by Jack Probyn
‘But we know that he was there before Garrison. They swapped shifts.’
‘I know. I thought that too at first. But then I realised that Garrison got his new car yesterday. He’s very precious about it. There’s no way he would have let Drew smoke in there. And there’s no way Drew would have left his cigarettes on the floor like that. He hates wasting them.’
Charlotte paused as she looked at the pen she was twirling in her fingers. ‘I don’t get it. What does this have to do with anything?’
Jake sighed briefly. ‘I don’t know. I’m still trying to work it out. But it puts Drew at the crime scene.’
‘Like I said, we already know he was there. Is it possible Nigel Clayton smokes the same cigarettes?’
Jake placed a hand on the table. ‘One thing I’ve come to learn in this job is that anything’s possible. Please… I think it’s something we should investigate.’
‘Have you seized them as evidence?’
‘I took photos. I didn’t wanna contaminate them; I didn’t have any evidence bags.’
Charlotte dipped her head and gave him a disappointed look, like she was his mother and he’d just broken a curfew for the first time. ‘This morning we got the forensic report on Richard Maddison’s body. I haven’t had a chance to look through it yet. Read it over. Let me know if you find anything.’ She reached for her car keys in her letter tray. ‘I’ve got some evidence bags and gloves in my car. Where did you say you found the cigarette?’
‘The bush where I watched the factory – on the other side of that. The vantage point. You can’t miss it.’
‘OK.’
‘Can you check Pete’s car as well? See if you can find the one in there.’
‘Give me a couple of hours, and I’ll be back with everything.’
‘Be quick. If either of them has found the cigarettes and picked them up, then… I’m sorry… I should have retrieved them as evidence when I had the chance.’
‘You of all people know better than to tamper with evidence. You did the right thing.’
Jake watched her leave the office, paranoia beginning to surge through his body. He envisaged the cigarette lying there on the asphalt, rolling gently on the ground as it was picked up and carried by the wind. Then he imagined Liam’s car pulling up beside it, a foot stepping out, a hand picking it up. He closed his eyes and willed for that not to happen.
But there was nothing he could do about it now.
First, he needed to check the forensic report.
He swivelled round to his desk, logged into the computer and loaded his emails. The report flashed up on his screen and he began reading.
It didn’t take him long to find what he was looking for.
The DNA found in the fingerprints on the wall matched Nigel Clayton’s.
Which meant he was present at Danny Cipriano’s murder.
Which meant he was present at Richard Maddison’s suicide.
Which meant he was present at Pete Garrison’s attempted murder.
Was he also the one who’d beaten Michael Cipriano to death? Accountant turned hitman?
The evidence suggested so. The only thing left to do now was find out who had the most to lose and hired the contract killer in the first place.
Fortunately, Michael Cipriano had already given him that information.
You’re a good egg, Jake. You’re a good egg.
CHAPTER 72
PRETEND
‘He wants Haversham,’ Drew told Liam bluntly on the phone. ‘We can’t let him. It’ll ruin everything.’
Rupert Haversham was a man who needed no introduction. Over the past decade, his name had become synonymous with crime and the criminal justice systems. Working out of his small office in North London, many of the city’s most prolific criminals – from all reaches of the spectrum – used his services to help them evade justice. The only problem was being able to afford him.
Liam sighed. ‘You’ve done everything by the book, right? Told him his rights, signed him in, confiscated everything, made sure everything is as fucking perfect as it can be? We can’t give that prick lawyer any reason to pull Jermaine out.’
‘I think so…’ Drew hesitated. ‘You’re making me doubt myself.’
‘Doubting yourself for doing your own fucking job? Jesus. Leave it with me.’
Liam hung up before allowing Drew a response, and within a few seconds, the trilling tone sounded in his ears again.
‘I was wondering when you might call,’ Rupert Haversham said as he answered the phone. His voice was deep, authoritative and very commanding. It was no wonder he was successful in the courtroom. His voice had the power to intimidate and provoke even the most cocksure and confident of individuals.
