63
They’d arranged to meet early on Sunday morning. Following Kaz’s suggestion, Paul picked her up at Finsbury Park tube. He arrived in an old Range Rover with untraceable plates; Darius was riding shotgun and in the back was a pale, extremely young skinhead, who he introduced as Lee.
Darius offered Kaz the front seat and they headed north up Seven Sisters Road.
Turning his head, Paul gave her a wintry smile. ‘Nervous?’
‘Not particularly.’
‘I only brought Darius and Lee. Didn’t want the Kemals to get suspicious.’
‘Sensible.’ She was wearing figure-hugging jeans and a short biker-style leather jacket. Her hair had been trimmed to remove the strands singed in the fire and the tortoiseshell Ray-Bans were pushed up casually on top of her head. She carried no bag and Paul wondered where she’d stashed the gun. A jacket pocket, probably.
He’d put the address in his satnav and it led them to a side street round the back of Seven Sisters tube station. Kaz recognized the building; faced with crumbling yellow London brick, it gave the appearance of being deserted.
‘Yeah, this is where I came with Joey.’ She pointed. ‘That’s the door.’
Paul slotted the Range Rover into a parking space across the road. Killing the engine, he took a breath. He’d had butterflies in his stomach ever since he woke up, though he didn’t want the others to know that. He liked to think he was an adrenaline junkie but that wasn’t really true. Kaz, in contrast, seemed unnaturally calm, which proved what he’d always thought: she was a psycho like her brother.
She gave him a cool smile. ‘All right, mate? You look a bit pale.’
‘I’m totally fine. Right, let’s rock ’n’ roll!’
They all climbed out of the Range Rover; a motley crew, Kaz reflected. Lee was a skinny kid with a glazed expression; he was definitely on something. But Darius was alert. Kaz wondered if she could rely on him. Probably not. Unless he thought it was to his advantage. She still couldn’t make him out. He’d proved he wasn’t particularly loyal to Paul. So why had he come and what the hell was his agenda?
Paul strode across the road towards the old clothing factory; his shoulders were hunched. Kaz got the impression he was bricking it. Gazing up at the sky, she saw a hint of blue breaking through the clouds. It was a mild enough day; people would soon be out in the London parks taking their Sunday-morning walks. A stroll to admire the autumn foliage, stopping off for a coffee and a bacon sandwich – that would be a pleasant way to spend the day. Would she ever have the chance to do that again?
The gamble she was about to take carried enormous risk. Sadik Kemal on his own was a pitiless killer – and he wouldn’t be alone. There were too many ways this could go wrong, she was well aware of that. Did she have the ghost of a chance of getting out alive? She doubted it.
Paul pressed the button on the metal intercom beside the door. He shot Kaz a guilty look and painted on a smile. At least he was predictable. The look said he planned to double-cross her, but that was what she’d been expecting.
The door opened, wooden but backed with steel, and Kaz recognized Quan, the ageless Vietnamese plant expert who’d worked for her brother.
She grinned at him. ‘Hello, Quan. How’s tricks?’
Was he smiling back? It was hard to tell.
He extended his arm, inviting them in. ‘Please.’
Kaz knew the route. A narrow stairway, a short corridor, then through several layers of black plastic sheeting into the growing space. They reached the vast room full of cannabis plants and filled with the hum from the low oscillating fans. Paul and his sidekicks gazed in amazement.
This was Joey’s handiwork and she felt proud. ‘Neat, eh?’
Paul simply nodded and Kaz got a whiff of the envy he must’ve felt towards her brother.
They followed Quan as he skirted around the edge of the room and the sea of plants, through more plastic sheeting and a doorway leading to the offices at the back.
Blocking their way were two large minders. The first one gestured for them to raise their arms. One by one they were patted down for hidden weapons. Paul shot Kaz an anxious glance, but they all passed muster.
As they continued down the corridor, he whispered in her ear: ‘Where’s the gun?’
She turned to look at him. ‘Oh, I didn’t bring it. Changed my mind.’
‘What?’
‘Well, you’re gonna hand me over, aren’t you? That’s your plan.’
