*
‘Morning, Boss. I’ve just taken a couple of phone calls that will interest you.’
Dougie had the air of someone just bordering on excitement, Alex thought. He took the notepad Dougie was holding out to him, sat at his desk and started to read.
He looked up at his colleague. ‘Are they sure about all this?’
‘It seems the letter came in last night, hand delivered somehow, not through the post. The information given sounded very positive. Something happening Saturday night by boat.’
Alex glanced through Dougie’s notes again. A anonymous letter had been received by the Ayrshire police to inform them that an Irish courier would be landing by boat at Ardrossan some time on Saturday night for a collection from Glasgow Airport, and returning the same night. Could be identified by a red shoulder bag. No more detail. Just that. It appeared that a Chief Inspector King had put on his thinking cap and reviewed the information already supplied on their earlier request. This included a report of a fishing boat having been seen in the locality of Ardrossan on several previous occasions.
It was possible, Alex thought. A fishing boat coming across from Ireland. Not that big a surprise in that area. What made this interesting was that the boat was always seen in the late evening, but by the early morning it was gone.
‘Why the tip-off, Dougie? If it’s about who we think it is, you have to be a brave man to upset these people. Is it a diversion of some sort?’
‘They seem to be treating it as serious, Boss. King wants to know if we need to be involved. He’s ex Met. Went up north for a quieter life!’
‘It would have to be Scotland. I’d better find out from Francis if he wants us involved.’
As Alex picked up the phone, Dougie hung around in the corridor outside in case stray ears might be listening.
Francis was enthusiastic about their involvement. ‘I think we’ll run with this one, Alex. It might be the break we’re looking for.’
‘Or it could be nothing at all,’ Alex countered. ‘A long way to go for nothing. The locals can deal with it themselves. We can see what they get, if anything, and take it from there.’ In reality he was not that keen about being away from home.
‘The local forces will deal with it their way, sure, but they may miss something that we could be looking out for. I’d rather have your presence there in some capacity. You can take your Sergeant with you. Make it look important. Do we know where in Ireland is the jumping-off point?’
‘Nothing known. One would assume they use a harbour in a direct route, unless there’s a transfer out at sea.’
‘Mmm… pity. I could have asked someone on the other side to have a look around. Never mind, we must work with what we have. Tell Chief Inspector King that you will be joining him, and then get yourself and your Sergeant up there as soon as possible on Friday. Keep me informed.’
*
Alex broke the news to Catherine when he reached home. She was busy preparing the dinner but she seemed to be quite calm about the matter.
‘It’s best for you to be away now rather than in a week or two, isn’t it. Don’t worry, Alex, I’ll be fine. There are plenty of people here I can call on. I’d better sort out what you’ll need to pack. How long will you be away?’
‘I hope to be back sometime on Sunday. I’ll push for that as much as I can, even if I leave Dougie up there.’
He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her bulk. It didn’t seem possible that someone so slight in stature could carry all this extra burden, but she still seemed to move around with elegance. He placed his lips on the nape of her neck.
‘I’ll miss you both,’ he whispered.
She turned in his arms and smiled up at him. ‘You can’t fail to miss me at the moment. I might be even bigger when you get back!’
As he lowered his mouth to hers, he murmured, ‘Whatever size you are, you still delight my soul, and I need you.’
Moments later, she gave his cheek a pat, and released herself. ‘Let me finish getting our meal, and perhaps we’ll see what we can do later, hmm?’
‘That’s a promise!’
*
Liam O’Dowd left the Belfast public house in a bad humour. Out of the blue, he’d just been informed that he was to travel to Larne for a trip by boat to Scotland, and to be at Glasgow Airport on Saturday night to collect a package. He’d been told no other information, except that he would be picked up by car when he landed. This wasn’t his usual line of work. He wasn’t a courier; his expertise was in something very different. He preferred to blend into the background, do his job and move on, and he didn’t like jobs arranged in a hurry. He hadn’t survived to thirty-six years of age in his business without being calm and controlled. Taking care of the small things. No rush. It always paid off.
He’d been chosen for this job as someone available in the right place. In his case, he thought, the wrong person, in the wrong place, at the wrong time. His instinct, honed over years of experience, told him there was a bad feeling about all this. It sounded a simple enough job, but they were often the ones that went wrong. There was no chance to review the options. Just wait for a car when he arrived, and he would be taken to the airport. Another sort of place he preferred avoiding; and there were too many people involved. Not good at all. He would have to keep his wits about him.
*
John Kerry was surprised when he received the phone call about another trip. It was always more risky at this time of year. The Irish Sea could be tricky, but the payment promised was higher than usual, and would pretty much pay off all his accumulated debts; then Patsy would be his again.
