‘Firearms Alpha to Zero Alpha,’ sounded over Harry’s radio. Harry answered, followed by Firearms Alpha, saying, ‘No sign of the suspect, sir, but we do have a body.’
Chapter Twenty-Four
‘Oh my God, we are too late,’ Vinnie said, as he reached for the door handle.
‘Zero Alpha to Firearms Alpha, are we sure the lady is dead?’ Harry asked over the radio.
‘The body’s definitely dead,’ Firearms Alpha replied. ‘But it’s not female.’
Vinnie and Harry looked at each other. Harry opened the boot of his car and directed Vinnie to a cardboard box containing white forensic suits and overshoes. He told Vinnie to check the scene but not to hang about. He’d make contact with the two intel officers at the other two addresses and send the rest of the teams over to whichever looked favourite; he said he’d catch a lift and leave his car for Vinnie to use. As Harry turned away and started to give his instructions over the radio, Vinnie quickly suited-up and told Grady to do so, too.
Vinnie then grabbed Grady by the arm and walked her over to the front door as the firearms officers were starting to leave the premises. Vinnie grabbed one uniformed PC standing outside and told him to start a scene log and secure the area as soon as they had left, adding that they wouldn’t be long. Vinnie entered and was met in the hallway by the firearms sergeant — Firearms Alpha — who told them to follow him. They did, and a moment later both stood in the living room of the upstairs flat.
Seated at an old formica kitchen table, with his head face down on its surface, was the body of a bald male in his thirties, or so Vinnie estimated. ‘I suppose we should be grateful it’s not the hostage, wherever she is, but then again, he is someone,’ Vinnie said, as he carefully grabbed the hair at the rear of the head and lifted it out of the pool of dark red blood that was still spreading slowly across the table.
Vinnie had a quick glance at the face, but didn’t recognise the deceased. He asked the firearms sergeant to take a quick photo of the face with his phone to help them ID the dead man as quickly as they could.
Vinnie noticed that the head was hard to keep under control; it moved about too easily, almost as if it was attached to the neck by some sort of universal joint. Then he realised why. The poor man had had his neck cut from one side to the other. It looked as if the cut had gone in a long way and it was probably only the man’s spine that had prevented a full decapitation. Vinnie gently laid the head back down upon the table, so as not to disturb too much, and then said they should all now leave and head to the next address.
Outside, the firearms sergeant rushed off to join his team and once back at Harry’s car, Vinnie and Grady started to remove their protective garments.
‘I can save you some time with the ID-ing of the deceased,’ Grady said.
Vinnie turned to look at her, and she continued. ‘His name was Bonehead, I never knew his real name, but he was Babik’s right-hand man. He was also the man who drove the motorcycle when Watson was killed.’
Vinnie was startled to hear this; perhaps Grady was on the level, after all. He thanked her and asked her to think of anything which might help them identify Bonehead formally. He then asked what she thought had happened, and where was Babik?
‘Bonehead was a loyal servant but not the brightest, he was often letting Babik down, perhaps he just went too far this time. It would also explain why Babik’s done one.’
Vinnie hoped that the search of the two further addresses proved fruitful. He looked sideways at Grady as he drove Harry’s car, she looked as if she was contemplating something; then spoke.
‘I’ve just remembered an earlier conversation we all had, in that very room where Bonehead died.’
Vinnie told her to go on, and she recalled a discussion where it became apparent that Bonehead had loaded the Uzi that Babik used to kill Watson. ‘What, you mean the magazine? Because we have the weapon.’
‘No; well yes, but I was referring to the ammo. Apparently, Bonehead loaded the magazine by hand without gloves some time before the murder. It was only when they needed the weapon that he put his gloves on, to put the magazine in,’ she added.
Vinnie thanked her, and then concentrated on navigating his way through a large council estate on the southern side of New Hall Lane. All the side roads looked the same. What Grady had just told him was very useful, he was sure that some of the empty ammo cases had already been recovered from the murder scene, plus there would be unused rounds in the weapon itself. He’d make sure that further searches were done until they had recovered all that they could. They only had to be lucky with one of them, not that it greatly mattered now, Bonehead wouldn’t be standing trial. But it would still be good supportive evidence against Babik. Grady’s testimony would tie them together. He was starting to feel more relaxed about Grady, now.
Vinnie was still looking for the side street which contained the nearest of the two further addresses when his mobile rang. It was Harry. He pulled over to take the call.
‘Don’t bother attending.’
‘Why?’ Vinnie asked.
‘Because the second address has just gone up in flames. I’ve just arrived but the intel man at the front saw nothing before the flames. Hang on.’
Vinnie could hear Harry’s radio in the background but couldn’t make out the speech, other than to notice that it sounded hurried and urgent. Then Harry came back on the line.
‘Did you get that?’
Vinnie said he hadn’t and Harry told him that the third address, which was just around the corner from the second, was also on fire.
‘I take it, nothing from the guy at the front?’ Vinnie asked.
