Bridge of Doom

by George McCartney

  Rubbing the top of his head to try and restore circulation, Jack scowled at Annie and said, 'okay, let's get out of here. We’ll head back to base and see what’s on the memory card.'

  As they drove back down the cul-de-sac Annie paused for a moment outside the nondescript garage entrance and said, 'so could this really be the place where they collect the drug money from all over Edinburgh?'

  'If I was Maxie Glenn, this is exactly the kind of place I would use to collect my week's takings,’ replied Jack. ‘Because it isn't on a through road and it isn't overlooked by any houses or tenements either. And it's also a legitimate business with people coming and going all the time, to collect or drop off cars. So a few extra visitors, discretely dropping off bags of cash once a week, won't attract undue attention.’

  'If we're right about this, Maxie won't want to have the cash on the premises for a minute longer than it needs to be. Let's face it, it would be pretty hard to explain away a couple of hundred grand or more in cash to the cops, by saying you've had a really busy week doing MOT's and fixing punctures.’

  ‘Fingers crossed, this could be the breakthrough we've been praying for.'

  Chapter 58

  After a brief detour to pick up fish and chips, Jack and Annie gathered around the large island worktop in the kitchen back at Moray Place and watched expectantly over Jamie’s shoulder as he inserted the drone's micro SD card into an adapter sleeve and slid it into his laptop.

  'Oh shit,' said Jamie, looking up in horror. 'I don't know what went wrong … the card's completely blank.'

  'Come on … no way,' squawked Jack, choking on a large mouthful of battered cod. 'What the fuck …'

  'Sorry, I just couldn't resist that,' said Jamie with a smirk. 'Relax. We're absolutely cool, guys. The memory card looks as if it's almost full and we should have maybe eighty minutes of video. So, hopefully, it's all good stuff.'

  'Bastard,' said Jack, with feeling. 'Are you trying to give me a heart attack? Okay, no more arsing around, Jamie. I'll do all the funnies, you just play the video.'

  'Right, I'll fast forward through the first ten minutes, when we were trying to find the people carrier, and start the video from when I landed the drone on the flat roof. Okay, now we're now looking from the dead end of the cul-de-sac.'

  'Christ, it's a really sharp picture, Jamie. You were absolutely right. I can clearly read the number plate on the people carrier sitting outside the garage. So we should easily be able to pick out faces as well.'

  'I think so, because just about here a guy comes out of the garage and stands looking up the street and checking his watch, as if he's waiting for someone to arrive. There, just as he turns towards the camera, you can clearly see his face and what he’s wearing. That's the point where I stopped the drone transmitting, to save the battery. I can't wait to see the rest.'

  'Okay, so let the video roll and we’ll see what happens,' said Annie impatiently.

  'Right, we're back with the lookout guy standing outside the garage,' said Jamie. 'And he's still scoping out the street.'

  Five minutes later the trio observed a light coloured VW Golf GTI drive up to the garage. A young man wearing a dark hoodie and track suit bottoms got out of the car carrying a bulging plastic ASDA carrier bag. He bumped fists with the lookout before entering the garage. Ten minutes later he came back out, jumped into his car and reversed at speed back up the street.

  'What do you think, boss?'

  'Well I suppose he could have been delivering groceries from the local supermarket, but somehow I don't think so. I'm know I'm starting to sound like Henry, but I would bet quite a lot of money that was a big bag of cash he just delivered to Maxie.'

  A further ten minutes into the video, they saw the tall burly figure of another man coming out of the garage to chat to the lookout. He began smoking and checking at his watch, just as a second car drew up and a man got out of the passenger seat. This time a plastic grocery bag was handed directly to the bigger man, who accepted it before turning round to face the camera.

  'Is that him?' squealed Annie, jumping off her stool to point excitedly at the laptop screen. 'Is that Maxie?'

  Jack got Jamie to rewind and pause the video before agreeing. 'Bloody hell, you're right, Annie. We've got the bastard bang to rights here on tape, at the garage with a bag of dirty drug money being handed straight to him.'

