Ten minutes later they pulled up outside a beautiful sandstone building. The walls outside were made of small round ornate stones, which gave what she guessed was a fairly new building, an old-world charm, a rural Spanish feel.
As if reading her mind, Jimmy said, ‘Looks more like a holiday apartment than a nick.’
Christine nodded as she unclasped her seat belt, and Jimmy turned to face her.
‘What?’ she asked.
‘I was just thinking… it might be better if I went in alone.’
‘How come?’
‘If I play my usual role, I can say I’ve been informed of the arrest of a British national by my contacts in Palma and I have checked to see if he is wanted back in the UK. I can then ascertain, or try to, the strength of what they have.’
‘Sounds like a plan.’
‘I’ll text you as I approach the desk, in case I have to wait, and you give me a call exactly three minutes later.’
‘I don’t follow.’
‘I’ll tell them I’m waiting for a call from the UK to confirm intelligence checks. Hopefully, I can establish the strength of what they have on the back of that, and then when you ring me I’ll pretend you are the UK telling me that he is clean, and is who he says he is.’
‘Ok. But Vinnie was right, you undercover types can’t let go.’
Jimmy laughed and got out of the car, then headed to the front door of the police station.
Ten minutes later Christine’s phone alerted her to a text from Jimmy. It was blank. Three minutes after that, she made the call and Jimmy answered saying that he ‘understood’ and would await the call back in ten minutes’. Christine took the hint and waited ten minutes before calling back. This time Jimmy answered as per their script, thanking her and ending the call. Two minutes after that, he was back outside and headed towards the car.
He climbed in and drove off before he spoke. ‘They’ve got rock all, I’m sure of it.’
‘How do you mean?’
‘They went on the knocker after they found barrel man and it was the waiter at our bloody bar who put Vinnie into bat.’
‘How?
Jimmy explained that the waiter had overheard her, Jimmy and Vinnie’s conversations after seeing Christine return, and then watched Vinnie head off on a mission before returning, after which they all left very quickly. ‘The waiter didn’t know who I was, thankfully, or my cover in the police station might have been blown,’ he said, and then added, ‘but he knew you and Vinnie from previous visits and the cops soon ID-ed you from the beach incident you’d both witnessed.’
‘Bloody waiters.’
‘Only being public-spirited, I guess.’
‘I guess, but what about Vinnie?’
Jimmy went on to say that the phone call had worked well, and they were just waiting for some news from the lab to ‘confirm or deny’ Vinnie’s status as a suspect. Whatever that meant.
Jimmy drove back to Christine’s hotel and no more was said as she mused upon what exactly it all meant. Back at the apartment she made them both a sandwich, before they headed out to try the Roma Bar again.
It was still shut and the neighbours were still no help — different waiter, same result — so they wandered back to the hotel.
They had only been in there for a few minutes when there was a knock on the door. Christine opened it to see Vinnie standing before her.
‘Sorry, in all the rush this morning I forgot to take my key with me,’ he said.
Christine threw her arms around him and gave him a huge hug.
‘Wow, I should get arrested more often!’
‘So you made bail,’ Jimmy shouted from the lounge, as Vinnie and Christine made their way inside.
‘Not funny,’ Vinnie replied.
Christine told Vinnie to sit down and then grabbed a couple of bottles of San Miguel from the fridge, giving Vinnie and Jimmy one each. She went back to get herself a beer when Vinnie started his tale.
It was pretty much as Jimmy had suggested; Vinnie was just an ‘MO suspect,’ as he put it. He went on to explain that whilst he was being booked in at the police station, Fernandez took a call from Palma. Apparently, they had found what could only have been the assailant’s blood on Mr Lolo’s clothes.
‘And as you are uninjured…?’ Jimmy said.
‘Partially, it certainly helped. But they took a DNA swab from me in order to check.’
‘But that would take days, even if it was fast-tracked,’ Jimmy added.
