Angel wished he was anywhere but there. His eyes darted round their sockets. He was seeking and searching for any opportunity to get away.
The older man with the Walther stared angrily at the younger man and said: ‘What you got here, kid? Ox said they are coppers. Are you completely off your trolley?’
‘They were snooping round. I had no choice, Eddie,’ he said.
Angel clocked the name ‘Eddie.’ He remembered the prison photograph of the man in the Police Review. It took only a second to work out that it was the Glazer gang, on the run. It was Eddie ‘The Cat’ Glazer, his wife, Oona, and his younger brother, Tony. He didn’t know the two big men, though he had just heard one of them referred to as ‘Ox’.
The younger brother, Tony, continued: ‘Their car was parked at the farm gate. They were snooping through the hedge at the house.’ There was a whine in his voice. He was clearly afraid of his elder brother.
‘Have you searched them?’ Eddie snapped.
‘How could I? I was on my own. He dropped this,’ Tony said, handing him the mobile which Angel had discarded in the long grass. ‘Thought I hadn’t noticed.’
Angel bit his bottom lip. He didn’t know that Tony Glazer had found it.
Eddie took it, glanced at it then at Angel.
‘Clever copper. I don’t want it,’ he snarled. ‘No use to me!’ he added and threw it angrily into the straw at the back of the barn and glared suspiciously at Angel and then at Gawber.
Angel sighed inwardly. He didn’t like the situation one bit. He hoped that when Waldo White discovered that they weren’t at the rendezvous, that he would hunt around for them, find them and that that would be sooner rather than later.
‘Well bloody well search them then now,’ Eddie yelled. ‘They might be armed, or wired up and telling the world where we are.’
Tony stuck the Walther into his waistband and began to pat Angel down.
Eddie glared at Ox and waved the gun in the direction of Gawber. Ox dropped the Sten so that it hung loose on the strap from his shoulder. He turned Gawber round and began to pat him down.
Tony took out Angel’s wallet, badge and ID card. He passed them to Eddie, who angrily snatched them from him.
Eddie glared at Angel and said, ‘How did you find us, copper?’
‘Fancied rhubarb pie for tea, but there was nobody about, Mr Glazer. You know, you’ll never sell rhubarb if you keep the place shut.’
Eddie glared at him as he fingered roughly through his wallet and ID.
The girl Oona was terrified. Her hands were shaking. Her face was redder than a monkey’s backside. She grabbed Eddie by the arm. ‘He knows who you are! What are we going to do?’ she wailed. ‘What are we going to do?’
‘Shut up. And get off,’ he said, pushing her away. ‘Detective Inspector Angel,’ he said scornfully, reading from the ID. He threw the wallet, badge and ID angrily into the straw behind them. ‘Well, well, well. You’re the smart-arse inspector looking for the murderer of Harry Harrison, aren’t you?’
Angel looked at him.
Eddie pointed to the man tied up with his head bowed. ‘Well there’s your murderer. Spencer’s his name. I’ve done your job for you.’
Angel looked across at the man tied to the post. His eyes were closed. He seemed to be asleep. He hoped he was asleep. Angel had to agree, the man did look a bit like the photograph of Spencer, which Thurrocks, the bank manager had supplied.
‘He and Harrison worked a scam across a rich punter at the Northern Bank called Smith,’ Eddie continued. ‘Harrison got greedy and tried to put one across Spencer. He got wise to it and threatened to cut him up if he didn’t tell him where he’d hidden the money. Harrison refused. Spencer went in a bit too heavy, and Harry died before he told him where he’d hidden it. That’s what he said, anyway. Stabbed him five times.’
Angel pursed his lips. He wondered why Eddie Glazer should be volunteering information so freely. Hard nuts like him never gave information away for nothing.
Ox handed Gawber’s wallet, badge and ID to Eddie. He rummaged through the wallet, read the ID and said, ‘Just another rubbish copper. A bleeding sergeant!’
He angrily threw the wallet, badge and ID into the straw.
Angel’s lips tightened back against his teeth. ‘What have you done to him?’ he said, nodding towards Spencer. ‘He doesn’t look well.’
