by Conrad Jones
‘You said you were going to let me on for nothing,’ she complained. ‘It’s dark back here. I want to go back to my friends.’
‘Shut up, you little prick teaser,’ Samiri said. ‘You’re going to do as you’re told before I let you go anywhere.’
‘I’m not doing that. Get off me!’
Len waited behind the truck for them to pass. Samiri bundled her unwillingly into the darkness beyond the generators.
Chapter 32
Carlos had a shower and washed his hair. He was waiting for David to pick him up. When his phone had charged, he’d finally got through to him. He was in a state of panic rambling on about Russians who were going to rape and murder his mother and sister and a stash of class-A’s in the lining of the trailer. It was a surreal conversation and he wasn’t sure what the fuck he was talking about. He had to calm him down to get any sense from him and convince him that he needed to pick him up. Carlos wasn’t sure exactly where he was. He had read the address from Martha’s post. Luckily, the pickup had a sat nav built in because neither of them could pronounce the address. While he waited, he made himself a lamb sandwich with mint sauce on it and drank all the milk from the fridge to wash it down. There was a packet of dark chocolate Hobnobs in the cupboard, so he made a coffee and took them into the living room waiting for his lift to arrive. He munched on them while he waited. David was about twenty miles away. It wouldn’t take long for him to get there.
The news was still replaying the same reels. Rhosneiger, organised crime, Newry Beach, rape and murder. Over and over. It was as if there was nothing else going on in the world. There was no way around the fact that they were in the middle of the shit show. Right smack bang in the middle of it and he couldn’t see any way back. He tried to fathom a way of taking something from the situation and moving on to another place, where they could begin again. There may have been a chance if the woman had lived. But she hadn’t and so there would be a murder investigation and that was unavoidable. Claus was in custody, which was a bummer but not the end of the world. David told him Benaim had sent a good lawyer to represent him. He might get bail. That would very much depend on what the forensic scientists recovered. He couldn’t believe the woman was dead. That was going to bring down the law like a ton of bricks onto their heads. His phone vibrated and disturbed his thoughts.
‘Carlos?’ the voice asked. It was Benaim. He sounded surprised that he had answered. ‘Carlos. Is that you, Carlos?’
‘Yes. Who do you think it is?’
‘I didn’t expect you to answer your phone but you did.’
‘Yes, Ben,’ Carlos said. ‘Who else would answer my phone?’
‘You have a smart mouth,’ Ben said.
‘I didn’t hear you complaining when it was around your cock,’ Carlos said.
‘Always the smart mouth.’
Their encounters had started soon after Benaim spotted them in Germany and gave them a job. Ben had a thing for Carlos and Carlos liked sex with anyone who wanted it, regardless of gender. Carlos had used it to manipulate Ben at every opportunity. He and Claus worked directly for Ben, supplying the fairgrounds and repairing vehicles and equipment. They became familiar with most of the rides and the mechanics behind them. Eventually, Ben set them up in business for themselves. It worked perfectly for all concerned. The money was good, the work was guaranteed and they answered only to their customers. They were good mechanics, so it worked. Their relationship continued over the years but their clandestine encounters clouded Benaim’s judgement. Benaim thought it endeared Carlos to him but Carlos thought otherwise. The sex was quick and dirty and was a means to an end. There was no emotional attachment for Carlos. He kept his walks on the wild side a secret from Claus and David. They would never believe what he did for Ben nor would they understand. Ben played both sides too but he kept Carlos a secret that he would never have admitted to. His macho image would have been tarnished if it become common knowledge.
‘Pity you don’t have a smart brain to match it,’ Ben said. ‘If you were half as smart as you think you are, we wouldn’t be in this shit.’ Carlos snorted laughter. ‘What are you laughing at, you think this is funny?’
‘You have to laugh or cry,’ Carlos said. ‘You make me laugh. You’re a joke.’