  'Is this enough on its own to nail Maxie?' asked Jamie.

  'It's a fantastic start, because we're got car registration numbers and clear pictures of Maxie and some of the faces at the top end of the Glenn brothers drug operation, together at the actual location where the weekly take from their drug sales is collected. Believe me, this little video will be like a gift from the Gods for the cops.'

  The trio watched the video to the end, observing three additional money drop-offs at the garage. Then high fives were exchanged before Annie gave her friend an affectionate hug and said, 'you're a genius, Jamie, there's no other word for it.'

  'Look go easy on the compliments, will you, or we'll have to start paying him more money,' cautioned Jack.

  Blushing furiously, Jamie asked, 'so after we pass this video on to the cops, will they scream up the street in a week's time, kick the garage door in and arrest everyone?'

  'Personally I would hold fire, to see if they are using a courier to move the money on. And if they do, I would let him go on his way,' said Jack. 'Obviously with a discrete tail, to see where he goes and find out who else is involved in the money laundering operation. But as soon as the courier is off the scene, the cops can raid the garage and lift Maxie. Of course, that has to be done really fast, to prevent any phone calls being made to warn the rest of Maxie's crew. Once that’s done all of the suspects can be held for twelve hours, initially, and then a further twelve hours if sanctioned by a senior police officer.'

  'But wouldn't Maxie just get lawyered up straight away and start answering 'no comment' to every question? And if he can speak privately to a lawyer, surely his brief would be able to pass word to the courier, to tell him to abort the money run.'

  'Good point, Annie. You're right, because he would be entitled to have a lawyer present, but only if he was being formally interviewed. So the cops can just leave Maxie, and any other gang members they've scooped up, sitting stewing in the cells until they've tracked the courier to his final destination. That way it's all done and dusted before he gets anywhere near a lawyer.'

  'Very sneaky. I like it.'

  'If the cops put enough pressure on, somebody in the organisation usually flips at that point and starts talking, in exchange for a reduced sentence. It might be one of the gang members based here in Edinburgh or, even better, one of the white collar guys at the UK end of the money laundering operation. If they can get somebody to start spilling their guts, Maxie's tits will be well and truly stuck in the wringer.'

  'Okay, but what about his brother Raymond, the sleazy lawyer? We definitely want him locked up as well, because he was the brains behind the Westlink takeover and it was probably his idea to get Henry involved in the first place.'

  'That's a tougher one to call, Annie, because it depends how clever he’s been at covering his tracks. But if Raymond can't come up with a convincing explanation, about where all of the so-called overseas investors money came from, then he's got a major problem. If the authorities put together a strong enough case against Maxie first of all, they can then move against Raymond using Proceeds of Crime legislation to seize money, property or any other assets, which are believed to be derived from criminal activity. It's a really powerful weapon, because it's up to the accused to prove that the money used to buy all of these assets came from a legitimate source.'

  Jack yawned widely and stretched before saying, ‘I’m knackered, so I’m heading off to bed. I honestly don't think there's a whole lot more that we can do on this one. In the morning I'll gather together all of our evidence, Jamie's video files, Henry's letter and then write out a full statement for the cops,
outlining what we've been doing here in Edinburgh for the past two weeks. Obviously I'll concentrate on how the Glenn brothers tried to muscle in on the Westlink project, to launder profits from their drug operations. But I’ll also emphasise that we believe they’re wholly responsible for Henry’s death.’

  ‘What happens then?’

  ‘I’m going to phone Andy Walsh first, before I do anything else, because he has a friend who recently transferred to the new National Crime Agency. The NCA gets involved in big cross-border criminal cases, so that might be the best way to quickly get our information into the right hands.’

  ‘And once that’s done and dusted, we can say goodbye to Guy and the New Town and head back to Glasgow.’

  ‘That’s right, Annie. Our work here on earth is done.’

