by Mari Hannah
Superficial bullshit.
Whether it be a madman letting loose with a gun, or refugees floating in the water having died trying to escape oppression, the majority of spectators responded by blinking away a tear and returning to work. Or, like Jo, turning their backs on the world and its problems whenever they got the chance. Kate felt guilty then. Jo had put her, her family and her work colleagues through a terrible ordeal, but she hadn’t done it on purpose. She deserved a hug, not a verbal slap.
Hank gave Kate a black look as he walked round the front of the car ten minutes later. The door opened and he climbed in. ‘Well played, boss. You really know how to make a girl feel wanted.’
‘Shut up and drive!’
He started the car, a glance into the passenger seat. ‘Why, Kate?’
‘Because I said so.’
‘I mean, why are you here and not in there?’ He flicked his eyes towards the guest accommodation.
Kate had got that the first time round but had chosen to ignore it. She’d handled it badly. That was a given. She didn’t need him to remind her. As he reversed out of their parking spot, then pulled forward, the nose of the car was pointing towards the block-paved drive. Jo was standing at the top where it disappeared round the bend, looking down on them. It was a pitiful sight, one that made Kate’s heart break all over again.
‘Kate …’ Hank didn’t pull away. ‘She’s past herself. Can’t you stick around? I’ll book a room, get a few hours’ kip and pick you up at four. We’ll still make it to Heathrow in time for your shift.’
‘Not an option.’
‘Why not?’
‘Torres wants a meet.’
‘Let her wait.’
‘Yeah, that’ll work.’ She shook her head. ‘I’ll call Jo later, before you and I go our separate ways.’
‘Can’t you call Torres and explain about that?’ He was pointing at her bleeding hand. ‘Make something up. You’re good at that. She’s not equipped with a lie detector, is she? Even if she is, you’d pass. Tell her you fell over. That cut looks nasty. You need to get it stitched—’
‘I’ve had worse shaving my legs. Now get going.’
Kate threw her personal mobile on the dash, insurance in case she walked off with it. As he reversed, Jo got smaller through the front windscreen. Avoiding her gaze, Kate opened the glove box, took out a medical wipe and cleaned the blood away. It stung as she struggled to stick the edges of her wound together with a bandaid. Pity she couldn’t mend a broken heart with one.
The car idled at the junction to allow other traffic to pass behind them. Hank was in no hurry to leave. Kate didn’t say anything. She knew what he was doing. His eyes were on Jo, hers on him. ‘I can’t believe you’re leaving her like that,’ he said. ‘This was your last chance, Kate. You will never forgive yourself if you blow it.’
Slowly, he reversed.
Jo looked so unhappy. So lonely.
‘Stop the car!’
He braked, then pulled forward.
Kate got out and hobbled a few yards up the road. Jo ran towards her, almost knocking her off her feet as they came together. They hung onto one another for what seemed like an eternity.
No words were exchanged.
None was needed.
Kate stepped away, held Jo at arm’s length. ‘You know I can’t live without you, right? I love you … and so, as it happens, does the soppy sod in the car.’
‘I love him too. You?’ Jo waggled her hand from side to side. ‘I’m not so sure about.’
‘You owe him. He made me do it.’
‘He’s watching us.’ Jo’s laughter turned a tap on. A single tear left her right eye, dribbling down her cheek into the corner of her mouth. She moved closer, a whisper in Kate’s ear.
Kate stepped away. ‘Really?’
‘Really. Now go to work.’
‘I’ll call you as soon as I’m able. It might be a while.’
‘Go!’
A nod. A salty kiss. Now they had made their peace, Kate didn’t want to leave, except she knew she must.
57
Hank drove past the cricket pitch, across the bridge and out onto the open road, leaving Minster Lovell behind. Scooping her mobile off the dash, Kate called Bright. They spoke for no longer than a few minutes. He didn’t ask for details. He knew the who, but not where or even how she’d managed to locate Jo while working undercover for Torres. He offered to share the news with the Murder Investigation Team, but that was one job Kate wanted to take on herself. As soon as he hung up, she called Robbo. Her Northumbria squad had waited long enough. There was no doubt in her mind that every single member of her team had been rooting for Jo. For Kate too, now they knew that there was more to their relationship than profiler and SIO working within the same unit.