‘I suppose you’ve heard already?’ Liam asked as he skulked to his car from the cafeteria.
‘Are my services required?’
‘Why else would I be calling?’
‘Perhaps you fancied a chat. Who is it this time?’
‘Jermaine Gordon.’
‘What’s he done now?’
‘Committed triple murder. Potentially a fourth.’
‘I’ll believe it when I see the evidence.’
‘You don’t need to. I’ll double it.’
‘Double what?’ Rupert asked, a slight intrigue growing in the man’s voice.
‘Whatever he’s paying you. I’ll double it.’
‘I don’t know what he’s paying me yet. I haven’t spoken with him.’
‘Does it matter? Pluck a number out of the air and I’ll double it. You just step away from the case, that’s all. In fact, don’t even step near the case – how does that sound?’
‘I might be able to entertain the idea. Convince me.’
Liam sighed. ‘What’s your usual rate?’
‘Well, that depends on the evidence presented against my client. If you’ve got a lot, then it costs more. If you’ve not got anything and it’s purely coincidental, then it’s still going to be costly because you’ve wasted my time. I’m in high demand.’
‘As you insist on reminding me every time we speak,’ Liam remarked.
‘So… what evidence do you have?’
Liam swallowed. With the considerable lack of concrete evidence they had against Jermaine Gordon – there was none of his DNA on the bodies, nor was there anything connecting him to the crime other than his connections with Richard and Danny – then Liam knew there was no way he could convince Rupert to stand down. The man was too intelligent and tenacious for that.
Time to get creative.
‘We found his DNA on Danny Cipriano’s body. There were hair fibres as well as clothing fibres found that match Jermaine’s. We’ve got so much of his DNA on the database, it was easy.’
‘Is that all?’
‘CCTV. Footage of him outside the Olympic Stadium construction site at the time of death. My guys are working on enhancing the imagery now.’ Liam paused a beat. ‘It’s a lost cause. There’s little for you to fight against.’
Rupert chuckled down the phone. It was soft and low. ‘How long have you and I been working with one another?’
‘I don’t know – a few years.’
‘Ten,’ Rupert corrected. ‘And in that time, I’ve watched you do some pretty dodgy things, Liam. I’m sure you know what I’m talking about. So what’s to suggest you’ve not done the same things here with our old friend Jermaine Gordon, huh? I know how you work—’
‘And I know how you work,’ Liam interrupted, gripping the gearstick tightly. ‘I doubt in the last ten years you’ve changed your philosophy on work, have you? Working for the highest bidder. Everyone in the country wants you, but not everyone can afford you. Like I said, I can. And I’ll pay you double.’
‘You have that sort of money to spare?’
‘We’ve both been in this business for a long time, Rupert. You know I have. Are you taking it, or are you wasting my time?’
There was a long pause on the phone, filled with silen
ce and the odd outburst of static noise.
And then: ‘Fine. You’ve got yourself a deal. But it’ll cost you a hundred grand. Transfer me the money by the end of the day, and I’ll pretend I’ve never even heard of Jermaine Gordon.’
CHAPTER 73
TOILET BREAK
Jake had spent the last thirty minutes trying to make sense of it all, much to his dismay.
It was now confirmed that Nigel Clayton – the man who was now dead after being involved in a fatal car crash with Garrison – was present at both Danny Cipriano’s and Richard Maddison’s deaths. It was only a matter of time, he hoped, that it was confirmed he was also present at Michael Cipriano’s murder to complete the hat-trick. Jake pondered for a moment as he recalled the event – how he’d been only a few feet away from somebody beating the life out Michael’s body; how his heart had been in his throat as he listened to the sounds of Michael dying; how he’d cowered on the ground as he prepared himself to be seen and shot; how he’d been spared by the woman in black.
Nothing. There’s nobody here.
She’d saved him. She’d let him live. But why? And who was she?
