by Diane Ezzard
“What the hell are you doing here?” he snarled.
“Same as you. I’ve come to enjoy a game of football.” I could tell I’d rattled his cage. I got my drink and worked my way around the room. I didn’t find out anything of interest and the game was a complete washout. Bury lost 3-0. I met up with Mike back in the lounge after the game.
“I’d love to be a fly on the wall and know what Dom said about me.” I laughed as I put the drinks on the table.
“If he’s got involved with the Russian businessman, there could be something big going down.”
“I’m surprised at Mr Moschovis being happy to be seen with Dom,” I said.
“I’ve wasted no time. I’ve found out why our Mr Duggan’s mixing with the Russian dignitaries rather than the hoi polloi. Dom’s won the security contract to guard the club.”
“Has he now? That’s a good number and it could be a front for something else. I’ll tighten the thumbscrews on my contacts to see if they know about anything going down.”
“I’ll speak to the drug squad to do the same. I think there’s more to this than meets the eye.”
Chapter 33
Sophie
Steph made arrangements to go home the following weekend. Her mood had improved considerably. She came into work with me again today and she was meeting Christine later. They had a project they were discussing to set up a charity or social enterprise to help families of missing children. She told me she would fill me in on the details later. I was intrigued.
We were both in the kitchen making a brew when Karen stormed through. Her face looked like thunder. She almost pushed me over.
“Get out of my way,” she snapped. She didn’t stay to hear the discussion about her.
“What’s got into her?”
“She’s always like that. I think it’s the charm school she went to.”
“No, haven’t you heard,” Pauline whispered, “the police arrested her boyfriend yesterday.” I raised my eyebrows. My day was getting better already.
“No, why what did he do?”
“Apparently he was caught up at a garage where some stolen cars were discovered. The police arrested everyone at the scene.”
“Hang on a minute.” My voice was raised with excitement. This sounded too good to be true.
“Shh, keep your voice down,” Pauline said. “I don’t know the details, but Karen says the police made a mistake, and it was a wrongful arrest on his part. He was only there as a customer looking at vehicles.”
I had a good feeling about today when I woke up. The sun was out. I walked in with a grin on my face after seeing one of the posers from my gym fall flat on her face as she walked up the Rock in the centre of Bury.
I moved from foot to foot as I took in this revelation. Inside, I felt giddy. I had to let Jack know. My heart pumped fast. I felt like a hungry cat who’d just spotted a mouse in the corner. My brain worked overtime as I considered the implications. The electricity wiring my body was well and truly plugged into the mains. Jack sounded more apprehensive when I called him.
“You will have to be more careful around Karen now. I think we need to do some digging into her background. What was her surname?”
“Well, she says it’s Novak.”
“Okay, well, I’ll see what I can find out. In the meantime, you be careful.”
Never one to heed a warning, it was time to do some snooping. I wanted to get to her personnel records to find out where she came from. Her joining the company straight after we started investigating her boyfriend and his chums sounded too much of a coincidence. She joined us through an agency, so maybe they might help. It wouldn’t be easy getting to the personnel files as they were kept locked away. I had to think of a way to get to them without being detected.
I stayed at work late that night. Sheila, my manager was the only other person there.
“Not got a home to go to?” she asked.
“I’m writing up my notes. Have you heard, Steph’s arranged to meet up with Christine? They’re looking at setting up an organisation to support the families of missing children.”
“Yeah, I heard them chatting in the kitchen earlier. That sounds a great idea.”
“I know. Steph’s excited about it and it’s taken her mind off her own problems.”
I watched Sheila. She was busy working at her desk. I wasn’t even sure where she kept her set of keys. There was another bunch in the safe. I couldn’t come up with a valid reason to get them out though. I had a spare key for the front door, so I could always come back later. That was risky though. I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to avoid the CCTV, and I didn’t think I was cut out to be a burglar.
I kept looking over at Sheila.
