Cold Killers

by Lee Weeks

  ‘You need to rest up, Melvin. You’re getting ill. You go and see the doc, okay? I’ll start asking about Scamp for you.’

  He nodded, but his eyes were still on the door as if he expected an ambush.

  Carter watched Melvin leave and then he sent the photo of Manson across to Robbo with the message, ‘Any ideas?’

  Carter walked down to the Old Jewish Bakery. Lev was serving customers. The windows were steaming up. Carter ordered a coffee and he sat at the window seat. Lev was talking to his customers, who seemed like regulars picking up their usual preordered bagels. Lev was washing out the containers, getting ready to close for the day. Carter waited until the last customer had gone. Carter had been reading the information on the walls about Lev’s grandfather, who started the bakery. It was a tale of endurance and resilience, a heartwarming tale.

  ‘That’s a great history you have there, Lev.’

  ‘It is.’ He was cleaning down the surfaces.

  ‘You’ve seen some changes around here, but fundamentally things stay the same. I suppose you’re looking forward to the gentrification happening?’

  He smiled, nodded.

  Carter showed Lev the photo on his phone of Manson and the mystery man.

  ‘Do you know who this is, Lev?’

  ‘I don’t recognise them, sorry.’

  ‘Sure?’

  ‘Positive, Inspector.’

  ‘Melvin seems to think he saw you with one of these guys, South American, been around about a month.’

  Lev stopped what he was doing to look at the photo again and then shook his head.

  ‘Well, it’s a bad photo. But have you heard of the name Manson?’

  ‘No, sorry.’

  ‘Well, it’s no problem. Just not sure what Melvin is talking about. He seems like he’s getting ill again.’

  ‘Yes, I thought that when he came in here earlier. He’s lost his dog.’

  ‘What about that? He thinks someone took it.’

  Lev shook his head in disbelief. ‘He just lets it out to shit in the front garden, it gets out the gate, I see it sometimes going through the bins here.’

  ‘Well, you keep an eye out for me.’ He handed Lev a card. ‘And you ring me if you think of a name for that man.’

  ‘Of course.’

  Chapter 31

  ‘We’re looking through the footage from the funeral again to see if we can see your man in there,’ said Robbo. ‘Meanwhile, Pam has dug up more on Manson.’

  Pam handed Carter and Willis a file each, before the start of the sub meeting in Robbo’s office.

  ‘I’ve been looking into his lifestyle for you,’ she said as Robbo, Carter and Willis opened up their files and began reading.

  ‘I’m waiting for confirmation on a couple of things, but this is what I have on him so far,’ she said as she went back behind her desk. ‘Plus, I’ve just had it confirmed from the dealership that Manson paid cash for his brand-new Range Rover. That was three months ago in October.’

  Robbo handed out coffee as Willis and Carter read through the file. He’d already read it as Pam compiled it.

  Afterwards Carter closed his and put it on the desk.

  ‘Good work, Pam. We need to put some surveillance on Manson. We’ll request his phone records and have his phone bugged.’

  ‘I don’t think he’s using his contract phone exclusively. He was photographed on another device outside Paradise Villas,’ said Pam, ‘when we studied the CCTV after Eddie died.’

  ‘Let’s re-examine that footage and make sure we didn’t miss anything,’ said Carter.

  ‘I’ll take another look,’ answered Robbo.

  ‘One thing has just come in,’ said Pam. ‘We’ve been monitoring the use on the company credit card and Jo Manson has just purchased tickets for the family to fly off to Thailand for a month for Christmas.’

  ‘That’s an afterthought then. Snap decision. He must be getting nervous,’ said Robbo. ‘Who books so late for a family holiday at Christmas? They would have to pay dear for tickets now.’

  ‘First class,’ said Pam. ‘It cost them almost thirteen thousand.’

  ‘When are they due to fly?’ asked Carter.

  ‘They’re due to go tomorrow evening,’ answered Pam.

  ‘Do we let him go, guv?’ asked Willis.

  He shook his head decisively. ‘After reading this report? We don’t let him go anywhere. Manson has come back in the frame here.’

  ‘I agree,’ said Willis. ‘He could do a runner.’

  ‘The property in Thailand is owned by him, Pam, is that right?’

