‘You think she’s capable of torture, of murder? Of ordering the death of her own brother?’
Caelan moved towards the train, one of the last people remaining on the platform.
‘You know as well as I do that people are capable of pretty much anything if they have to be. We’re talking about drugs, which means shitloads of money. Just… something doesn’t feel right. Have a look, it can’t hurt. I’ve got to go. I’ll call you back.’
As the doors closed, Caelan leaned back against the side of the train and closed her eyes. She was making assumptions, flailing for answers. But several things about Liv Hobbs didn’t stack up. She hadn’t mentioned her fling with Ben Rainey, though that was understandable. It wouldn’t have been something Caelan would have wanted to broadcast to strangers herself. Liv had shown little emotion when discussing the death of a man she had been closer to than she had admitted. Again, unsurprising, but was there a more sinister reason for her reticence?
Most likely, Caelan had to admit, Liv Hobbs had been embarrassed about her night with Rainey, and was hoping no one except herself and her husband knew about it. It seemed she and Adam were looking to their future, and turning their backs on the problems of their past. Who could blame them?
But Caelan knew she wouldn’t be doing her job properly if she didn’t voice her concerns. Achebe should be able to gain permission to poke around in Liv’s finances and phone records without too much trouble. And when Liv came home, she could have no complaints if she discovered they had been looking. It was to be expected when someone in her position suddenly disappeared.
Opening her eyes, Caelan caught a woman seated further down the carriage staring at her. The woman looked away, blushing, and Caelan allowed herself a tiny smile. Whatever was passing through the woman’s mind, she was looking at Caelan’s disguise, her mask. One advantage of this job was the opportunity to press pause on her own life and step into someone else’s for a time, but it could also make her head the loneliest place on earth. Until Nicky’s disappearance had been officially confirmed, Caelan wouldn’t allow herself to dwell on how she felt about it. She had to focus on what she could do, not on what might be happening to two of her colleagues. If she allowed herself to remember that Nicky had been the person she had imagined her future with, she would go to pieces. Better to keep pushing towards the truth.
She took a circular route towards the snooker club, reluctant to go too close to it. She had heard nothing from Penrith, but he should be there by now.
Two streets away, her phone rang.
‘She’s not here.’ Penrith’s voice was flat.
‘I’m five minutes out,’ Caelan told him. Her voice trembled, her mouth dry. What the hell was going on? Police officers disappearing from the streets? Torture? She felt a flicker of fear, unfamiliar and unwelcome.
‘Which street are you on? I’ll come to you,’ said Penrith. She told him, quickening her step again. They shouldn’t be seen together, not so close to Crowley’s place, but this situation called for action, not following rules. She had never been part of an operation where an officer had gone missing before. She wondered if Penrith had.
She turned a corner, saw him hurrying towards her, his eyes scanning the street around them. Hesitating, she pretended to take a call, turned her back on the street, giving Penrith the opportunity to walk past her if he wanted to. She was aware of him stopping beside her.
‘There’s no sign of her,’ he said softly. ‘I’ve asked them to put a trace on her phone, and spoken to the Assistant Commissioner. She’s… not happy.’
‘I can imagine. What’s the plan?’
‘To find Nicky? There isn’t one.’
Caelan stared at him. ‘What, we’re just going to forget about her?’
Penrith’s lips tightened. ‘There have been concerns about her state of mind. I’ve been told to give her some time.’
‘Time? Time to reappear as a corpse, you mean?’
He laid a hand on her arm. Caelan glared at it, considering wrenching it away.
‘Look at it from Beckett’s point of view,’ he said. ‘Either Nicky fucked up and someone realised she wasn’t an innocent passer-by, or she’s gone AWOL.’
Caelan sneered at him. ‘AWOL? You think that’s likely, do you?’
‘Honestly? I don’t know. She’s been through a difficult time, and since she’s been back, she’s not been herself.’
‘Then why was she out here, especially alone?’
‘You know why. We couldn’t have you working together, not after…’
‘I was told I had to work with her or be transferred out of the department. Don’t lie to me, Ian.’
‘I wasn’t.’
