Forgotten by everyone. Except me.
‘Look, can you let me out of here? I need a doctor for these fucking burns. I’m in a lot of pain.’
I continued to stare out of the window, puffing thoughtfully on my cigarette. I thought of Carla Graham and wondered if, had she lived, we’d have got anywhere together.
‘You know, Kover,’ I said, speaking without looking at him, ‘I’ve done a lot of bad things in my life.’
‘Look, I’ve answered your quest—’
‘Some of them really bad.’
‘Don’t do anything stupid, please!’
‘This, however, is not one of them.’
I swung round, and before he could react the cigarette had left my hand and the funeral pyre began to burn, the roar of the flames drowned out by his screams.
38
Raymond Keen. The instigator of it all. Like a fat, malevolent spider, he’d watched over this bloody web of murder, greed and corruption, unworried by who got caught up in it and how they met their ends. Only he could supply the final answers to my questions. And only by ending his life could I finally redeem myself in my own eyes, and the eyes of those who would sit and judge me.
I drove across the rain-soaked city, my mind a wasteland of torn images. Somewhere inside I felt fear, a fear that I might die in my pursuit of justice and revenge, that my time on this earth might be only hours from completion. But hatred conquered it. It was a hatred that seemed to rise right up from the unmarked graves of not only the children Raymond had murdered, but from every victim of every injustice in the world. In the end, it would only subside when my revenge was complete.
I stopped at a phone box on a lonely back road in Enfield and put a call through to the number of a restaurant in Tottenham that Roy Shelley had given me. A foreign-sounding man answered and I asked to speak to Mehmet Illan. The man claimed not to know anyone of that name, which I’d half expected.
‘Look, this is urgent. Very urgent. Tell him it’s Dennis Milne and I must speak to him.’
‘I told you, I don’t know no Mehmet Illan.’
I reeled out the number I was calling from. ‘He will want to speak to me, I promise you. Do you understand?’ I repeated the number, and I got the impression that he was writing it down.
‘I told you—’
‘I’m only going to be on this number for the next fifteen minutes. It’s a payphone. After fifteen minutes I’m gone, and he’ll regret the fact that he missed me.’
I hung up, and lit a cigarette. Outside, the rain continued to tip down and the street was empty. There were lights on in the houses opposite and I watched them vaguely, looking for signs of life. But there was nothing. It was as if the whole world was asleep. Or dead.
The phone rang. It was barely a minute since my call to the restaurant. I picked up on the second ring.
‘Dennis Milne.’
‘What is it you want?’ The voice was slow and confident, and the accent cultured. He sounded like he was from one of the higher social classes in his native land.
‘I want you to do something for me. And in return I’ll do something for you.’
‘Is your line secure?’
‘It’s a payphone. I’ve never used it before.’
‘What do you want me to do?’
‘I want you, or some of your representatives, to get rid of Raymond Keen. Permanently.’
There was a deep but not unpleasant chuckle at the other end. ‘I think you’re making some sort of mistake. I don’t even know a Raymond Keen.’
‘Raymond Keen’s going down. I’ve got evidence that’s going to convict him of some pretty horrendous crimes.’
‘I don’t see what that’s got to do with me.’
‘If he goes down, he’ll talk, and my understanding is you’ve got an interesting business relationship with him. One you’d rather keep secret.’
‘What evidence, exactly, do you have on this Raymond Keen you’re talking about?’
I took out the portable tape player on which I’d recorded the interrogation of Kover. ‘This,’ I said, pressing the play button and putting the machine next to the mouthpiece. I’d wound it forward to the most incriminating part and was pleased at how good the sound quality was. Kover detailed Raymond’s role in the murder not only of Miriam Fox but of as many as four other young girls as well. I switched it off before I got to the bit where I incinerated him.
‘It sounds like a lot of that so-called confession was given under extreme duress. Surely, then, it would not be admissible in a court of law?’
