‘No they won’t, they’re cops. We’re smarter than them. We got rid of the evidence remember. It’s still at the cottage isn’t it?’
‘We need to get rid of it Terry.’
‘Don’t worry I’m on my way there right now. The key’s still in the same place isn’t it.’
There was a pause down the line before the man answered ‘Yes.’ There was surprise in his voice.
‘And the supply of food is still well stocked?’
‘Yes I was up there six weeks ago and swapped some – got rid of the out of date stuff.’
‘Good. There’s no need to worry then. I’ll be keeping my head down there. Now you need to calm down and remember what we talked about. You don’t do anything different to what you normally do. And don’t ring me again. You know where I am. Drive across in a fortnight, fetch some fresh stock and we’ll catch up.’ Terrence paused, listening. The man’s breathing had steadied from his initial outburst; a good sign that he still had a calming influence on him. He checked him with, ‘Okay?’
There was another pause before the man answered, ‘Okay.’
‘Good. Now don’t ring this number again. My phone will be off from lunchtime so you won’t be able to get hold of me. And keep it together. They have no idea about you. Just act as normal.’
With that Terrence ended the call. For a moment he held the phone in front of him, staring at the screen until it went into sleep mode. Then he smiled to himself. Things hadn’t changed after all this time – he could still control him.
Slipping his mobile back into his coat pocket, out of the corner of his eye, he ran his gaze back along the line, checking if it looked like anyone had overheard the conversation. Three women immediately behind were deep in conversation. Others appeared to be keeping themselves to themselves. No one was giving him a second glance. At the end of the queue he caught sight of a young woman who looked to be in her mid-twenties, with long dark hair. Although her head was bent – it looked like she was reading one of those e-books he had heard about – he couldn’t help but think how strikingly beautiful she was. He let his eyes linger over her and found himself getting hard. It was just the boost he needed.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
DAY ELEVEN
Once more Hunter found himself unable to sleep. Not only was he still smarting from Dawn’s rollicking, but each time he had attempted to close his eyes the images of Shaggy’s last moments swirled around like a zoetrope inside his head. Finally, at seven a.m. he gave up, crept quietly down stairs and made himself a mug of tea. He drank it staring out through the French doors, watching a not too lively dawn emerging from behind the distant hilltops. Hearing the boys rousing upstairs he boiled the kettle again, setting another cup for Beth. Making two teas he climbed back upstairs, calling for Jonathan and Daniel to make their way to the bathroom, and as an afterthought added, ‘And make sure you brush your teeth properly.’ Pausing on the landing, listening at his son’s door, he heard them get out of bed, and stepped into his own bedroom and set Beth’s drink down on her bedside cabinet. Her eyes were still shut though he could see she was stirring. He kissed her head. ‘I’ll sort the boys. You just get up and wave them off.’
She blinked open her eyes, ‘Aaw, thank you.’
‘I spoil you. And I’m not going anywhere am I?’
Beth forced herself up, brushing straggles of hair from her face. ‘Hunter Kerr I hope that’s not a voice of resignation I can hear. Stop feeling sorry for yourself, you’ve only been suspended. You’ll only be off a couple of days while they investigate.’
‘I could lose my job over this!’
‘You do exaggerate. Course you won’t lose your job. It’s not your fault that guy you were meeting got killed.’
‘It is in a way. There’re rules in place now. It’s not like the old days. I shouldn’t have dealt with him the way I did. And I went against the gaffer’s orders.’
Beth propped herself up, ‘I’m not having you moping round the house all day feeling sorry for yourself. You did what you thought was right under the circumstances and I’m sure they’ll see it like that.’ Pausing she added, ‘I tell you what we’re going to do – we’re going to get the boys off to school and then you and I are going out for the day. I’ll ask your mum and dad to fetch them from school in case we’re late.’
Hunter was about to say that he had too much ringing around to do, but Beth held up her hand to stop him. She said, ‘No arguments. It’s a long time since you and I have done something together.’
