Lethal Promise

by Paul Stretton-Stephens

  “He was last seen driving a blue Ute, and his mother drives a white Jeep. As far as we know they should be the only vehicles at the property.”

  “I suggest we park up and block the road outside of number 186. That would force him on to the scrubland should he try to evade capture,” suggested Fi.

  “Let’s go then,” said Jago eagerly.

  They crossed the bridge over the Jeeaila River, driving south and then west onto Ludlow Road North. The land on the west side of the road was open scrubland as far as the eye could see. It was fenced off on the east side, with an abundance of trees in the distance. They took a tight bend in the road and shortly afterwards approached a junction, where they turned right onto Peppermint Grove Road. Sporadically, buildings now flanked the road – some farms, others homes. The road was long and straight and started to bend to the right into Peppermint Grove Terrace, their target address. Within a few minutes, they had parked and blocked the road as planned.

  Jago skirted around three properties to the right of the target property. Fortunately, the surrounding land was as yet unused, allowing him easy access to the rear of the house. Mikey and Fi cautiously approached the front. Mikey backed up against the main wall of the house as they crept down the long driveway towards the garage annex. Fi ducked into a recess in the side of the house and waited for Jago to appear from the rear.

  Jago mounted some metal firebreak fencing and landed without a sound. At the rear of the annex there were no windows or doors. He stealthily made his way along the wall of the annex that faced the garden. This wall contained two windows, both of which were slightly ajar, revealing their mosquito netting. Jago peered into the corner of the first window he encountered. There were no obvious signs of life inside. He moved on, coming into Fi’s view. She slowly advanced towards the front of the annex, being mindful of anyone or anything from the main house.

  Jago continued to the next window and once again peered inside cautiously. He could see a single male, face down, sleeping on a bed. He quickly scanned the rest of the room and listened for any sounds from inside. There were none, apart from the sleeper’s heavy breathing.

  Jago signalled to Fi that there was one occupant inside. She moved to the right side of the door, and as she got into position Jago joined her on the left. Noting that the door hinges were on the outside, Jago reached for the handle. He slowly applied downward pressure and pulled. The door opened partially and Fi moved round into a better position for entry. The door squeaked ever so slightly. They paused and waited for any response. There was none, and they entered the annex.

  They advanced stealthily through the open-plan kitchen diner and onwards to the bedroom. The door was ajar. Jago counted to three on his fingers, and then they both entered at lightning speed and trained their weapons on their target, Rich Cassidy. He didn’t stir.

  They surveyed the area for any obvious signs of weapons. There were none. Jago noticed a watch and mobile phone on the bedside table. The watch had a black composite strap and a stainless-steel casing. The face was black with white hands and luminescent hour markers. It fitted the description that Abi had given him previously.

  “Rich Cassidy, wake up. We’ve got questions for you.”

  The man stirred and rubbed his eyes as he turned to face Jago and Fi.

  “Are you Rich Cassidy?”

  In a sleepy state, the man replied, “Yeah, I’m Rich Cassidy. Who wants to know?”

  “We’ve been speaking with your friend Red, and he thinks you may be able to help us. I would like you to get up slowly, put some clothes on and come with us.”

  “Do I have any choice?”

  “No, you don’t. Now get your stuff together. Do you have any weapons?”

  “Under the mattress there’s a Glock nine millimetre.”

  “Then I suggest you place your hands where we can see them at all times, otherwise we might think you’re trying to do something and shoot you.”

  Cassidy paused as he was putting on his trousers. He realised Jago and Fi obviously meant business, and he complied with their every instruction.

  “You’re Brits, like me. Are you expats or just over here on secondment?”

  Jago ignored the question. “Turn and face the wall. Now place your hands behind your back.”

  Once Cassidy was in position, Jago stepped forward and applied the PlastiCuffs. He then thoroughly searched Cassidy while Fi continued to train her weapon on him. Satisfied, Jago guided Cassidy out of the bedroom towards the main door. He saw through the glass of the door that Mikey was having a calm verbal exchange with a woman, possibly in her sixties and more than likely Cassidy’s mother.