‘I’m not laughing and neither is your brother,’ Ben said. ‘You ran away and left him, didn’t you?’
‘Fuck you, Ben,’ Carlos said. ‘I haven’t got time for your shit. What is your problem?’
‘You are my problem,’ Ben said. ‘A woman is dead. The police are all over you like shit on a blanket. You are not going to shake them off. What were you thinking? Drugging women for sex, idiot. You had it all given to you on a plate but you’re so stupid, you’ve ruined everything.’
‘I’ve ruined everything?’ Carlos said. ‘That’s rich coming from the big people trafficker himself.’
‘I can fix my problems,’ Ben said. ‘You can’t.’
‘I don’t see it that way, to be honest,’ Carlos said. ‘You’re calling me an idiot. Killing a bunch of pensioners and tossing your girlfriend from a balcony is right up there in the idiot category. I think you need to go and have a little look in the mirror before you start dishing out your advice to me.’
‘You need to be incredibly careful what you’re saying to me,’ Ben fumed.
‘Really?’ Carlos asked. ‘Why is that, exactly?’
‘Don’t push your luck,’ Ben said. ‘Just because you’re not in front of me doesn’t mean you can disrespect me.’ Carlos remained silent. ‘We have to keep our cool and work together. We’re all in the crap together.’
‘You’re in the people trafficking and murdering people type of crap,’ Carlos said. ‘I’m not quite in your category yet. I’m not sure we’re all in this together at all.’ Carlos grinned at the silence. Benaim was clearly steaming on the other end of the call but he needed something, so he was keeping a lid on it. He must be desperate, Carlos thought. Really, really desperate. ‘Anyway, I’m not arguing with you. I really can’t be bothered. I’m glad you’ve called because I need to speak to you about what you’ve told David.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘David called me waffling on about a consignment of drugs hidden in the walls of our trailer.’
‘We need to remove it, Carlos.’
‘It’s not as easy as you’re making it sound,’ Carlos said. ‘The police have the trailer and you’re putting it on him to recover your shipment. David is terribly upset about it.’
‘That consignment is our way out of this,’ Ben said. ‘We have to recover it.’
‘Just like that. You make it sound easy. David said you ordered him to cut them out of the trailer?’
‘Yes. I will find out where the police have taken it. The compounds are guarded by security, not police. It will be easy to get in there.’
‘Let me get this straight,’ Carlos said. ‘You want him to break into a police compound and steal back a consignment of drugs that he knew nothing about until an hour ago?’ Ben didn’t answer. ‘A consignment of drugs that we were not going to earn any money from because you think we’re stupid?’
‘Yes. Don’t complicate this. Or we’re all dead.’
‘He’s not going to do it,’ Carlos said.
‘What?’
‘You heard me. He’s not doing it,’ Carlos said. ‘Do it yourself.’
‘I have other shit that needs to be dealt with,’ Ben argued. ‘He is going to do it and there’s nothing you can do about it,’ Ben said, simmering. His voice was edgy. Carlos could picture his face and it made him smile. ‘I met him earlier and he knows what he has to do. I don’t want you sticking your oar in, making him have second thoughts. Leave him be. It needs to be done.’
‘He’s frightened,’ Carlos said.
‘He needs to man up and get it done.’
‘Man up,’ Carlos said. ‘That sounds like fun.’
‘Carlos, you’re pushing me to the limit. I have the
police searching for me and my operation is falling apart at the seams. There’s no time for fucking about.’
‘Man up, yourself, Ben. Do it yourself. We’re all finished with you.’
‘What are you taking about?’ Ben asked, angrily. ‘You don’t finish with me. No one finishes with me. You don’t just walk away.’
‘Watch this space. David isn’t working for you anymore. I’ve told him not to worry about it,’ Carlos said. ‘He’s on his way to pick me up now and we’re out of here. You can whistle.’
‘Out of here, just like that. What are you talking about?’