“Is everything okay, Sophie?” she called over.
“Yeah, fine thanks.” I smiled. Had she picked up on my nervousness? She came over and sat on my desk. I wasn’t in the mood for any friendly chats. I felt too edgy.
“How’s your course going?” she asked.
“I think it’s going well. My current assignment fits in with our initiative around children. I’m so pleased about the project Christine and my sister are setting up. It will do wonders for Christine, give her a new lease of life. In fact, I would say the same for Steph too. I think this could be the making of them both, just what they need under the circumstances.”
“Yes, they’ve both had a lot to contend with. I’m glad we’ve been able to help them in some small way.”
“I’m sure they’re very grateful.” Sheila asked questions about some of my clients. I bit inside my mouth and flicked my fingers. She looked down at my hands. I felt certain she could sense my irritation but continued to talk. Finally, she looked up at the clock and decided it was time to leave.
“What time are you staying until, Sophie?” she smiled, putting her coat on.
“Jack’s working late tonight so I thought I’d take the opportunity to catch up on paperwork. I’m meeting him later. We’re going for something to eat.” Why did I have to lie? I wasn’t meeting him.
“Well, have a good time and don’t work too hard,” she said. I opened my mouth to speak, then thought better of it. She walked out the door and I puffed out my cheeks and breathed out through my pursed lips.
I sat for a few moments, making sure she had left. Slowly, I made my way over to the safe. My fingers jittered as I tapped in the combination. I looked over my shoulder as I took out the keys for the personnel filing cabinet.
My ears were on high alert. It was a good job as I might have missed the sound of footsteps approaching. Quickly, I put the keys back and closed the safe door. I turned around and Sheila was behind me. She stared and my cheeks began to glow. Had she seen me put the keys back? I waited for her reaction.
“I forgot my umbrella, and it’s started to rain.” I gulped as I felt my stomach churn. Inside I was trembling. I tried to smile, but I was filled with fear. Sheila continued to watch me for a few moments. It felt like her eyes were boring into my soul. I felt sure she knew what I was doing. If she did, she didn’t say anything. She bent down and picked up her brolly, her eyes affixed to mine, then she turned and left.
My hands shook. I couldn’t go through with this. My bottle had gone. I would have to find another opportunity to prowl.
That night, Jack and I sat up in bed discussing the implications of what had been revealed at work today.
“If Karen is Vladimir’s partner, then she’s up to something.”
“I know, that’s what I’m worried about. She knew I was linked to you from the start. She’s been trying to get rid of me. I feel sure now.”
“But why? What good would it do?”
“Same reason the gang have been trying to ruffle our feathers from the offset. They must have known you were watching them, Jack.”
“I don’t like this. I don’t like this at all.”
“No, neither do I.”
I may not have been able to get to her file but the first thing the nex
t morning I phoned through to the agency our company used to take on staff. I gave Karen’s name and waited while they checked.
“No, we’ve no one of that name registered with us.”
“Are you sure?” I gave them the date she joined us. The woman went away to check again. She came back with a negative response.
“No, no record of her. You must have used a different agency.” I was confused. We only ever used the same agency for staff recruitment. Where had Karen come from?
Chapter 34
Jack
I’d had enough of pussyfooting around the Duggans. It was time to go straight to the horse’s mouth. I needed to nip to the office to pick a few things up if I was going to see Dom Duggan. I thought catching him early would be the best move before he got out and about and up to no good. My anxiety levels increased. I’d never been inside his farmhouse, but I knew where it was.
I packed my rucksack with my usual tools. Not knowing what to take, I threw in a few extras. I recently blew my budget on a covert listening device. A lot of the equipment was expensive. If I was to keep up with the times, I would have to invest at some point in the future. There were other staple requirements I carried as standard such as my camera, screwdriver, Swiss army knife and binoculars. I had various other implements that came in useful for picking locks or as a weapon.