‘No, he must have clocked the watchers and approached from the rear. This guy is not taking any chances. I just pray that our hostage isn’t in one of the houses. Particularly this one; it’s well alight. God forbid that anyone is in there, because they are a lost soul if so. Comms have directed the fire service to go to the other place first. How did you get on?’
Vinnie quickly filled Harry in on Bonehead, including what Grady had said. He sounded pleased. They both agreed to head back to the office to get started on what was now a second murder enquiry. He just hoped that there were no surprises in the other properties.
As he restarted Harry’s car, Vinnie could hear the sound of emergency vehicles approaching, and as he turned back into New Hall Lane to return to the city centre, a succession of fire engines passed them going the other way. At least they would soon be there. ‘I hope there are no more Boneheads at the other addresses,’ he said.
‘I think he just used them as storage, or meeting places. All my dealings with Babik were at the first address,’ Grady said.
‘I was referring to the hostage,’ Vinnie replied.
‘Sorry, I didn’t think,’ Grady said, ‘but I’ve only ever seen her at the first address.’
‘He must have moved her somewhere,’ Vinnie said.
‘Like I said, the second and third were just buildings for storage or meetings; there isn’t even any furniture in them. I wouldn’t have thought he’d have taken the hostage there, let alone leave her behind.’
‘I hope you’re right,’ Vinnie said. ‘I wonder why he didn’t set the first address on fire, if that’s his thing?’
‘Perhaps he didn’t have time,’ Grady said.
Vinnie didn’t respond. But a thought worried him.
Had Babik been tipped off again?
Chapter Twenty-Five
Thankfully, Vinnie and Harry didn’t have to wait long for confirmation that both the blazing addresses were indeed empty, as Grady had suggested. A further hour and all the urgent stuff had been done. A new team was briefed and out doing house-to-house enquiries around all three addresses. Every cop in the area was updated on Babik and every spare cop was actively searching for him. The fire brigade had done an excellent job of extinguishing both fires. In fact, most of both houses had been saved, apart from the upstairs where the fires had been started. The le
ading fire officer at both scenes had confirmed that accelerants had been used. Both scenes were closed and wouldn’t be safe to search properly until the following morning. In fact, the fire brigade would be there for a while yet, damping down to guard against any secondary spontaneous combustion.
The scene at the first address was obviously closed and had only been visited by the paramedics to confirm that life was extinct. A routine procedure in the circumstances. Harry had arranged for a Home Office pathologist to visit the body in situ prior to its recovery to the mortuary and resultant post mortem examination. The forensic scientists would also want to see the body in situ. He had discussed the scene with both over the phone and both had said that nothing would spoil before first light. Harry had given one of the local DS’s the job of coordinating the initial forensic strategy.
Vinnie walked into the SIO’s office as Harry put his desk phone down. ‘The chief?’ he asked.
‘Yeah, and as you might expect, he’s not a happy chief constable.’
‘What about Grady?’ Vinnie asked.
‘Well, unless we lock her up we can’t keep her here indefinitely, so I’ve sent her home for now, told her to speak to no one and to take her time coming in tomorrow. She still has no phone, so should be out of Babik’s reach for the moment.’
‘Do we believe her?’ Vinnie asked.
‘I’m really not sure, only time will tell. Darlington said he’d turn out a detective from the professional standards unit to sit on her rented property to make sure she does as instructed, and to note any visitors.’
‘Good idea. Does Babik know her address?’
‘She says not, it’s on a short term lease as she’s not been here long, and according to her she spent most of her time at the first address used by Babik.’
‘Do you think she was shagging him?’
‘She says not. Says that would be a no-no in undercover rules.’
‘Where have we heard that one before?’
‘Quite.’
‘What about the hostage?’ Vinnie asked, of no one in particular.
‘Not sure what more we can do tonight?’
Vinnie knew that her description had been circulated far and wide and that the intel unit was leaving a detective on through the night to monitor comms and intelligence streams. They’d even turned out a few informants to ask around, but until someone was reported missing, it would be like trying to find a dropped pie in Wigan.
‘However, I think we need to pay Sadiq another visit,’ Harry said, breaking Vinnie’s thoughts. ‘Then we should know for sure. Let’s head off home now and I’ll leave you to set that up in the morning. I’ll be busy getting the new investigation team briefed and out. Not to mention the press conference.’
‘No probs, Harry, see you bright and early.’ And with that, Harry picked up his phone and left. Vinnie looked at his watch, it was well after ten now and he couldn’t think of anything else they could do tonight. Then he wondered if it was too late to put a call in to Christine. Apart from the fact that he’d not had chance to ring her back, he wondered if she could organise a press release, with the missing woman’s description for the following day if there was no news of her overnight. He rang Christine’s number, which was picked up on the third ring. ‘Still up, then?’
‘Halfway through a bottle of Merlot, if you are nearby?’ Christine answered.
‘Love to, but I’m still up in Preston so it would be towards midnight by the time I got back to Manchester,’ he said, and then thought about asking to crash at her place. That said, he was whacked and would have to be up early. As if reading his mind, Christine spoke.
‘I only meant for a nightcap, are you forgetting about my house guests?’