When he had landed up in Court for non-payment of tax and other monies, he had been amazed to come out of it without being declared bankrupt. His solicitor said that some charitable organisation had stepped in with a lump sum payment which kept the creditors happy, and would give him time to pay the monies back on his own terms. When he was asked to do trips from time to time which would help to decrease the amount owed to his benefactor, in truth he wasn’t surprised. The phone calls were from an English-sounding person, but you never could be sure of anyone in this country any more.
He had no particular political affinity. He just wanted to get on with his fishing, and sometimes in the summer take sightseers out from Larne round the headland to watch the seals. His deckhand, Fergal, was sixteen and had the fire of ideology in him. He was good enough at his job and willing, but Kerry made sure he was kept away from anything controversial, even more so when they had certain visitors.
This latest visitor would be arriving at any moment, and they were to make sure they had him over the water in time for him to be taken to Glasgow Airport and back on the Saturday evening. The rest of the arrangements would be explained to him when he was picked up.
Perhaps when Patsy was his again, he could refuse this type of job. Perhaps!
*
‘I think I’ll get a paper to read on the flight.’
Alex handed Dougie his bag to mind, and went into the stationers. He bought the first paper he saw. His mind was still with Catherine.
She had appeared quite calm and controlled when he said goodbye to her earlier. She no doubt thought he was fussing, but he didn’t like leaving her alone. He knew she had Sarah and Jerry, and Mary next door, to call on, but it just wasn’t the same. When he handed her the piece of paper with his contact number she gave him that serene smile he now knew so well, meaning she would remain unruffled by anything he said. All he could do was kiss her, pick up his bag and leave. He would call her as soon as he could when they arrived in Glasgow.
They boarded the flight and settled down. There was nothing left to discuss about the forthcoming operation until they reached Scotland and could liaise with the local Ayrshire force. Chief Inspector King had said he would meet them at the airport.
Dougie retriev
ed a paperback from his bag and Alex prepared to settle down with the newspaper.
‘You know, Boss, this may be pay-back time. If this Scottish thing works out well, we might chalk one up to the good guys for a change.’
‘Yes, you’re right. I don’t like leaving Catherine, but I’m beginning to have a feeling that this is something important and needs all my concentration. Everything else will have to wait.’
*
Catherine had been very careful to conceal from Alex her slight anxiety, and, until he left, maintained an air of apparent casualness. He had a job to do; important, he told her, and it was just unfortunate that it was in Scotland. She had made a deliberate point of not mentioning to him that Mary was away visiting friends in Eastbourne.
The restlessness she had experienced most of the night she put down to her knowledge of him going away. Now that restlessness had turned into the odd cramp or two in her stomach. She hoped she didn’t have a bug of some sort. To take her mind off it, she tried to keep herself busy during the rest of the day, and managed to eat something without any repercussions, although she still felt odd. She was glad when the phone rang in the late afternoon and she heard a familiar calm voice.
‘Hello, my love. I’m here safe and sound. Are you OK?’
Now was her chance to say to him that she wasn’t, that she was on her own and wanted him home. However, she said none of this. She wasn’t going to play the hysterical wife.
‘I’m fine, darling. A bit of indigestion, that’s all.’
‘You’ll have to keep off those pickled gherkins, you know.’
She could hear the smile in his voice, and it warmed her heart and made her feel better.
‘Now he tells me!’
‘I’m not sure when I can ring you next, it all depends what happens at this end. Don’t forget to lock up tonight, will you. I love you both, and I can’t wait to get back. Sleep well, my love.’
‘Goodnight, Alex. I love you. Take care.’
As she put down the phone that slight cramp hit her again. Perhaps it might be better if she had a lie down.
CHAPTER 15
Chief Inspector Roy King turned out to be a small, wiry man, with quick movements and bright black eyes which missed nothing. He had spent some time with the Metropolitan Force but decided he no longer liked London and had always enjoyed Scotland. He told them he had never regretted the move.
They were taken to a commandeered office in the airport, and over coffee and sandwiches, in company with a representative from the Glasgow force, King showed them the letter. Alex noted that it was written in childish block capitals, and confirmed for him the details already known. King indicated that no fingerprints had been found. Working on the assumption that this wasn’t some sort of hoax, coupled with the reports about the fishing boat, the information received seemed coincidental enough to make it an almost certainty. It now had to be decided how best to approach the matter.
‘I’m of the opinion that we should nab him as soon as he lands. The Coastguard can take care of the fishing boat. If we lose him during transition to the airport, he can be away and gone.’
Alex looked at the other men, wondering how he could make his objections known. They seemed approachable and cooperative enough, but this was their patch. King also outranked him. Alex knew that he had to try to be diplomatic, but at the same time he needed to put on the pressure.
‘I’m afraid I see it differently to you, Roy. I take your point, but I consider that it’s worth taking the gamble and letting him have as much rope as we can give him. We need to see who he’s going to meet and what he’s picking up. I know there’s a risk in doing it this way. We have to keep the airport open, or we might as well all go home. If we have enough personnel and we’re dealing with nothing more than a courier, there shouldn’t be too much public risk. We’ve been given this opportunity to find out more, and I think we should use it.’
