Influence

by Andrew Snadden

  “What are you saying then Ian, that we've got two corrupt coppers or we're off the mark with Foster; which?” Anaura enquired with confusion.

  “Listen, I'm not disputing that Foster's the killer. However the rest of it doesn't match up does it? When would Foster have had a chance to meet the Gang? He wouldn't know about any drugs related operations unless they involved firearms or their competition, which in other words means that he would have nothing to offer them!” Richards hypothesised.

  “Alright, if he's not our bent copper, then explain to me why Foster would just decide to kill the most serious criminals in the City? And please don't tell me because of his mental health, you know it doesn't work like that!”

  “I don't know. But Op Barrier and Marriot's death must have really screwed him up. Maybe he believes that by taking out the worst trash in the City he's doing righteous work and protecting people! Either way I can't see what value he would be to the Gang, he may know about terrorists and bank robbers but he doesn't know about unarmed drug dealers!” Richards surmised.

  Anaura pondered what Richards had said, as usual he wouldn't just pass his opinion out of hand. After a few minutes of silence, Richards asked him if he was going to say anything, Anaura looked up and said that they needed to get over to West Ording to talk to the witnesses at the Cliffe pub. Richards replied that it wouldn't go down well with Drayson, it was after all his murder case. He smiled at Richards and remarked, with a pleased expression on his face, that the man Foster had assaulted outside the pub wasn't dead; an assault was not a murder case, so it was none of Drayson's business.

  The two detectives stood up, grabbed their suit jackets and walked out into the main office. Anaura approached Usher and Valera and asked them to look into all the intelligence logs they could find relating to the Gang, Usher replied that they had already done so at the start of the operation and that it was all documented in the case file. Anaura shook his head and smiled at her before saying that he wanted to know where the Gang had gone to school, the roads they lived in as kids; anything other than their criminal history. He then told them to keep it to themselves and stated that he and Richards would be back within a few hours after an errand.

  As the two men left the office, Richards asked Anaura whether he thought the pub would be open as it was only eleven o'clock in the morning. Anaura replied that it probably wasn't; but with a pub like that, it was bound to be open at twelve for the locals to begin their day's drinking. After getting into the car, Richards asked whether they should tell Steiner, Anaura's expression said it all; NO!

  At twelve pm, the doors of the Cliffe pub opened in preparation for receiving its first patrons of the day. Anaura and Richards walked in before the landlord had time to return to the bar, prompting him to comment that the two men were a bit keen. Richards sat down at the bar and identified himself and Anaura, to which the barman jokingly remarked that they obviously weren't there for a beer but had a good idea what they were going to ask him.

  “Let me guess, you're here to talk about Anthony again? I've already given a statement to some other officers about him beating up poor Tony and smashing my bloody window! I have nothing else to say about it really!” The burly landlord said.

  “I'm sure you have, but we're not here to discuss the assault, we're here to discuss how long Anthony's been drinking here and who he drinks with.” Richards said.

  “Well that's going to be easy! Anthony's a bit of a loner, only talks to himself if you know what I mean? He's a bit of a nutter” The Landlord explained.

  “So you've never seen him sitting or talking with anyone? Do you know anything else about him?” Richards asked.

  “Nah that's it, I'm afraid officers. He only talks when he's asking for a pint!” He answered.

  Richards looked at Anaura who responded by tilting his head to signal to him that they should leave. Richards thanked the landlord for his help and got up. As they walked out, Anaura cited that they would have to look at the crime report to see if there was anything else of note as this had been a wasted trip.

  “Wait a minute officers! There was one bloke I saw Anthony chatting to a couple of months back. He was a fairly tall guy in his forties, with a bit of a sly, ratty face and short dark hair. He was a bit of a wide boy too with a slight Londoner twang. The two of them spoke for about an hour, maybe less, I can't remember. I don't know what they were talking about but Anthony seemed pretty excited after the other bloke left. Other than that I really can't tell you anything more, sorry.”

