Bad to the Bone

by Tony J. Forder

  ‘So when you drove up there to question him, you were thinking along the lines that Rhodes was involved in a significant way?’

  ‘At that point, yes.’

  ‘And now you’re telling me that you knew about the murders of ex-officers, suspected a fellow serving officer of being involved with those murders and that of Jodie Maybanks, yet you reported none of this to Superintendent Sykes. That you deliberately withheld information germane to the case your team were working on.’

  Bliss licked his lips and shook his head. ‘That’s not quite accurate, sir. The squad had been wound down when I put all the pieces together. Weller’s death is still officially listed as an RTA, and Dean’s name meant nothing to me at first, so there was no initial link between them. Like I said, it was only yesterday morning that I really saw the bigger picture. Even then it was still sketchy. It was just about my only lead, and I felt I had to act. I took an instinctive risk. Later, Rhodes killing his wife and then offing himself became the final piece of the puzzle.’

  Flynn took a deep breath, exhaled through his nose. ‘Your allegation against Rhodes is enormous, Bliss. The repercussions, if you’re right, will have a huge impact on us all. If you’re wrong, you’ll be out on a limb I won’t be able to rescue you from. That said, I’ve not heard anything to substantiate your belief. Conjecture and suspicion, yes. But evidence…?’

  ‘That’s why I’m here now, sir. I’m the first to acknowledge that what I have amounts to very little, certainly nothing to build a case on. But if I’m right, you won’t want it sneaking up on you. If I’m wrong, it need go no further than these four walls.’

  ‘What exactly are you asking for?’

  ‘A few days. A week, maybe. Long enough to keep Sykes off my back while I firm up my suspicions. I know it was Rhodes, sir. And I know I can prove it if you give me enough time. What you do with any proof that I provide will be entirely up to you.’

  Flynn ran a hand across his face. He appeared deeply troubled. Clearly he was weighing up his options. ‘So at the moment, only you and I are aware of your suspicions?’

  ‘Correct. DC Chandler was with me yesterday, but she knows only the official line. I have deliberately kept my own thoughts to myself.’

  ‘And if you do get something on Rhodes you’ll come straight to me, yes?’

  ‘Of course.’

  ‘And if you don’t?’

  ‘I’ll close the book on it.’

  ‘But what happens if anyone else gets wind of what you’re up to?’

  ‘Then, as you said earlier, I’m on my own. I just have to be careful.’

  Flynn gave a curt nod. ‘I’ll give you two days. Officially you’ll be working with the SIO over at Hunstanton, looking into Rhodes’s background, assessing what might have driven him to the murder/suicide. I will inform Superintendent Sykes that you will be reporting directly to me. I will want daily reports from you, Bliss.’

  ‘Yes, sir. Of course.’ Bliss felt both elation at being given the time and space he needed, and a sense of anger and frustration at what Flynn thought he was getting away with. The temptation to throw it all in the man’s face right now was almost irresistible, but Bliss knew he had to snap a lid on it. Despite the fact that he liked Flynn, he was determined to nail the murdering bastard.

  ‘So, what’s this I hear about your relationship with a prostitute?’

  The question came out of nowhere, and Bliss felt his cheeks burn. He made light of it. ‘Someone’s idea of a joke. Connie Rawlings was the one who reported Jodie Maybanks missing back in nineteen ninety.’

  ‘Yes, I read your report on that. So why the follow-up visit?’

  Reminding himself that Flynn was probably more interested in potential links to himself than a genuine interest in the case, Bliss chose his words carefully. ‘Well, as you will know, she gave up the name of Simon Palmer. We looked at him, but ruled him out. She also mentioned Jodie’s dealer, but again we drew a blank. I wanted to see if she could think of anyone else Jodie may have been involved with.’

  ‘She gave you Rhodes?’ Flynn’s gaze became rigid.

  Bliss bought himself a moment by faking a coughing fit. He could tie this in quite neatly, but Flynn might know whether Rhodes had any dealings with Jodie Maybanks. The scenario was working out too well to push his luck and perhaps trigger any alarms.

  ‘No, she didn’t,’ Bliss said, shaking his head. ‘Palmer and the dealer were the only leads she was able to give me. I don’t believe she was holding anything back, either.’