The ringing tone stopped and Robbo’s voice hit her ear. ‘Guv, how’s it going?’
Kate expected to hear the usual background noise, but there was silence at the other end: no phones ringing, detective banter, the buzz of officers discussing the case they were currently investigating.
Kate checked her watch: almost five.
Had she interrupted an important briefing?
Was Robbo not at work?
‘Is this a bad time?’ she asked.
‘No, go ahead.’
He sounded on edge, which made her wonder if Hank had been right about him. On the other hand, Bright had told her that he was ‘a natural’, but maybe that was to put her in her place, payback for abandoning her post. Technically, she was on leave, a fact that seemed to have passed him by.
She hoped that Robbo hadn’t bitten off more than he could chew. He was dealing with one of the biggest incidents in Northumbria’s history and had been stressing over Jo. Every day since 0113 went down, he’d taken time out to send a text to Kate’s mobile, a few kinds words, a virtual hug to let her know that he was in her corner should she feel the need to talk. He was good like that.
Time to put him out of his misery.
‘Jo made it,’ she said. ‘Tell the squad—’ Six words was all she got out before a roar went up at the other end, cutting off the need to say more. It made her heart swell to listen to the MIT celebrating. She imagined hands punching the air, fist bumps, pats on the back, a drink being hastily arranged for the end of their shift. Robbo must’ve lifted a thumb or put the phone on speaker, as Kate had done.
‘Guv, we’re all thrilled!’
‘I heard.’
‘Was Hank with you when you found her?’
Kate threw her 2ic a smile. ‘There was a bit of hand-holding going on. You know how I hate to hurt his feelings.’
‘Since when?’ Hank raised his voice. ‘Mate, don’t listen to her. I’m beginning to resemble a punchbag.’
Robson laughed. ‘You want me to call on Tom and James?’
‘Not necessary,’ Kate said. ‘Jo has already spoken to them. They’re not kids any more. I’d leave them be. She’s heading north tomorrow. I’m sure she’ll stay in touch. You might even find that phone of hers is switched on—’
‘It is. Lisa just received an alert from EE.’
Now Kate understood the silence that prevailed when he picked up. He’d primed the team for news. It made sense of his nervousness. ‘Why don’t you give her a call?’ she said. ‘Ordinarily she’d fly, but on this occasion she’ll probably opt for the train. I wouldn’t tempt fate if it was me. She might appreciate a lift from the station.’
‘I’ll sort it,’ he said.
‘Anything I need to be aware of?
‘Yes and no.’
‘Anything new on Zhuk and Dobrynin?’
‘No sight of them so far, but the drug squad tipped me off that they’ve had them under observation in the past. Apparently, on each occasion they were observed, the two approached Nikolaev’s home from the east end of the property. They drove in, turned his vehicle around and pulled up to facilitate his exit or entry from the rear nearside passenger seat, directly outside his front door.
’
‘Good work! The bullet entered the right side of his head, yes?’
‘Correct. There was blood spatter on the front door, more at the top of the steps where he fell. His crew must’ve thought there was a chance of survival or they would have dumped him in the lake.’
‘He has a lake?’
‘Kate, he has a private golf course.’
‘We’re in the wrong job, mate.’
Robbo laughed. ‘If Nikolaev was leaving the house, our best guess is that the sniper took his position in the woods on the west side, the opposite if he was entering. The PoLSA team concentrated their efforts on these two locations.’
‘Which was it?’ Kate asked.
‘Vegetation was disturbed in two locations in the woods on the west side of the house.’
‘So Nikolaev was leaving?’
‘Looks like it.’
‘Did you call out the dog section?’
