Bloody hell. That’s horrific, Ruth thought as she felt a little queasy.
Dressed in pastel-blue surgical scrubs, the professor adjusted her black rubber apron and pointed to various grey patches within the body. ‘Were you aware that your victim was incredibly ill?’
Ruth shook her head. ‘No, we had no idea.’
Professor Deneuve indicated the grey patches again. ‘Your victim was riddled with cancer. These are all tumours. It would have been very painful. And it explains the extreme weight loss.’
‘Are you saying that the victim was dying?’ Lucy asked.
‘Yes. I’m saying that if someone hadn’t strangled him, he would have been dead in a matter of weeks.’
AS SOON AS RUTH AND Lucy got back to CID, Brooks called an impromptu briefing of all CID officers that were currently in Peckham nick. It was the middle of the day, and the fans that had finally arrived did very little but blow hot air around the office.
Going to the board, Lucy noticed that Brooks’ tie was loosened by about four inches. She was still trying to process what had happened the previous evening. In her heart, she knew that Brooks didn’t have it in him to punch Karen in the face and cause those injuries. And if Karen had injured herself to turn everyone against Brooks, then she was a very unwell woman. It also meant that Lucy hadn’t trusted Brooks when he had denied the attack. She wondered what that meant for their long-term future. Could they get past the events of the last few days? All she knew was that when she looked at Brooks as he stood by the crime scene board, with his handsome, chiselled face and shirt sleeves rolled up, she was madly in love with him.
‘Right everyone. Ruth and Lucy have just returned from the post mortem. Ruth?’ Brooks gestured for Ruth to feedback.
Maybe he just doesn’t want to look my way? Lucy thought.
‘Guv. The post mortem confirmed that Trevor Walsh was asphyxiated. Professor Deneuve also noted that there was very serious damage to his spine and neck, which indicated that whoever strangled him was incredibly strong. The other puzzling thing was that Walsh had terminal cancer. In fact, had he not been murdered, it’s likely he would have died from the disease within a few weeks.’
Brooks looked over to Gaughran. ‘You all right, Tim? I’ve never known you so quiet.’
Lucy smiled. ‘Don’t complain, guv!’
There was laughter from some detectives. Gaughran gave them a sarcastic smile, but Lucy could see that he wasn’t his usual feisty self.
Brooks glanced over at Gaughran again. ‘Tim, what did Michael Fisher have to say? ’
‘He didn’t tell us very much that we didn’t already know, guv. He confirmed that Charlie Wise and Declan Fisher were mates and probably ran businesses out of the 211 Club.’
Brooks frowned. ‘Did he specify what type of businesses exactly?’
Gaughran looked up. ‘He said it was nothing heavy. Prostitutes, Class B drugs and a bit of after-hours gambling.’
Hassan pulled a face and said, ‘Unfortunately, he confirmed that two young detectives from the South London Murder Squad were being paid off by Charlie Wise on a regular basis. Trouble started when they wanted more and there was some kind of altercation. The next thing, Declan Fisher is beaten unconscious and Alfie Wise vanishes.’
‘And presumably Fisher thought that these police officers were responsible for both crimes?’ Brooks asked in a solemn tone.
Gaughran nodded despondently. ‘Probably, guv.’
Lucy could see that this information had really got to him.
Hassan looked over. ‘He gave a description of the two detectives but no names. But he gave us a photograph taken at the 211 Club of Declan and Michael Fisher. In the background, you can just about make out the two officers he was talking about.’
‘Yeah,’ Gaughran said. ‘I’ve left the photo in the car but I’ll go and grab it in a second.’
Brooks took all this in and rubbed his chin. ‘Do we think two police officers committed a vicious assault and a murder because a club owner refused to pay them bribes?’
Ruth shrugged. ‘We know there were plenty of officers in the Met on the take in the 50s, guv.’
‘And Operation Countryman was only twenty years ago,’ Lucy said.
‘Operation Countryman’ was an investigation into police corruption in London’s Met in the late 70s. There had been allegations that the Met’s Flying Squad were receiving bribes from armed gangs in return for tip-offs and details of investigations, raids or arrests. It was also alleged that detectives had manipulated evidence to prevent criminals being convicted, as well as fabricating evidence against innocent men. Two hundred and fifty Met officers were forced to resign and many ended up facing criminal charges. When the report was published, it was seen by many as one of the darkest days in the Met’s history.