Vinnie felt guilty, what with all that had gone on this evening he’d forgotten to ask about the two women. He tried to make it sound as if he was just about to, and then Christine filled him in. The cops had been around and taken details, then she had a visit fromby a detective as Vinnie had suggested would happen. A DS Mathews from the public protection unit in Manchester. Vinnie said he didn’t know that DS, before asking, ‘What about the social worker at the address in Queens Drive?’
‘Shocked and upset, but thankfully unharmed, apparently. It wasn’t her that the intruders were after,’ Christine said.
‘You’ve had quite an upsetting time yourself; I hope you are not putting a mask over things?’
‘What, the ones that enhance my beauty?’ she said.
Now he knew she was OK, so asked, ‘Any idea what this is all about?’
‘The girls have told me quite a story of how they were trafficked over here on a false premise. Their lives were constantly threatened to ensure compliance, and after tonight, there is no doubt that the bastards involved mean business.’
Vinnie wondered why the bad guys had waited until now to strike; after the main man had been tried and convicted, and said as much.
‘Already asked, and DS Mathews just reckons that they didn’t know where the girls were being kept until they applied for their replacement travel documents,’ Christine said.
‘A leaky embassy?’
‘That’s what the DS reckons.’
‘Are you sure you are safe now?’ Vinnie asked.
‘Absolutely, and as if to confirm things someone at their embassy is going nuts to find out where their “citizens are being held.” Mathews keeps putting the phone down on them.’
‘A good place for her investigation to start, but I wish her luck. Trying to get information out of a foreign embassy is like trying to get a glass of Merlot out of you.’
‘Just finished the bottle as you mention it, but I did ask if you were nearby.’
Vinnie smiled and then asked what next for the women. Christine told him that they were going to be put on a flight the following day by social services and DS Mathews, to avoid any further problems, One of the girls — Bob-A, she referred to her as — had arranged for an uncle to meet them at the other end. But she and her mate had given Christine a great starting place for her story, which she would get on with the following day.
Vinnie told her to be careful and she said that she would. He then asked his favour.
‘Not a problem, I’ll speak to the newsroom tomorrow morning first thing, to create some space, so if your missing lady hasn’t turned up overnight, we’ll be good to go,’ she said.
‘How do you mean, space? He asked.
‘There is always a story than can be dropped or put back. I’ll ask them to prepare for a late insert, but I’ll need to know by eight to get it in the nine am bulletin.’
Vinnie said that he’d ring her at quarter to, and bade her goodnight. That meant he’d need to be in the office by seven, so he decided not to bother driving back to his place in Manchester. He’d head five miles up the road and take advantage of the grace and favour rooms the chief, Brian Darlington had set aside for them in J block of Lancashire police’s Hutton Hall training school. Then he remembered he’d no car — damn! He’d borrow one from the local CID office. It had been a long time since he’d been in a section CID car and he wondered if they were still as bad as they were in his day; full of empty fast food wrappers and cigarette ends — and those were the better ones!
Chapter Twenty-Six
Preston prison was an old stone Victorian jail, built initially to house around 600 inmates, but Vinnie reckoned there was at least double that number currently locked up there. Like all police visitors to prisons, he and Harry had to hand over their mobile phones at reception and then wait for an escort to take them to the security office. From there, they were led to an interview room which had a steel table and four old wooden office chairs within, but nothing else.
They each took a seat at the door side of the table and waited. Vinnie was always amazed at how noisy prisons were. A constant level of shouting, clatter and all sorts of sounds echoed around the stone corridors. An unending hustle and bustle that would get on his nerves, he was sure, if he worked
here. They must become immune to it, he mused, as a further sound announced the reinforced glass door being swung open. In walked a prison officer, followed by Mohammed Sadiq, who slouched his way to the other side of the desk, all the while avoiding eye contact with either of them.
The prison officer stood by the door and asked, ‘Do you want me to stay, Sadiq?’
‘Yes please, boss, this won’t take long,’ he answered.
Vinnie was about to argue, and was taken aback by what Sadiq had said, but before he could speak Sadiq continued, looking up at them for the first time. ‘I don’t know what you two want, but you are wasting your time, innit. I ain’t no grass.’
Vinnie noticed two things: one, Sadiq’s whole demeanour and diction had changed, and two, he’d now adopted the pseudo Pakistani-come-London accent favoured by so many young Asian males. He glanced at Harry, who seemed to register Vinnies thoughts in his gaze before he answered. ‘We know you are no grass, and we are not here for that.’
‘Well, if you thinks I’m going to clear some jobs up just because you lot can’t detect shit, forget it, man. I ain’t even done what that bent jury did me for, so you’re wasting your time, all ways.’
Vinnie decide to join in. ‘Look, OK, you’ve seen through us, but we don’t want you to admit to anything you’ve not done. And for the record, we don’t let people admit stuff they haven’t done just to clear the books; that’s not how it works.’
‘Well, what is all this then?’ Sadiq said.
‘We know you’ve been involved in the enslavement of other trafficked women, and here is your chance to tell us.’
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