Deadly Betrayal: A gripping crime thriller full of mystery and suspense (Detective Jane Phillips Book 4)

by OMJ Ryan

  35

  As the last one into Phillips’s office, Bovalino closed the door and took a seat next to Jones and Entwistle, opposite Phillips. After running through the events of the meeting with Jennings, it was Entwistle and Bovalino’s turn to debrief on their findings with regards to Zhang Shing and Jennings.

  Entwistle went first. ‘Seriously, Guv, there’s so little on Shing in the system, it’s frightening. Like I said the other day, my mate in Intelligence had never heard of him, and my new contact at Interpol has next to nothing either.’

  ‘So what did he have to say?’

  ‘She, Guv. Her name’s Olivia Gilbert. She connected me with their Organised and Emerging Crime operatives, who have access to the Royal Hong Kong Police database. Based on your concerns that your contact, Senior Inspector Billy Li, might somehow be involved with – or influenced by – Gold Star Trading’s connections, I asked that they keep our enquiry off the books. They didn’t have an issue with that, but it did limit the amount of data they could access.’

  ‘So what could they tell you?’ asked Phillips, wishing he’d get to the point.

  ‘Pretty much what we already suspected; that Zhang Shing has been linked to multiple murder cases in Hong Kong where the victims were essentially assassinated. He’s been arrested multiple times by the RHKP, but each time the charges were dropped when witnesses either recanted or themselves died.’

  ‘So he was tampering with witnesses?’ said Jones.

  Phillips nodded. ‘Or someone else was on his behalf. We’ve seen first-hand how ruthless the Triad gangs can be.’

  Entwistle continued, ‘There are over fifty cases of murder which Shing is connected to, but not a single conviction. In fact, not one of the cases ever made it to trial.’

  ‘Jesus,’ said Phillips. ‘This guy’s a piece of work, isn’t he?’

  ‘I also checked on Wong to see if his name came up as connected to Shing,’ said Entwistle.

  ‘And?’

  ‘Nothing directly in Hong Kong, Guv, although they did confirm he was believed to be part of the same organised crime family as Shing—the Lui family.’

  ‘Well, we know for certain that Wong was there when Carpenter died, so if he and Shing were connected through the Triads, then surely, with his reputation, Shing has to have been his accomplice that night,’ said Bovalino.

  Phillips nodded. ‘I’m certain of it, Bov, but how do we prove it? All the DNA we found at the house has been accounted for, and there was nothing at all in the house that connects Carpenter to Shing in any way.’

  ‘Judging by what he’s believed to have done in Hong Kong, he’s clearly too clever to leave anything behind,’ said Jones.

  ‘Anything else?’ asked Phillips.

  ‘No, Guv.’

  Phillips remained silent for a moment as she digested the information, then turned her attention to Bovalino. ‘What about Jennings? Anything on him?’

  Bovalino passed across a folder, which Phillips opened on her desk. ‘What am I looking at?’

  ‘Jennings’s life in print. He’s fifty-eight and a career Council official,’ explained Bovalino. ‘He started out as a junior clerk in the Housing Department in 1980 at the age of eighteen, and has steadily worked his way up through the ranks to his current position as Head of Planning. He earns ninety grand a year, with a large government pension to look forward to when he turns sixty. He lives alone in Northenden in a three-bed, semi-detached house that he bought in 1993 for eighty thousand pounds, and is now worth over three hundred grand. His mortgage was cleared two years ago, and he has ten grand in a high-interest savings account.’

  ‘Sounds deeply unremarkable,’ said Jones.

  Bovalino nodded. ‘Yeah.’

  ‘What else?’ asked Phillips.

  ‘He also owns a two-bedroom holiday home in the Lake District, not far outside the village of Grasmere.’

  ‘All right for some,’ said Phillips. ‘Grasmere’s a beautiful place. That wouldn’t have been cheap.’

  Bovalino continued, ‘He got it for nothing, actually.’

  ‘You what?’ Phillips was incredulous.

  ‘He inherited it from his mother a couple of years ago,’ Bovalino explained. ‘As far as I can see, Eric Jennings’s accounts are clean.’

  Jones shook his head. ‘But the man’s dodgy as fuck, Guv. It’s written all over his ratty little face.’