Loading their waterproofs and walking shoes into the boot, Hunter and Beth drove Jonathan and Daniel to school, dropped them off, and then began their drive to Robin Hood’s Bay; Beth had chosen the destination – it was one of their favourite coastal haunts and it had been a good few years since they had been there.
Just like all the other times, the journey was sluggish, driving in nose-to-tail traffic right up to Pickering, but once they started the climb onto the moors, and passed The Hole of Horcum, the roads opened up allowing Hunter to put his foot down all the way to Sleights, which was where he turned off onto the winding country lanes – the final leg to the sixteenth century coastal resort that was once a smugglers haven.
Parking in the village’s main car park at the top of a hill, they were met with a sharp wind as they got out of the car and they donned their coats and walking boots quickly before holding onto one another to begin the steep descent down to the harbour.
They chose the footpath because the cobbled roadway looked slippery, but the trek wasn’t easy – lots of steps made up the route, and so they took their time, window browsing in the quaint shops on the way down. Twenty minutes later they made it to the slipway that led to the beach and here they stopped to take in the sea view. The tide was out and Hunter was thankful because the sea was kicking up quite a swell; it meant they could stroll along the beach without being caught by the spray being thrown up.
Beth grabbed hold of his arm and bit by bit they negotiated the seaweed clad slope to the bottom where Hunter cast his eyes across the bay. Scudding clouds filled the sky but it didn’t look like it was going to rain and so they set off towards the distant jutting headland where Ravenscar sat atop.
Hunter loved the sea, and despite the roaring and crashing noise the waves made as they pounded the large rocks that dominated the seashore, somehow the sound was melodious and relaxing. With each step he could feel his stress levels diminishing.
‘Glad you came now?’ Beth asked softly.
Hunter wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close. ‘Definitely. I needed this.’
They walked for half an hour before turning back to the harbour where they headed for the fish and chip shop in the narrow alleyway behind the harbour wall. It was the second time in a week that Hunter had eaten fish and chips but he couldn’t resist the temptation; although it was a good few years since they had been here he had commented on how nicely cooked and fresh the fish had been. Finding a place to sit at the bottom of the harbour wall with Beth, Hunter ate his meal with his fingers, taking in the refreshing salt and seaweed air and listening to the seagulls squawking around them. As he took in the sights and sounds, thoughts of the previous evening drifted into his head. As well as feeling guilty about what had happened to Shaggy, at the same time he couldn’t help but feel resentful that Professional Standards had authorised his suspension when all he had been doing was his job. It was one of those moments that he wished he had something to fall back on so that he could tell them to shove the job up their arses.
‘What are you thinking about?’ Beth’s voice brought back his attention.
‘Nothing.’ He answered still staring out to sea.
‘You’re thinking about last night again aren’t you?’
He was thoughtful for a few seconds before replying, ‘Yes. I can’t help but think that I got him killed.’
‘Hunter we had this conversation earlier. You just listen to me. You didn’t get him killed. How man
y times have you dealt with informants and something’s happened to them?’
‘Loads, but nothing’s ever happened, until last night.’
‘Exactly. You said yourself he called you because it was urgent. What happened to him was going to happen whether he met up with you or not. He knew something and someone wanted him silenced. There was nothing you could have done. In fact, you and Barry could have got shot as well. You want to think yourself lucky.’ Beth scrunched her empty polystyrene tray shut and brushed up next to him. ‘I’m just glad it wasn’t you Hunter.’
Hunter pulled her close and kissed the top of her head. ‘Me too. Love you.’
They meandered back to the car park via the back streets, a more gradual climb that passed a café, where they called in and grabbed a cup of tea each before calling an end to their day at 3p.m. Hunter wanted to make a dent in their return journey before rush hour started.
Entering the car park Hunter felt his mobile vibrate. Taking it out of his pocket he saw that he had three missed calls from Grace, two from Barry and two from Dawn Leggate. It reminded him that all the times he had visited this place he had never been able to get a signal down by the harbour. He dare not ring Barry on this phone because he had already been warned not to contact anyone involved in the investigation, so he brought up Grace’s number and was about to return her call when his mobile rang. He didn’t recognise the number, but somehow he had the feeling that he should answer it and so swiped the screen. ‘Hello, Hunter Kerr.’
