by M. C. Dutton
Tom, head bowed in thought, went back to Jazz with the news. It was worrying and Jazz urgently asked why no one had gone to the flat and seen what had happened there. He was almost ready to get up and leave and had hold of his coat. ‘Where the fuck are you going?’ Tom asked, startled to see Jazz get up and ready to go. Jazz answered that at least if he was in South London he could look around, get some help, search the flat, threaten some scrot for information, and find Ash. Tom stopped him and told him to stop being so fucking stupid. He was getting angry now. ‘What are you, bloody Superman? Just remember, Jaswinder Singh, you are an arsehole of a Detective Sergeant in the Metropolitan Police Force and that is all. One wrong move could get Ash killed if we screw this up.’ He mumbled under his breath, ‘If he’s not dead already,’ and Jazz gave him a look of resignation.
Tom took a deep breath and then a sip of his coffee. Again, he said that they needed to speak to The Bird Man to see what he knew. He said that his money was on The Bird Man getting Ash back. It would be in his interests. ‘Something rotten has happened in our town and Ashiv Kumar has got in the middle of it, the stupid fucking bastard!’
Jazz agreed and took out his hip flask for a deep swig.
‘I bet that’s not orange juice!’ Tom muttered. Jazz smiled for the first time and said he needed it today. Tom nodded; there was nothing to add.
He put a friendly arm around Jazz and patted him on the back. ‘Come on, you silly sod of a Sikh, let’s ring The Bird Man and see what he’s come up with. Then we can decide what our next move is going to be.’
CHAPTER FORTY
You know it makes sense
The Bird Man was woken by one of his men. He had told all six of them that as soon as a message, telephone call or the man himself arrived, they were to wake him immediately and it didn’t matter what time it was. At 4.30 a.m. Ian Long arrived at the safe house The Bird Man had in Becton. In his possession he had an alive and kicking DC Kumar and a Vinnie James slightly damaged and softened up ready for interrogation.
First things first. The Bird Man wanted to talk to Vinnie James. He wanted Ian Long to stay and assist him. DC Kumar was put in a spare room and left there, trembling and crying. He still couldn’t see with the sack over his head and he said he needed to pee. One of the men took him to the toilet and suggested he must have a tiddler if he needed to look for it; with a light slap around the head he was told the sack stayed where it was. By now Ash was getting thirsty, hungry, and had a roaring headache. He kept going from hot to cold; one minute he was thinking he was being taken to be killed and the next he was put in a room and suddenly felt comparatively safe. He was not made of strong stuff and he babbled more and more.
Vinnie James knew he was in trouble. The blindfold was off and in front of him was Barry Bentall, The Bird Man of Barking, looking none too pleased. Beside him was the maniac he’d encountered in his flat and that one scared him nearly as much as The Bird Man. He knew The Bird Man’s reputation. Vinnie James had always been a bit of a show-off. Eddie Grimshaw quite liked him and had known him for many years and trusted him. The Brothers Grim thought he was an arsehole and past his sell-by date, but their dad still ruled the roost and they didn’t dare touch him.
In truth, Vinnie James was all hot air. He ran errands for Eddie Grimshaw and did his bidding. He wasn’t a clever man; he just thought he was. Eddie Grimshaw had sent Vinnie to East London to sort out the rumours he was hearing. He heard that The Bird Man of Barking was calling himself THE GODFATHER and that pissed him off big-time. There had always been a bit of fairly friendly rivalry between the two men. Jealousy was not something either would say was an appropriate description but in essence each wanted to be the biggest, the best, the most feared, the richest, the smartest, the most everything. The Bird Man calling himself THE GODFATHER was just a tad too much for Eddie Grimshaw to stomach. Vinnie was to check out what was happening. Eddie had heard about the Barge Murder and knew it was The Bird Man. They kept tabs on each other. The fact that Vinnie was in the right place at the right time was very fortunate.