‘You heard me the first time. We’re not playing your game anymore. We’re leaving.’
‘You can’t just run away.’
‘We can. And we will.’
‘Look at this calmly. This doesn’t need to be so hard. I told him to stay low until I call him,’ Ben said, frustration in is voice. ‘He shouldn’t be going to pick you up. The police will be looking for his truck. Where are you?’
‘I can’t tell you that,’ Carlos said. ‘You’re not a genuinely nice man and I don’t trust you.’
‘Listen to me,’ Ben said, lowering his tone. ‘We need those packages from that trailer. It’s not open to debate. We need them.’
‘You need them,’ Carlos said. ‘You are smuggling them for the Karpovs. You told me that yourself. It’s your problem.’
‘They were in your trailer,’ Ben shouted. He was losing his calm. ‘Don’t you understand what that means?’
‘It means, I don’t want anything to do with drugs that belong to the Karpovs and neither does David.’ Carlos sighed. ‘Your drugs, your problem.’
‘Don’t make it sound like you don’t know anything about this, idiot,’ Ben said, angrily. ‘You put them in there.’
‘I put packages in there at your instruction. I thought it was insulation. At no point did I think they were full of anything illegal,’ Carlos said. ‘If I get arrested, I’ll do a deal. That’s what I’ll say in court for the Karpovs to hear. Benaim asked me to put these packages into the lining of the trailer and I only did as he asked because we’ve been fucking for years, so I did as he asked. I always do as he asks.’
‘Do not say anything like that,’ Ben snapped. ‘Don’t even think about saying anything about us!’
‘I will tell the world Benaim has been my lover for years and we’re very much in love.’
‘Shut up. You little idiot.’ Ben grimaced at the thought of being outed. ‘Don’t be an idiot all your life.’
‘I suppose I am an idiot for having anything to do with your smuggling enterprises. I must have been mad.’
‘It’s too late to pretend you’re not part of it. They are there in your trailer and we can’t change that,’ Ben said. ‘You put them in there and you can’t deny it, so you are a part of this, like it or not.’
‘You’re right. I did,’ Carlos said. He paused. There was a pregnant pause. ‘I put the packages in to the trailer, and I took them out of there too.’
‘What?’
‘I wasn’t comfortable with them in my trailer, so I took them out as soon as you’d gone.’ Carlos waited for a reaction but none was forthcoming. ‘They would have been picked up by the x-ray machines at the first port and I didn’t want to be driving when they were discovered, so I moved them somewhere safe.’
‘You’re lying,’ Ben said, losing it.
‘Nope. I put them where you’ll never find them. I was hoping we would get to Ireland before you knew they were gone, by which time, I would have been on my way to warmer climes and you would be having your fingers and toes cut off by a big hairy Russian mafioso.’
‘What are you saying to me?’
‘You heard me,’ Carlos said. ‘Your drugs are gone. Who is the idiot now?’
‘You wouldn’t dare do that,’ Ben said.
‘It’s already done,’ Carlos said. ‘We’re not being your puppets any longer. I’m calling the shots now.’
‘Carlos. I don’t know what you’re playing at but this is an extremely dangerous game to play with me,’ Ben said. ‘Whatever you’re thinking, think again. Think very carefully indeed.’
‘Look on the bright side,’ Carlos said. ‘The consignment is not in the trailer and the police have the trailer. They will be taking it apart right now but they won’t find any drugs in there because I took them out and put them safe. That must be a good thing, right?’
‘Where are they?’
‘Fuck you, Ben,’ Carlos said. ‘I wish I could be there when you have to explain to the Karpovs that you’ve lost their consignment. I think those burns on your head will pale into insignificance to what they will do to you. I heard they put people into barrels of acid?’ Ben was quiet. ‘That might improve your complexion.’
‘Carlos, we need to stop fucking around here,’ Ben said. ‘If you have the drugs, that’s great.’ Ben tried to cool things down. ‘Tell me where they are.’