‘He’ll be all right,’ Eddie said. ‘Just getting over a hangover, that’s all,’ he added with a grin.
Angel turned away. Eddie’s breath smelled. Angel thought he should see a dentist urgently for a scale and polish.
‘What’s he doing tied up?’ Angel said.
‘He’s a murderer. I’ve told you.’
Angel pursed his lips.
‘Does anybody else know you’re here, copper?’
The barrel of the Walther was getting ever nearer; Glazer was waving the gun about like a kid with a flag at a coronation. Angel’s mind was wonderfully concentrated. He knew he could be dead in a second.
‘Of course,’ he said evenly. That was the only reply he could have given. Those few words might help save their lives.
Eddie snarled. It wasn’t the reply he wanted to hear.
‘I don’t believe you,’ he said. ‘You’re just a frigging liar. Say anything to save your skin.’
‘Why did I have a phone in my hand then, Eddie? Did you think I was ordering custard?’ Angel said.
‘Custard?’ Eddie bawled. ‘What yer frigging on about?’
‘To go with the rhubarb,’ Angel said.
Eddie Glazer’s face tightened. He was thinking about what to say.
Ox sighed loudly and growled. ‘Come on. What we going to do with them, Eddie,’ he said gruffly.
‘Yeah. We’re wasting time. We need to get way from here, now,’ Tony yelled.
‘I’m for clearing out,’ Ox growled.
‘We gotta get away from here, Eddie,’ Oona wailed and grabbed his arm.
‘Shut up or I’ll belt you one,’ he snarled and pulled away from her. He pulled a face like a man who remembered the taste of prison hootch. He ran a hand through his greasy hair and swivelled angrily round to face them. ‘All right!’ he bawled. ‘All right!’ Then he added quickly: ‘Oona bring the Merc round to the front. Ox and Kenny, tie these coppers up. Make it good. Tony, stay with them. Keep your gun on them. Then come back to the house. We’ll take just the money and the ammo. Leave everything else. Right, now, all of you, move it!’
Eddie and Oona ran out of the barn.
Tony stood by the open door pointing his gun straight ahead at Angel and Gawber. Ox snatched some pieces of rope from a few lengths hanging from a big hook screwed onto the barn side, no doubt used to tether animals in the past. He tossed a length over to Kenny and they both began tying the wrists of Angel and Gawber around the wooden support posts. They did it roughly, quickly, silently and efficiently. Then they ran out of the barn towards the house. Tony stuffed the gun in his waist band and dashed over to Angel. He went round the back of the post, looked at the fastening and then checked the tightness. He moved over to the next post and checked Gawber, then Spencer in the same way. He seemed satisfied. He took one quick look round, then dashed out of the barn, unhooked the door and closed it.
There was easily enough light from under the door for Angel to see Gawber tied to a post about ten feet away and Spencer, still with his head dropped, another ten feet further away in a line down the middle of the barn.
‘What now?’ Gawber said.
‘Can you get out of it, Ron?’ Angel said.
They wriggled and struggled briefly, their faces perspiring and getting redder and redder, but their captors had made a secure job.
‘No, sir. What do think will happen now?’
‘If Waldo White hasn’t got lost, the FSU should be here anytime.’
A car door slammed.
‘Is that them?’
‘Too quiet. It’ll be Glazer’s car, the Mercedes.�
��
‘They’re going to get away, sir.’
Angel knew he was right, and he was not in a position to stop them. It would be quite dreadful allowing that armed mob back on the streets again. But he was thankful that the gang had left them unharmed. It was really not Glazer’s style. Angel had expected to be shot or tortured or knocked about. As it was, he hoped White would find them, let it not be long.
The barn door suddenly opened. It was Eddie Glazer. He had a wild expression on his face, which was also shining with perspiration. He was carrying what looked like a glass bottle. It had a small trail of cloth hanging out of the neck.
‘I’ll teach you coppers not to come looking for me,’ he yelled, his eyes flashing. ‘But you’ll never do it again!’
Angel could now see what he had in his hand.
It was a Molotov cocktail: a bottle of petrol with a soaked wick hanging out of it. Ignited and thrown into the barn amid all the dry straw, it would create a colossal blaze.