‘What’s this new job title of yours going to be? Assistant Commissioner Beckett’s puppet?’
His cheeks were red. ‘We’re all her bloody puppets.’
‘Does she honestly believe Nicky would walk away from an assignment? From her team?’
‘I don’t know.’ Penrith blinked, ran a hand over his forehead. ‘She wants you to focus on the deal Crowley is looking to set up.’
‘The… What?’ Caelan struggled to believe what she was hearing. Two officers absent without leave, and Beckett was focusing on a fictional drug deal?
‘It’s the only lead we have. We can’t find Liv Hobbs, Ryan Glennister, or the two blokes you saw earlier.’
Caelan looked up and down the street. It was half residential, half shops. They were standing outside a fried-chicken shop, closed for another couple of hours. No one anywhere near them. ‘Isn’t it feasible that the two of them grabbed Nicky?’
‘It’s possible. What I can’t understand is why they would even have noticed her.’
‘No idea.’ Her stomach lurched as she visualised Nicky being taken against her will. She would have fought, there was no doubt, but Caelan knew that if they were the same men she herself had fended off, they would have had no problem overpowering her. ‘I think it’s obvious what I need to do.’
Penrith stared at her. ‘You’re not going in to confront Crowley.’
‘How did you—’
‘It’s the last thing you should be doing, as you no doubt know. Let us do this our way, Caelan. Otherwise, Beckett will have you taken off the case.’
‘What if Nicky’s telling them everything she knows already? What if our operation’s been blown wide open?’
‘She wouldn’t talk.’
‘With a hot iron held to her back? Boiling water poured down her throat? I think she probably would. I’d sell you all out as soon as I saw them put the kettle on.’
Penrith shook his head. ‘We’ve no reason to believe anything of the sort.’
‘I’ve suggested to Tim Achebe he should be looking at Liv’s bank account.’
‘You’re expecting a few hundred thousand to be stashed away in an ISA? You think she’s stupid?’
‘No, far from it. We should be searching her house too.’
‘You mean you didn’t have a poke around while you were there? I’m surprised at you.’ Penrith stepped back as an elderly man hobbled towards them, dragging a fabric shopping trolley behind him. Caelan waited until he had limped past before she spoke again.
‘Not easy to do with Adam Waits watching my every move. Did you find out where he was when Rainey died?’
‘Working. As he was the night Bryce was killed too. Caelan, I know you’re worried about Nicky.’ She began to protest, and he held up a hand. ‘I know you are. But Crowley is our only lead. If we stick with him, he’ll lead us to Glennister.’
‘And in the meantime, Nicky and Liv could be dead.’
Penrith exhaled. ‘What do you suggest? We knock on every door in London looking for them? We have nothing.’
Caelan met his eyes. ‘Then let me go and speak to Crowley again.’
‘Absolutely not. If you attempt it, I’ll arrest you myself.’
She laughed. ‘You’d have to catch me first.’
‘Listen
, if whoever’s behind all this has Nicky, you think they’ll keep her alive if they realise we’re going after them? She’s useful to them.’
‘If they’re not wiring her up to the mains already.’ An image shot through Caelan’s mind – a lazy Sunday morning, Nicky cooking them breakfast, a stroll around Brick Lane market, arm in arm. One of the few weekends they had been able to spend together. She clenched her jaw. Where the hell was Nicky? ‘Did you search the alley?’
Penrith looked surprised. ‘I had a quick look, but I didn’t want to hang around. Why?’
‘I just thought… Liv’s phone was left behind. They must know we can trace them, everyone does.’
‘You think Nicky’s might have been left too?’
‘Worth checking, isn’t it?’
He nodded. ‘I’ll go. Crowley knows you. Go and get a hot drink or something.’
She turned away. He should have looked for the phone. She dug her hands into the pockets of her jacket, scanning the street. She knew he was right, Crowley could be their way to Ryan Glennister, but the idea of waiting around for him was unacceptable. Penrith had forbidden her to approach Crowley, but what if she went above him? If Elizabeth Beckett was keen for the meeting Crowley had hinted at to go ahead, a conversation with her might be worthwhile. Caelan knew she had to act. Sitting back and waiting was not an option. If Beckett wouldn’t agree to her seeing Crowley, she knew she would have a decision to make.