  The two detectives thanked him and walked out of the pub to head back to their car. As they walked Anuara asked Richards whether it sounded like anyone they knew or if it could have been the Gang's copper. Richards replied that he didn't and that there was no reason at this stage to believe it was anyone other than a friend of his. He then remarked that in the worst case scenario, it could have been a member of the Gang visiting him, the man was after all not far off their age, however he reiterated that he still did not believe Foster was with the Gang. Anaura pressed the key fob to unlock the Focus and went to climb in before he paused and leant on the roof of the car with his problem solving mind desperately searching for answers. He looked up at Richards who was asking him if everything was OK. Anaura gently and repeatedly banged the roof of the car with the bottom of his clenched fist, attempting to jolt his mind into life.

  “You're right Ian, Foster's not our dodgy copper. Think about it, would the Gang use someone like Foster who's suffering from a mental illness to work for them? And think back to what Poultan said............the Gang gave the all clear for Kennedy to start dealing again; hardly what you would do with a mentally ill associate running around with all your secrets. You're right none of it makes sense!” Anaura postulated.

  “Do you reckon the unknown man in the pub is our guy? If he was, how the hell are we going to find him? It was hardly a decent description; how many coppers are tall, have dark hair and are in their forties.......hundreds!” Richards commented.

  “For the moment we need to concentrate on finding Foster. Let's go and see if he's home shall we?”

  “Shouldn't we request firearms support first, Peter?”

  “No! If we ask for firearms support then we'll have to tell the unit he's a murder suspect which would mean all hell would break loose! If we go to his place with minimal fuss, it won't spook him and might make him easier to talk to. Remember he's already had district officers banging on his door for the assault complaint so he's bound to be on his toes! I want a chance to talk before anyone else gets to him!” Anaura replied.

  The two men got into the car and drove off towards Shakespearean Road, less than quarter of a mile away from the pub. If they could arrest Foster without antagonising him like the Firearms Unit or response officers would, they might just be able to learn who the Gang's inside man was.

  A Cool Exterior Now Departed

  Chapter Thirty four

  Drayson smirked as he scrolled through the details of Sykes' murder on the incident logs. By now he had been made fully aware of his demise and the circumstances. Sure Foster may have gone a little over the top but it had made the murder appear like a crime of hate as opposed to the professional execution of Pearson, Drayson reflected. His eyes continued to roll down the incident log and paperwork until he saw a number plate and a potential suspect; it was Foster! Drayson dropped his head into his hands as he fought off the urge to throw up over his desk. If anyone arrested Foster now, it would all be over as there would be three witnesses ready to act against him. Foster still had Bradford and Cooper left to kill but with the whole of the Force wanting to question him, it was looking highly doubtful whether he could finish the job.

  Drayson sat at his desk struggling to hold back the tears that were attempting to force their way out of the ducts in his eyes. Things had taken a colossal turn for the worse because of one perverted dogger waiting in his car for a hand job that night. The chances of a witness seeing Foster's car, and a number
plate too for that matter, were slim to none; and yet it had happened. He pulled himself together and snapped into action by calling Bradford who upon answering began to scream blue murder after learning about Sykes. Drayson told him that he would see him at the warehouse that night and he would bring all the information he had collated about the Russian syndicates who were moving into the area. At first Bradford told him that the only place he would meet Drayson was at his home where he was safe. Drayson refused, reminding him that it was too risky as someone could see him, implicating the both of them. The two men continued to argue about what they were going to do next until Drayson yelled at Bradford, expressing to him how he had never let him down before and to trust him. Bradford replied that he didn't trust anyone to which Drayson responded by imploring him to meet him at the warehouse with Cooper where they would get this mess sorted once and for all.

