscure Station. As most of us here know, we have encountered previous problems in that Force area.”
He allowed a short pause.
The image of his friend flitted across John’s memory.
Then, “Catherine told me she had sent in undercover operatives from MI5 who were blown within days which implied to her that there was an acute leak in her department somewhere. That was her problem. That was what I was really there for.”
His eyes rested briefly on Alison as if daring her to make an utterance. She preserved her muteness.
“She told me the Chief Constable was soon to be eligible for retirement or have his contract extended for a further five years. As she vehemently said, ‘It will not be extended!’”
Graham went on to tell them that the Home Secretary wanted him to apply for the job when it became vacant. She had confidentially divulged to him he would be the successful candidate come what may because she wanted a trustworthy Chief Constable in place who could make a start of sorting out the major criminals who were trying to take over the cities in the county.
The Home Secretary added that included in the ‘irrefutable evidence’ was the fact that a Minister somewhere in the Government was also involved in some way, but the problem was, the people who had obtained the evidence did not know who. That was the reason no immediate action had been instigated against any person.
As a bonus to him being promoted, she wanted him to find out who the bent Minister was. She believed efforts would be made to prevent him taking up the position and the Minister would be involved in some way.
He informed the small assembly that Catherine did not beat about the bush when she told him, ‘You have access to people who are not establishment figures and have more ‘unorthodox’ means of establishing the truth. Just try to keep it lawful. I will not be able to bail you out.’
Alison’s gaze fell casually on Simon.
What apparently concerned the Minister most however, was due to his reputation of honesty; some action would be taken to stop him applying with the possibility of an attempt on his life. Alison listened agog at what her Father had been asked. The effort to remain mum was nearly too much for her. Graham took a full, mellow, mouthful of wine which he savoured before swallowing. He persisted by saying that he was to keep the details of what he was doing secret, and to trust no government agency in case the information got back to the bent Minister.
Graham had only just confirmed to the Home Secretary that he would take up the challenge as the harassed secretary returned with one cup of slopped tea. Then the Minister continued to lambast the City of London’s Police for delaying her every morning.
119
Friday 17th June 2011
When it had come to applicants being sought for the post, Graham had applied. As a precautionary measure, his wife had taken a long planned trip to see relatives.
Alison was getting into combative mode. Now deciding she had been quiet for far too long. “So long planned, I never knew.”
Graham said the wrong thing. “I never thought you would have been in danger working as a Police Officer down here. Otherwise I would have made provisions for you too.”
“Still trying to sort out my life.”
Ignoring her sneer, he went on to say that shortly after his application, he received a phone call from a foreign sounding person with a command of good English who categorically told him that unless he withdrew his application, there would be repercussions. In anticipation of any threats, Ian had previously positioned monitoring equipment on his phones and was able to trace and locate the mobile phone used to the Birmingham area. From numbers obtained recently by Simon, the phone user had been identified as ‘Grigoriev.’
He received several other calls making threats from different mobiles, and the phones were all traced by Ian to the Birmingham area. Although he had not been informed as to where the ‘irrefutable information’ had come from, he had assumed it was from either GCHQ or MI5. They too were probably monitoring his phones on behalf of the Minister. Hence he was in possession of a ‘pay as you go’ untraceable mobile provided by Ian for any confidential information. Passing on the number to the others, they noted it in differing ways in the directories on their mobiles.
Alison said, “What about the phone from the Minister?”
“I have only been contacted twice so far by the Minister asking for any update. That phone must remain confidential.”
Ian interjected saying, “I considered supplying everyone with encrypted phones, but the cost would have been exorbitant. PAYG untraceable throw away phones are nearly as good and a lot cheaper.”
Graham savoured the last large mouthful of the wine as he drained his glass. Carol who had assumed the role of mine host swiftly refilled it. Then he continued. John had let it be known via Ginger that there had been several incidents of someone asking after him in Sussex. No one had seemed to understand why.
John butted in, “We do now. God rest your soul Vilf.”
They all raised their glasses. Alison knew nothing of Vilf but decided the time was not right to ask. She would question one of them later as to who he was. Graham told them it had first alerted him to the possibility of Alison’s safety. Then for his daughters’ benefit, he told her he had arranged for her to be paired up with John on a convenient murder enquiry where she could be kept an eye on.
Sarcastically, she said, “Thanks” and then remembered the day wondering how as a uniform officer she had been seconded to the Armstrong enquiry.
Graham continued ignoring the blatant sarcasm, saying that when he and John realised she was being lined up for a kidnapping was when Simon was called in.
“I did actually appreciate that.”
Simon said, “No problem.”
“Just don’t get cocky.”