Someone had told Vinnie about the other murders and how DC Ashiv Kumar was causing trouble for Freddie Link. He watched and saw how Freddie Link had taken the detective and was bundling him into a car and taking him somewhere. Now he knew that was a very naughty thing to do; he smiled as he tutted. You just didn’t mess about with a Metropolitan Detective; it was too much of a pain in the neck. Kill them, yes, but don’t keep them prisoner. He thought Freddie Link was a total dipstick. But then he thought he could use this. The Bird Man of Barking was a bighead and anything that happened in his town was down to him, everyone knew that.
He waited and watched. He saw Lionel Wood, another numpty in his book, coming out with DC Kumar with a sack over his head. He got out of his car and shot Lionel – well, that might have been a bit extreme but he was on the enemy’s territory and he didn’t want Lionel causing any problems with his getaway. He bundled a quivering DC Kumar into his car and had it away to his flat.
On the way to Thames Mead, Vinnie phoned Eddie Grimshaw who was interested in what Vinnie had done – until, that is, he heard how he had shot Lionel Wood. His anger knew no bounds. He knew the pinching of DC Kumar was a cheeky little bit of duplicity – but killing Lionel Wood, a smalltime numpty but nevertheless a man from The Bird Man of Barking’s gang, would not be forgiven. Eddie told Vinnie to go to his flat, keep DC Kumar secure and wait for his sons to arrive in the morning. They were going to sort this mess out. Vinnie was a little worried but not worried enough to stop him having a few beers and snoozing in his chair watching TV. The Brothers Grim could be a bit unruly but he always got on with them. Their dad, Eddie, liked him and kept him safe. He had no worries.
Unbeknown to Vinnie, Eddie had spoken to his sons and said that, in order to stop a full-scale war erupting between South and East, Vinnie had to go. What were they were going to do with a fucking Detective Constable on their manor? They would have to work on that one. The first thought was to top him and get rid of him. He was nothing but a dangerous nuisance to them. DC Kumar would have been proud to know that he was turning out to be like a piece of shit on the bottom of your shoe; however much you tried to get rid of it, it stuck and caused problems.
If Vinnie only knew he was between a rock and a hard place, and both wanted to kill him! Not for one moment did he Vinnie consider Eddie would get rid of him and he’d never thought The Bird Man would call out Ian Long. Everyone knew of Ian Long but he was used for special reasons, and Vinnie never thought he was worth an Ian Long callout. He’d totally misjudged that one.
With the help of Ian Long, Vinnie told all and more to The Bird Man of Barking. By the end of the interrogation Vinnie, bloodied and in pain, left The Bird Man with a massive problem. He knew the fucker Eddie Grimshaw and his shitty sons were causing him headaches, and something needed to be done. The pillock of a detective was safe and blubbering in the next room and would be sorted soon. Ian Long left knowing his bank account was about to be increased by a decent sum of money and he went home, wherever that was. No one knew exactly where he lived; he preferred it that way.
The Bird Man, furious and frustrated, sat down and thought for a moment. He told one of his men to watch Vinnie and went into another room to make a phone call. Calm now, he rang Eddie Grimshaw. The introductions were congenial; both men were respectful and friendly. They made some small talk and moaned about the brainless buggers that they had to work with. They skirted the issues for a while and then The Bird Man told Eddie that shooting Lionel Wood was not necessary. Vinnie James shot dead Lionel Wood and stole a Detective Constable and someone had to pay for that. Eddie feigned surprise and shock at such happenings and argued that Vinnie wouldn’t do such a thing. They both knew that each of them was playing games.
Eddie countered that The Bird Man was getting a bit big for his boots these days, with all the Godfather talk. The Bird Man smiled to himself; he knew that had got to Eddie and that pleased him. He asked E
ddie which Godfather act was he referring to and Eddie talked about the Barge Murder of Johnny Peters. Again The Bird Man smiled to himself. It felt good to know his works were known in the South of London. He told Eddie that he had Vinnie and he had the detective back. What should he do with Vinnie? Of course Eddie said to give him back to him and he would sort him out. The Bird Man didn’t want that. He had a much better idea.
