Cooper sat back in his chair. He nodded, then glanced at the WPC sitting over by the door.
‘I suppose I should have expected this.’
He paused, stared at Hall, who gazed back. He’d already predicted Cooper’s next words, almost to the syllable. It isn’t what he would have said, but it was the obvious play. The lazy man’s play. The play by the bloke who didn’t even try to think two moves ahead.
‘You’re a coward, aren’t you, Andy? Not willing to take responsibility for what you’ve done. Only too happy to let a woman take the fall for you.’
‘Is there a question in there, at all?’
‘No, there’s not. I can’t really believe it, that’s all. I’ve read your service record, Andy, and it’s pretty impressive, truly.’
Cooper tried a smile, even though it was too late to try to build any sort of rapport, and Hall merely looked calmly back.
‘So why would you risk it all, your reputation, everything, by looking at this old case? A nothing file, an archive filler, just an accidental death of a protestor at a demo that everyone forgot about, years ago.’
‘I’m interested.’
‘So you don’t deny it, then? Thank Christ for that. I was beginning to wonder if you were the right bloke. You don’t deny that you, Andy Hall, and a currently suspended police officer, DS Ian Mann, have been conducting a freelance investigation into this death?’
‘We’ve been looking at it, yes.’
‘And it’s just a co-incidence that your better half reviewed the file, is it?’
Hall didn’t reply.
‘Don’t tell me, I’d have to ask DI Francis that.’
‘Yes, exactly.’
‘All right, since you’re not going to be a man about it, let’s try this. It’s a nice, simple question. What’s your interest in the death of Cam Donald?’
‘I think that he may have been an undercover police officer, and further that his death may not have been an accident.’
‘On what grounds?’
‘I’m not willing to discuss that at this point.’
‘You don’t have a choice.’
‘I do, you know. So I suggest that you arrest me, ask Mr. Jenkins to join us, and then put your question again. But if you still just want a chat….’
Cooper got up, and walked to the door. He struggled, but after a moment managed to call to mind a clear image of him getting out of that shiny new Jag in the car park at HQ, dark red it would be, and one of the lads giving him an impressed thumbs-up as he clocked the car. Then he tried again.
‘I get it. I see it all now. You just can’t accept that your career is over, can you, Andy? It’s pathetic really, putting your better half and your mate’s careers at risk, and all because of your own vanity.’
‘That’s one way of looking at it, certainly.’
Cooper smiled, shook his head, and sat back down.
‘Does anything get a rise out of you? Am I wasting my time here? Be honest with me, mate.’
‘I was a police officer for thirty years, Dave, most of them at the sharp end, and I interviewed a few people who I think can only be described as evil. Not many, and certainly fewer than ten. They’d just chosen to be the way they were, as far as I could tell, and they usually couldn’t see what all the fuss was about when they were sitting just where I am now. They just didn’t give a shit, even though they’d ruined lives, and sometimes even taken life. And you know what, Dave? I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of times that I ever raised my voice in this room. And I regret every single one of those occasions. So no, you won’t get a rise out of me. Not today, and not ever.’
‘All right then, Mr. Cool, how about this? Why do you think that this matter is of interest to us? Why are we sitting here now, going through this whole bloody charade? You must have thought about it, right?’
‘I don’t know. It’s a good question though, obviously.’
‘Go on then, hazard a guess. Let’s see if you’re as bloody clever as you think you are.’
‘If I do, will you tell me if I’m right?’
‘I might.’
‘I’ve got a feeling that you will. All right, so how about this as a working hypothesis? Cam Donald was indeed an undercover officer, he was murdered, and now the force is trying to cover up the fact that it never investigated the case properly.’
‘Why?’
‘I’m not sure. Perhaps one of the officers involved in the decision is still serving, possibly in another constabulary, and probably at a very senior rank. A Chief Constable somewhere, perhaps.’
Cooper laughed, drily. ‘Do you hear yourself? Do you know how mad this all is?’