‘Maybe not, but if it fell into the hands of the police, I’m certain they would have to act on it. And I think you’d find they’d leave no stone unturned to put him away, and if they did that .. . well ... I imagine they’d turn up a lot of stuff that would affect other people. And those people might get tarred with the same brush. And who wants to be closely associated with a child killer? Because I can assure you that’s exactly what Raymond Keen is.’ There was silence on the other end of the line. ‘Raymond’s at home at the moment. I think he’s getting a little nervous about things. In fact, I think he might be preparing to fly the nest even as we speak, so you’re going to have to be quick about things. If he’s still alive in twenty-four hours the police are going to get that tape I’ve just played you, plus all the other evidence I’ve unearthed on Raymond’s nasty little sideline.’
‘And after that? If Raymond Keen disappears, what guarantees are there that there will be no further repercussions?’
‘I’ll have got what I wanted. The tape’ll be destroyed because, as you say, it incriminates me as well, and I’ll disappear off the face of the earth.’
‘You could be recording this conversation. What’s to stop it being used against Mehmet Illan at a later date?’
‘You’re just going to have to trust me on that. Whatever happens, if Raymond’s still alive tomorrow night, I’m going to the police. If he isn’t, I won’t. And to be honest, I’d prefer not to.’
‘It would be useful if you disappeared sooner rather than later.’
‘The moment Keen’s gone, so am I.’
‘OK. Well, thank you very much for your call.’
‘One last question. My driver for the hit at the Traveller’s Rest. Do you know what’s happened to him?’
‘I’m afraid I can’t help you there.’
I didn’t say anything. Maybe he was telling the truth, maybe he wasn’t. He hung up without further comment, and I slowly replaced the receiver in its cradle. Would he take the bait? I thought he had enough incentive, but I couldn’t be sure, and I wasn’t a hundred per cent certain he had the necessary firepower to carry out an assault on Raymond’s place. After all, the two men he’d sent against me had hardly been armed to the teeth. One had had a sawn-off, the other a revolver with a badly sighted barrel. And they hadn’t exactly been accomplished assassins either. But he was going to want Raymond out of the way, and badly, which counted in my favour.
I got back in the car and thought about driving back to Bayswater, but decided against it. I hoped that I had just sentenced Raymond Keen to death, but maybe Illan would call my bluff and do nothing. I decided I had to go to Raymond’s house, to check that he was there and what the level of his security was. I was armed, so if he was on his own I’d finish him off myself, but only after I’d found out who else, if anyone, was involved in the killing of the kids.
It was a quarter to ten and still raining when I pulled up just down the street from Raymond’s residence. It was a big, modern house set behind high walls, part of a very plush new estate built on what was once farmland, a mile or so out of the nearest village. Only he and Luke lived there now. Raymond’s wife had died ten years ago, supposedly the result of natural causes, but in the light of what I’d heard about Raymond these past few hours, even that diagnosis had to be taken with a pinch of salt. He had three kids, all girls, ironically enough, and all grown up and moved away, so it would just be him and whatever se
curity cover he had.
I got out of the car, took my raincoat containing the MAC 10 and the Browning from the back seat, and put it on. The street was empty, with not a single car parked on it, and the houses were far enough apart to give the area a real sense of privacy. I assumed the sort of people who lived here were City bankers and lawyers, high-fliers who liked to think that they’d achieved something in life because their houses had eight bedrooms and walk-in wardrobes. They were going to get one hell of a shock when they found out what one of their neighbours had been up to, but, you never know, perhaps they’d enjoy the controversy. At least it would give them something to talk about.
The wall bordering Raymond’s property was ten feet high and topped with short, vertical spikes to deter intruders. I walked up in the direction of the front gate, keeping an eye out just in case this place too was under surveillance. Not surprisingly, the imposing wooden gates were locked and access was via an intercom system. I walked back to the car and drove it slowly down until it was parallel to the wall. I then brought it up on to the kerb and as close to the wall as I could. Hoping that no one was going to pay too much attention to my vehicle and its strange parking position, I listened for a moment and, hearing nothing, clambered up on to the roof. My head was now just below the top of the wall.