‘Detective Sergeant Hunter Kerr?’ the female voice repeated.
Hunter thought she sounded anxious. ‘Yes,’ he replied.
‘Sergeant Kerr, it’s Rosa, Steve’s wife.’
Hunter was about to ask who Steve was and then he twigged. Shaggy! He caught himself. He hadn’t anticipated this call. He could feel his chest tighten and, feeling awkward, he said, ‘I’m sorry about Shaggy, Rosa, I never meant for him to get hurt.’ He found himself stumbling over the words.
‘I don’t blame you Hunter. I know you wouldn’t have got Steve hurt. He trusted you. That’s why he wanted to help you. You helped him in the past. I know that.’ She stifled back a sob and said, ‘It was Danny who shot him.’
‘Danny... Danny Harris. How do you know that?’
‘Mark told me before he ran off.’
‘Mark?’
‘My son. Steve’s step-son.’
‘How does he know? And did you say he’s run off? Why?’
‘It’s a bit of a mess. He’s involved.’
‘Involved?’
‘I don’t mean involved, as in Steve’s death, but he’s got himself involved in Jazz and Danny’s drug dealing. Last week Steve found out that Mark had been running drugs around the estate for them. He searched Mark’s room and found Danny’s gun. We were mortified. As you know, me and Steve have done bits of weed in our time but never any hard stuff or anything to do with the gang’s round here. We had no idea Mark was into it. It’s come as a complete shock. And when Steve found the gun, well, he just went mental with Mark. He told us that Danny had asked him to hide it for him after he shot Sonny. He’s been terrified ever since the shooting. He’s not a bad lad he just got drawn into things through his mates. Steve gave him an ultimatum – told him he had to go to the police and that if he didn’t he would. Mark snatched the gun back and ran out of the house and we’ve not seen him since. That’s when Steve rang you.’
‘Where’s Mark now, Rosa?’
‘I don’t know. I’m worried. I haven’t seen him for three days, but he rang me last night after Steve was shot and told me he didn’t have anything to do with it, it was Danny. I don’t want the same thing happening to him as what’s happened to Steve. You need to find him before they kill him as well. It’s bad enough losing Steve, I don’t want to lose my son as well.’
‘Have you any idea where he is?’
‘No. I can only think he might be with Danny and he’s told him about Steve finding the gun. Why else would Steve have got shot? That’s why I’m worried. Please Hunter, he’s just a kid.’
‘Look Rosa, I need to speak with my boss about this.’
‘Can’t you deal with it Hunter?’
‘I can’t Rosa.’ He didn’t want to reveal he’d been suspended over what had happened to her husband – she wouldn’t understand. He replied, ‘This is beyond me. We’ll need to turn out a team to capture Danny, especially if he’s armed.’
‘But what about Mark? What’s going to happen to him? It’d crucify me if he went to prison.’
‘He won’t go to prison if all he’s done is run Danny’s drugs around the estate, especially as everyone knows what Danny Harris is like. His reputation. They’ll see it for what it is – that Danny forced him. But they will want to speak with him about hiding the gun – he’s a material witness.’
‘I want him back home Hunter. I don’t want anything to happen to him.’
‘Tell you what Rosa, send me Mark’s phone number. We should be able to do a trace and find out where he is.’
There was a slight pause and then Rosa said, ‘I’ll do that. Please bring him home safely. I know he wouldn’t have known what was going to happen to Steve. He was his step-dad but he treated him like a real dad. I know Mark, he’ll be worried stiff about this. I don’t want him to do anything silly.’
‘I’m sure he won’t Rosa. Once you send me that number I’ll make a phone call to my boss, and if in the meantime he contacts you or comes back you ring me straight away. It’s important you do that.’