Graham asked Simon, “I understand you have had some success” which was his way of saying ‘your turn to speak.’
Simon explained that he had been contacted by Barry who told him that he had been paid to conduct surveillance on Alison. Her gaze bore into him and he deliberately refrained from looking at her.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“You may have acted differently to your normal routine and we didn’t want that.”
She crossed her arms which sent a pulse of pain through her chest as she just said, “Huh” and tried to stop herself going into a blatant sulk.
No one asked how he knew Barry, and he wasn’t going to volunteer it.
Barry
had told him he had been approached by a lawyer in Birmingham who had employed him in the past for ‘off the books’ work. The approach had been the same on every occasion. A phone call which gave instructions who to meet, where and when. No mention of what the work would entail and he never asked. It was understood that the contact, in this case, Grigoriev would be the person controlling the operation. He would also be the person who paid him and always in cash. It appeared to Barry that the lawyer, a man called Yusuf, was the conduit between his own employer and the operational controller. It was as if Yusuf did not want to know any details.
John said, “Typical brief. Able to plead ignorance and row for the shore if it all comes on top.”
Simon continued telling the assembly that Barry had found it strange that the subject was so far distant from Birmingham and that his contacts in Sussex were Russian. Whenever he had worked for Yusuf previously, it had always been within the environs of Birmingham and his contacts had always been Asians.
Simon glossed over the incidents at the barn which Alison appreciated quietly. She had decided that she was going to keep quiet as to the fateful final hours of her captivity. Carol was a doctor and used to keeping confidences and would not say anything as to what she had heard said on the phone.
All he mentioned was hearing the name of Richard Davies used by one of the Lithuanian brothers as the person having ordered the kidnapping. Graham confirmed it to be the name of the alleged main criminal in Birmingham who was trying to take over the city. Simon continued telling the group that once he had found Petrovski’s abandoned phone, he had retrieved from the directory the hard-line numbers of both Sol Yusuf and Davies PA. Other numbers were found including the one that identified Grigoriev’s mobile phone.
John cut in again, “I think I may have Grigoriev’s SIM card thanks to Vilf” and he passed it to Ian.
Ian who had not actually spoken during the meeting was checking a small hand held electronic ‘personal assistant’.
Without looking up, he said, “I’ll work on the phones and SIM tomorrow. We have an old soldier who has been through Kent and has a florists in Birmingham. He should be able to get the addresses of both Yusuf and Davies without trouble.”
Graham said, “Only if he can be trusted. No Police involvement. I don’t want anyone being alerted.”
Carol said, “Let’s go and eat because all the food should be ready.”
Alison was still upset when she stopped Simon. “When did Barry contact you?”
“The first day when we got back from the run.”
“How? I never saw him.”
“He left my butterfly knife the wrong way round.”
“You never told me. You let me stew.”
“Sorry.”
“No you’re not.”
“You’re right. I’m not. It was for your own good.”
“You rat” and she strode off with as much dignity as she could muster without causing herself too much pain into the dining room behind the others.
120
Friday 17th June 2011
They sat in the separate dining room around a table that could quite easily have accommodated ten, and as if to confirm the fact, had ten chairs. Graham quipped that the size of the flat led him to believe that Metropolitan Police detectives working in Sussex were either over paid or needed investigating. Alison, who had not been aware of John’s flat in Chichester, was surprised by his obvious eye for style in furnishing which was belied by his usual dress code. She really liked Vettriano paintings and noticed what she assumed were three prints hanging against one wall in John’s dining room. Had she examined them more closely she may have noticed that two were originals. Ian and Carol who had both spent some time in the flat, both for differing reasons, just ate.
Alison was struggling to chew the tender meat, and trying to keep it away from her tooth sockets that were still a little painful. Her jaw was starting to ache as it got more movement than of late and appeared to be remembering the hard punch it had received from Grigoriev. The clove oil that Carol had given her seemed to be slowly working on the raw gum. Her thumb was starting to feel normal and her bandaged ribs were recovering with the odd twinges just to let her know she was moving about too quickly.
She wasn’t looking forward to the hospital visit for X-rays, although John insisted it was ‘fun’.
Remembering the unexplained laughter, she scowled at him and said, “There’s a bit of difference between the gentle tap you received and what I’ve suffered.”
With sheer mockery in his voice, he said, “You may become a martyr,” and they all burst out laughing as she turned her now familiar rubicund.
Overall: although she would not yet admit, she felt she was recovering thanks to Carol’s ministrations.
Simon was enjoying his second decent meal in as many days as cooked by Carol and the wine provided by John. As his parents ran what some people called a ‘gastro pub’, he was accustomed to both good food and a choice of good wines. It had become a successful pub when his parents first took it on due to their perseverance and sheer hard work and as a result had gone from strength to strength. He’d sleep well again tonight because tomorrow he was going to be busy.