‘You’re saying it’s not true, then?’
‘Of course I am. No, you’ve got it all wrong, mate. There’s a simple explanation, but you’re just not the kind of copper who likes those, are you? The fact is that there is an active investigation involving one or more of the people who form part of your so-called investigation. That’s our interest.’
‘You’re warning me off?’
‘I’m just appealing to you, as a former officer, not to accidentally undermine an ongoing, and long-standing, investigation.’
‘Can you give me any details?’
‘Of course not. I’ve told you too much already. And it was strictly off the record, mind.’
‘Understood.’
‘So you’ll drop it? You’ll do the right thing?’
‘I’ll certainly think about what you’ve said. But could I ask you something?’
‘Will it help you decide?’
‘Absolutely.’
‘Go on, then. But no promises, mind.’
‘Why did you have a tail on me, yesterday?’
‘We didn’t.’ Cooper had replied too fast, and he knew it. Double shit. ‘What do you mean, a tail?’
‘Oh, nothing. I must have been imagining it, then. Like you say, I’m not a copper any more. The old brain’s going soft, I expect.’
Cooper looked glumly across the table, and thought about what he was going to say to the ACC when he asked if Hall was now safely back in his box. Suggesting that he was, or even might be, didn’t seem like a remotely viable option.
‘You’ve not gone soft, Mr. Hall. Far from it, I’d say.’ Cooper gestured to the young uniformed WPC standing by the door to go. ‘We’re finished, love. We’re just going to have bit of a personal catch-up now, OK?’
The WPC got out of her chair to leave, and Cooper followed immediately, closing the door behind her.
‘A serving copper, you reckon? This Cam Donald bloke? Really?’
‘Yes, that’s right.’
‘How sure are you?’
‘We’re sitting here now, aren’t we?’
Cooper smiled, and glanced over at the observation window. ‘Fucking right, mate. The ACC must think I was born yesterday, the prick.’
Hall smiled back. He hadn’t seen this idea coming, but it was a good one. Surprisingly subtle, in fact.
‘Look, Dave, if this is some kind of ruse to get me to say more than I should then chapeau, as the French say. But you’ll understand…’
‘Aye, I get it. Don’t worry, you don’t need to say anything. I get the picture. And walls have ears, don’t they? Especially these bloody walls. Well I don’t care who’s watching, or listening, and I’ll tell you this for nothing. I don’t like being played, especially by a toffee-nosed ponce like the ACC.’
‘That’s the spirit.’
‘Don’t take the piss. I mean it. So you go for it, mate, and if someone killed a cop then you bloody find the bastard, and I’ll make sure that the bigger bastards, the ones who covered it up, go down too. And I don’t care if you believe me or not, mate, because that’s the truth. So listen, shall I tell the ACC that you took the hint, to buy you a bit of time and space, or shall I tell him that you knocked me back?’
‘Which do you think is the case?’
‘The latter, obviously.’
‘Then that’s what I’d tell the ACC. I don’t know much about managing senior officers, God knows, but I do know that it’s best to be straight with them.’
‘Even if they’re not straight back?’
Hall smiled and stood up.
‘In that case it’s absolutely the only way to go, isn’t it, Dave?’
When Hall reached reception he remembered that he didn’t know what Jenkins’ first name was. He was the kind of solicitor who you didn’t ever get to know, when you were on the other side of the table in that interview room. But he was the criminal solicitor best for miles, and Hall had always enjoyed their encounters, even when Jenkins had won the day. Apart from anything else Jenkins’ presence usually meant that the suspect knew exactly what he or she - almost invariably he - was doing, and was therefore almost certainly also guilty. Not necessarily guilty of anything they could be convicted for, let alone what they’d been arrested for, but invariably guilty of something.
And it seemed that Jenkins was fully aware of the irony of the situation, because he was smiling when he rose to greet Hall.
‘So I’m not needed, Mr. Hall?’