‘True, that’s why Fernandez also requested a sample of blood from me. He said he had no legal grounds to do so, but if I was a different blood group to the assailant’s, then I was in the clear. They’d know that within a couple of hours. So obviously, I gave a sample. They had it tested locally and hey presto. I’m A something or other and the assailant is not.’
‘That’s pretty good of Fernandez,’ Christine said.
‘I’ll say,’ Jimmy said. ‘He could have kept you locked up until the DNA came back. Or at the very least released you without your passport.’
‘You have got your passport, haven’t you?’ Christine asked.
‘Fear not, I have. Fernandez is a good detective. He said he believed me, and didn’t want to waste time on me whilst the real culprit was out there. Especially after a UK agent working for the Spanish police had taken the trouble to drive all the way from Palma, just to verify my credentials.’
‘Glad to be of assistance old boy,’ Jimmy said, in a mock Etonian accent.
They laughed, and Vinnie thanked Jimmy. Christine could feel all the pressure lift. ‘Come on, let’s go and celebrate,’ she said.
‘Vinnie’s buying,’ Jimmy said.
‘At a different bar, though,’ Christine added.
‘Why’s that? I like it there!’ said Vinnie.
‘I’ll explain en route,’ Christine said decidedly. And then there was another knock at the door.
Chapter Seven
Christine reached the door first, as Vinnie turned to see where Jimmy was. Fortunately, he was just passing the bedroom doorway, which was open. Vinnie stood back to let Jimmy pass — having found his apparently misplaced car keys. That was when Vinnie heard Christine’s voice.
‘Detective Fernandez, twice in one day! I hope you have not come for the same reason as your last visit?’
Vinnie quickly launched Jimmy through the open doorway and saw him collide with the double bed as he pulled the door to.
‘Do not worry, I come in peace, but I do need to have a word. Is Senor Palmer in?’
Vinnie joined Christine at the front door, and it was obvious that the detective wished to talk inside. He invited him in and showed him through to the lounge.
‘I thought you would like to know that Senor Lolo has regained consciousness.’
‘I’m pleased to hear that, now you can ask him who really did attack him,’ Vinnie said.
‘We already did. And he is refusing to co-operate. In fact, he is refusing to make a formal complaint.’
‘Why would he do that?’ Christine asked.
‘I have my suspicions. But it further suggests he knows his attacker. And that it is someone he is frightened of.’
‘May I ask, what are your suspicions?’ said Vinnie.
‘Senor Lolo is… known to us.’
‘I guessed that, from the mugshot you showed us,’ Vinnie said.
‘Ah yes, probably an unfortunate choice of photograph. But what I’m going to tell you is in confidence, for your own safety. I ask for your word as a fellow detective that this will go no further,’ Fernandez spoke to both of them, but Vinnie could see his message was aimed at Christine.
They both gave their word, and Fernandez continued. ‘Lolo is suspected to be part of a person-trafficking syndicate, as was the man from the beach who was stabbed. In fact, we think that the young woman who stabbed him, did so in order to escape.’
‘Do you know where the woman is now?’ Christine asked.
‘Unfort
unately not.’
‘What has beach man got to say about it all?’
‘He too refused to make a complaint, and now his whereabouts are also not known, I’m afraid.’
‘So you think the attack on Lolo was connected to all that?’ Vinnie asked.
‘It would appear so, but no one is talking. We have been watching the Roma Bar on and off, and will do so again. So please, stay away.’
‘Don’t worry, I’ll not be going back there,’ Christine said.
‘Nor me,’ Vinnie added. ‘Though I would dearly love a chat with the barman.’
‘I always felt you were a convenient chivo expiatorio,’ Fernandez said.
‘Scapegoat,’ Christine translated.
‘Thank you, senora. In fact, it may be wise to cut your holiday short,’ Fernandez said.
‘Wise, or just safer?’ Christine asked.