  ‘Even if he is, Jonesy,’ said Phillips, ‘without evidence, we can’t prove a thing.’

  ‘There has to be something we can throw at him, leverage to get him talking,’ said Jones.

  Phillips remained silent for a moment as she crystallised her thoughts. ‘According to Carpenter’s original PA, Claire Peacock, Jennings was trying to force her to give him access to Vicky’s files and emails, right?’

  Jones nodded. ‘Right.’

  Phillips continued. ‘And not long after she refused to do that for him, she was sacked. Swiftly followed by Cindy Shaw; a young, far more impressionable character than Peacock…’

  ‘Who was far more likely to give him the access that he wanted,’ said Jones.

  ‘Exactly,’ said Phillips with a wide grin. ‘I think it’s time we paid her a visit, Jonesy, don’t you?’

  Jones returned her grin.

  ‘Whilst we’re doing that, Bov,’ said Phillips, ‘for completeness, see if you can find out who the Council banks with. It’d be good to get an audit on any accounts Eric Jennings has access to. It might come to nothing, but you never know, it might just turn up something.’

  Bovalino scribbled down the instructions.

  ‘Entwistle, I want you to run a background on Cindy Shaw. See what we can find out about her. How she lives her life, finances, previous convictions, known associates, anything and everything, ok?’

  ‘On it, Guv,’ said Entwistle.

  Phillips stood, indicating it was time for everyone to get moving. ‘So then, Jonesy,’ she said with a wry smile, ‘looks like you and I are heading back to the Town Hall,’

  Jones feigned surprise. ‘The Town Hall, really, Guv? That’ll make a nice change. I’ve not been there in ages.’

  36

  As Jones pulled the squad car onto Princess Street, Phillips spotted something out of the corner of her eye. ‘Pull over,’ she barked, then jumped out. She walked briskly, and stopped just before the entrance to a coffee shop and bakery. Peering inside the busy space, she saw who she was looking for before stepping back out of sight. Turning, she signalled for Jones to remain in the car, then waited. Five minutes went by before her target walked back out onto the street carrying a paper bag of hot drinks.

  Phillips stepped to her shoulder, ‘Cindy?’ she said firmly.

  Cindy Shaw turned, and her eyes widened as she caught sight of Phillips.

  ‘We need to talk,’ said Phillips.

  Shaw looked left, then right. ‘What do you want?’

  ‘Come with me and I’ll explain.’ Phillips held her arm up in the direction of Jones and the squad car. ‘I’m parked over here.’

  ‘I need to be getting back,’ said Shaw as she retreated, pointing over her shoulder towards the Town Hall. ‘I’ve only nipped out for some coffees.’

  Phillips held her gaze. ‘This won’t take long. Or we can always do it at the station, if you’d prefer?’

  Shaw’s eyes widened further as she scanned her surroundings, then nodded reluctantly.

  Phillips led her towards the waiting car, opened the back door and ushered her inside, then walked round to the other side of the car and jumped in the back seat behind Jones. ‘You’ve met DS Jones before, haven’t you?’

  Jones glanced at Shaw in the rear view mirror and she nodded.

  ‘I’ll get straight to the point, Cindy,’ said Phillips, as she half turned to face her. ‘When you were working for both Eric Jennings and Victoria Carpenter, did you have access to their files and emails?’

  Shaw swallowed hard. ‘Why do you want to know?’

  ‘Y
es or no,’ Phillips said firmly.

  Shaw opened her mouth for a moment, then finally nodded. ‘Yes.’

  ‘And is that common in the Council – for support staff to be able to see what their bosses are working on?’

  ‘It was a general directive put in place before I joined, but as I understand it, the leader of the Council was trying to reduce the amount of admin the executives were doing each day. He felt their time was better served getting on with their actual jobs. So that meant I had sight of both their emails and various drives on their profiles.’

  ‘And do you know if Jennings himself had access to Victoria’s email and files?’

  Shaw’s brow furrowed. ‘What’s this about?’

  Phillips ignored the question. ‘Just answer the question, Cindy. Did Eric Jennings have access to Victoria’s email and files?’