‘Andy, please. And not today, it seems. But please send me your bill, I’ll give you my address.’
‘Call this our introductory meeting. Is there anything that we should discuss now, today? In my experience these interviews tend to cluster somewhat, don’t they?’
‘No, there’s nothing.’
‘And am I right in surmising that you have tweaked the tiger’s tail, as it were?’
Hall laughed. ‘Well, I’m not sure I’d call it a tiger.’
‘Oh, I would, Andy. I most certainly would. Do not underestimate your former colleagues, and do not overestimate yourself. I’ve seen clients of mine make both of those mistakes, and it has often cost them dear. But of course you’re not exactly a typical client, so very well, let’s leave it there for now. But you contact me at any time, should you be invited to answer any further questions, and under no circumstances say anything to anyone until I am present. Is that clear?’
‘Absolutely.’
‘Good. I wouldn’t want you to overestimate your ability to withstand pressure, Mr. Hall. If and when the time comes, then you will most definitely need me in your corner. Just because you understand the process, it doesn’t mean that you can resist the pressure.’
When Hall walked out of the station he was surprised to see Ian Mann, rather than Jane, leaning on the roof of his car.
‘Jane phoned you?’
‘Aye. The sprog’s acting up, apparently.’
‘Good. I don’t mean good that Grace is being a handful, I mean good that Jane isn’t here. The more distance that you both keep from me the better. So I’m grateful, of course, but I wish you hadn’t come either, to tell the truth.’
‘Bollocks. Get in, mate.’
Mann’s car was as spotless, inside and out, as Hall’s was grubby. And Mann drove as carefully and considerately as always, beckoning cars from side streets. Neither man spoke for a minute or two.
‘So they really leant on you?’
‘That was the idea, yes.’
‘But it didn’t work?’
‘I’d say not, Ian. The bloke the ACC sent down, a keen young lad called Dave Cooper, is no fool. He knows when he’s been played. I think it’s fair to say that someone else now has their doubts about the death of Cam Donald.’
Mann smiled. ‘So we’ve got nowt to worry about, then?’
Hall looked out of the window, taking nothing in, while he framed his reply.
‘I haven’t, no. But I can’t keep you involved, Ian. Not in the situation you’re in. They could sack you, mate, just think about that.’
‘So what? You know me, Andy, I’ve always hated a bully. Can’t stand the bastards. And the worst thing that you can ever do is give in to them, even once, because then they’ve won, haven’t they? No, mate, they’re on with a cover up here, the bosses, and we need to find out what it is, and why it is.’
‘Do we? Are you sure?’
‘Of course. Isn’t that what we do? Find the truth, like?’
‘That’s a moot point, I’d say. And what if Cameron was undercover, but his death really was an accident? What then? What would be the value in bringing that particular truth to light? It would just cause new upset to his family, wouldn’t it? And for what purpose? Just to satisfy the curiosity of a former cop who should just accept that his working life is over, and learn when to give in gracefully.’
Mann took his time before he replied, and when he did his pattern of speech matched his driving: slow, and considered.
‘That’s not very likely though, is it? Cam’s death being accidental. Because why would Battersby have been watching Spedding if he hadn’t killed Cam Donald, or at least had him killed? It doesn’t make any sense, mate. Especially because you seem to have forgotten something all of a sudden, Andy, and that’s really not like you.’
‘Jane told you, then?’
‘Aye, blue hatchback, with your initials in the reg. I’d compliment you on your new-found observational skills, if it wasn’t all down to luck. I’ve had it checked, and it’s a hire car. I can get my mates to send someone to the place in Carlisle where it came from, but we both know what we’ll find, don’t we?’
‘Nicked papers and a cash payment, for sure. Bloke about forty, from out of area, I expect. But you don’t need to worry about me. That’s just Battersby keeping tabs on me. He’d never risk doing me any harm, would he? Not now, not after all this commotion.’
‘Maybe, but I don’t like it. What if…’
Hall didn’t usually interrupt anyone, least of all Ian Mann, but this time he did just that.