‘No—’
‘C’mon, don’t lie to me as well. Let’s just do it.’
She didn’t wait for his reply but carried on down the corridor in Quan’s wake. Paul was completely thrown. What the fuck was she playing at? How did she know? Instinct told him to turn tail and run, but Darius and Lee were behind him. He had no time to think, he had to go forward.
In the glass-panelled office at the end of the corridor, Asil Kemal was seated at the desk. Sadik stood beside him.
Kaz strolled in, hands in her pockets, a smile on her face. ‘You nicked this place from my brother. We’ve come to take it back.’
Asil laced his fingers. ‘You’re not serious.’
‘Never more so.’
Paul appeared in the doorway behind her. She could feel the nervous tension burning off him; he was desperate to complete the deal and get out.
He gave the Kemals a curt nod. ‘I’ve fulfilled my part of the bargain. Now do I get my plants?’
Asil gave him a cursory glance, then signalled to one of the minders. ‘He’ll help you choose.’
Kaz turned to face her former lover. She could sense his confusion and panic, but it served him right.
The look she gave him was almost teasing. She feigned shock, but it was for the Turks’ benefit. ‘What? We were gonna take this place back, that was the plan – and now you’re gonna let them kill me for a few cannabis plants?’
Paul was out of his depth, caught between Kaz and the Kemals. His plan had been to simply pick the winning side. But that wasn’t simple at all.
He struggled to meet her eye. ‘I’m a businessman, babe.’
‘Oh, is that what you call it?’
Both Kemal brothers were smirking. They said something to each other in Turkish as Paul pushed past Lee and Darius and scurried off down the corridor to collect his blood money.
Kaz turned to Asil. ‘Well, you never know who you can trust, do you?’
‘You are one stupid bitch!’ He was chuckling.
She shrugged. ‘Looks a bit that way. Just out of interest, have you taken over the other four factories Joey set up?’
Asil glanced up at his brother. ‘Can you believe this bitch?’
Sadik laughed. ‘Too many questions. I soon shut her up.’
Kaz placed her hands on her hips. ‘Oh come on, Asil. No one wants to think they’ve been beaten by a complete dip-shit. Have you got all five?’
‘You stupid bitch, of course we have.’
‘I thought you were smugglers. You sure you’re smart enough to grow good skunk? I mean, I know you got Quan. But this takes a bit more brains than running a kebab shop.’
‘Oh, I have plenty of brains.’ Asil leant forward and fixed her with a steely glare. The cheek of this whore! She should know her place. His rage was rising. He wanted this matter settled. Only then would the shame be expunged. The memory of the shoot-out in the alley behind his office had haunted him ever since. She would feel his vengeance, then he’d be free.
But the bitch was standing there, smiling at him. Where was her fear?
Goaded by her insolence, he drummed his index finger on the desk. ‘This is my territory. Every drug deal that goes down in North London is controlled by me. You and your stupid brother dare to think you can move in on my territory?’
‘Yeah, but I still got Joey’s Russians to back me up. Don’t forget that.’
‘You mean like that toy soldier he sent round?’
‘Yevgeny Koshkin.’
�
�I don’t know his fucking name. But I don’t see him here troubling me no more, do you?’
‘Was it you who had him shot then?’
‘I deal with my enemies – and I dealt with him just as I’m going to deal with you.’ He turned his head to his brother and growled something in Turkish. Sadik nodded and sniggered.
‘Could you translate that into English so we can all understand.’ Kaz tilted her head. ‘By all, I’m including the old bill.’
Asil stared at her, then he rocked back in his chair and laughed. ‘Nice try.’
Kaz started to unbutton the front of her shirt. ‘No really, I’m not bluffing. Your meathead of a minder didn’t have the balls to put his hand down my cleavage.’ She revealed the tiny microphone taped to her sternum. ‘They’re clever, these little gizmos. You didn’t seriously think I was going to walk in here with that tosser, Paul Ackroyd, and no backup?’