‘Both. I think Lolo was attacked firstly, for allowing you into the bar whilst the man from the beach was there, and secondly, for his attempt to warn you off in a way that only raised more questions. It may be that you two are in danger because of what you saw on the beach. But I can’t insist. I leave you to discuss, and thank you again, Senor Palmer, for your understanding.’ Fernandez then stood up and left the apartment without another word.
Vinnie waited until he heard the front door click shut before speaking. ‘Well, what do you reckon to that?’
‘Think we have stumbled into something very interesting.’
‘Interesting indeed,’ Jimmy said, as he re-joined them.
‘I’ve got to say I’m loath to walk away from this,’ Vinnie said.
‘My journalistic juices are bubbling over, too,’ Christine added.
‘I think you are both mad,’ Jimmy told them.
Vinnie went to the fridge and retrieved the last three bottles of San Miguel, and then they all sat around the lounge table to discuss what they should do. Natural instincts aside, Jimmy thought their presence could only aggravate the situation, and potentially hinder Fernandez. Vinnie added that Jimmy needed to ‘get out of Dodge’ before they were seen together. He was grateful for what his mate had done, but didn’t want to compromise his position, or piss off Fernandez, who was clearly staying in Pollensa.
‘Our presence might also put that poor girl in further danger somehow, if she is still about,’ Christine added.
‘Hopefully, she’ll be long gone, but there may well be others. We’d better let Fernandez get on with it without distractions from us,’ Vinnie said, accepting the obvious. Some first holiday this had turned into.
‘I can give you a lift back to Palma tonight, there will be loads of scheduled flights from Palma airport to Manchester, you’ll easily get one tomorrow,’ Jimmy offered.
‘And I guess we get one more night on the piss together,’ Vinnie added.
An hour later, they had handed their room keys in, given the holiday rep a load of old baloney as to why they were leaving early, and had let Fernandez know. When Vinnie came off the phone, he said, ‘He sounded relived, said he’d let me know how things panned out, as a courtesy. And then added that he has a cousin living in Manchester whom he wants to come and visit sometime et cetera…’
‘Well, if he ever comes over, you look after him and then hit him for a return trip here when all the drama’s over,’ Jimmy said, as they made their way to his car.
‘Sounds like a plan,’ Vinnie said.
‘I might fancy somewhere else next time,’ Christine added.
Well, at least there will be a next time, Vinnie thought, as he jumped into the rear of the car. He’d let Christine have the front, so he could stretch out.
Chapter Eight
Vinnie used his phone to get online and found plenty of options for their flight home. He had planned to check the previous night, when they’d first arrived in Palma, but by the time he and Christine had booked into one of the airport hotels, they were hungry so went out for something to eat straightaway and hadn’t come back until much later. They said their goodbyes to Jimmy around midnight, and by virtue of how Vinnie felt this morning, he was glad he hadn’t carried on after that.
‘That’s the second time I’ve seen you looking a tad hungover,’ Christine said, as she bustled around the room. ‘You’re only in your thirties, didn’t realise you were a lightweight.’
‘Didn’t realise you were a heavyweight,’ Vinnie replied, and then had to dodge a pillow. ‘What are you looking for?’ he asked.
‘I emptied my bag onto the table last night, looking for one of the many creams that stop me looking like you in a morning, and my passport must have fallen out. I can’t find it anywhere.’
‘Oh, shit!’ Vinnie said, feeling the morning mist in his head suddenly disappear.
‘Shit indeed. How is the flight search going?’
‘There’s one in three hours and another at five o’clock. Probably others, too. I was about to ask you which one you wanted.’
‘Book the five o’clock, my passport has to be here somewhere, probably under that settee, I’ll check. Then we can take our time.’
Vinnie booked the flights and was surprised that Christine had still not found her passport.
‘Before you ask, I’ve no idea,’ she said. Then a thought occurred to Vinnie. What if she’d lost it when she was accosted? Maybe it had fallen out of her bag somehow. He voiced his concerns.