‘Okay, let’s get that photograph enlarged,’ Brooks said. ‘I then want anyone we can find who worked in this nick, or any other South London nick in the 50s, to have a look at it. Let’s see if we can get names for these two officers.’
As the fax machine whirred, Ruth got up from her seat and went over to it.
‘Guv, I can show it to my old man,’ Gaughran suggested.
Brooks nodded. ‘Thanks Tim. What about Charlie Wise?’
‘He’s not going to talk to us now until we charge him with something,’ Lucy said. ‘But there is definitely something dodgy about him, Alfie, and Trevor Walsh being in that car.’
Ruth came over with a fax in her hand. ‘Guv, we got a hit for the car that was seen driving away from Trevor Walsh’s address. It’s a hire car but came as a package through the Kensington Place Hotel. And we’ve now got a name. Daniel Keane. He’s staying at the hotel and hasn’t yet checked out.’
‘Ah ... at last,’ Brooks said.
Ruth and Lucy grabbed their jackets as they went to leave.
Brooks looked at Ruth and then directly at Lucy. ‘Just be careful, will you?’
CHAPTER 29
Ruth and Lucy walked into the plush reception area of the Kensington Place Hotel. It was fully air-conditioned and Lucy could feel the cold air on her face and in her nostrils. It was a pleasant relief from the heat outside.
They wandered over to the busy reception desk where affluent guests were checking in and out. Taking out her warrant card, Lucy approached a young man at the end of the counter. ‘I wonder if you can help? We just spoke to the rental car company that you use in your Executive Package ...’
He nodded. ‘Prestige Cars?’
‘That’s it,’ Lucy said. ‘We’re looking for a guest by the name of Daniel Keane?’
The young man went over to a large ledger and ran his finger down the list of guests and rooms. He looked up at them. ‘Room 25. Second floor. Mr Keane has a taxi booked for Heathrow airport in half an hour.’
‘I don’t suppose you know where he’s flying to, do you?’ Lucy asked.
He paused thoughtfully. ‘I’m pretty sure it’s Belfast. He had BFS on his luggage when he arrived.’
‘So, Mr Keane should still be in his room?’ Ruth asked.
‘I suppose so. I could ring his room and tell him you’re here?’
Lucy smiled. ‘It’s okay. We’ll just go and knock. Thanks.’
As they walked over to the lifts, Lucy gazed around at the high ceilings, the tasteful ornaments, and the oil paintings that hung on the walls. It would be lovely to stay in a hotel like this. For a second, her mind turned to Brooks. She had no idea what she was going to do, but the situation between them was distracting her from her work. And when you were a police officer, that could prove dangerous.
‘You and Brooks okay today?’ Ruth asked as they got into the lift, which smelled of expensive perfume.
‘It’s work,’ Lucy said. ‘We’ve always been pretty good at separating the two.’
The lift arrived at the second floor and they got out and headed for Room 25.
‘What do we think Keane’s connection is to Walsh?’ Ruth asked.
<
br /> ‘He flies in from Belfast. He’s staying at a five-star hotel with an expensive hire car. He goes and murders a virtual nobody. And then he flies back to Belfast,’ Lucy said, raising her eyebrow. ‘What do you think?’
‘My guess is that somebody paid him to come over and kill Walsh,’ Ruth said as they arrived at Room 25.
Lucy pulled a face and said quietly, ‘Which means that Mr Keane might be an Irish hitman.’
Ruth gave a sarcastic smile. ‘Oh good. I can’t wait to meet him.’
Lucy knocked on the door and waited.
After a few seconds, there was the sound of the door being unlocked. An enormous man with black hair and piercing blue eyes peered out at them. ‘Hello?’ He had a thick Northern Irish accent.
Oh God. He looks scary.
‘Mr Keane?’ Ruth said as she pulled out her warrant card.
Keane frowned. ‘Yeah?’
‘I wonder if we could ask you a few questions regarding an ongoing police investigation?’ she asked in a light, breezy tone.
Keane didn’t look impressed. ‘Do I have a choice? I’ve got a flight to catch.’