  Shaw’s breathing had become shallow and her neck flushed red. ‘Not that I’m aware of, no. Her documents were private. Like I say, aside from Victoria, I had access, but only me.’

  Phillips stared at Shaw in silence for a long moment. ‘Did Eric Jennings ever ask you to share Victoria’s emails or files with him?’

  Shaw let out a nervous laugh. ‘Why would he do that?’

  Phillips didn’t respond, and instead stared at Shaw

  ‘No. He didn’t,’ said Shaw, finally.

  Phillips changed tack. ‘Are you aware of an ongoing investigation into the misappropriation of funds within the Council’s Planning Department?’

  There was, of course, no such investigation in place, but Phillips wanted to check Shaw’s reaction to the suggestion there might be.

  Shaw’s eyes bulged as the question landed. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’

  Phillips continued with the lie, ‘Yes. Apparently, someone from within the Council has been syphoning off public money into private accounts.’

  ‘Well, I can assure you I know nothing about that,’ said Shaw, looking anywhere but at Phillips.

  ‘Really? Because if you do, we will find out about it and it would be much better for you to tell us sooner rather than later.’

  Shaw made a point of checking her watch. ‘I really do need to be getting back. Mr Jennings’s coffee is getting cold.’

  Phillips had rattled Shaw’s cage and suspected she – like Jennings – wasn’t telling the whole truth. Something irregular was at play in the Planning Department and she sensed Shaw was the weak link. In an attempt to unnerve her further, Phillips stared in silence at Jones’s eyes, reflected in the rear view mirror, then nodded and turned her attention back to Shaw. ‘Well, we don’t want you getting on the wrong side of Mr Jennings, now do we?’ she said through a thin smile. ‘Off you go, then.’

  Shaw couldn’t get out of the car quick enough.

  Phillips stepped out and made her way back round to the passenger door.

  Shaw was already walking away as Phillips called after her. ‘Cindy?’

  Shaw stopped and turned.

  ‘If you do remember anything about the misappropriated funds, you will let us know, won’t you?’

  Shaw nodded without speaking, then turned on her heels and set off across the road.

  Phillips dropped into the passenger seat once more and closed the door. ‘She’s definitely hiding something, Jonesy.’

  ‘One hundred percent, Guv. She was like a deer caught in headlights sat back there. I actually felt sorry for her at one point. She’s a terrible liar.’

  Phillips nodded. ‘Did you see the way she reacted to my questions about Council money being stolen?’

  Jones chuckled. ‘Yeah, she almost shit her pants.’

  ‘We should call Entwistle and see if he’s found out anything on her, but first…’ Phillips reached for the door handle. ‘…I need one of those coffees.’

  37

  Phillips returned with a black coffee for her and Jones’s favoured mint tea. ‘How’s your jet lag?’ she asked as she passed over the hot drink.

  Jones took the cardboard cup. Steam billowed from it as he removed the plastic lid. ‘I still can’t sleep properly. I’m wide awake in the middle of the night and then ready for bed at lunchtime. I didn’t think it’d last this long.’

  Phillips took a sip of her hot coffee. ‘I’ve had it before where it’s hung around for well over a week. We’ve only been back a few days, so it’s still kicking my arse too.’

  ‘A week? Jesus. I hope it doesn’t take that long.’

  Silence descended on the car as they both took drinks.

  ‘Any news from Sarah?’ said Phillips, a few minutes later.

  Jones let out a frustrated sigh. ‘Nothing much, no. A couple of texts, but she doesn’t want to speak on the phone. She says we need a proper break from each other.’

  ‘And what about the kids?’

  ‘Typical moody teenagers with their heads glued to their phones. They don’t want to talk to their old man,’ said Jones with a sad chuckle.

  ‘So how are you feeling about it all?’

  ‘I’m trying not to think about it, if I’m being honest. I can’t imagine life without Sarah and the kids in it every day, and the thought of having to start all over again terrifies me. I’ll be that sad lonely old copper who sits in the corner working late every night and never goes home.’

  ‘No change there, then,’ said Phillips with a chortle.

  Jones shot her an incredulous look, then burst out laughing. ‘Kick a man when he’s down, why don’t you?’