‘Well, all I know is it’s not here.’
Vinnie then rang Fernandez while Christine called the hotel in Pollensa. She knew she’d picked it up after they had first checked in. Said she never liked leaving it with hotel receptions longer than necessary. He understood that. They both came off the phone around the same time.
‘The room’s been cleaned, definitely no passport.’
‘And Fernandez said that the whole alley had initially been closed off as a crime scene, notwithstanding that Lolo was found in the next street. It was the obvious route from the bar, and as a consequence the whole passageway had been thoroughly searched. No passport, for sure,’ Vinnie added.
‘Damn, damn, damn!’
Damn indeed, Vinnie thought, then asked, ‘Didn’t you hand it over here when we checked in yesterday? It’ll be downstairs. Problem over.’
‘I only wish. The man on the desk insisted on seeing mine straight after yours; you went to find the loo and I searched this damn bag. It’s far too big. I think he got bored waiting, said it would do when we checked out as we were only here overnight. Then you reappeared.’
Vinnie obviously wasn’t aware of this but as things transpired he knew it could have ended up as a much worse situation, but for Jimmy. There was no embassy in Palma, but there was a British consulate, so before they rang there for an appointment to request emergency travel documents, Vinnie rang Jimmy, who, as he’d hoped, knew someone at the consulate. Jimmy rang back and said he had managed to arrange a priority appointment for Christine in two hours’ time. Top man.
They missed lunch but were back at the airport by three: perfect timing. The lady who dealt with Christine seemed to know Jimmy personally, Vinnie would have to ask him about that when they spoke next. Christine was unsure whether to report the loss of her passport as a crime or simply lost property. The lady at the consulate suggested she had probably had her bag dipped at some stage, but recommended they report it as lost. She claimed it would make no difference as the police would not investigate it, but if she reported it stolen there would be more red tape. They took her advice.
It was only a short flight home, two hours and 35 minutes to be exact. Vinnie let Christine have the window seat after all the morning’s drama, and he sat in the middle with an armrest-hogger to his left. As soon as the overweight man paid a visit, he’d reclaim it. Funny how such petty things took on huge importance as in-flight etiquette.
Vinnie had put a call into his boss, Frank Delany, while they were waiting to board. Vinnie told Frank he’d fill him in when he saw him, but he may as well save some of his leav
e and would be back in work tomorrow. Frank sounded relieved. Frank also told him to report straight to the incident room at Preston nick, and then rushed off the phone. Initially, Vinnie assumed that meant there was a job on. But he knew their office was due to be moved to Preston, so it may just have been bumped up the schedule.
Vinnie was a Greater Manchester detective inspector, initially attached to his force’s major incident unit — which meant homicide, normally. But a little while ago the six forces in the north west region had amalgamated their respective major incident units into a regional homicide unit in order to better use their collective resources. Each force’s officers were still based in their local force areas, but came together when a job was on. However, the powers that be had decided to reorganise the unit into three satellite offices; one in Manchester, including the unit’s headquarters, one in Liverpool city centre and one in Preston in Lancashire. Being Manchester officers, both Harry and Vinnie expected to be based back at Trafford Park, but Brian Darlington, the chief constable of Lancashire, had other ideas.
It was only a couple of months since Harry and Vinnie ran a complicated multiple murder job from Preston, all orchestrated by a deranged Ulsterman whose targets included a retired home secretary, no less. They had worked closely with Darlington on that job for various reasons, not least the presence of corruption and falsehoods at every turn. They must have worked a little too closely with him, as when the relevant chiefs agreed the restructure, Darlington put in a request to have Harry and Vinnie based in the purpose-made incident room at Preston Central police station. They were both flattered, really, even if it did mean more travelling, though the chief had also put aside a number of bedrooms at the force’s training centre at Hutton Hall, just outside Preston, for their use.
The Badge & the Pen Thrillers Page 57