  Flynn pushed himself back in his chair. ‘And now I hear the poor woman has been murdered.’

  ‘I just found that out myself, sir. I suspect Rhodes drove back here yesterday to take care of Connie Rawlings, tie up a loose end just in case. It all fits, sir. I just need to prove it.’

  ‘Very well. And the murder of this Rawlings woman, are you clear on that?’

  Bliss knew what he meant. ‘I’ve made my feelings on the matter quite clear to Superintendent Sykes. I’m not going anywhere, so if he wants to take the matter further, I’ll make myself available.’

  ‘Very well. Perhaps it’s a good thing that you’ll be out of his hair for a couple of days. A cooling off period, eh? Now then, as DC Chandler was with you yesterday, how certain are you that she suspects nothing?’

  ‘Absolutely positive, sir. I mean, she has all the information I have, but shares none of my suspicions. Chandler hasn’t made that leap, and I’ve been careful not to lead her there.’

  ‘Even so, you won’t want to involve her in this any longer. As far as she is concerned, as far as anyone else is concerned, what happened with Rhodes and his wife is a terrible tragedy.’

  ‘And the Jodie Maybanks inquiry?’

  ‘Officially? Put it to bed, Bliss. Open unsolved, but no longer being actively investigated.’

  Bliss had what he wanted. At any other time he would have felt victorious. Now he merely felt dirty and squalid. As he left the office, a tightening of his pectoral muscles caused his stomach to cramp. The spasm swiftly worked its way up to his head, and he was left with a nagging sensation that he might have missed something. Something potentially crucial. That something important had passed him by, something that had been said yet he’d not immediately grasped the significance of.

  He let it go. Took a few deep breaths in the corridor outside Flynn’s office. It would come to him provided he didn’t focus on it. At least, he hoped it would. At this stage he needed every possible break he could get.

  Chapter 34

  ‘Paranoia creeping in?’ Bobby Dunne asked, taking a final pull on his cigarette before tossing it away into the swirling river. The Nene was running high following all the recent rain, and its current was lively.

  Bliss gave a tight smile. He’d decided to catch up with Chandler and Dunne somewhere other than his office, away from Thorpe Wood altogether, so the three of them were now gathered together on the deck of his boat, the Mourinho.

  ‘Maybe a little,’ he admitted, allowing a slight dip of the head. ‘But we can’t afford for a single word of what we’re about to discuss to be overheard, and frankly we probably shouldn’t even be seen huddled together from this point on. The situation is fragile right now.’

  ‘I’m not sure I like where this conversation is headed,’ Chandler told him, her eyes betraying both caution and strain. ‘What exactly has happened, boss?’

  ‘I went to see Flynn.’

  He saw both his colleagues stiffen. Bliss held up a hand to forestall any immediate response. Then he told them what had been discussed, the arrangements that had been made. He spoke with a great deal more confidence than he actually felt.

  ‘That was one hell of a risk you took,’ Dunne said when Bliss was finished. The big man lit another cigarette, hands trembling slightly. Bliss wondered whether anger or fear had triggered the reaction. Perhaps even a measure of both.

  ‘True,’ he replied. ‘But you’ll be pleased to know that in doing so I manag
ed to keep you two well away from the coal face. As far as Flynn is concerned, neither of you has the same sort of concerns as me. You’re both in the clear, and to be perfectly honest, right now I’ll settle for that.’

  ‘But doesn’t that mean we can’t help you, either?’ Chandler asked.

  ‘I’m afraid so.’

  ‘Then I wish you hadn’t settled. If Flynn truly believes you’re going to be looking into the role Rhodes had, then you could have fought for some backup.’

  ‘I got as much from Flynn as he was willing to give. The fact is, Pen, I went to him with this story to buy some time, not with any real expectation. Somehow I have to investigate Flynn himself while appearing to be working on Rhodes. That’s hard enough for me to do, let alone two or even three of us. In my opinion, this was the only way forward. I had to make a judgement call.’

  Chandler breathed a sigh, but made no remark. She would be annoyed, but in time she would see he was right. Bliss turned to Dunne. ‘Bobby, you can help me just a little by using your personal knowledge to put together a list of people Flynn has worked with. Two columns: those still around, those no longer in the job. And asterisk any you recall who might have had a beef with Flynn.’