I took a deep breath and jumped up, grabbing hold of two of the railings, scrambling upwards until my feet were at the top of the wall and I was bent over almost double, my toes touching the railings only inches from my fingers. It was a painful position to hold. Below me I could see a thick, wiry hedge that looked as though it would provide an extremely painful landing. Gingerly I stepped over the railings and tried to turn myself round so that I was facing out on to the road, but started to lose my footing. As I slipped, I jumped at the same time, just managing to clear the hedge. I landed awkwardly on the grass, a sharp pain shooting up both legs, and rolled over in the wet, hoping I hadn’t broken anything. I lay where I’d fallen for a few seconds, letting the pain in my ankles fade away, then slowly got to my feet. I took the MAC 10 from my pocket and loaded the magazine into it, flicking off the safety at the same time.
The house was about fifty yards in front of me, a large three-storey rectangular structure that looked like an attempt to recreate, with some success, one of those country houses of old. There was a drive that went right down to it before widening to encompass the whole façade of the building. Raymond’s blue Bentley was parked outside, along with a Range Rover that I think belonged to Luke. What immediately caught my attention was the fact that Raymond’s boot was open, as was the front door to the house. There were a lot of lights on inside and I got the feeling that something was going on.
The lawn leading up to the house was peppered with apple trees, giving enough cover for me to make a cautious approach. When I got to the edge of the driveway, about ten yards from the front door, I crouched behind one of them, shivering against the wet, pondering my next move. I didn’t want a confrontation, not if I could help it. Far better to let Illan do the dirty work.
The sound of voices came from inside, and Raymond emerged with Luke in tow. Both were carrying suitcases. Raymond was complaining loudly about the inclement weather, though quite what he expected of England at the end of November was beyond me.
‘I’ll be glad to fucking get away,’ he told Luke as they placed the cases in the back of the Bentley. ‘I’m not fucking bullshitting you, I’ve had enough. It’s no wonder our ancestors conquered the fucking world. Anything to have got out of this shithole.’
They turned to go back inside, Raymond still moaning, Luke still grunting in a weak effort to sound interested in what his boss was saying. So, my guess had been right. He was fleeing the coop. An intelligent move. The only problem from Raymond’s point of view was that it wasn’t going to happen.
I moved out from behind the tree and crept over the gravelled driveway until I was up at the house. Then, slowly, I made my way round towards the front door. Because of the way the porch jutted out a few feet from the rest of the house, I had good cover. So much so that neither Raymond nor Luke spotted me when, a few moments later, they came striding out to the Bentley with two more suitcases.
Without warning, I stepped out of the shadows, raised the MAC 10 and walked towards them, my feet crunching on the gravel. They both turned round at exactly the same time. Raymond looked momentarily shocked, but quickly regained his composure. Luke just glared and reached into the pocket of his leather jacket.
‘Get your hands where I can see them. Now!’ I pointed the weapon directly at him.
He continued to glare, but slowly raised his hands. Raymond did the same.
‘What’s the problem, Dennis?’ he asked. ‘What’s all this?’ His voice sounded genuinely surprised, but then Raymond had always been a good actor. At one time he’d even convinced me that he was nothing more than a loveable rogue.
‘I think you know what the problem is, Raymond. Firstly, I’m not best pleased that you’ve tried to have me murdered—’
‘Dennis, please. I don’t know what—’
‘Shut the fuck up, and stop playing me for an idiot. And secondly, and more importantly, I’ve unearthed some disturbing information about you which I want to discuss in more detail before I fill you with holes.’
His expression didn’t change. It was all still hurt and shock, as if he truly couldn’t understand why he was being held at gunpoint by someone he’d always trusted. ‘Look, Dennis, I’ve always tried to—’
‘Alan Kover.’ This time a flicker of concern crossed his face. ‘I’ve just finished having a chat with him. He filled me in on some interesting details regarding the work he did for you.’