  ‘Yes, and there are four other properties registered to his name abroad in: Florida, Thailand Costa Rica and Mexico. They were paid for outright.’

  ‘When were they bought?’ asked Willis.

  ‘All in the last eighteen months.’

  ‘So, seems he’s been working extra hard at Paradise Villas. Is there any record of that kind of bonus coming his way?’ asked Robbo.

  ‘None I can find,’ answered Pam, ‘but it looks like he’s got his fingers in a few pies. He has links to companies registered in Miami, the Caymans, Madeira. I’m beginning to find his name on the directorship of several companies.’

  ‘Companies that do what?’

  ‘Mostly manufacture: teak furnishings, marble fireplaces, ceramics, artisan furniture.’

  ‘We saw fireplaces when we went out there,’ said Willis.

  ‘Here’s a list of the other products his companies supply.’ Pam passed it round.

  ‘So, all of these manufactured goods can be legitimately traced to things that could be used in building and fitting out the villas?’ said Carter as he read it.

  ‘Yes, I think they definitely can,’ answered Pam.

  ‘Was Eddie part of these companies?’ asked Robbo. ‘Was he also a director?’

  ‘No, just Manson’s name is on the company details. They were set up between eighteen and twelve months ago.’

  ‘So maybe that was the way he made extra money,’ suggested Carter. ‘He supplied the building materials? He supplied some things that went into these luxury villas? Is there anything sinister in that? Eddie was downsizing, Eddie had made it clear he was just coasting along. Manson got paid a good salary but it wasn’t going to go up, while Eddie wouldn’t give Manson any more than a five per cent share of the business, and the business wasn’t growing; so Manson made his own luck. Maybe it was a win–win situation.’

  ‘It depends whether Eddie knew that – and why did it all happen in the last year?’

  Carter congratulated Pam. ‘Good work, we definitely have enough here to warrant another chat with Manson. He’s been very selective with the truth.’

  Ross passed outside in the corridor and knocked on Robbo’s door.

  ‘Is this a private meeting or can I join in?’ he asked with a smile, looking ever more as if he’d stepped off the set of a film.

  ‘Yeah, grab a chair; you can help us on this one,’ Carter said. Willis made room for him next to her. But she did it without a smile. She wasn’t sure whether she liked him. He had purposely made her look small in the interview with Harold. She wasn’t sure that was a good sign for a potential work colleague.

  Ross glanced at the file on the desktop.

  ‘Manson? Paradise Villas manager? Is that who we’re discussing here?’

  ‘Yeah, but he’s much more than a manager,’ replied Carter. ‘He told us he just owned five per cent of the shares in Eddie’s company but Pam’s discovered that he has a share in several of the foreign companies who supply the fixtures, fittings, building materials to build those villas. You name it, he’s got a stake in it, he’s a very entrepreneurial guy.’

  ‘Did he own those with Eddie?’

  ‘Not that I can see,’ answered Pam.

  ‘We saw some boxes with “Dream Stone Fireplace Company” printed on when we went out there,’ Carter said as he handed Ross the list of companies.

  ‘Let’s have a lo
ok at some of these,’ said Ross, opening up his laptop and typing in the name.

  ‘This company is based not far from their place in Swanley, is that right?’

  ‘That’s the one,’ answered Pam.

  He came up with the some images of fireplaces.

  ‘These them?’ He showed Willis.

  ‘Yes. They’re all pretty much the same type of thing. The ones I saw weren’t so elaborate. They were plain blocks of marble.’

  Ross started typing on his keyboard.

  ‘What are you doing?’ Willis asked him as she looked over his shoulder.

  ‘Sending them a request for a quote. There are no testimonials on this site, which is odd. I want to see what they can offer me.’ He sent the email request, then looked up at Carter. ‘So what else is there on Manson?’

  ‘He drives a brand-new expensive car that he paid for with cash. He has second homes in other countries. We have photos of him meeting with . . .’ He handed the picture over to Ross. ‘Recognise him?’

  Ross scrutinised it. ‘Not off the top of my head, but look at his body language: he looks like he’s the one taking the verbal bashing here. Where did you get this?’

  ‘My informant, who’s a local man. It was taken in a café on Whitechapel High Street.’