  Chapter 59

  Two weeks later, back in the JD Investigations office in Glasgow, the two partners were going through their normal morning routine. This entailed Jack staring out of the window, whistling tunelessly and scratching, while Annie got on with the work.

  When the phone rang Annie looked up and glared, prompting Jack to scuttle across the room and pick up.

  'Hi there, Jack, it's Andy Walsh. I’ve got an update on that tasty file you asked me to pass on to the NCA. If you're near a television, I think you’ll be very interested in a news item just starting on BBC Scotland.'

  'Annie, quick … switch on the television. BBC Scotland news.'

  Jack continued his conversation with Andy, as Annie watched dramatic pictures appear on the screen showing the culmination of a tense standoff between armed police and members of the Glenn gang at the garage in Leith. In the background the brief crackle of gunshots could clearly be heard, then silence.

  'Bloody hell,' said Annie. 'How good is this? I hope Henry has a television on, wherever he ended up. Although, I suppose if he did have a television, he'd be watching the horse racing.’

  A breathless female reporter then continued with her report. ‘In related news I understand that up to one hundred police officers are currently involved in an ongoing operation to smash a major drug gang, suspected of being involved in the sale and distribution of Class A drugs, including cocaine and Ecstasy tablets, throughout Edinburgh.’

  The camera then panned to the right of the reporter, who continued, ‘I have with me here Chief Superintendent Daniel Mullen from Police Scotland, who can tell us more about today's dramatic events.’

  Holding a prepared statement, the tall cop licked his lips and began reading. ‘This is an intelligence led operation, the culmination of eighteen months of painstaking surveillance and intelligence gathering, by a large dedicated team of police officers, which today resulted in a series of co-ordinated raids on premises across the Capital.’

  ‘Our intention is to send out a loud clear message, to anyone involved in the supply and distribution of illegal drugs. No matter how sophisticated and well organised these gangs become, we retain the ability to track them down and destroy their distribution networks, which blight the communities where they operate. It's important to understand that this is an ongoing, wide-ranging investigation taking in the UK, the European mainland and beyond. We will in due course be seeking the co-operation of the courts to obtain exemplary sentences, reflecting the seriousness of the offences, for all of those involved in this evil trade. Further information will be released later in the day and I will be in a position to update you then.’

  The reporter then wrapped up her piece by saying, 'just to re-cap, Police Scotland claim to have smashed a major drug ring operating here in Edinburgh. One man is understood to have been shot dead, following a dramatic stand-off with police at a garage in Leith. Four other men are in custody and arrest warrants have been issued for a further six suspects. I understand that this is an ongoing operation, with a number of other premises in Edinburgh still to be searched.’

  Annie muted the sound on the office television and turned round to see Jack pouring two large measures of whisky into coffee cups.

  Offering one to Annie, he raised his cup in a toast and said with a grin, 'we did it, kiddo. According to Andy, the guy who did the money run was followed south, in a joint operation with the National Crime Agency, and observed making large cash deposits at six different banks in and around Birmingham. The banks are co-operating fully and report that all of the cash, totalling two hundred and twenty thousand pounds, was transferred within two hours of being deposited, to a foreign currency exchange in London.'

  'They didn't manage to seize the cash?'

  'No, the cops decided on balance that it was better to let it go into the system, to establish how the Glenn brothers were getting the money out of the country. But the owner of the currency exchange has been arrested and the cops down south are optimistic that he’ll flip soon and give a statement about where exactly the cash went after leaving London. If he’s smart and co-operates with the police, he'll probably get a reduced sentence. So watch this space.'

  ‘It’s completely amazing,’ said Annie. ‘But I don’t understand what all the shooting at the garage was about.’

  'Apparently the gang broke through the rear wall of the garage and tried to escape through somebody's back garden. They nearly got away with it but, for once, the cops were ahead of the game and had the rear of the building covered. When Maxie led the charge and loosed off a couple of shots at the police, they returned fire immediately and killed him. So I'm afraid he won't be getting up from the canvas this time.'