Thinking of weapons, I didn’t own a gun, and I wondered how wise it was to go to Dom Duggan’s place without one. I would soon find out. The rucksack went in the boot of my car. I wore my dark jacket and jeans and a black beanie hat. It was still cold enough for gloves, so I didn’t look out of place wearing them.
The apprehension inside me increased as I started up the car. Butterflies quivered, my muscles twitched, but I wasn’t one to shirk away from danger. In fact, I lapped it up. I liked the adrenalin rush that going into unstable situations brought on. It was why I joined the police force in the first place, and it was one of the main reasons I still enjoyed this type of work.
Most of what I did was mundane. It wasn’t often that I got involved with masters of crime. They didn’t come much more notorious than Dom Duggan. We went back a long way. It still riled me that to outsiders he looked like he was doing well for himself. The fact he got away with his criminal activities didn’t sit well with me. If there was one hoodlum that I wanted to nail it was Dom. He was my nemesis, ever since he stole my first girlfriend, Sarah Murphy, off me at school. That hurt so much at the time. It hurt, even more, when years later, I nabbed her for prostitution when I was a copper. She was hooked on drugs, probably all down to getting involved with Dom Duggan.
He used to bully me at school. He would often walk up behind me with his mates and sing, “You’re gonna die, Jack North,” to the tune of Those were the days. They thought it was hilarious. I started drinking and my life spiralled out of control. Was it because of the way he treated me back then? Who knows? What I did know was that the resentment I had towards him ate away at me like a cancer. The chance of getting revenge over that man kept me awake at night. I had a mean streak, and I wasn’t one to let go of my past easily.
I watched his career with interest over the years. His notoriety was often the talking point down the pub. My career took a nosedive, but his seemed to flourish. Knowing he owned that big farmhouse in Helmshore left a nasty taste in my mouth. I hoped he was behind Louie’s disappearance and what happened to Carmen because I wanted to put him behind bars so badly.
Driving along I tapped the steering wheel as I thought about my plan of action. There were two other farms near Duggan’s place, so I could leave my car close to one of them rather than walk up the long unadopted road. Once I got on the rough road, I wasn’t sure I’d made the right decision not having a four-by-four vehicle. The terrain was rough. There were a lot of potholes. My head bounced just missing the roof of the car. There was still some snow in patches. Whatever the outcome of this visit, I knew I wouldn’t be looking forward to a quick getaway, not if I wanted my tyres to be in one piece.
The car bounced over another pothole and I bit my lip as I turned towards his property. My eyes darted about as I peered through the windscreen. There were no other vehicles in sight. I came to a fork in the gravel road and stopped. I took out my binoculars and opened the door. Standing with one arm resting on the door frame, I scanned the scenery. I couldn’t see anything of any significance, but I could hear gunshots.
There were a lot of them, so I thought it was either a farmer shooting rabbits or a clay pigeon shoot. It was common in these parts. I got back in the car and weaved slowly down to Nutbush farm. I chuckled at the name and wondered if the person who originally named it was a fan of Tina Turner.
As I approached, my anxiety heightened. It was a few years since I had a proper run-in with Dom Duggan. He wouldn’t have enjoyed my winding him up at the match, so, I knew I wouldn’t be welcome. I looked through a gap in the hedgerow and noticed several vehicles parked outside the farm. There was a black Toyota, a red Honda and an old BMW as well as his Range Rover. Either he had company, or he collected cars.
The CCTV system wasn’t hard to spot. There was no point in me trying to snoop around or hide. I walked stealthily up the driveway taking in the surroundings. I brazened it out and knock on the front door. A woman with dark curly hair and a cigarette in her mouth opened the door.
“Maggie, what a pleasure to see you,” I smiled. She took the cigarette out of her mouth and blew the smoke in my face.
“What the ‘ell do you want?” Her eyes narrowed.
“I’d like a word with your husband if that’s okay.” She looked me up and down and paused for a few moments.