  ‘Did he hear what they were saying?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘He’d no idea who Manson was; he’d seen him with Marco before now, so he took this for me, thought it would be of interest.’

  ‘Perhaps this man was acting as a messenger for Tony. But why meet in the East End? Something of interest there for them? Or is there a point in the choice of meeting place? Are they trying to intimidate Manson?’

  ‘Manson is suddenly going to fly out to his house in Thailand for Christmas. We’re debating whether to let him go,’ said Carter.

  ‘If it was my investigation, I would,’ answered Ross.

  ‘I wouldn’t,’ said Willis. ‘He can do a runner.’

  ‘He has kids, family to consider, before he’d do that,’ said Ross.

  ‘Yes, but they’re young and he can rehome everyone,’ said Robbo. ‘Plus, if he’s in any way involved in Eddie’s death, or if he knows something significant about it, if he’s in danger, he’ll run.’

  ‘I agree with Robbo and Willis,’ said Carter. ‘Make the call, Eb. Tell him he’s not going anywhere until this investigation is finished, and put an alert out at the airports.’

  Willis went across to sign in at Robbo’s desk and get hold of Manson.

  ‘Do you have more information to share with us?’ Carter turned to ask Ross.

  ‘I have a file to share, yes. This . . .’ He took out a file from his backpack. ‘This is a year’s worth of surveillance records on Eddie Butcher. Now that Marco’s made an appearance in connection with Manson, I’ll see what else I can find for you to help with a link there. I’ll get the team on the mystery man as well.

  ‘We followed Harold, not Eddie. You have your own CCTV footage of where Eddie went next, don’t you?’

  Robbo nodded. ‘We lose him when he’s walking back along Whitechapel Road.’

  ‘What’s happening now to Tony, at the villa, according to Spanish police?’ Carter asked Ross.

  ‘They say that the missing lawyer Francisco, who was dealing with Eddie Butcher’s will, was also the bookkeeper for the Mendez cartel. The Spanish police say that they registered Francisco as visiting Villa Cassandra, being driven by Marco Zapata. Here are some stills from the day; this was the day of Eddie’s funeral, the 8th.’

  He took out an envelope from his briefcase and slid photos from inside.

  ‘This is him arriving with Marco. This is him leaving and shots of him being dropped off in the centre of town. It’s too busy to get a clear shot of him then. They’re more interested in Marco. Have a look . . .’

  Willis studied the photos.

  ‘You can spot the difference, if you look hard enough,’ she said.

  ‘Yes, at first glance it was a clever double for him but we’ve identified the person we think it is: it’s the gardener, a retired expat; he’s the maintenance man, pool man and head gardener. He also oversees Eddie’s grounds, down the road. His name is Danny Miller.’ Ross handed around a picture of Miller. He was wearing Francisco’s suit.

  ‘Do we know Danny Miller?’

  ‘He was in jail at the same time as Tony; we presume he met him in there. Miller was in for burglary and GBH. He’s worked for Tony for the last ten years. Before that, he’d done a string of jobs in Spain, mainly centred around working in bars.’

  ‘So, will the Spanish police order a search of Tony’s villa?’

  He nodded. ‘They’re asking us if we wish to be present.’

  Carter smiled. ‘Any reason not to?’

  ‘None I can think of,’ answered Ross. ‘It will be quite an insight into him.’

  ‘Have you ever met him before, Ross?’ asked Robbo.

  ‘Once or twice. I’ve interviewed him before at a Spanish police station, but never been to his home.’

  Willis came off the phone. ‘I got hold of Manson; he wasn’t best pleased,’ she said.

  ‘Let’s hope he’s got insurance,’ said Ross.

  ‘Can you go back to your informant and get him to find out more about Manson and Marco and what they were doing together?’ asked Ross.

  ‘My informant has got mental-health problems. I can’t use him again,’ answered Carter.

  After the meeting, Ross asked to talk to Willis at her desk.

  ‘I think we should plan the itinerary for our Spanish trip now. We need to work out who we see first. We’ll need to hire a car. I reckon we’ll be away for a few days. You okay with that?’

  ‘Yes, fine, canteen okay? I have a lot to sort out at my desk before we go.’