‘All right, Ian, here’s one final reason why you should stand down. I don’t know what to do next. Realistically, there’s sod all we can do now. To be frank, even if I had the resources of the whole constabulary behind me I’m not sure there’s much I could do. I’d never get the go-ahead to reopen the file and start re-interviewing people. Because what would be the point? We’ve still got no eye witnesses, no forensics, nothing.’
‘But you could prove that both Donald and Spedding were undercover cops. That wouldn’t be hard to do, not if we put a bit of effort in.’
‘Granted, but what’s the point? Because we already know that’s true, don’t we?’
They turned into Hall’s road, and Mann checked his mirror twice before indicating and pulling in at the end of Hall’s short, concrete drive.
‘All right, mate,’ said Mann, ‘I’ll wait to hear from you. But you call me if you see anything you don’t like. You hear me? Anything at all.’
‘I do, thanks. And if I do think of a way forward on this then you’ll be the first to know, I promise.’
‘Oh, you’ll think of something all right, Andy, don’t you worry about that. In fact, if I know you, you already have, you bastard.’
When Hall opened the front door, and Jane came through from the kitchen, his expression was as neutral as ever. It was as if he was returning from a particularly uneventful stroll. But the bush telegraph, or its more modern equivalents, had been active, because Jane already knew who Hall had been interviewed by, and that he’d been released without charge.
Later, after Hall had told her what had been said, and she’d laughed at the ACC’s apparent misjudgement of young DCI Cooper, they tacitly agreed to drop the subject, and then they spent a quiet, harmonious day with Grace. It was quietly joyful, a day of tiny pleasures. The garden, a coffee, sitting in the park listening to the birdsong and their baby’s breathing. And for almost the first time in his life Hall felt that he was really savouring every single moment, rolling them round in his mind like an old, brown wine on the palate.
It wasn’t until much later, when Grace was fast asleep in her cot, that Jane returned to the subject.
‘What are you going to do next, Andy? Because we both know it’ll be something.’
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‘You’re right, I am thinking about doing a bit more. Or rather, I’d like to, if you’re behind me.’
‘Of course I am, love.’
‘You don’t think I’m being selfish? Putting myself first like this, I mean.’
Jane laughed. ‘Don’t be daft, love.’
‘Good, because I do have one idea. Why don’t I apply for a PI’s licence?’
Jane laughed again, in surprise. ‘You’re not serious are you, love? You’ll be a laughing stock at work. You’ll be teased about rummaging through knicker draws for the rest of your life, love.’
‘Maybe, but it did occur to me, as they were driving me in, that they could have tried to nab me for operating as a private investigator without a licence. I had a look at the new rules yesterday, actually, and I really should do it, and get myself signed up officially. If I’m serious about seeing this thing through, love.’
Jane took a cautious sip of her wine. ‘So we’re not looking at a one off here? You’re seriously thinking about being the only pram-pushing PI in the business?’
‘It’d be a great cover, you’re right. I could hide a camera in Grace’s buggy too, maybe.’
She laughed. ‘Grace would be brilliant as the bad cop, wouldn’t she? Just delay a feed or a nappy change at the crucial moment and she’d be a right little sod.’
‘So you don’t mind if I do it? You know that word will get back to your bosses when they do the vetting of my application.’
‘No, of course I don’t mind. Fuck ‘em, Andy. They may be the bosses of me, but they’re not the bosses of you. But you didn’t answer my question, love. Would you take other cases, in the future?’
‘Well, I’m not going to start touting for work, if that’s what you mean.’
‘All right, fair enough. You go for it, love. It would be cruel to try to stop you, anyhow. I know who you are, Andy, I always have. You’re just a great big walking, talking question mark, aren’t you, love? But just one thing. You will think about me and Grace, won’t you? You won’t put this case, or any other, ahead of us?’
A Half Remembered Life (The Lakeland Murders Book 9) Page 10