Angel’s heart sank.
Glazer plunged his hand in his pocket. He pulled out a lighter and began to light the wick.
Angel swallowed hard. ‘Don’t be a fool, Glazer,’ he yelled. ‘If you kill us, you’ll be on the run for murder again! And when you’re caught, you’ll die in prison!’
Glazer wasn’t listening.
The cloth wick caught fire.
Angel heard a woman’s voice yell: ‘Come on, Eddie.’
Glazer swung his arm back and then lobbed it beyond Spencer among the big pile of straw at the back of the barn.
The bottle exploded, the petrol spread and the vapour ignited creating a loud explosive whoop. The flames took hold of the petrol soaked straw and were instantly three feet high.
Glazer grinned like a devil and disappeared out of sight.
Angel looked across at Gawber who was as alarmed as he was. He saw Spencer suddenly waken up, observe the wall of flames advancing towards him. His eyes flashed as his body thrashed about the post and he cried out for help.
The ferocity of the blaze made a loud humming noise as the fire turned the straw into glowing white and yellow flames. The flames tracked along the barn floor and then roared upwards. Loose bits of straw danced around the parched barn floor around Angel’s feet, caught in the undercurrent of air sucked in by the colossal heat behind him.
Angel struggled to get free of the rope but it was to no avail. He looked at Spencer who was nearest to the flames and tugged harder at the rope. He felt the surge of fresh air pass by him into the far end of the barn drawn in to replace the oxygen already consumed by the fire.
He fought the ropes that tied his hands. It was useless. His wrists grew sore and tired. His face burned and his eyes smarted as the heat built up.
Gawber looked across at him. He began to cough. The fumes were getting to his chest. Angel wanted to call across and say something encouraging and comforting, but he couldn’t spit the words out.
The roar of the blaze was so close and loud as to cut out all other sound.
Angel thought of Mary. He might never see her on this earth again. He felt angry and exhausted, but there was nothing else he could do. He began to cough. He felt dizzy and his breathing was becoming difficult. His chest hurt. His throat was sore and dry. He closed his eyes. There was no more pain. He felt nothing. He began to hallucinate. He imagined that his hands had come loose from behind his back and that he was being dragged out of the barn by two men, one each side. His own legs began to work and with their support, he stumbled forward. He opened his eyes and he could see a gravel drive and two men in police riot gear, one each side of him. They were holding onto him by his arms. He was alive. He tried to speak. Instead he croaked. He tried to swallow. His throat was burning. He heard voices.
‘His eyes are open, John.’
‘Good. Put him down here. He’ll get some air.’
Two men lowered him gently on to the gravel drive.
Angel closed his eyes. Next time he opened them, he saw the same two men putting Gawber at his side. He saw him blink and heard him cough. He smiled, and then his eyelids slammed shut like a prison cell door.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
* * *
There was a hissing noise. A line of oxygen was blowing gently under his nose. He opened his eyes. He blinked and rubbed his eyes. He noticed an identity tag round his wrist and frowned. He looked up. He was on a bed surrounded by green curtains. He licked his lips. His mouth felt like a bag of feathers. He tried to swallow. It wasn’t easy … like swallowing a red hot piece of coke.
A curtain whisked open and a young nurse appeared.
‘Ah. You’re awake. How are you feeling? Got a headache? Got a pain anywhere?’ the nurse said.
‘Has my sergeant, Ron Gawber, been brought here?’ he croaked.
‘He’s in the next cubicle. Have you any pain anywhere?’
‘Is he all right?’
‘Have you any pain anywhere?’ she said again, wheeling up a blood pressure machine.
‘No,’ he croaked irritably. ‘Is he all right?’
‘Yes. You can have a cup of tea after I’ve taken your blood pressure.’
‘Can I see him?’
‘After I’ve taken your blood pressure,’ she said wrapping the plastic sleeve round his arm.
Angel took a deep breath and croaked as loudly as he could. ‘Are you there, Ron?’
There was silence.
The nurse said, ‘I think he’s gone back to sleep.’
The plastic sleeve began to inflate.
‘Ron,’ he bellowed. ‘Are you there?’