She took out her phone, knowing she would have to call the office to be reminded of Beckett’s number. And using this phone, the one given to her as part of her Kay Summers character, was a risk. When Penrith found out, he would be furious, and Beckett probably wouldn’t be too pleased either. But Nicky was a colleague, one of her team. Their personal relationship was irrelevant; Caelan knew she would have the same need to act if Richard Adamson or Penrith himself had disappeared. She stared at the ground, knowing she was denying the truth – it did make a difference. Nicky had devastated her, damaged their relationship beyond repair, but Caelan knew she would still risk everything to help her. The admission infuriated her, and she stabbed at the keys on the phone, making the call before she could change her mind.
Less than a minute later, Assistant Commissioner Beckett was on the line. Her first words weren’t encouraging.
‘Are you crazy?’
‘Not as far as I’m aware.’ Caelan waited, unable to predict how Beckett would respond. She was loyal to her officers, but also capable of dismissing the lot of them if she deemed it necessary. Their past meetings had been business-like, based on mutual respect, but Caelan knew she was already treading a fine line.
‘What do you want? This is totally against protocol.’
‘It’s an extraordinary situation.’
‘Even more reason to stick to the rules. I’m ending the call now.’
‘Wait, please. The meeting Marcus Crowley wants to organise. Do I have your permission to speak to him, or see him, try to hurry it along?’
Beckett paused. Caelan wished she could see the other woman’s face, though she knew from experience that Elizabeth Beckett gave little away. ‘Why?’
‘Because we potentially have two lives to save. Three, including Liv Hobbs’s unborn child.’
‘This is about Nicky Sturgess, isn’t it?’ Beckett made a sound of exasperation. ‘I’m bringing you in, Caelan, as Commander Penrith was told to do. You’re a risk to yourself, your colleagues and our operations. Stay where you are. A car will collect you.’
Caelan smiled. ‘With respect, ma’am, who else are you planning on sending in? Crowley knows me, and he’s beginning to trust me.’
‘Because of a story fabricated by Ian Penrith. It can easily be changed.’
‘Wouldn’t work and you know it. Crowley is cautious. We need to act quickly.’
Another silence. ‘You think the people who killed Ben Rainey and Anthony Bryce have DI Hobbs and Detective Sturgess? Why would they take such a risk? Kidnapping police officers? It’s ridiculous.’
‘I agree, but what other explanation is there?’
‘We’ve no proof.’
Caelan turned to see Ian Penrith striding towards her. He stopped, opened a huge hand to reveal an object in a clear evidence bag. Small, silver. Nicky’s phone.
‘I found it about five yards from the entrance to the snooker club,’ he said quietly. He nodded at Caelan’s own mobile. ‘Who’re you talking to?’
She ignored him. ‘I think we might have found your proof, ma’am. We’ve got Nicky’s mobile, abandoned like Liv Hobbs’s was.’
Penrith’s expression changed from concerned to thunderous. ‘Is that the Assistant Commissioner? Give me the phone.’ He reached for it.
Caelan shrugged him off as Beckett said, ‘Then the situation has changed. What’s your plan?’
‘To find Crowley, tell him I’ve been offered a deal by someone I know from way back. Say that if the meeting doesn’t happen tonight, I’m out and he loses his chance to make some commission.’
Silence. Penrith waited, hands on hips, scowling. Caelan had counted to fifteen before Beckett spoke again.
‘I won’t tell you it’s risky, because you know it will be. I won’t say it’ll probably fail, because I agree we need to act. I’d prefer you to speak to Crowley on the phone, though, not face to face. What do you think?’
Caelan didn’t hesitate. ‘Works for me.’
‘I want to talk to you. Come to my office after you’ve spoken to Crowley. Bring Penrith.’
‘Yes, ma’am.’
Beckett ended the call, and Caelan looked at Penrith. ‘Game on, then.’