Lucy smiled. ‘It won’t take more than a few minutes.’
He opened the door and beckoned for them to come in. The room was large, neat, and stylishly decorated and furnished. It smelled of a mixture of shower gel and musky aftershave.
Keane went over to the window and casually looked outside and down at the road below.
Is he checking to see if we’ve got backup down there? Lucy wondered.
‘How can I help?’ he asked brusquely.
‘Does the name Trevor Walsh mean anything to you, Mr Keane?’ Ruth asked.
He shook his head. ‘No. I’ve never heard that name before.’
Ruth took something from her jacket pocket. It was a small photograph of Trevor Walsh that they had retrieved from his flat. ‘Could you have a look at this and tell us if you recognise this man?’
Keane came over, took the photograph and peered at it. ‘No. Never seen him before.’
‘Can you confirm you used a rental car that was provided by this hotel?’ Lucy asked.
His eyes darted around the room as he thought about the question. ‘Why are you asking me all this stuff?’
Lucy locked eyes with him. ‘Could you just answer the question, please?’
Keane huffed and glanced at his watch. ‘Yes, I used a hire car. So what?’
Ruth glared at him. ‘We have reason to believe that the hire car you used was parked outside a property in Peckham where Trevor Walsh was murdered two nights ago.’
Keane didn’t say anything and scratched his chin.
Suddenly, he shoved Ruth with both hands so forcibly that she fell back onto the bed. He then shoulder-barged Lucy, knocking her to the floor.
He raced to the door, opened it and ran out.
‘Bloody hell!’ Lucy shouted as she got up. Keane had knocked the wind out of her.
Ruth was already on her feet and heading for the door. ‘You okay?’
Lucy steadied herself. ‘Fine. Let’s go ...’
They sprang out into the corridor and looked both ways.
Nothing. Keane was gone.
Lucy gestured to a fire exit door which was slowly closing. ‘He’s using the stairs!’
Flinging open the escape door, she could hear the clatter of footsteps from below.
Lucy and Ruth gave chase, running down the stairs behind Keane.
Still dizzy from being knocked over, Lucy concentrated on the steps, trying not to lose her footing.
As they reached the ground floor, they could still hear footsteps below them.
He’s heading for the basement and underground car park.
Holding the cold metal handrail for balance, Lucy spotted a dark green door marked Guest Car Parking.
Ruth threw the door open and Lucy followed her into a dim, concrete underground car park.
Before they had time to see where Keane had gone, they heard the piercing sound of screaming. It was coming from the top of a nearby ramp that led to the exit.
What the hell is going on?
As she sprinted up the concrete ramp, Lucy immediately saw that Keane had dragged a middle-aged woman from a Range Rover and was getting into the driver’s seat.
‘Help me! Please help me!’ the woman cried desperately.
‘Shit!’ Lucy muttered as she and Ruth dashed towards them. ‘Stop! Police!’
‘No! No!’ the woman screamed hysterically as she tried to stop him.
Keane slammed the car door and sped away with the tyres squealing and the smell of burning rubber in the air.
The woman screamed again as they approached, ‘My baby’s in there! She’s in the back of the car!’
‘Oh my God,’ Lucy said under her breath.
Ruth raced to the woman and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. ‘We’re police officers. We’re going to get her back safely. I promise.’
‘My baby!’ The woman’s eyes were wild with panic. ‘Please. Oh my god, he’s got my daughter ...’
‘Stay here,’ Lucy said. ‘We’re going to get her.’
As they sprinted after the car, Ruth clicked her radio. ‘Alpha zero to Control. We are in pursuit of a suspect, a Daniel Keane. Driving a black Range Rover. Licence plate papa, five, five, tango, yankee, foxtrot. He has kidnapped a baby that is on board the vehicle, over.’
‘Alpha zero from Control, received. Stand by.’
As the Range Rover smashed through the exit barriers, Lucy and Ruth continued to sprint to where their car was parked in the street.
Lucy was now breathing heavily as she unlocked the car, jumped into the driver’s seat and started the ignition.
‘What a wanker!’ Ruth muttered as they screeched away and reached Kensington High Street a few seconds later.
‘Where is he?’ Glancing both ways frantically, Lucy couldn’t see the car. ‘Which way? Which way?’