“Is he expecting you?”
“He will be now he’s seen me on the cameras.” I pointed up to show her I knew where they were.
“I don’t think he’ll want to see you, Jack North.”
“Oh, Maggie,” I smiled, “You always were so charming. I’d just like to ask Dom’s help on a minor matter.”
Just then the door sprung open wide and Dom stood there in a vest and jeans. He folded his arms. It showed off his muscles.
“What the…?”
“I see you’ve been working out Dom. I’m impressed.” I leaned against the wall.
“Get out of here,” he waved his arms in a motion to brush me aside.
“Where’re your manners, Dom? You’re as inhospitable as your missus.” I moved closer into his personal space, our noses almost touching. “Now, I believe you knew Carmen Weston and you know her daughter Jade pretty well.” I spoke in a whisper, but Maggie was onto it straight away.
“What’s that he’s saying, Dom?”
“Give us a minute, Maggie, love while I see this toe rag off the premises.” I heard dogs barking, not too far away. I breathed a heavy sigh.
“Aren’t you going to invite me in? It’s cold standing out here and you don’t want anyone to catch you talking to a PI, I’m sure.” He sneered at me then opened the door.
“Five minutes, that’s your lot. In here,” He showed me into the kitchen after patting me down.
“Nice place you’ve got here, Dom,” I said, nodding like I was impressed. “We must do the tour when you’ve got more time.”
“Cut the crap and tell me what you want.” I could still hear the gunshots going off. They were louder now.
“Got your own shooting range, have you, Dom?”
“Yes, and I haven’t got time for this. Hurry up.” I nodded and took out a photograph of Louie.
“I’m investigating the disappearance of a young lad, Louie Stanton and I know you’re partial to youngsters, so I wondered if you’ve seen him?” I could see I had hit a nerve with that last comment. His face went red and his eyes bulged. He looked at the photo and his solemn expression never changed.
“You always thought you were a comedian even when we were at school but it’s me having the last laugh now. No, I’ve never seen him before, and I’d watch your loose tongue if I was you in front of M
aggie.”
“Consider it done.” I nodded and winked at him. His phone rang. He looked in two minds whether to answer. He kept looking at the door. In the end, he decided his call was more important, and he left me alone as he moved into the hallway to take it.
This was an opportunity not to be missed. If I got caught doing this, I’d end up cut up into little pieces and fed to the pigs. I was a gambler, so I was prepared to risk it. I took out the equipment. The door was still closed. I watched for any movement and listened for sounds getting nearer. My heart thumping was the loudest noise I could hear. My hand shook as I hastily fitted a piece under the central island in the kitchen. I kept watching the entrance as I fumbled. I could normally do this with my eyes shut. Today, a lot more was at stake. My life was on the line. The seconds passed and I quickly installed the listening bug.
I moved over to the window and looked out at the views just as Dom walked back in. His eyes narrowed as he watched me. I had been trained to give nothing away with my expression and I stayed cool. I picked up my bag and made my way to the door before he kicked me out.
“If you see or hear anything of the boy, I’m sure you’ll tip me the wink.” I smiled. He looked at me stone-faced.
“Get out.” He continued to watch me.
“And maybe next time you’ll be able to show me around the place. I’d love to have a go on your firing range sometime.” I winked at him.
“Out, I said.” He closed the door and caught my foot in it. My pulse raced as I walked towards my car. I knew I was being watched, so I turned back and waved at the farmhouse. I got in the car and breathed a big sigh of relief. That was easier than expected.
Chapter 35
Sophie
I’d always been good at eavesdropping. Listening into the conversation of others came naturally, and I’d highly recommend it on a boring night out. I was a nosey so-and-so, wanting to know all the gossip. In my teens, it was to check if anyone was talking about me because I thought it was always about me. My life revolved around me back then. Thank goodness I found out I’m not that important. Few people give a damn what I’m doing these days, but I’m interested in knowing their business.