  'But I don't get it, why didn't he just surrender to the police?’ asked Annie. ‘I mean if all of the drug money was off the premises at that point, he could have just denied everything and got lawyered up. Why get involved in a shoot-out?'

  'That was my first thought as well. But when the cops examined Maxie's mobile phone, they found he’d received two phone calls just before he died. Police were simultaneously raiding all of the gang's drug distribution houses in Edinburgh and a couple of gang members were obviously trying to give him a heads-up. Maxie immediately phoned his brother afterwards to share the good news and then he used a Stihl saw to cut a hole in the back wall of the garage.'

  'He knew the raid was a really big deal and that he would be facing some serious jail time. Apparently, he served a couple of jail sentences back in his twenties and swore that he was never ever going back inside.

  Andy was told that at the other locations the police raided, they seized three hand guns, a sawn-off shotgun, six stun guns and three machetes. They also found a large quantity of Class A drugs, mainly cocaine and Ecstasy tablets, with an estimated street value of five million pounds. It just shows the scale of the operation the Glenn brothers were running.'

  'Maxie's no great loss to the world, but what about his brother, Raymond? Did the cops manage to arrest him as well?'

  'It was probably always at the back of his mind that this day might come, Annie. He's a smart guy and a lawyer, remember, so presumably he could have denied everything and waited to see what the strength of evidence was against him, and tried to brass it out.'

  'But he didn't do that. He obviously got the phone call from Maxie and realised that, with their entire drug operation being dismantled before their eyes, there was a shitload of trouble heading his way, regardless of what he did. So he's weighed it all up and made the decision to go on the run.'

  'But surely he can’t have just disappeared into thin air.'

  'The cops had cars sitting outside Raymond’s office as well as his home, ready to pick him up at exactly the same moment as they raided the garage. But whether it was just dumb luck or, who knows, maybe even a tip-off from inside the police, he was nowhere to be found. His office staff are in complete shock and his wife was actually in the middle of doing her ironing when the cops broke the news that an arrest warrant has been issued for her husband.'

  'There's an unconfirmed report that an Edinburgh private hire taxi dropped off a man answering Raymond Glenn's description at a small private airfield in Ea
st Lothian. The pilot filed a flight plan showing Manchester Barton airport as the intended destination. But, big surprise, the plane doesn't seem to have arrived there. It’s anyone's guess where he is right now, but there is some speculation on where he might be heading.'

  ‘I don’t believe it,’ said Annie shaking her head in disappointment.

  'The NCA guys told Andy that the electronic money trail shows most of the ‘investment’ cash that poured into East Coast Ventures over the last five years was channelled through a small Russian owned bank, located in Northern Cyprus. Their working theory at the moment is that the lawyer has a rainy day fund stashed away there, so that's where he's probably headed. You also won't be astonished to learn that the UK currently has no extradition treaty with Northern Cyprus.'

  'So the bum's got away with it?' sighed Annie.

  'It depends how you look at it, I suppose. Okay, he's still got his freedom, for the moment, and no doubt the wife and the kids will join him in the sun at some point. But you never know how that might play out. She might not want to give up her nice life in Edinburgh. But, either way, even if he does manage to stay on the loose, he'll be looking over his shoulder until the day he dies. The Russian mob are also big in Cyprus so there’s a good chance they might want a share of the loot, or all of it.’

  'What about the seizure of assets powers that Jamie was telling us about the other day?'

  'Good point, Annie. If the Glenn brothers are both found guilty, Andy's been told it could be the biggest ever seizure of assets in Scotland, using the Proceeds of Crime Acts. What makes this case so different is the huge amount of property they own. So far the police have found records indicating that, in the UK alone, East Coast Ventures owns four hundred and twenty flats, which are all let out, plus three hotels and a small shopping centre somewhere in Midlothian. There may own other properties abroad, because they were both frequent visitors to the Canary Islands and Cyprus for holidays, but there isn't any information on that yet.'