There was heavy traffic going right into the centre of London.
Ruth gestured. ‘It’s got to be left.’
Lucy narrowly missed a bus as she pulled the car out onto Kensington High Street. ‘Get out of my way!’ she growled. Her heart was thumping in her chest.
Ruth hit the blues and twos and clicked the radio. ‘Alpha zero to Control, we’re in pursuit of the black Range Rover, heading west on Kensington High Street. There is a kidnapped baby on board the vehicle. No visual as of yet, over.’
The radio crackled. ‘Alpha zero, received. Stand by.’
Weaving in and out of the traffic, which was now moving out of the way because of the flashing blue lights and two-tone siren, Lucy spotted the Range Rover up ahead. ‘He’s there.’
‘Control from Alpha zero, we now have visual on suspect driving the stolen black Range Rover. Heading west. Passing Kensington High Street underground station on our left, over.’
‘Alpha zero, received. We have two local patrol cars en route, eta five minutes, over.’
Up ahead, Lucy spotted the brake lights of the Range Rover which had been forced to a stop by the sheer weight of traffic. Throwing the steering wheel right, she pulled out and headed against the traffic coming the other way, forcing cars to pull over.
‘Out of the way!’ she yelled.
Glancing over, Lucy could see that Ruth was holding on for dear life. She knew she wasn’t a fan of high-speed pursuits. ‘You okay?’
Ruth shook her head. ‘We’ve got to get her back safely.’
‘Don’t worry. I’m not letting him get away,’ Lucy said, aware that as she was breathing in there was now a sharp pain across her rib cage.
Just as they reached the Range Rover, it pulled left down the Earl’s Court Road.
‘Bloody hell, he’s hammering it,’ Lucy said as she saw they had reached 55 mph on the clear stretch of road.
‘He’s going to kill someone,’ Ruth growled.
From out of the corner of her eye, Lucy spotted the blue flashing light
s of a marked police car which was filtering in from the right. ‘Here comes the cavalry!’
It zipped out of the waiting traffic and into the path of the Range Rover, trying to slow it down. The Range Rover swerved violently left and then right.
Out of nowhere, a double-decker bus pulled out across the road from a bus stop.
Lucy held her breath as the Range Rover clipped the back of the bus and went momentarily onto two wheels before dropping back onto the road and skidding.
‘Oh my God, no!’ Ruth gasped.
It continued to skid and then smashed heavily into the back of an open-backed lorry carrying building materials.
Lucy pulled their car to a hard stop about thirty yards away. The patrol car, and another that had just joined it, manoeuvred to block the whole of the Earl’s Court Road.
Ruth and Lucy jumped out and raced towards the smashed Range Rover which was obscured by a vast cloud of dust and sand.
‘Please God, no,’ Lucy muttered under her breath.
As she reached the car, Lucy could see that Keane was laying against the driver’s window, face covered in blood and unconscious.
Reaching for the back door, she opened it and saw that the baby girl was still safely in her car seat looking frightened and confused. ‘Thank God, thank God. Come here, darling.’
The baby cried as Lucy unclipped her harness and lifted her from the car. ‘Here we go.’
‘Is she okay?’ Ruth asked frantically.
Lucy checked her over and she didn’t appear to be hurt, just shocked. ‘I don’t think she’s even got a scratch.’
Ruth puffed out her cheeks. ‘Jesus, I thought something terrible had happened to her!’
‘Me too,’ Lucy said as she held the crying baby in her arms.
Ruth clicked her radio. ‘Alpha zero to control. We have a major RTA involving suspect vehicle. Intersection of Earl’s Court Road and Pembroke Road. We need ambulances and the fire service, over.’
CHAPTER 30
Sitting at his desk in CID, Gaughran could feel that his stomach was knotted tightly. In fact, his anxiety was making him feel sick. He kept thinking of the image of his father, sitting with his partner in the 211 Club. The man that Michael Fisher had identified as one of the bent coppers that he suspected not only of taking bribes from the club, but of being involved in both Declan Fisher and Alfie Wise’s deaths. How was that even possible? He had known his dad bend the law a little for traffic offences, or had spoken to a uniformed officer when his cousin had got in a pub brawl. But this was major corruption and murder.
The Razor Gang Murder Page 16