  ‘I’ll do my best, but I really don’t know Flynn’s colleagues that well. We never worked together that often – he’s always been ahead of me on the rank ladder, and we’re not exactly on the same social circuit.’

  ‘Your best is all I ask.’

  ‘And me?’ Chandler demanded. ‘Despite what you told Flynn, there must be something I can do to help.’

  Bliss cast a glance upstream. One day he would take this boat and give it a run out. One day soon, perhaps. Maybe even sail it away and never come back. He didn’t believe himself to be a stupid person, so the knowledge that he was hunting a man who might yet be responsible for murder caused more than a ripple of trepidation to course through his veins. But fear had to be dominated, conquered, and Bliss backed himself and his abilities. Without that inner belief he would be lost.

  Where he felt vulnerable was in his responsibility for others. When he wasn’t putting colleagues in harm’s way, he was wrapping them in cotton wool. Only in considering his partners was he indecisive, and that led to mistakes. The task he had given Dunne was a simple one, but for Chandler he could give all or nothing.

  ‘Let me think about it,’ he said finally. ‘Give me a bit of time.’

  She nodded. ‘I’m still not sure what we have to go on, exactly. Either of you want to run it by me?’

  ‘What we have is a mess,’ Dunne said flatly. ‘A big fucking shitload of mess.’

  Bliss couldn’t argue with that. ‘After I left Flynn’s office I forced myself to take a step back, to try and see the whole case with a fresh eye. It’s difficult, because there are now prejudices, but still it makes you question everything again.’

  ‘And what conclusion did you arrive at?’

  Bliss managed a choked laugh. ‘None. Mainly because what we actually know amounts to very little. What we surmise comprises the vast majority of our case. And as for what we can prove… forget it. We do know that Rhodes cannot have been involved in the incident where Jodie Maybanks was run down. We also know that Flynn closed the book on that and the missing persons report lodged by Connie Rawlings, and that he was one of Jodie’s regular customers.’

  ‘So either of them could have murdered Jodie,’ Chandler said.

  ‘Or neither,’ Bliss shot back.

  ‘Neither? Who else is in the frame?’

  Bliss rubbed a finger over his scar. ‘You know, I’ve been kicking myself for not focusing on Clive Rhodes earlier. But there is someone we’ve never so much as suggested could be in the frame, and that’s Hendry.’

  ‘Hendry?’ Dunne shook his head. ‘Sorry, boss, but I’m not buying that. I’ve spoken to him twice now, and I’m telling you if he’s guilty of anything then he’s the best I’ve ever seen.’

  ‘And I’m not doubting your ability, Bobby. But of all the officers other than Flynn who were involved in the two incidents, Hendry is now the only one still alive. Maybe there’s a reason for that.’

  Now Chandler was shaking her head as well. ‘I don’t know, Jimmy. I’m not sure we should be thinking about anyone other than Rhodes and Flynn at this late stage in the proceedings. I realise we have no firm evidence against either of them, but I think we can all agree that our combined experience is telling us that those two are in it up to their necks. All we haven’t been able to do as yet is apportion blame.’

  Reluctantly, Bliss was forced to concede the point. ‘All right. If I had to wager on it, this is how I think it went down: Flynn gets Jodie pregnant. They argue, he wants her to have an abortion, she threatens him with exposure. Flynn chases after her, accidentally knocks her down. He manages to force her into his car, but now her threats increase, so he takes her over by the lake, strangles her and buries her. With me so far?’ He looked between them. They both nodded.

  ‘Good. Now, I haven’t come up with a good theory as to how Rhodes and Flynn end up involved together, except perhaps that Rhodes may have been paid to move Jodie’s corpse and also take care of Weller and Dean. I’m sure now it was Rhodes who shoved me off the road, so I’m guessing he did the same to Weller.’

  ‘So Flynn is responsible only for Jodie’s murder?’ Dunne said.

  ‘Only? It’s still murder. But yes, it’s as likely as any other scenario.’