  Phillips grinned. ‘Sorry. Too soon?’

  ‘With friends like you, who needs enemies,’ said Jones as he returned her grin.

  ‘I’m the last person to be dishing out relationship advice, but give her time, mate. I’m sure she’ll realise what you guys have.’

  Jones nodded without conviction. ‘Yeah. Maybe.’

  Just then, Phillips’s phone began to ring. She answered it and switched on the speaker function. ‘Entwistle, I was just about to call you.’

  ‘I’ve found something on Shaw’s finances that looks dodgy to say the least, Guv.’ He sounded excited.

  ‘Go on.’

  ‘Well, she has a number of bank accounts, one standard current account that looks after all her bills, etc., another that appears to be a savings account that’s empty, and then another one under her married name of Cindy Hunter.’

  ‘She’s married?’

  ‘Divorced. Two years ago, but it appears that she and her husband had a joint savings account whilst they were together.’

  ‘Ok, and why is that important?’ asked Phillips.

  ‘Because in the last nine months, just under twenty grand has been deposited into that account; two grand each month.’

  ‘Could that be from the ex-husband? Alimony, maybe?’

  ‘Possibly, but that seems excessive considering they were married for less than a year and have no kids – and besides – I’ve traced the account number that made the deposits and its registered to a bank in Macau.’

  ‘Macau, China?’ Jones said.

  ‘That’s the one,’ said Entwistle.

  ‘And when did you say these payments started?’

  Entwistle was quiet for a while. ‘Er, last November.’

  Phillips remained silent as she worked the dates over in her mind. ‘Entwistle, when did Shaw start working for Jennings?’

  Again, Entwistle took a moment to find the information. ‘According to the Council’s HR records, her first day was the 14th of September.’

  Phillips looked at Jones and nodded.

  ‘What you thinking, Guv?’ he said.

  ‘Jennings asked his old PA Claire Peacock for access to Carpenter’s files. She refused, and was sacked last August. Jennings then hired another PA, Cindy Shaw, in September – who Victoria described to Don Townsend as Jennings’s hire – then two months later, Cindy Shaw started receiving payments from a bank in China.’

  ‘Money to look the other way, perhaps?’ said Jones.

 
‘It would make sense,’ said Phillips. ‘Shaw started her new job in September. Jennings sussed her out for a month before making his offer in October, and by November the money started appearing in Shaw’s account.’

  ‘I can buy that,’ said Jones.

  ‘And are you totally sure, Entwistle, that the money doesn’t have anything to do with her ex-husband?’ asked Phillips.

  ‘As far as I can tell, it doesn’t. I’ve run a check on his finances and from what I can see, just after the divorce, he withdrew half of the one thousand pounds that was sitting in the joint account. Since that withdrawal, Steven Shaw has never once deposited funds in either the joint account or Cindy’s account. In fact, after the divorce, the joint account lay dormant for over a year. That is, until last November, when the monthly payments of two thousand pounds started.’

  Phillips felt her pulse quicken. ‘She’s involved in all this too. She has to be.’

  ‘Do you wanna go and talk to her again?’ Jones asked.

  ‘No. Not at work; not near Jennings. I want her on her own and feeling as vulnerable as possible. She’s weak, and with the right pressure, she’ll cave. Is Bov there, Entwistle?’ asked Phillips.

  ‘Yeah, he’s next to me.’

  ‘Put him on, will you?’

  ‘Sure.’

  A moment later, Bovalino appeared on the line. ‘Guv?’

  ‘You got any plans this evening?’ asked Phillips.

  ‘No, Guv. I was just gonna do a bit of work on the car. I’ve got a race coming up.’

  ‘Well, leave the rallying alone for one night, will you? I want you and Jones to go and put the fear of God into Cindy Shaw for me.’

  ‘As in Jennings’s PA?’ said Bovalino.

  ‘That’s the one.’

  ‘Ok. I’ll need to call Izzie and let her know, but that won’t be a problem.’

  ‘Great,’ said Phillips. ‘Jones and I are heading back to the office now. Shaw should be home by 7 p.m., and that’s when I’d like you to go round and do your thing.’

  ‘Jones and Bovalino, the dream team back in action,’ said Jones with a chuckle.