‘I did. There were bike trails where they lost the scent. I can’t say for sure it was the shooter but it looks that way.’
‘OK, keep me posted.’ Kate paused, thoughts of the Russian mafia bringing an image of Brian Allen into sharp focus. ‘Before you go, has anyone been asking for me specifically?’
‘Like who?’
‘Anyone who didn’t leave a name.’
‘Not sure.’
‘Ask around?’
‘Consider it done.’ Robbo rang off.
Hank moved into the outside lane. ‘What was that all about?’
Kate lied. ‘Just wondering if my old man had been in touch. He wouldn’t want me knowing he cared, would he?’ What she really wanted to know was if Brian Allen or one of his cohorts had been checking out her movements, and if her cover was blown. ‘You may as well head home, Hank. Much as I love having you around, your interviews at Heathrow are over and I no longer need an escort. I’m in this up to my neck now. I couldn’t turn my back on the investigation even if I wanted to, but feel free to ship out. The MIT could do with your expertise. I’m going to push on and help nail the bastards who took down that plane. It’s the only thing that matters to me now.’
‘I’m going nowhere,’ Hank said.
58
Kate had been checking her wing mirror at regular intervals to ensure that no one was following. Having noticed her nervousness, and without saying anything, Hank turned the opposite direction to the one she was expecting, crossing the carriageway, going up a side street, then another and another, doing a reciprocal at a roundabout, then finding his way to the motorway via an alternative route, a counter-surveillance technique he excelled at.
An hour into their journey, having taken several detours off the main road and back on again, Kate asked him to pull off the M40 into the southbound Beaconsfield Services on the pretence that she needed a break. It was time to come clean, and she wanted him static when he received news that he would knock him sideways.
And still she checked the road behind …
A few cars followed them off the motorway. It was dark now. Kate was blinded by their headlights, unable to see registrations or faces of the drivers behind, though she was fairly confident they weren’t being tailed. That text from Brian had made her jumpy on the way to Minster Lovell. Kate dismissed it from her mind. She was probably adding two and two, making five.
Or was she?
A text from Torres made her think twice:
You around?
Had a bit of an accident.
Oh no! Tomorrow?
I’ll bring cake.
Kate waited.
Torres didn’t reply.
Kate didn’t expect her to. The texts going back and forth were coded, innocent, one friend to another. If read by anyone else, they would sound like two mates keeping in touch. Bringing cake meant she had something for the special agent. Hank didn’t ask who the texts were from. He probably assumed it was Jo. That suited Kate. With Jo now safe, she had one thing on her mind, something that hadn’t occurred to her till now …
Was she being tailed by someone other than Brian?
Garcia had accessed her burner so they could eavesdrop on Heathrow baggage handlers. Were Homeland Security able to activate the listening device remotely, earwigging on her conversations with Hank? Kate didn’t think so. It would necessitate a link to her voice memos or kick in during an active call. She hadn’t made any or used the app on that phone, but it didn’t mean the special agent hadn’t attached a tracker as a safety measure in case she was in trouble and required extricating from danger. She wouldn’t put it past the US security agency to have done this without telling her.
Two could play at that game.
Kate wasn’t intending to get out of the car, but Hank was keen to stretch his legs and grab a coffee and a sandwich. His burger – although better than the ploughman’s he’d originally ordered for lunch – was a distant memory. Besides, she had a reason of her own to alight from the vehicle. Walking to the rear, she lifted the tailgate, removing the axe she always carried in case of RTAs and other emergencies.
Hank joked. ‘I’m sure they’ll provide us with knives and forks.’
Kate laughed out loud.
He looked on as she crouched down between two cars, removed the SIM from her burner and used the heavy tool to destroy both card and phone. Job done, she discarded the debris in a bin, put the axe back in the boot and walked on, explaining her actions as they approached the service station.
‘Well,’ he said. ‘I can honestly say that is the weirdest anti-surveillance technique I’ve ever witnessed.’