A life of caution had kept Asil Kemal out of jail, but a moment of fury had caused him to drop his guard. Realizing the horror of his mistake, he jumped to his feet. Sadik pulled out a gun and shouted instructions in Turkish. Then he pointed his gun straight at Kaz’s head.
This had always been the danger: the gangster would simply react by shooting her, thinking he’d still have time to get away. Asil rushed out into the corridor; the two minders were already racing for the back door.
Kaz felt the thump of her heartbeat. All she could see was Sadik’s angry face looming over her; he was cursing her in Turkish, spitting out the words. She didn’t want this to be the image in her mind at the moment of her death so she closed her eyes. She thought of her sister and Finlay. At least now they’d be all right.
The explosion of the gunshot seemed to fill the tiny office. Kaz’s eyes flew open as someone was thrown back against her. It was Darius. He’d made a grab for the gun and Sadik had shot him in the leg. The Turk steadied his hand to take a second shot but there were shouts of ‘Armed Police!’ and a thundering of heavy boots fast approaching. Sadik Kemal changed his mind and ran.
Darius slumped on the floor. He’d been hit in the femoral artery and the blood was pumping out of him. Kaz ripped off her jacket and then her shirt. Winding the material into a twisted braid, she tied it round his thigh to create a tourniquet.
She pulled it tight and grasped his hand. ‘Look at me, Darius! Look at me! Hang on in there, mate.’ Only a week ago she’d said the exact same thing to the young curate; it felt spooky. Would he die too?
His eyelids drooped. She could hardly make out what he was saying. It sounded like ‘Not Darius.’
64
Tom Rivlin clambered out of the back of the police surveillance van. He was finding it hard to contain his jubilation and he was desperate to call Nicci. She’d wanted to be there and he’d pleaded with the Met commander in charge of the operation to allow it. None of this would’ve been possible without her, he’d made that argument robustly. But he’d got short shrift; she was a civilian, a chis. It could compromise the security of the operation. Nicci understood.
She was waiting in a coffee shop near Finsbury Park tube. They’d commandeered the back room to put the wire on Karen Phelps. At that point it seemed sensible to have Nicci there to reassure Phelps and calm any nerves.
Rivlin scrolled his phone to find Nicci’s number and she answered immediately.
‘Tom, how did it go?’
‘We got the bastards!’
‘Brilliant! Is Karen all right?’
‘Yeah. There was one casualty. The Kemals made a run for it and Sadik tried to shoot his way out, but an officer from SCO19 shot the pistol right out of his hand. Brilliant piece of marksmanship. It was textbook.’
‘You saw it?’
‘We got it all through the headcams. Kemal stood there like he couldn’t believe it.’
‘And what did you get on the wire?’
‘Enough, I think. It’s going straight to the CPS, but the charges will be serious. Both Kemal brothers will be going down for a very long time. We got enough to charge Paul Ackroyd too.’
‘That’ll please Stoneham. A bonus for her.’
‘Yeah, but none of this would’ve been possible without you, Nic.’
‘Karen came to me. I was just the conduit.’
‘She came to you because she trusted you. She wouldn’t have trusted us without you as a go-between.’
There was a silence on the other end of the line. Rivlin couldn’t be sure – was she crying?
‘You okay, Nic?’
‘Yeah.’
‘It’s the stress. Listen, once I’ve finished up here, I’m coming to collect you. I’m going to buy you the best dinner in London. Michelin stars, the works.’
She chuckled. ‘You’ll need deep pockets for that. But do you know where Karen is now? I need to talk to her.’
‘I’m not sure. I can probably find out.’
‘Yeah, would you?’
‘She’s fine, Nic. You don’t have to worry about her any more. The Kemals are under lock and key. She’s earned herself enough brownie points with Stoneham; they won’t revoke her licence. She’s got her life back.’
‘Yeah, well . . . There’s something I need to tell her. I didn’t want to mention it before.’
65
Kaz was put in the back of a police car for an initial debrief. Her jeans were covered in Darius’s blood and she was shirtless, wearing only her leather jacket.