  “What do you want us to tell your mother?” asked Jago.

  “You can tell her what you like. It’s your show.”

  Fi held back to photograph the bedroom and its contents. With gloved hands, she retrieved the Glock from under the mattress, made it safe and bagged it, along with the watch and the mobile.

  As soon as Fi had finished, Jago guided Cassidy out of the annex and along the driveway with Fi on his right flank, blocking the path of the mother.

  “Where are you taking him?” she demanded. “What’s he done for you to be coming out at this time of the morning?”

  Mikey responded to her while Jago kept walking. “I’m sorry, Mrs Cassidy, but we’re not able to tell you anything at this stage. Somebody will be in touch with you shortly to give you details of where Mr Cassidy will be held. That’s all I can tell you at the moment.”

  Jago helped Cassidy climb into the back of his truck and then went around the other side to join him in the rear seat. Fi was driving and she followed Mikey out of the beach area at speed.

  Chapter 22

  After they entered the police station, Mikey led them to a secure holding area used especially by his team.

  “There you go, Rich. You can settle down in there for a while until we’re ready to speak to you. I need your belt and your laces, mate.”

  Rich Cassidy sat on the hard-framed bed to bend down and remove his laces. He stood to remove his belt, and handed it and the laces over to Mikey.

  “That’s great, Rich. Do you want anything to drink – tea, coffee, water?”

  “No, I’m good, thanks.”

  Jago, Fi and Mikey went to see Carl.

  “There’s something wrong here. It was too easy. He had no idea we were coming for him, let alone a reason, but there was no resistance, and he gave up the Glock without hesitation. There’s definitely something not right here,” said Jago.

  Mikey agreed: “Yeah, I get the same feeling. It’s like someone has fed us every step of the way.”

  “What about the watch?” asked Fi. “How do we account for his having the watch? I mean, there can’t be that many of them around. It seems too much of a coincidence.”

  “Let’s talk to him,” said Jago, aware of the time.

  Carl spoke directly to Jago and Fi: “Is there anything else we can do to help while you’re away?”

  “I think we’re fine at the moment,” said Jago, “but I’d like to keep the invitation open, as you never know what will be around the corner.”

  “Sure, I’m good with that. Just let me know what you need and I’ll do my best to accommodate you. Mikey will be with you in the interview, if that’s all right with you?”

  “Yes, sure, not a problem.”

  ***

  Outside the interrogation room, Jago said to Fi, “Can you check the gear is ready for later? Mikey and I will question Cassidy.”

  “Sure, Boss, no problem. I need to make sure that all the electronics are functioning before we go anyway.”

  Jago entered with Mikey by his side. The room was stark and bare. There was no two-way mirror and no recording equipment, just four chairs, one of which, along with the table, was metal and bolted to the floor.

  After a few minutes, an officer brought Cassidy in. The officer fixed Cassidy’s manacles into two metal loops on the table.

&nb
sp; “You want water, Rich?” asked Mikey.

  “Yeah, why not, it’s stuffy in here.”

  “Do you know why you’re here?”

  “Nah, not really. You see, I’ve been in Bali the last couple of weeks, and I can’t think of anything before that. So why don’t you tell me?”

  “Okay, let’s start from the top,” said Mikey, and pulled up a chair to sit opposite Cassidy. “Let’s start with what you do for a living.”

  “A living? I do nothing for a living.”

  “What type of temporary jobs do you look for?”

  “I’m fairly fit, so I do quite a bit of lifting and handling. I help with house moves, and I get work gardening sometimes, and from anyone in need of a pair of hands.”

  “What did you used to do?” asked Mikey.

  “What, before I came to Oz?”

  “If you like.”

  “I spent seven years in the military. I was an armourer attached to various units, or as they’re known nowadays, a weapons technician.”

  “What type of work or skills did you learn then?”