The nurse pulled a face. ‘You’ll have to keep still,’ she said impatiently.
‘Yes, I’m here,’ a small husky voice replied. ‘I’m all right, sir.’
It was Gawber. Angel’s face brightened.
‘What about Spencer?’ Angel said.
‘Keep still,’ the nurse snapped.
‘Don’t know about him,’ Gawber said.
Angel turned to the nurse. ‘There’s a man called Spencer. Is he in here?’
‘Don’t know anything about him,’ she said.
The machine stopped pumping air, clicked and the sleeve began to deflate. She noted the numbers on the dial and began to unwrap the sleeve.
‘Still a bit high. You’ll have to rest a bit. There’s a policeman outside, wants to see you. He can’t stay above a minute or so. Now, do you want a cup of tea?’
‘Yes, please.’
She wheeled the machine out through the curtain.
Angel whisked back the blanket that was covering him. He was pleased to find that he was fully dressed in all but his shoes. His tie had been loosened and his collar button undone. He leaned over the side of the bed, looking for his shoes when he saw White’s head sticking through the curtains.
‘Ah, Waldo,’ Angel said brightly.
‘Are you all right?’
‘Yes. Course I am. Did you catch them?’
‘No. Could only have been seconds behind though.’
Angel sighed and pulled a face.
White continued: ‘We searched the house. It was obvious they’d left in a hurry. There was a half-eaten meal on the table. The front door wasn’t even closed. I called the ambulance and the fire brigade.’
‘What about Spencer? The other man in the barn.’
‘Don’t know. He was in a bad way. Been taken to the burns unit. Was he one of the gang?’
Angel shook his head.
‘How did the fire start?’
‘Eddie Glazer. He intended murdering us.’
‘Damn well near managed it. Still, now that you’ve found their hideout and unseated them, they’ll be easier to catch.’
‘They’ll be more desperate, Waldo.’ Angel said grimly.
‘Aye, but they’ll be floundering round trying to find another safe place to hide. Eddie Glazer is wanted for murder. He knows that every copper in the country has seen his picture and is on the look-out for him. Your super
should be chuffed with the news.’
Angel wrinkled his nose. Nothing much pleased Superintendent Harker. ‘That gang’s got to be caught!’ he said. ‘They’re armed to the teeth, desperate and very, very gung-ho. They could do a lot of damage.’
The nurse appeared with a beaker of tea. She placed it on the locker top, looked up at White and said, ‘You’ll have to go now. He’s got to get some rest.’
Angel caught White’s eye, then he looked at the young woman and said, ‘I need my shoes, nurse. Where are they?’
‘You don’t need those yet. Lie back and drink your tea.’
‘I want to go to the lavatory,’ he said tetchily.
‘Stay there. I’ll bring you a commode,’ she said and rushed off.
Angel’s jaw dropped.
However, by the time the nurse had arrived back wheeling an uncomfortable looking tubular metal chair, Angel and Gawber had found their shoes in their respective lockers, and were going down in the hospital lift with DI White.
‘Will you take us back to the rhubarb sheds?’ Angel said. ‘My car is there, and I want to see if the tracking device on Glazer’s car is still sending out a signal.’
‘Sure. I have to go there, anyway. I need to check on my men. I left them there securing the property.’
‘And can I borrow your mobile?’
White handed it to him. He phoned Ahmed and asked him to inform Don Taylor of SOCO that he wanted him to go over the farmhouse where Glazer had been hiding out. He told Ahmed that Taylor was to check in particular for any clothing or effects there that were bloodstained; essentially, he was looking for blood samples that belonged to the late Harry Harrison. Also to see what fingerprints he could collect that would identify Ox and Kenny, if they were on record.
He returned the mobile to White gratefully.
A few minutes later, White dropped Angel and Gawber off at the gate to the rhubarb sheds where he cordially took his leave of them. They gave him hearty thanks and waved him off as he turned round and drove away.
Angel was anxious to return to the scanner to find out the whereabouts of Glazer’s Mercedes. He dashed over to his car and unlocked it; Gawber sat beside him, picked up the scanner and switched it on. It showed that the battery of the miniature transmitter was very much alive and sending out a strong signal.
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