The Met officer who’d been appointed her handler got into the vehicle with her. DS Amy Raheem was small and delicate compared to Helen and Irina. But she had the air of a tough London kid and that was something Kaz could relate to.
Raheem smiled at her. ‘You okay?’
‘Anyone get away?’
‘Nope. We arrested all of them.’
Kaz leant her head back against the seat and sighed. She was still wired but as the tension in her subsided, her limbs were becoming leaden. ‘You’re not gonna nick Darius as well, are you? He saved me.’
‘He’s gone to hospital. I’m not exactly sure of the situation there.’
Kaz read the evasion in her voice. ‘What d’you mean? He’s gonna be okay? He’s not gonna die?’
‘No, I don’t think so.’
‘Can I go and see him?’
‘Listen, Karen, I’m being honest with you, I don’t know . . .’ Raheem hesitated and looked at Kaz. ‘Oh, why the hell not? You’re covered in blood, so let’s say you need checking over too. A sensible precaution, I think. But don’t do a runner on me, okay?’
‘I haven’t got the energy. I just wanna see that Darius is okay.’
Raheem made a phone call and, having obtained permission for Kaz to go for medical treatment, instructed the driver to take them to University College Hospital A&E on Euston Road. This was where Darius had gone.
Her warrant card got them through triage straight away and once a nurse had sponged the blood off Kaz, it turned out some of it was her own. She had a nasty gash on her hand. Most probably she’d cut it when Darius had knocked her backwards as he grappled with Sadik Kemal for possession of the gun.
Those few seconds when she’d closed her eyes, assuming she was going to die, then opened them again, meant Kaz hadn’t seen exactly what Darius had done. But he’d been there for her, he hadn’t run out on her with Paul. He was unarmed, as far as she knew, yet he’d tackled Kemal. And she was determined to make sure the police didn’t get stupid and nick him.
When they first arrived, Raheem had made inquiries and discovered that Darius was in surgery – they’d have to wait. This was a relief to Kaz. She needed some time out, to give her body and brain time to settle.
Once her hand had been dressed, they found a quiet corner in the hospital cafe. Kaz must’ve dropped off. When she woke up she was lying on the leather banquette, her jacket draped over her; the cop had disappeared. Her brain felt groggy. She wasn’t sure how long she’d been asleep. The stress had taken its toll. Getting up slowly, she peered around. Then she noti
ced Raheem near the cafe entrance. She was talking to someone, a woman, and there were a couple of uniforms there too.
Kaz had a feeling she’d seen the woman before. She moved her position to get a better look. Then she recognized her: it was the fat boss cop from Essex, DCI Cheryl Stoneham.
Stoneham and her sidekicks walked off and Raheem headed back in Kaz’s direction. It was obvious from her expression that something was going on.
The cop painted on a smile but the tone was brisk. ‘How you feeling? We need to go.’
‘Not until I’ve seen Darius.’
‘That’s not going to be possible.’
‘What’s happened? Is he dead?’
‘No, but . . .’ Raheem hesitated. ‘Look, you can’t see him, okay.’
Kaz got to her feet. This was too much. ‘Says who? DCI Fucking Stoneham? I don’t believe this! You bastards are not gonna nick him! I told you, he saved my life.’
‘I know. But it’s complicated—’
‘Like fuck!’
Anger gave her a surge of adrenaline and that produced energy. Kaz stormed out of the cafe and down the corridor in the direction Stoneham had taken.
Raheem had to trot to keep up. ‘Karen, will you just let this go. It’s not what you think.’
‘If I have to search this whole fucking hospital, I’ll find him!’
In the event, that wasn’t necessary; instead she went to the enquiry desk and gave them Darius’s name. Raheem was talking anxiously into her mobile – reporting to Stoneham, no doubt. Kaz left her to it and headed for the lifts.
The ward was on the fifth floor. Kaz strode past the bays until she caught sight of Stoneham standing at the end of a bed.
As she approached, the DCI turned, frowned and shook her head. ‘Karen, you can’t—’
Darius was lying there with a drip in his arm, still woozy from the anaesthetic. A young woman sat beside him, holding his hand.
The Killer Page 28