Once inside, Kate got serious. Accessing the text she’d received from Brian on her police mobile, she showed it to Hank as they waited in the cafeteria queue. He studied the content, but didn’t respond until they were seated.
She could see he was shaken.
‘Brian’s right,’ he said. ‘We could do with all the help we can lay our hands on, but how does he know what we’re up to? Looks like you’re compromised—’
‘I think you’ll find that “fat man” refers to you, not me, Hank.’
‘Fair enough, but how in hell’s name does he think he can he help us?’
‘He’s helped us before.’
‘And I’d like to shake his hand for it, but not like this.’
‘We’ll see.’
‘You’re not taking the guy at his word, surely?’
‘No, but neither am I turning down intelligence if he has something we can use.’
‘Kate, you don’t want to go there.’
‘Why not? He’s part of the criminal underbelly, which probably means he’s more clued up than we are, especially down here. We’re incomers with no snouts to turn to. No one we can put the bite on for information. Blue isn’t likely to share, is he? Not after I spurned his advances and boned him for putting Jo’s name in the papers to get at me. He’s a walking, talking egomaniac – that’s if he still has a job.’
‘He doesn’t, not in the Casualty Bureau. Following a few choice words from Bright, Waverley got rid.’
‘Yeah, well, I hope he’s on traffic duty.’
‘He had two black eyes at his leaving do.’
‘Outstanding! I prefer Brian any day.’
‘He murdered the O’Kane brothers in cold blood.’
‘Yeah, yeah. Tell me something I don’t know.’
‘Kate, you can’t meet with him.’
‘I can and I will.’
‘Then be prepared to lock him up.’
She admonished him with her eyes. ‘You don’t want that any more than I do.’
‘To be honest, no. But he’s wanted on a double murder charge. Anyway, he’s not the kind of guy who’d come out of hiding unless it was mutually beneficial. What does he want?’
‘Let’s ask him. He came out of the shadows to right a wrong, Hank. Imagine if someone tortured your lad to death. I’m not excusing his behaviour, but I do understand it – and so do you, deep down. Aren’t you grateful?’
There, she’d said it.
They were going round and round in circles, getting nowhere fast. And still the old case rolled around in her head, a gangland war that had gone on for two decades, unfinished business that had led her to Spain on the trail of a man hell-bent on killing Brian Allen and coming off worse. She’d worked out that Craig O’Kane had gone there with the express intention of avenging his father’s death and, more recently, that of his brother, Finn. And when Hank was chasing up a lead, Brian was the man who stepped out of the shadows to save his life.
She’d never forget that day …
Before leaving the UK, Kate had liaised with the head of the Serious Organised Crime Agency’s European operations. Back in 2006 they’d enlisted the cooperation of the Spanish police in launching Operation Captura on the Costa del Sol, and since then they’d been collaborating in an international effort to detain and prosecute fugitives living abroad. Kate had added Brian Allen and Craig O’Kane to their ‘most wanted’ list. The Spaniards were keen to dovetail with British law enforcement in much the same way as US SAC Torres was doing now.
Getting to her feet, Kate put on her coat, keen to press on. Hank followed her out of the service station, giving her the benefit of his advice as they wended their way through parked cars to reach their own.
‘You’re playing with fire, Kate.’
‘I’m aware. We’re not investigating one murder or two. Mass murder means we need to be smarter. Prepared for anything. The ends justify the means.’
‘You’re consulting with Torres, right?’
‘When I have something for her, of course.’ Kate stopped walking and turned to face him. ‘She’ll be shaking our hands if we pull this off, but let’s get one thing straight: I intend using everything in my armoury to investigate 0113, including Brian Allen. Torres isn’t the kind of agent who’ll stand on ceremony. If Brian can provide the key, I’m happy to unlock the case. Torres wants results. That’s her endgame. She won’t give a shit as to how we go about it. She’s more likely to pin a medal on a guy who’d saved a cop from certain death than shaft him. You may have reservations about meeting him. I have no such qualms. Are we clear?’