‘They are up my arse,’ Carlos said.
‘Stop this, Carlos,’ Ben said. ‘I’ll buy them from you. Whatever you want to do, I’ll do it. I must have that consignment in Ireland on Friday night.’ Carlos didn’t answer. ‘I did you and your brother a lot of favours. I looked after you when you had nothing. Don’t forget that.’
‘I seem to remember returning those favours, mostly on my knees, so I don’t feel like I owe you anything. Still, I haven’t got time to chat, so thanks for everything and good luck for the future.’
‘Carlos,’ Ben said. ‘I’m going to find you and when I do, you’re going to wish you had never been born.’
‘Blah, blah, blah,’ Carlos said, laughing. ‘You’re so boring. Take care of yourself.’
Carlos hung up. David Prost pulled onto the driveway. He looked very worried. Carlos grabbed his coat and took the charger from the wall. He left through the front door and locked it. The street was quiet and he looked up at the bedroom window. Poor old Martha, he thought. Nice lady.
**********************************************
Richard Lewis checked his watch. The detective he was talking to had just come back from his lunch break. He was keen to find out what Richard had about females being drugged with Flunitrazepam. Richard had sent a request for information about similar incidents involving females being attacked while visiting travelling fairgrounds. The reaction had been instant and revealing. This was the fourth detective to contact him since nine o’clock that morning.
‘This is DS Wakeford, GMP,’ he said. ‘I’m calling about the fairground incidents. Am I talking to the right detective?’
‘Yes. I’m DS Lewis,’ Richard said. ‘Call me Richard. Thanks for getting back to me. I believe you have a recent Rohypnol case at a fairground?’
‘I do,’ Wakeford said. ‘What’s the background on your request?’
‘We have a rape murder case in Holyhead. A young woman called Michelle Branning,’ Richard said. ‘The victim and her sister were drugged with Flunitrazepam in a local pub on their way to the fairground. The elder sister was pulled out of the sea last night. We have CCTV footage of the women being spiked and one of the men in custody but we were certain this isn’t the first time they’ve done this, hence the communication to other forces. The suspects are all related. Brothers and their cousin. They’re travelling mechanics attached to the circus. Wherever it goes, they travel with it.’
‘I see, that’s very interesting,’ Wakeford said. ‘I have sisters here too. They were drugged on their way to the circus.’
‘What are the details?’
‘They went to their local. Which was opposite the fairground and had a few drinks before the show. They were big fans of it online,’ Wakeford said. ‘I just want to confirm we’re talking about the same show. Is it the Circus of Nightmares?’
‘Yes. That’s the one,’ Richard said.
‘It must be the same guys,’ Wakeford said. ‘The sisters are twenty-five and thirty. They remember being chatted up by two men with
foreign accents. They said they were German.’
‘Carlos and Claus Vincentia,’ Richard said.
‘No. My victims remember a man called David?’
‘David Prost?’
‘I don’t think they got a second name,’ Wakeford said. ‘Anyway, they had a few drinks with them. They bought them shots and then they went to the fair. They remember feeling unwell almost immediately. The men turned up as if they’d been waiting for them to take ill. They remember the men saying they were taking them for a taxi but they were taken to a big caravan. One of the victims remembers being taken into a bedroom where she was assaulted by two men who looked alike. They had sex with her against her will but she couldn’t resist.’
‘Carlos and Claus are half brothers and they look alike,’ Richard said. ‘I’m going to email you their images for your victims to take a look at.’
‘Thank you. The second victim doesn’t remember anything about her attacker but knows she had sex against her will but couldn’t resist. She remembers the man called David putting her clothes on in a hurry and bundling her into a taxi with her sister. They didn’t make the compliant until over forty-eight hours later, by which time the drug has gone, as you know but their hair samples show they were drugged. The circus had moved on and we’re short on suspects until now.’