He was going to get rid of Vinnie in retaliation for Lionel Wood. He would tell the police that Vinnie was responsible for videoing the Barge Murder and he could make that stick. He traded with Eddie that, on the back of Vinnie getting the blame for the Barge Murder, Eddie would be known by locals and anyone of importance as the ‘Godfather’ who’d arranged it. The Bird Man wanted to be generous to Eddie and give him some kudos. He added it was his gift to Eddie (which sounded just like a Godfather saying). There was no need for any further misunderstandings between them and no bad blood. Eddie argued sufficiently to show loyalty to one of his boys, but he was going to top Vinnie anyway so why not let Barry Bentall do it. After arguing halfheartedly for a while, Eddie caved in and said it would be a just and honourable solution to the little problem. Each had lost one of their boys. They agreed Eddie would call off his sons and The Bird Man would call off his boys and Ian Long.
All was settled. A turf war may have been averted for the time being, but both would be on their guard for quite some time. Neither wanted to start a gang war. It was going to be tense in East and South London, and everyone would be warned not to fart in the wrong place.
The Bird Man rang Tommy, the hitman who got rid of Freddie Link. ‘Tommy, I want you here now, and bring Freddie’s huge ring with you.’ Tommy argued that he never took nothing from Freddie when he topped him. The Bird Man said calmly, ‘Oh yes you did, Tommy. I know you. If you don’t get your arse here in under ten minutes I am going to fucking break your neck, comprendi?’
Tommy comprendi-ed well and was on his way with the ring.
Half an hour later The Bird Man arranged for Tommy to take Vinnie off his manor and top him. He said he was to be subtle; Tommy could be a bit messy sometimes and he wanted just a body with an assassin’s bullet in him. This would be poignant and apt – so one to the chest and one in the head. He gave instructions to put Freddie’s ring on Vinnie’s finger when topped. Tommy had specific instructions to leave the body of Vinnie in Rainham marshes. Far enough away from The Bird Man’s manor but close enough to call in the Metropolitan Police. He didn’t want Vinnie found too quickly; he wanted to announce it to the police and let the bastards find him.
All that was left now was to get rid of the fucking pain in the neck of a detective. He thought again about killing him but decided to present him to Jazz in return for his keeping schtum on his business projects in Wallasea. He ordered his men to take DC Kumar to Parsloes Park and get him there by 11 a.m. on the dot: not a minute earlier or later. Ash was being moved again and this was very frightening. He didn’t want to go; he felt safe where he was. He thought they would kill him if he got moved. He had been moved so many times and each time had roused in him a heart-stopping, panic-stricken fear of being killed. Getting him out of the room and down to the car was difficult. The stupid bastard kept kicking and making noises. He was sure that this time they were going to kill him. One of the Bird Man’s men got a kick in the groin and considered topping him there and then, but The Bird Man would not have liked that.
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
Pieces of the puzzle
Having sorted everything out, The Bird Man sat and drank a hot tea given to him. He asked for a couple of biscuits. He needed a few moments of thought about the next step. He smiled to himself. He was a clever bastard and he would make that snot-nosed DS Singh dance to his tune now. He finished his tea and biscuits, got up and went to his car. His driver, always on duty, gave a quick look around to make sure no one was about and opened the car door as soon as he saw The Bird Man leave the building. The move into the car was slick and quick; you could never be too careful, it was the driver’s job to ensure The Bird Man’s safety, and he took his job very seriously indeed.
It was 9.30 a.m. and The Bird Man sat in his car. With everything in place he rang Jazz. He told him to come to his office in Barking by 10 a.m. and no later. He had the news he was waiting for. Jazz asked urgently if he had got Ash Kumar and whether he was alive, but The Bird Man had already put the phone down; he wasn’t going to answer that question. Jazz and Tom jumped into their car and, hitting the blue light and sirens, made their way to The Bird Man’s office on the Riverside Industrial Estate in record time.
The Bird Man wouldn’t talk in front of Tom Black. One of his henchmen put his bulk in front of Tom and suggested he might like to go back to the car and wait. Tom wasn’t going to argue; he said good luck to Jazz and that he would wait for him in the car. With a nod, Jazz walked forward to the warehouse that was the office of Barry Bentall, The Bird Man of Barking and B4 Transport Managing Director extraordinaire. His haulage fleet was impressive. The trucks and trailers were lined up in a row, gleaming green with ‘B4 Transport’ in big red letters on the sides of the trailers. There had to be at least twenty of them lined up and ready to go. Jazz was escorted to the entrance that also had big ‘B4 Transport’ lettering above the door.