‘I’ve never heard of an Alan Kover,’ he said loudly, but with a marked lack of conviction.
‘Details about kidnapping young kids—’
I heard movement on the gravel behind me. Immediately I knew I’d made a mistake by addressing Raymond and Luke with my back to the front door. I started to turn round, but before I could fully react my head seemed to explode with pain as something hard struck it with a lot of force. I felt my legs buckle beneath me and I sank to my knees as I was hit again. I tried to hold on to the MAC 10, knowing that it was probably my only chance of survival, but it seemed to slip effortlessly from my grasp. My head spun and the whole world felt like it was floating away from me. All the time I cursed myself for being so stupid.
I fell forwards on to the gravel but managed to roll on to my side. Above me stood Luke’s younger brother, Matthew, an iron bar in his hand and a less than Christian look on his face.
Raymond came into view and gave me a nasty little kick in the ribs. ‘Fucking hell, Dennis, you’re beginning to really annoy me now. You keep popping up like a fucking unwanted jack-in-the-box. Why can’t you just get out of my face?’ I wanted to tell him that I would have done if only he’d left me alone, but the act of speaking seemed one effort too far, and it would have been futile anyway. ‘Get him inside, Matthew. Out of the fucking way.’
‘What do you want me to do with him, Mr Keen?’
‘Lock him in the cellar. I’ll phone Illan. His boys can come and deal with him. It’s their fucking fault he’s still here in the first place. And make sure they don’t do anything to him here. I don’t want any mess in my house.’
‘No problem, Mr Keen.’ He leaned down and pulled me up roughly by the shoulders. Although conscious, I wasn’t in much of a position to resist.
Raymond put his face up close to mine. ‘Goodbye, Dennis. I’d say it’s been a pleasure knowing you, but it hasn’t been. Not at all. You were always a miserable cunt. You strike me as the sort of bloke who’d be a lot happier dead, so maybe I’m doing you a favour.’ He gave me a patronizing slap on the cheek, enjoying my helplessness. ‘Ta ta.’
He stood up and turned away. ‘Have we got everything then, Luke?’
‘Seems so, Mr Keen,’ Luke mumbled in reply, slamming the boot shut.
; ‘Then let’s get out of here. I can’t stand another fucking day of this rain.’
They both clambered into the car while Matthew picked up the MAC 10 and, with his free hand, dragged me backwards along the gravel and into the house. He hauled me through the porch and set me down in the large inner hallway, by the rather grand-looking staircase that led up like some Hollywood film set to the main balcony. For some reason, I couldn’t help thinking what a sumptuous place it was that Raymond owned.
He turned and went to open the door under the stairs, but it was locked. He fiddled in his pocket for a key and ended up producing a whole bunch of them. As he searched for the one he wanted, still holding both the gun and the iron bar, I felt my strength slowly coming back.
‘Don’t you fucking try anything, son,’ said Matthew, seeing a flicker of movement in my legs.
‘I wouldn’t do this if I were you,’ I told him in a strained voice. ‘Getting involved in the murder of a police officer. You could go down for twenty years for this.’
‘Shut up and don’t fucking speak!’ he snarled, but I could hear the nervousness in his voice.
‘And what’s your boss doing while you’re organizing my murder? Running away, like he always does—’
‘I told you to shut up!’ he snapped, and turned back to his task, this time leaning the MAC 10 against the wall in front of him so that he could hunt through the keys more easily.
I remembered the gun in my other pocket. It struck me that in his hurry to get away, Raymond had been very slipshod, and Matthew was obviously no pro. Slowly, I started to reach down into the pocket. At the same time, Matthew found the key he wanted and placed it in the door. He turned round quickly to check what I was doing, and I think he saw that my hand had moved. He started to say something, but suddenly the angry crackle of gunfire came from somewhere outside. Another burst followed, then several individual shots, then through the open front door came the sound of a car reversing rapidly. It seemed Illan had taken my advice. And quickly, too.
The Business Of Dying Page 29