  ‘We’re still guessing. Still pissing in the wind. And I have to say, boss, I can’t see you improving on that. I mean, say you’re spot on and all that really took place exactly the way you said it did. Right now Flynn is sitting back thinking it’s all over bar the shouting. I know you want justice for Jodie Maybanks, I know you don’t want a guilty man to go about his business, especially if that business is being our boss. But we don’t always get our man. We’re not the fucking Mounties. And the truth is that there’s no one left to finger Flynn. Even your witness, Connie Rawlings, the one who could have put Flynn and Jodie together, is now dead. So unless you come up with an eye witness who actually saw Flynn commit murder, you are never going to make a case against him.’

  Bliss regarded Dunne thoughtfully. He’d never heard his colleague say so much in one go. And the problem was, what Bobby said had made perfect sense. He turned to Chandler.

  ‘Pen? You agree with Bobby’s assessment?’

  She didn’t need much time for reflection. ‘I’m afraid I do.’ She nodded emphatically. ‘I’m sorry, Jimmy, but I don’t see how you can get a result here.’

  ‘This isn’t just for Jodie Maybanks,’ he reminded them both, feeling himself start to flounder. ‘Are you forgetting about two fellow police officers? And how about Connie Rawlings? Doesn’t she deserve some justice?’

  ‘Since when did deserving justice ever mean you got it?’ Dunne asked. ‘None of us want to see Flynn get away with this, boss. But you’re not being reasonable. You are not going to take Flynn down. But if you go hunting, one way or another, he might just take you down instead. Fight the battles you can win. Isn’t that what you’ve always told us?’

  Letting go a huge sigh, Bliss felt the set of his shoulders weaken. ‘I know. You’re right. You both are. I’m wearing blinkers on this one, and that’s probably because I feel so betrayed. I thought Joe Flynn was one of us. One of the good guys.’

  ‘So what now?’ Chandler asked. ‘Where do we go from here?’

  ‘You two head back to Thorpe Wood. Sykes will be looking for me again, so fend him off as best you can. I’m going to stay here and think a few things through. I can’t blunder into this anymore. I have to tread carefully now.’

  ‘There’s a first time for everything, I suppose,’ Chandler said. Bliss could tell she was hurting as much as he was, but doing her best to hide it from him.

  He smiled. Nodded. ‘Maybe even a first time for you not to give me grief?’

  ‘Oh, God no. I’d never go that far.’

&nbs
p; They laughed, even Bobby Dunne, his huge shoulders juddering.

  Bliss hung around for thirty minutes or so after Chandler and Dunne had left. Nothing was sitting right with him, and as usual he wondered if he was overlooking something obvious. The nagging sensation that something crucial had been said earlier in the day still dragged hooks in him. No matter which way he went, either focusing on his conversation with Flynn or trying to ignore it, the answer remained elusive. Frustration raged inside him, and Bliss was starting to feel bowed by the case.

  When his mobile went off his first thought was to ignore it. When he saw Bobby Dunne’s name on the screen he flipped the phone open and accepted the call.

  ‘Make a note of this number and call it right away,’ said Dunne. His voice carried a hint of regret. He read out a number.

  ‘Who am I calling?’ Bliss asked, memorising the digits.

  ‘A reporter with the Evening Telegraph. She’s running an item on you and wants your comments before going to print.’

  Bliss checked his watch. He doubted there was time for it to be run today, but a story might be already written and awaiting the okay. ‘Damn! I bet it’s Sheryl Craig.’

  ‘It is. She’s the one who’s given you a hard time in the past, right?’

  ‘That’s an understatement. Did she say what it was about?’

  ‘Yeah. It’s about the murder of Connie Rawlings. Your name features prominently. That’s all I know.’

  Bliss thanked Dunne, broke the connection and tapped in the number he’d been given. His hands were shaking. He’d considered the possibility of something leaking out to the press, but the timing could not have been worse.

  ‘Sheryl Craig,’ he heard.

  ‘This is Detective Inspector Bliss. I understand you’ve been trying to get hold of me.’ His voice was calm, the churning in his stomach anything but.

  ‘Yes, thanks for calling me back. Inspector, I’m about to run a piece on the murder of a prostitute by the name of Connie Rawlings. Your name has come up, and in a very big way. I would like to add a bit of balance to the piece, so I thought I’d give you the opportunity of commenting.’