Roy King stared hard at him, and Alex returned his look.
‘Perhaps we ought to start off on the right foot, young man. Have you been sent to take charge of this operation? Is there another agenda of which we’re unaware? For example, the information you have already requested… it seems to fit in too well with what we’ve got here.’
Alex had asked the same questions of Francis before they left London that morning. What authority did he have, and how much should he tell them? He had been told to liaise, and to offer his expertise if he felt it was needed. As to how much to tell them: as much as he felt was required. Which was all a great help! Alex knew he had to be careful. He needed willing assistance, but in his view the job had to get done, either way.
‘Roy, we need as much information from this as we can. It could be linked to something else we’re working on. That’s why I would like it to run as far as we can let it. In official terms, I’m to liaise and offer my thoughts if I consider them needed.’ He looked at the other two men. ‘If you would prefer a clear chain of command – me, you, and your men – that’s fine by me, and I’ll carry the can at the end of the day.’
King looked at him for a moment, then broke into a smile. ‘I’d forgotten how ruthless you London bastards were! I know you’re supposed to be a hot shot, Alex.’ His smile broadened at Alex’s slight frown. ‘Oh yes, laddie, your intelligence network isn’t unique. I’ve found out a lot about you. Now let’s see how good you are.’
Alex returned King’s smile. He knew, with relief, that he would be able to work with these men.
‘Right. The first thing I would like to do is familiarise myself with the layout of the airport and how people move around. If we need to keep observation on this person, we need places to do it. Supposing he’s a professional, he’ll be keeping his eyes open. I’d like Dougie to take a look at Ardrossan first thing in the morning, and we can work out our cover there. What manpower do you have for this, Roy? We’re going to need personnel for Ardrossan, the route in, here in the airport and vehicles, unmarked ones.’
‘We can get you all of those. All leave is cancelled this weekend, with people standing by. We can organise most of that tomorrow morning while your man is on the coast, and then fine-tune it. We can give a full briefing to everyone later in the morning.’
‘OK. Can you find someone to show Dougie and I around the airport now, so we can liaise with the airport security and work out some placements? Then we pick up again first thing tomorrow.’
‘No problem. I’ll ask one of our more English-speaking Sergeants to show you around, and then you won’t need an interpreter!’
His wicked smile was in no way malicious, and the men grinned at each other. It was always the same in any operation. As the adrenalin started flowing, if everyone worked well together, the camaraderie increased.
It was late before Alex was happy with the information he had gathered, and he was tired. He and Dougie were sharing a room at a nearby hotel, and with an early start the next day both of them tried to get some sleep in the few hours left. Before Alex managed to doze off, he thought about Catherine. He was glad he had been able to ring her as soon as he landed. Would he have a chance to call her tomorrow? He would have to see. He missed not being able to put his arms round her and hold her close while they slept. He kissed her goodnight in his dreams.
*
It was definite, thought Catherine: something was wrong. Her night’s sleep had been interrupted and from time to time her tummy was aching. She didn’t feel like any breakfast, but she made herself have some toast and coffee. If this carried on, perhaps she would try ringing the midwife, or even Sarah.
By mid-morning she was experiencing bouts of definite sharp pain. She must contact somebody. It couldn’t be possible that things were starting yet, there were still another two weeks or so to go.
She tried the numbers for both the midwife and Sarah, but no reply. It was typical, wasn’t it, when you needed someone they wer
e never around. Still, she mustn’t get herself worked up. It could just be a false alarm, and it would all stop as soon as it had started.
After another hour, she tried the numbers again, with the same result. She was getting anxious now. The pain when it came was quite intense. Should she call her GP? On some instinct she decided to ring the hospital and speak to someone there.
She was put through to the Duty Maternity Sister who listened to her description of the symptoms she was experiencing. The Sister seemed to take on board the fact that she was on her own, and although Catherine wasn’t booked in for a hospital delivery, it was decided that she ought to come in so that they could assess her situation. She also offered Catherine some gentle advice on what she should bring in with her, and to remember to secure the house before she left.
Catherine sat in front of the phone. She had just tried her midwife again, but still no reply. The same with Sarah. Where was everybody! She gasped as another bout of pain hit her. Please don’t let anything be wrong, she prayed to herself.
She must let Alex know she was going to hospital. She dialled the number he had given her. After a while a soft Scottish voice answered. Explaining who she was, and the reason for her call, to her dismay she was told that neither Alex nor Dougie were available to come to the phone but a message would be passed through as soon as possible. The voice on the other end sounded concerned, but at the same time comforting. She was doing the right thing in going to hospital, she was told, and not to worry, they would take care of her there, and wished her good luck. She thanked the unknown person and hung up. Then she rang for the taxi.
Generations of Love Page 28