He was clearly furious, struggling to contain his anger. ‘Strange how you always seem to end up getting your own way.’
‘Not always.’ Caelan checked the time. ‘She wants to see us.’
‘Not in that ridiculous bunker of hers?’ He groaned, some of his good humour returning. Caelan waited, knowing he would back her up however much he might disagree with the action she had taken. ‘Come on then. If you’re determined to throw yourself into another suicide mission, I might as well wave you off.’
30
Mulligan stared at the woman in the back seat of the car, nose wrinkled. They had fastened the seat belt around her, making it look as though she had fallen asleep.
‘Who is she?’ he demanded.
His men were standing by, waiting for acknowledgement, like dogs who had brought their owner a ball to throw.
‘She was hanging around the snooker club,’ said Andri.
‘Hanging around?’
Andri nodded. ‘Looked like she wanted to go inside. We didn’t like it.’
Mulligan glared at them. Not too intimidating, not yet, but enough to worry them. ‘It’s not our club, not our business. Crowley has friends we don’t want to piss off. Why did you bring her here?’
They looked at each other, frowning. Mulligan tapped his foot, wondering who had possession of the family brain today. Neither of these two, obviously. Must be their mother’s turn, back in Albania. They had been useful, especially when he had been moving into what he liked to call ‘live exports’. In the beginning, they had sourced girls in Albania, finding those from the poorest families, the most desperate. They had promised new lives, unlimited wages. Hope. Once the girls arrived in the UK, they soon discovered things weren’t quite as rosy. Mulligan smirked. Still, it had to be better than scraping a living in the backwaters of Albania, so where was the problem? Now, though, his men were dragging him down. His vision for the future, the new direction his business was taking… The future looked rosy, but these two would have to go. The Albanians he was hoping to count as business associates soon could eat them for breakfast.
‘We were being careful.’ Erdi glanced at his brother, who looked away.
Clicking his tongue, Mulligan folded his arms. ‘I’m still not getting it.’
Blank looks. ‘Boss?’
‘She’s nobody. She’s not the woman C
rowley has been talking to. He gave you a photo of her, didn’t he?’
‘After Erdi punched him.’ Andri nudged his brother, getting no response.
‘So why didn’t you check? They’re not even similar. She’s not the woman we want. Did she see your faces?’
Shuffling feet. Eyes flicking from side to side. He’d caught them. ‘We asked her what she was doing, she didn’t cooperate. We had to—’
Mulligan interrupted. ‘Had to?’ His voice low, dangerous. He took a step towards them, almost nose to nose with Andri, who shrank back.
‘She fought us, boss,’ he said quickly. ‘What were we supposed to do?’
‘Not bringing her here would have been a start. Ignoring her, leaving her alone would have been even better. You’ve fucked up, boys, you get me? She’s the wrong woman. You were jumpy, and you panicked. Now we have to deal with her.’
They were red-faced, wondering how to back-pedal. Mulligan knew each would betray the other in a heartbeat, brothers or not. He could read them without even trying.
Leaning closer to the woman slumped in the car, Mulligan prodded her arm. There was no reaction. ‘How much did you give her?’
Erdi gave a nervous snicker. ‘Enough to keep her quiet for a while.’
‘Obviously.’ Lifting her wrist, Mulligan pressed two fingers to it. ‘There’s a pulse, but it’s faint. Congratulations, boys. You’ve excelled yourselves.’
‘You mean she’s…’
‘Dying?’ said Mulligan conversationally. ‘I’d say it’s a strong possibility, you fucking halfwits. Get her out of here.’
‘But boss—’
‘Now.’
Mulligan turned on his heel, took out his phone. Waited.
‘Where shall we…?’
He couldn’t tell which one was whining at him, but they needed to stop. Fucking pathetic. He took a breath, told himself to keep a lid on it. He still needed them. ‘Put her with Hobbs. If she wakes up, finish her. She’s seen too much.’
‘Okay. Sorry, boss.’
‘And find me the right person, the one Crowley told us about. You’ve already spoken to her once, and she kicked the shit out of you. Kay Summers. Do you need me to write it down?’
Tell No Lies Page 28