  Bradford begrudgingly agreed and finished the call by stating that if Drayson didn't get the situation sorted as soon as possible, he would have him sorted out for good; one way or another. As Bradford hung up, Drayson threw his phone across the room and swiped the flowers and stationery off his table in sheer anger. As the loud smash of the vase rung out, his assistant came rushing in and asked him whether he was ok, to which Drayson bellowed at her to mind her own fucking business and to get out of his office. He fell back into his seat and loosened his tie before looking down at his desk and then opening the top drawer. Inside, a large bottle of extremely strong Tramodol painkillers that he had been previously prescribed for back pain was staring back at him. As the lump in his throat grew larger, making it hard for him to swallow, Drayson placed the bottle in his pocket. If Foster was caught before Bradford or Cooper were dead or before he had a chance to give him the spiked drugs, he would take matters into his own hands and end it all; suicide was a better option than facing the shame of being outed as a dirty copper and consequently brutalised in prison. However for now, Drayson would have to sit by and painfully wait to see whether everything would play out in his favour!

  He looked out of the window in his office, sensing that the end could be nigh, before he heard a beep come from his computer that indicated an email had arrived. He opened it and read through its contents. As if things couldn't get much worse.............it was a message from another Command officer reminding him that he had agreed to cover their Gold Commander shift that night. Drayson shook his head with despair, he was running out of ideas fast, and having to pull a late turn shift until one am in the morning was the very last thing he needed. Things were beginning to look gloomy!

  Influence

  Chapter Thirty Five

  Anaura and Richards walked into the Shoreton office after their less than successful trip to West Ording. Richards asked Usher and Valera whether they'd had any luck with the Gang's personal history, both of the detectives shook their heads and Valera remarked how they could not find anything other than what was already common knowledge. Anaura sat down and looked at his watch, it was four pm. Apart from partly dispelling the myth that Foster may have been the Gang's dirty copper, they had wasted hours watching his home and banging on his doors in vain. It had not been the day he had hoped for; a common theme throughout the entire operation.

  Richards looked at his weary friend and suggested that they get a team takeaway at six as it was more than likely that they would be working into the evening due to the Gang's potential meeting at the warehouse. Anaura agreed but hypothesised that it was a little unlikely that Bradford and Cooper would still go considering that another of their associates had been found murdered too. Richards agreed but joked that if they were going to get thrown off the case they might as well use a bit more of the operational funds to have a decent send off. Anaura smiled and shrugged his shoulders.

  Three hours later with sufficiently bloated stomachs the four detectives sat watching the TV in the lounge and feeling sympathy for the Intel officers who were likely to be living off sandwiches and crisps. The conversation had generally been light hearted until Valera enquired whether her and Usher would be able to return to Vice with him and Richards. Anaura replied that Op Spear was likely to be shut down after Friday as two of the Gang had been killed and the investigation hadn't really uncovered any hard evidence or success over and above what had previously been achieved by SOCU. Both the female officers commented that it might not have come off, but at least they'd had some fun doing it. As the conversation began to dry up and the four of them watched the television, Valera suddenly asked Anaura for the real reason why he had been thrown off the case as the operation had not been that much of a failure. Richards glanced over at him to see whether he was going to say the real reason. Anaura took a deep breath before he asked the two detectives whether they could keep a secret. They both nodded so he proceeded to tell them how he and Richards had been tipped off that there was a bent copper working for the Gang and that he had told Drayson. The information combined with a few flawed operational decisions had incensed Drayson and lead to him being thrown of the operation for incompetence.

  The two detectives pulled frustrated expressions as they heard Anaura say the word incompetent, as it was not a term that was generally synonymous with him or his work. In response, Usher remarked that she thought Drayson was a complete nobber and how he probably just wanted to prevent Anaura from getting all the glory when he eventually cracked the case. Anaura smiled and commented that he had still made some bad decisions, and that Drayson had just capitalised on them. Usher then asked whether they believed it was Foster who had been working for the Gang to which Richards replied that they didn't and although he was the murder suspect, something did not add up and that they strongly suspected someone else was involved too. Usher looked confused and enquired why Foster would kill the Gang for no reason if he wasn't linked to them. Richards just shook his head and explained that they didn't have all the answers but they would find them.