  “We worked on all the weapons the unit would use, mainly handheld – you know, rifles, pistols, machine guns and anti-tank weapons.”

  “So, you’re an expert, are you?”

  “I was. Not much need for that line of work in Civvy Street,” admitted Rich.

  “So, you’ve never had occasion to use those skills since you left the military, is that right?”

  “I have on the odd occasion.”

  “Okay, Rich, tell us about those odd occasions.”

  “Let’s see, there was the time I maintained all the club guns at Heathmoor Gun Club near Manchester. They were all clay pigeon enthusiasts. I also worked in a gunsmith’s in the Peak District for a couple of days a week. That was all before I moved here with my mum.”

  “And since then?”

  “I’ve helped a few of the lads with their hunting guns, and a couple of months ago I helped a guy mount a machine gun so he could go roo hunting. He was a bit crazy, but he paid well.”

  “A machine gun to hunt roos? That’s crazy!” exclaimed Mikey.

  “That’s what I thought, but like I said, he paid well.”

  “How much did he pay?”

  “He gave me two thousand bucks, plus a nice expensive watch. Although I don’t think he knew how much the watch would have cost.”

  “What makes you say that?”

  “I know my watches; I have a thing for them. I knew exactly how much it would have cost and was only too pleased to receive it.”

  “So how much do you think it was worth?”

  “Oh, about forty-five grand.”

  “Forty-five grand for a watch?”

  “It’s not just a watch, it’s a Patek Philippe Aquanaut watch.”

  “Didn’t you think this was a strange form of payment?”

  “No, not really. When I first spoke to the guy, we talked about the job, about his hunting and how he wanted to spice it up a little with a machine gun, and we spoke about my love of watches. So, he knew what I liked and probably thought of saving some money by throwing the watch into the deal.”

  “Didn’t you think he paid you rather a lot for what you did?”

  “Well, yes, but if he was prepared to pay, I was willing to do the job. Like I said, it was a crazy idea.”

  “Okay, so this machine gun, what did you set it up on?”

  “I fix-mounted it to the floor of a van. The van had a sliding door and there was just enough room behind the gun to be seated and fire out. Although the aperture of the door opening would have restricted his arc of fire. I told him that, but he didn’t seem too bothered.”

  “What about ammunition?” asked Mikey.

  “What about it? I set it up, but I didn’t test-fire it. He said he would do that on his own out in the bush.”

  “Let me get this straight. You set up a machine gun on a fixed mount on the floor of a van for someone who was going hunting roos. And he paid you two thousand dollars and a watch which you value at about forty-five grand. Have I got that right?”

  “That’s about the size of it,” said Rich.

  “Then what?”

  “Then I had enough money to fly to Bali to see my kid. He lives there with the ex. If you don’t believe me, you can check the flights and the CCTV in the airports. Then you can contact the ex if you want.”

  “Thanks, we might just do that.”

  Mikey looked at Jago, as if to ask if he had any questions.

  “Can you describe the man who paid you to mount the machine gun?” asked Jago.

  “Nah, I only ever spoke to him on the phone. He sent me pictures of the watch. They’re probably still on my phone, if you want to see them?”

  “What was his voice like? Was he Australian?”

  “No, he was a foreign bloke who spoke good English. He may have been Thai or from somewhere like that. Listen, he just told me where I could find the van and the crate with the weapon. Then I mounted it and sent a photograph of the completed job, and he told me where to pick up the cash and watch.”

  Jago spoke softly: “Did you watch or listen to the news while you were away?”

  “Nah, the ex lives in a remote rural area and I stay in a small hut on the edge of the village. It’s right on the beach; it’s beautiful.”

  “And when did you return from Bali?” enquired Jago.

  “I got in about six yesterday arvo.”

  “Do your armourer skills extend to remote-controlled weapons?”

  “Nah, that was only just coming in when I left. A few of the guys went on a course, but that was way back in the early days. Why do you ask?”