  ‘Canteen’s fine.’ Willis led Ross through to Archway Police Station and down to the canteen in the basement. Tina raised an eyebrow as she saw Willis walking in with Ross.

  ‘Teen, this is Ross.’ Tina went to wipe her hand on her overall to go in for a handshake but Ross had already passed by with a wave and was choosing a salad from the fridge cabinet.

  Willis smiled but shook her head at Tina. ‘See you later Teen. Actually, I probably won’t be around tonight. I’ll text you,’ Willis said as Ross came back and smiled at Tina.

  Willis led them to a table.

  ‘When are the Spanish authorities wanting to visit Tony?’ she asked.

  ‘As soon as we get there. They’ll wait for us.’

  ‘Really? Shall we fly out first thing?’ asked Willis.

  ‘Yes, Can you email me over your passport number, date of birth, that kind of thing, and I’ll ask my secretary to get the tickets,’ Ross said. ‘And then, shall I see you at the airport?’

  ‘Yes,’ answered Willis, distracted.

  ‘What’s bugging you? Is it the deal I offered Harold without telling you I was going to do it?’

  ‘Partly. It did make me look stupid. I don’t know whether we’ll achieve much by going out there.’

  ‘Carter was also caught off guard. It’s not as if I singled you out.’

  ‘Doesn’t make it any better.’

  ‘Listen, there will be secrets you keep from me. Things that we don’t cross over on, and that’s fair enough. I know, for instance, that DI Dan Carter was once involved with Della Butcher. You didn’t tell me that, did you?’

  ‘She’s not a suspect.’

  ‘No, I get it, which is why I’ve not passed the information on.’

  ‘How did you find out?’

  ‘Operation Argos? I got access to files from the time. I presume you would have done the same. I also had a meeting with Chief Inspector Bowie to clarify my role in all this and I put the past to him. Are you worried that Carter’s involvement jeopardises the investigation? After all, it looks like this was the real deal for Carter at least? This was lurve . . .’ Ross drawled.

  Willis shook her head as she stared int
o her coffee cup.

  ‘Then we’ll just have to hope it brings something valuable to the table and doesn’t cause Carter too many problems. We’ll talk to Tony. That’ll be an interesting experience; I’m looking forward to it. He can’t refuse to answer questions about his brother’s murder.’

  Chapter 32

  ‘What did Ross want?’ Carter asked.

  ‘To talk through our Spanish trip,’ Willis answered.

  ‘You okay with that?’

  ‘Of course.’

  ‘Sorry I snapped at you, earlier.’

  ‘That’s okay, don’t mention it. There’s a lot at stake. You have a lot to think about.’

  ‘But it shouldn’t ever interfere with the job,’ Carter replied.

  ‘I don’t think it’s doing that. You’re aware of it. You’ll weather it. I can take a bit of abuse now and again.’ She smiled.

  ‘Slight exaggeration.’ He smiled back at her. ‘Shall we drive down and talk with Manson and ask him about the Thailand trip? Did you get the results back from the samples you took the other day?’

  ‘Yeah, nothing. The same composition as last time.’

  ‘Did Robbo relook at the CCTV?’

  ‘He’s doing it now.’

  ‘Okay, let’s go and talk to him before we head off. I won’t keep you working all night. I expect you need to pack for tomorrow. That should take you five minutes at least.’ He grinned.

  Jo Manson was preparing the dinner when the knock on the door made her jump.

  ‘Billy?’ she whispered hoarsely.

  ‘Okay, stay calm. I’ll go. Keep the kids in the kitchen and close the door.’ Manson hopped up onto the worktop and took something from the roof of the cupboard. He tucked it into the back of his trousers.

  ‘Where did you get that?’ Jo stared, shocked.

  ‘Never mind, Jo, just lock yourselves in here. Keep the kids away from the windows. Take them into the utility room and out through the garage if you hear something is wrong.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘Just do it, Jo, for fuck’s sake!’

  She nodded, shell-shocked.

  The children, Lana and Bertie, were sitting in the family room off the kitchen, around them an expanse of glass, and Jo went across to flick the switch and activate the blinds to hide the blackness beyond the glass. They lived in adjoining fields in the Kent countryside.