  Anaura stood up and stated that they should get back to work as the Intel officers would be coming on the radio imminently to start running a commentary on any suspicious activity that might be happening at the warehouse. He then also cited that he needed time to figure out how to use the CCTV monitor that relayed what the Intel officers were seeing through their cameras. Before they left the lounge, Valera asked whether he or Richards were going to inform PSD about what Poultan had said, both of them nodded in response. She then asked whether they had told Drayson about the Observation Post as he was the duty Gold Commander and would hit the roof if it was kept from him. Richards burst out laughing as Anuara raised his eyebrows, neither of them had known that he was the duty Commander that night. Being the duty Force command officer, he would have to be informed about any such operations during his shift. In the haze of the situation with Foster they had totally forgotten that they still hadn't updated him or Steiner about the Observation Post.

  Anaura remarked with laughter how he had better call Drayson or he would be kicked out the 'Job' forever.

  “Sir, are you free to speak?” Anaura asked Drayson over the phone.

  “Yeah, what do you want?” was his obnoxious reply.

  “I'm pretty sure you've heard about Foster by now. Well I'm not sure he's the only one involved in this?” Anaura said.

  “Not this fucking shit again!!! Look, Foster's nuts, he went mental after killing Mahood and Op Barrier. And as I see it he's going around killing people he considers to be 'bad men' because he's lost touch with reality!

  “Change the bloody record unless you've got some evidence to the contrary!” He replied in an angry voice.

  “Fine, maybe you're right, but I don't agree with that theory. Anyway; the main reason I've called you is to tell you that we've set up an Observation Post in Basin Road South after our Intel officers managed to identify where Cooper had gone when Surveillance lost him!”

  “YOU DID WHAT?!! ON WHOSE AUTHORITY? CALL IT OFF NOW!” Drayson yelled down the line.

  “I gave the authority! They are in
position now sir, how can I call it off? Anyway, I don't see what the problem is. The Intel lot have managed to learn more in one day than Surveillance did in two weeks, and they're now placed right where the Gang may be operating their business from, so what's your problem with this?” Anaura asked with annoyance as he started to reach the end of his tether with Drayson.

  “MY PROBLEM IS THAT SOMEONE LIKE YOU SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN RUNNING THIS CASE FROM THE START. WHAT ELSE HAVE YOU BEEN UP TO ANAURA?”

  “Right, I'm getting a little tired of you busting my eardrum from the other end of the line, if you want more details come down to the office. And if you want to know what else we've done, I'll tell you! Earlier today, Ian and I attended the Cliffe Pub in West Ording where we acquired some information about Foster meeting up with an unknown male prior to this operation starting and prior to the killings. It's possible that it's the dirty copper that you don't believe exists!” Anaura said growing angrier by the second.

  “WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STICKING YOUR NOSE INTO MY MURDER INVESTIGATION? I'M GOING TO HAVE YOU DISCIPLINED, DO YOU FUCKING HEAR THAT? I'LL RUIN YOU, YOU PRIMITIVE TRIBAL BASTARD!!!” Drayson yelled.

  “AH FUCK OFF YOU ABSOLUTE DICK, I'VE HEARD ENOUGH!!!” Anaura said as he slammed down the phone with a lot of force.

  Richards looked at him with shock and asked whether he had just said to Drayson what he thought he said. Anaura nodded in confirmation. Richards then began pleading with Anaura to reassure him that Drayson had already hung up when he swore at him, Anaura shook his head. Richards buried his face in his hands and asked what he had been thinking, telling a man who would be Assistant Chief to go forth and multiply. Anaura replied that in all honesty, he didn't care anymore and that he'd had just about endured as much of Drayson as he could, even more so when the arsehole had started coming out with racist jibes. Richards asked what he had said so Anaura explained. When Richards began saying that he should make a complaint, Anaura simply replied that he would probably just hit him whenever he next saw him. As Richards continued reeling from what had been said over the phone call, Anaura paused deep in thought before asking him if he found Drayson's reaction to the update a little strange and over the top. Richards replied that Drayson had always been a bit of a hot head when he didn't get his own way and enquired why he had asked. Anaura shrugged his shoulders and commented that he just thought Drayson seemed to over react to anything to do with the operation he was not fully aware of first. Anaura smiled and then said “Never mind, just thinking out loud.” before asking Richards to help him set up the CCTV monitor that he was failing miserably to set up.