John did not normally have so much company in his own flat, and sat listening mainly to the general banter as he finished his meal. Ian and Graham who had to drive later that night limited their drinking to a couple of glasses of wine each. Alison was starting to appreciate the good quality wine which seemed to be have a pleasant numbing effect and knew that she’d sleep well. Carol didn’t worry that Alison shouldn’t have been drinking with some of the medication she had given her, and knew it would probably have proved fruitless to try and stop her. It was a convivial meal.
At the conclusion, they took their wine back to the lounge with John carrying a third bottle with due reverence.
With a backward glance at the empty plates and debris on the dining table, he said, “The cleaner will sort that lot out in the morning.”
Carol replied indignantly, “Is that what I am now?” feigning hurt.
The men laughed as Alison said, “I’ll help you.”
“Thanks.”
Once settled, Simon told them he intended to go to Birmingham and see if he could ascertain who the treacherous Minister was. No one asked him how he expected to achieve this as they all had their own ideas of his methods. He considered it his duty as Alison had suffered so much in an effort to discover the person’s identity. She made no comment because she had fallen asleep in one of John’s large Stressless recliners. Simon’s main object, although not divulged, was to make the acquaintance of Grigoriev and educate him in the art of dealing with ladies.
Graham politely pointed out to him that he needed to be careful and aware that the Chief Constable, who he reiterated was highly likely in the pocket of Davies, could bring considerable resources to bear in trying to locate him. John also reminded Simon of the trouble a previous Chief Constable had caused him so many years previously. It seemed to be endemic in the Birmingham area that the top Police Officer was corrupt.
He accepted he had to tread carefully.
Graham commented ruefully, “I may be in a position to do something about it one day.”
Turning to Ian, Simon enquired if he had brought the items he had requested of him. Ian went to the hall and came back in with a small sports type black holdall.
“You’ll find everything is in here.”
Asking how he was getting on at the barn, Ian told him that the generator and equipment from the outhouse had been completely dismantled and was now in a vehicle and on its way, or already at, his unit in Kent. The actual prison was to be demolished by a couple of disabled Royal Engineers who were desperate to keep their hand in and needed places to practice on.
“They want to start a demolition company.”
No one bothered asking where the explosives were being sourced. It seemed rather bad manners.
He volunteered the fact that
he had also arranged removal of both the BMW and Alison’s Ford Fiesta on covered low loaders. Each would be dealt with separately.
By 1am, two had gone their respective ways, and the others were all in bed.
121
Saturday 18th June 2011
Doreen couldn’t sleep. She kept mulling over in her mind what John had said. She knew the case now as well as anyone. Although she hadn’t visited the bungalow personally, she had watched both the Police photographers video and Gary’s recording. The new book, a biography by Conan Doyle, hadn’t been out of its drawer for days. How many exactly had escaped her. That evening’s book club meeting was the first she had missed in years. It hadn’t been the fact that Sally had been arrested; she just hadn’t actually read the book to be discussed.
With her insensitive Mother, she had watched the BBC’s 10pm news which had featured as the main item the arrests of Gary and Sally and the incidents under investigation. Then the regional news which went into much more detail. Doreen’s Mother was shocked and upset at the thought of all the people who had been killed or injured and then that her daughter was involved with the minutiae of it. The Chief Constable had appeared sufficiently grave as he gave the press conference with the air of a man who knew how to present news. Prodow and Groves who were fidgeting in the spotlight, were on the platform flanking him and all were in front of a large blue screen emblazoned with the Sussex insignia and marked ‘Sussex Police’.
Doreen thought, ‘Not the best advert for the county.’
Lavinia had retired to bed fretting that there were such nasty people about. She consoled herself with the knowledge she had Doreen to look after and care for her. Her anxiety didn’t stop her getting straight off to sleep as opposed to Doreen. Lying in her bed staring at the ceiling, she considered every person who could possibly know about either the poison or the camera in the bird box.
She thought ‘a plumber fixing a pipe in the kitchen’ but then he would not know about the bird box. A ‘grocery delivery being put in the cupboard by the delivery driver’: he wouldn’t know about the camera. A burglar? No. The poison was in a large unmarked jar anyway, and was a clear liquid. Even if someone saw it, they wouldn’t know what it was. She considered the workshop: who would have access there? It had an alarm which would stop anyone going in without Gary’s permission. Who would he take in there? ‘A customer?’ He had no need to take a customer there. ‘A friend.’ Highly unlikely. Gary had said no one knew.
An Urgent Murder Page 38