  Jago opened a file on the table and placed a few gory photographs in front of Rich. He stared hard at the photos, like he was trying to make out the contorted figures amongst the blood and open flesh. He looked confused.

  “Because,” said Jago, “we think the machine gun you set up to hunt a few roos was used to massacre men, women and children. It looks like the weapon was remote-controlled. If you didn’t set up the remote control, who would have the skills to do that?”

  All the blood had drained from Rich Cassidy’s face, leaving him ashen. He was sweating and his clasped hands were visibly shaking, while his eyes were fixed on the photos in disbelief.

  “What, what did you say? You can’t think I’m involved in this. I AM NOT A KILLER.” He reached for his water and gulped down half of the bottle, then pleaded, “I had nothing to do with that! You’ve got to believe me. I would have no part in any of that. I mean, they killed how many people?”

  “Okay, let’s suppose you didn’t know of this. How did you know about the guy who wanted the machine gun mounting?”

  “It was our gang leader, he put him in touch with me.”

  “You mean Red?”

  “Yeah, Red. Do you know him?”

  “Yes, we’ve met. So Red put the guy in touch with you. How did you make contact?”

  “I didn’t. He always contacted me. I never knew his number, or his name.”

  “Rich, I have to be honest with you here. Your prints and DNA are likely to be all over the van and the machine gun used in the massacre. Now that doesn’t look good for you, does it?”

  “No, it doesn’t,” replied Rich as he slumped back in his chair, looking up to the ceiling.

  “We need as much information from you as possible. We will be analysing your mobile for dates and times of calls and messages, et cetera, and we’ll be searching forensically for your prints and DNA at a separate murder scene.”

  “Now wait a minute. What murder scene?”

  “What about before then? Where were you then? When and where did you go to fix the machine gun to the vehicle?”

  “Some old warehouse north of Fremantle. Why?”

  “Why! Let’s start with the legitimate owner of a Patek Philippe Aquanaut watch who now has a hole in his head.”

  “No, no, you can’t pin that on me!
Like I said, I was out of the country.”

  “Rich, let’s cut to the chase here. You have the skills to set up a weapon, like we discussed earlier. You’re in possession of a luxury watch that most probably belonged to a man murdered in a location where we’re very likely going to find your prints and DNA. Now put yourselves in our shoes – what would you think?”

  Rich was stunned, utterly lost for words. He repeatedly shook his head from side to side and then cried out, “NO, NO, NO! I told you, we only ever spoke over the phone. He said he was travelling away on business and he always called me. I never knew his number or his name.”

  Jago and Mikey stood. “We’ll just leave you with those thoughts for a while so you can fully absorb the severity of your situation. We’ll see you shortly,” said Mikey as they left the room.

  “BUT I’VE KILLED NO ONE! I DIDN’T! YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE ME,” shouted Rich Cassidy as the door closed.

  Jago and Mikey stopped in the quiet corridor. “Let’s talk somewhere private,” suggested Jago.

  Mikey led Jago out into the grounds of the station amid the sound of bustling traffic on a busy junction.

  “This will do, we can’t be overheard out here,” said Mikey confidently. “Do you think he’s telling us the truth?”

  “It’s just possible. Like we’ve said all along, it’s all been a little too easy. He’s a good scapegoat, and he seems genuinely stunned by what’s happened. We need to make sure he’s safe. If one of their men can take his own life to evade capture, they may well try to silence young Rich here.”

  “I’ll get him to a secure location. One that isn’t on anyone’s books, if you know what I mean.”

  “Yes, Mikey, I do. Something’s not adding up here. Can you get him to describe the guy who commissioned the setup – you know, voice, accent, tone, words used, et cetera – and send us a copy? It might prove handy at our next location. And can you keep in touch with us?”

  “Yes, of course I will. I don’t know who else to trust anymore.”

  “Make sure that you keep your eyes and ears open and watch your back. Are you normally armed?”

  “No, not normally. Why?”

  “If I were you, I’d make sure I were armed at all times, at least until we finish this investigation.”