Jake turned his mind back to Richard Maddison’s murder. To when Drew had called him and told him that a group of people had stormed into Maddison’s house.
I’m outside Richard Maddison’s flat waiting for him to come home, but I think The Farmer and his group have just broken into his house.
Danny Cipriano was murdered by a close associate of ours called The Farmer and his team.
At that moment, he noticed Drew returning to the office out of the corner of his eye, distracting him. The detective sergeant was hot and flustered, and looked mildly embarrassed, like he’d just been drink-slapped by a glass of wine. He turned his back to the wall and poured himself a cup of water from the fountain, avoiding eye contact as he sat down.
‘Everything all right?’ Jake asked.
‘Yeah.’
‘How’d it go?’
‘How did what go?’
‘Jermaine.’
‘Oh. We’re waiting to find his lawyer. He’s requested Rupert Haversham.’
Jake nodded slowly, absorbing the name. It was a frequent occurrence in the office, almost as though Mr Haversham was a member of the team.
‘Seems like half the city wants his services,’ Jake said.
‘There’s a reason. He’s good. I’d want him if I was in trouble.’
Of course you would, Jake thought, his mind conjuring images of Drew sitting behind a microphone, defending himself in court for raping Hannah Bryant.
‘You reckon the evidence against him will stick?’ Jake asked.
‘Doesn’t matter what I think. It matters what the CPS and twelve jurors think.’ Drew smirked then turned his attention to his computer screen and grabbed a few documents from his letter tray. He began filling in the sheets, glancing up at the computer repeatedly as he completed the information.
‘And what do you think twelve jurors will say about what happened to Pete?’
At the mention of Garrison’s name, Drew stopped and snapped his neck towards Jake. ‘What you talking about?’ Before he afforded Jake a chance to respond, his head turned to Charlotte’s desk. ‘Where’s she gone?’
‘She had to pop out. Said something about going back to Garrison’s incident and looking for evidence. I think she saw something in the bushes nearby and in the passenger seat.’
Drew’s eyes shifted nervously and the colour drained from his cheeks. And that was when Jake knew he had the bastard.
Saying nothing as he shut off his computer screen, Drew slowly stepped out of his chair.
‘Where you off to?’ Jake asked, pushing himself away from his desk.
‘Er… for a smoke… then going to – to the toilet.’
‘Mind if I join you?’
‘Fuck off, nonce.’
Jake puffed a small laugh out of his nostrils, then watched as Drew exited the office and turned left. By the time he reached the hallway, Drew was at the end of the corridor, angling his body to turn down another one. Jake raced after him down a flight of stairs. If he needed any indication that Drew was lying, this was it.
Shortly after they reached the station’s entrance. Drew was twenty yards ahead of Jake, already holding his mobile to his ear.
As Drew approached the revolving doors, he froze and lowered the phone from his head.
Hannah Bryant had just climbed the steps to the building and was standing at the entrance. They stood for a moment, staring at one another. Neither of them said anything, locked in a battle of unspoken and scathing words that had manifested themselves after years of silence and detestation.
‘Hannah!’ Jake said, feigning excitement to see her when in reality he was struck with bemusement. ‘Thank you for coming in. I hope the notice wasn’t too short?’
‘No…’ she said, unsure of herself. ‘It was fine…’
‘Journey OK?’
Out the corner of his eye, he noticed Drew’s mouth had fallen open.
‘It was fine thanks,’ she replied, still unsure what he was up to.
‘Good,’ Jake responded. ‘Well, if you wouldn’t mind, DS Richmond, I’d like to speak to my witness for a moment. Didn’t you have a toilet break you needed to take?’
CHAPTER 74
MISS B
‘Why… why are you here, Hannah?’ Jake asked, smiling awkwardly at her as they sat opposite one another in an interview room. ‘Didn’t you get my message?’