Barry Bentall sat in his huge revolving leather armchair. The outside looked like a warehouse but the room that was his office was done out in light oak and tastefully decorated as befitting a Managing Director. Jazz looked and thought ruefully that crime for slime balls definitely paid! Barry Bentall gestured to the small chair in front of his desk and Jazz sat down meekly. He just wanted Ash back and, with fingers crossed, he asked the question.
Barry Bentall, MD of one of the largest transport companies in Great Britain, currently known as The Bird Man of Barking, and as The Godfather in the East End by all criminals and some members of the public, the bane of the Metropolitan Police, sat smugly looking at this lump of shit before him.
He moved slightly in his chair, causing a creaking and groaning of the finest leather. Jazz waited expectantly.
‘I’ve sorted everything and you are just going to listen,’ said The Bird Man. ‘Remember this, you owe me big time. I’m not only giving you back a live DC Kumar – which makes a bloody change for your record…’
Jazz squirmed at this but sat upright at the good news.
‘But,’ continued The Bird Man, ‘I am also going to solve the Barge Murder for you. I will tell you the name of the person who did it and where you can find him.’
Jazz said nothing but wondered what the fuck The Bird Man could tell him. He already knew it was The Bird Man himself who’d organized the murder of Johnny Peters, and that Freddie Link was there and responsible. The Metropolitan Police were still looking for Freddie who seemed to have disappeared.
Again, Barry Bentall moved in his chair. He was tired; it had been a long night. He had to get this finished now. ‘First things first. You listen good. The person who organized the killing of Johnny Peters, the paedophile, was Vinnie James. I have found out that he used my barge and tried to implicate me. You will know it is Vinnie because he wears the distinctive ring you saw in the video.’
Jazz said that he knew that belonged to Freddie Link.
‘Nah, nah, Freddie didn’t have such a ring. It always belonged to Vinnie James. When you see Vinnie you will clock the ring on his finger. Vinnie’s South London gang got a bit naughty and tried to place me and my boys as the killers. That ain’t working. You will find Vinnie in Rainham. He was a naughty boy and pissed off someone and they topped him. He is on Rainham marshes. When you leave here get someone to find him.’
Jazz saw the game and knew what had happened. He would go along with it. It would be a result for him and Tom in the statistics and would clear one murder on the manor. It kept The Bird Man out of it.
‘Now I come to that piss head of a fucking bollocking pain in the arse of a Detective Constable of yours. He has
got right up my nose. He has been everywhere tonight and it took a lot of work and money on my part to get him back. I worked hard for you, Singh, getting him back alive. I want you to remember that. It makes a bloody change for you to have a live one back; they’re usually stiff by the time you find them.’ Barry Bentall started the rumble in his belly and by the time it reached his throat and came out as a low laugh, Jazz had digested what he said and sat back with relief.
‘So where is he?’ asked Jazz.
‘Not so fast. I need something from you first before I tell you.’ The Bird Man wanted something back for all his hard work. Never mind it was his man who started it and kidnapped DC Kumar. He had, after all, commissioned his Exocet missile of a man, Ian Long, to find him and get him back. He would keep Jazz’s job for him and get him a bit of praise for still having a detective on his team alive and kicking, but also he had found the killer of the Barge Murder. Apart from that The Bird Man had lost sleep getting all this done and he wasn’t going to lose any more.
Jazz interrupted. Although it was hard to say – he didn’t want to jeopardise the possibility of getting Ash back safely – he had to say it. In a pious tone he said, ‘I wont do anything illegal for you. I will not be your puppet or a grass. I am a police officer and I am honest.’
The Bird Man looked at him for a second in surprise and then let out a loud bellowing spray of laughter that went on and on. Jazz found this quite disconcerting and didn’t know why The Bird Man had found what he’d said so funny. The Bird Man wiped his eyes, blew his nose and, between bubbles of laughter that just wouldn’t go away, he tried to pull himself together. ‘God! I needed that. That’s the funniest thing I’ve heard for ages.’