‘Sure, I will. Thank you Hunter.’ With that she hung up.
Thirty seconds later he had a text message. Hunter opened it and saw that it was a mobile number: Mark’s. He switched back to his phone contacts and dialled Dawn Leggate.
She answered, ‘I thought you were avoiding me.’
Her voice sounded as terse as last night. He replied, ‘Sorry boss, I took a run out to Robin Hood’s Bay with Beth. I’ve had no signal. I’ve just seen you’ve rung me.
‘Even I believe that.’
‘It’s the truth. Honest.’
‘I said I believe you.’ There was a brief pause and then she said, ‘I’ve been ringing you about your suspension. Putting aside that you went against my orders – which I haven’t mentioned to Professional Standards by the way – that’s between you and me, and I’ll sort out some suitable punishment later, but what I’m ringing to tell you is that I’ve asked them to fast-track your case. You don’t deserve it but I need you back on my team as soon as possible. I’m guessing that once everything’s investigated you’ll probably receive words of advice for going against procedure. It’s not helped, though, by both you and Barry sticking to the same story about who’s idea it was to meet with your informant..’
‘It was my idea boss. I took him just for back-up.’
‘I know that Hunter, but Professional Standards don’t. They think there’s something suspicious about you both saying neither of you knew. You could have at least got your story right.’
‘I never thought that Shaggy was going to get shot, did I?’ He could feel his voice rising. He took a deep breath to get a grip of himself; this wasn’t Dawn Leggate’s fault. He added, ‘Sorry boss.’
‘You will be when this is finished. Your actions have really cocked up my investigation. I’m two down and they won’t give me any more resources.’
Hunter found himself apologising again.
‘Anyway, I rang you because I wanted to give you the heads up as to what’s happening about your informant’s killing. Thanks to that sighting you had of the Subaru just before the shooting, they caught it on CCTV coming back onto the main road and managed to track it back to Burngreave. They also got its number – and guess what?’
‘What?’
‘It’s registered to Danny Harris. An operation is being put together as we speak. They’re trying to locate the car and him and hoping to do a dawn raid tomorrow.
‘I may be able to help ther
e, boss.’ He told her about the call he had just received from Rosa and how she had given him her son’s mobile number. ‘She thinks he’s with Danny so if you do a trace it’ll give you his location.’ He read off the number to his Detective Superintendent.
‘That’s great Hunter. I’m going to hang up now and pass this on to the team straight away. I’ll ring you tomorrow as soon as I hear anything. Oh, and watch the news tonight, we’ve just found Braithwaite’s immediate neighbour in Bridlington murdered. A man called Eric Wheelhouse. His body was discovered this morning during enquiries. I’m told the scene is a right mess. I’m about to go up there and liaise with the SIO and see for myself. The guy has multiple stab wounds and he’s been gutted like a fish. The man was disabled – severed his spine in a motorcycle accident – and they found him in his wheelchair with his entrails draped over his lap and get this – he’s had his ears cut off and head phones had been put on covering the mess. The man’s stereo was on full. A couple of Braithwaite’s other neighbours tell us he’s had a beef with Eric over him playing his music too loud. Certainly settled his score with him – the sick bastard.’
‘You’ve got Braithwaite locked up then?’
‘No he’s done a runner. Oh, and one other thing, we’ve found the remains of a body in the cellar of Braithwaite’s old house. We’re going to try and hold that back from the press for a while following the murder in Bridlington. Things are certainly hotting up here.’
‘Just a shame I can’t be involved.’
‘Well you’ve only yourself to blame for that haven’t you. Now, not being rude Hunter but I need to pass on this number you’ve given me. I’ll keep you in the loop and as soon as I hear anything I’ll call you.’
On that note Dawn Leggate ended the call.
Hunter momentary looked out across the top of the bay. The clouds were starting to darken. He became conscious of Beth messing about by the boot, taking off her waterproof jacket and walking shoes. It was time to make tracks home.
Shadow of the Beast: A DS Hunter Kerr Novel Page 16