‘I did. I’m sorry, Detective. I wanted to come down in person. I need to know what progress you’ve made on the case.’ She looked down into her lap and played with her fingers. ‘I’m sorry.’
Jake sniffed. ‘Hannah… I’m sorry…’
‘You’ve done nothing?’
‘Hannah—’
‘No!’ she yelled, her demeanour and temper flipping on its head. ‘I trusted you. You were the only one I could have trusted to do this for me, but you’re just like the rest of them, aren’t you!’
‘Hannah – let me finish please.’ Jake raised his hands in the air in an attempt to placate her. As soon as she quietened down, he continued. ‘Things here have been so incredibly busy, they’ve taken up the majority of my time. I’ve been unable to—’
‘Typical!’ she shouted, rolling her eyes and leaning back in her chair, folding her arms.
‘Not that it’s any excuse, believe me. I want to help you, I really do. And I will be putting all my efforts into your case as soon as I can, but there’s been a development and things may be a little trickier than originally planned.’
Hannah tilted forward slightly.
‘DC Garrison – the man who was in charge of your case the first time round – was involved in a collision in the early hours of this morning. He’s alive, but we don’t yet know the extent of his injuries.’
‘Good.’
‘Excuse me?’
‘Good,’ she hissed, lacing the word with even more venom. ‘He deserved it. Karma for fifteen years of suffering and pain that I’ve had to endure. I just hope DS Richmond’s end is even worse. He deserves all he gets.’
‘I’m sure you don’t mean those things, Hannah.’
‘I do. I can’t wait till the day I find out he’s dead. And do you know what I hope happens to him? I hope he suffers the same thing that happened to me. I hope they torture him. I hope they make him feel helpless. I hope they rape him to death and suck every last ounce of life from his soul.’
Jake opened his mouth and let it hang there, stunned, as he stared at her in disbelief. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. In fact, he didn’t want to. She’d seemed so sweet and innocent. But Jake knew she wasn’t. She couldn’t be. What had happened to her was a terrifying ordeal, and it had shaped her life and behaviour and attitudes in ways he couldn’t imagine. Without realising it, Drew had changed her life forever, and her reaction was a visceral product of the abuse and torment she suffered on a daily
basis. Jake would never be able to understand the pain she went – and was going – through, and so, for that, he pretended he hadn’t heard what she’d said. Even if it did mean that her name might be high on the list if anything did happen to Drew.
‘Hannah, I promise you I will get to the bottom of this. I just need more time. But I can assure you they will face the consequences of their actions.’
Hannah shook her head. ‘It’s not good enough. The world needs to know what that man’s done. How he’s abused his power. How he should never be allowed to call himself a police officer ever again.’
‘And I’m all for that. It’s just going to take time. There are certain procedures we have to follow. It’s a painstaking process, and trust me, it’s just as infuriating for me as it is you.’
Hannah scoffed. ‘Don’t pretend like you can sympathise with me. You don’t know the half of it. You don’t know any of it. And you never will. You will never have to go through what I have.’ She looked down at the table. ‘Christ knows how many other people have.’
‘Are you suggesting he’s done this before? Did he ever mention having done it to other women?’
Hannah hesitated. ‘Not that I can remember. I never thought to ask. He might have done. I’m sure he and DC Garrison had their own little gang going on.’
The hairs on Jake’s skin prickled. If he could open an investigation into some other rape cases that had remained unsolved and forgotten about since Drew started in the force, then Jake might be able to build an even bigger case against him.
‘What about any friends of yours at school? Did you have any friends that knew him or were offered the same kind of help from DS Richmond?’ Jake was unsure of how to phrase it. He hoped he hadn’t overstepped the mark with his word choice.
Hannah retreated into a state of reflection again. She ran her finger over her lips and then held it at the bottom of her nose.
‘There was one girl. I never spoke to her properly. We were sort of friends, sort of not. We grew up on the same estate and went to the same school. Now that I think about it, I did see them together a couple of times. It’s possible something might have happened to her too.’