by Joy Ellis
‘What about the gang Aaron Keller used to set up the hit?’ asked Joseph. ‘Will we have anything further to do with hunting down the local cell?’
‘Oh yes, but at this moment we need to prioritise.’ Dave noticed the boss’s eyes narrow slightly before she went on. ‘Right now, our main aim is finding Snipe and bringing him in. Nothing else takes precedence. That is our prime target. So settle back, folks. We’ll assess everything we know to date, then formulate a strategy.’
She took it from the top and Dave scribbled bullet points in his notebook as she spoke.
1) The fire at her home.
2) The killing of Danny Wilshire and injuring of Cat Cullen.
3) The stolen vehicle that was used was left in her barn, steam-cleaned of all evidence.
4) The bloody message in her car boot: “crash and burn.” The blood identified as belonging to retired police officer Brian Faulkner, now missing.
5) The bogus “bomb” in Joseph’s garage.
6) The acid attack at the crematorium.
7) The stealing of Joseph’s daughter Tamsin’s phone and the engineering of her visit to Cloud Fen.
8) And the surveillance and the phone calls. Calls that had made it clear that Snipe was watching them and threatening them all in turn.
9) And finally, Dave’s bank accounts being stripped.
On writing that down, Dave tried to remain apart from the raw anger that had almost consumed him earlier. Somehow he managed it. He had a good head when it came to sussing out villains. He must not allow this vile individual to render him useless. The team needed him firing on all cylinders, and if the boss could do it after losing her beloved daughter, and Cat could solve a crime after being injured, then he could damn well do it too.
He raised his hand. ‘Ma’am? I was thinking, if we assume that Snipe was actually after Cat in the hit and run, that would mean he has targeted you, the sarge, Cat and me. Is it possibly about a case that we’ve worked on as a team? Or do you think he’s lashing out at all and sundry around you?’
She drew in a long breath. ‘If I knew the answer to that one, Dave, I’d be in a better place right now. Gut instinct says it’s the team he’s after . . .’ she glanced across to Yvonne, ‘but that doesn’t let Yvonne and Niall off the hook, because we’ve all worked together before.’
‘So, are we going to join forces with DI Hunter on this?’ Yvonne asked.
‘Yes, I’ve already talked to him, and although the super thought it was too close to home for us, he’s finally agreed. And as it was Jim Hunter’s case originally, I’ve agreed to let him take the reins.’ She looked towards the door. ‘He’ll be here shortly to update you on the present status.’
The door opened, but it wasn’t Hunter. A civilian apologised for interrupting and asked for the sarge. ‘Someone downstairs to see you, Sergeant. Says it’s urgent.’
‘Name?’ asked Joseph, standing up.
‘Mickey Leonard, sir.’
Dave saw an amused look flash across the sarge’s face before he looked at the boss for permission to leave. The DI nodded and Dave saw the hint of a smile on her face too. He wondered what had brought one of the infamous Leonard clan into the enemy’s lair.
* * *
As Joseph ran down the stairs, he glanced at his watch. Tamsin’s third call was due in ten minutes, and with luck and a fair wind behind them, they should be in Edinburgh in two and a half hours’ time. He’d already spoken to Lothian and Borders Police and given them a rundown of the situation. They had promised to do what they could, although in the last two days they had found themselves with a murder enquiry that was draining resources. It had not been what Joseph had wanted to hear, but there was nothing he could do — other than catch Snipe and put an end to the nightmare.
He found Mickey sitting in an interview room, playing an arcade game on his smartphone. Joseph smiled to himself. There was a time when the only way that Mickey Smith, as he had been before Peter Leonard adopted him, would have had a hi-tech phone like that, was if he’d nicked it. Now he knew that the phone would be legitimately bought and paid for. Peter might have stemmed from an infamous family of crooks, but he and his wife were straight as a die.
‘Mickey?’
The boy jumped up. ‘Sergeant Joe! Great to see you.’ He offered a hand and Joseph grasped it.
‘You’re looking very cool, my friend. Life must be treating you well.’
‘Too right.’ Mickey grinned broadly. He was dressed in a dark red-and-white striped Breton T-shirt with charcoal grey denim jeans and a pair of dark red canvas high tops. His hair was fashionably long and wavy. Joseph suddenly had a flashback to the first time he ever saw the boy, and mentally shuddered. This was no longer the sullen teen who communicated in grunt language, adolescent angst seeping from every pore.
‘You’ve come a long way, kiddo.’ Joseph felt a lump in his throat.
‘Thanks to you.’ Mickey sat back down. ‘I didn’t like to mention it at the funeral, but maybe we could meet up one day and talk?’ He looked at Joseph hopefully, then went on. ‘But right now I’ve got a message for you from Grandfather, and he’ll kill me if I don’t deliver it fast.’
Joseph pulled up a chair and sat opposite him. ‘Okay. Well, it’s a yes to meeting up, just as soon as the present case is over. Meanwhile, fire away with the message.’
‘Archie said to tell you,’ he lowered his voice, ‘that Stephen Cox is still in Greenborough. We know that he’s found someone who is not afraid to let him stay with them, although we’re having big trouble finding who and where. My Uncle Raymond has put the frighteners on him alright, but for some reason, Cox is not going anywhere until whatever business he has here is done.’
Joseph gritted his teeth. Was it Cox all along? He thought about what Dave had said about a case that involved the whole team, and that would fit. Years ago, the team had gone after Cox, and sent him on the run. He could just hate them enough.
‘Archie also said to tell you everything I’d heard on the streets.’ He leaned forward closer to Joseph. ‘There’s a rumour on the grapevine that Cox mentioned Inspector Nik by name. I don’t think it was an actual threat, but whatever, your boss is on his mind, and knowing that scrote, that’s not good news.’
If it hadn’t been so serious, Joseph would have laughed at hearing Mickey’s old nickname for DI Galena again. Sergeant Joe and Inspector Nik.
‘Anything else?’
‘Yeah, the other thing I picked up was that he’s got a lot of dosh. And I mean a lot. Sure he’s a dealer, but he’s either made a real killing somewhere along the line, or his old granny has kicked the bucket and left him a small fortune.’
So if he also had the money to pay for professional assistance, their theory that he was not bright enough to pull off some of Snipe’s tricks was rendered null and void. Maybe Rent-a-Crook even did rates-for-mates. Joseph felt a sinking feeling inside. This wasn’t looking good at all. He rallied a smile. ‘Well done, my friend. That’s certainly given me food for thought.’
‘Oh, there’s one last thing, Joe.’ Mickey looked worried, as if he were about to break a confidence. ‘It’s not about Cox.’ He fidgeted in his chair. ‘Look . . .’ His head snapped up. ‘I never said this, alright? But . . . not all the Leonard family are on your side. You know I’m not talking about Peter or Fran, and certainly not grandfather, but just be careful around some of the others, okay?’
Joseph looked thoughtfully at the teenager. It couldn’t have been easy to say that. The Leonard family had thrown him a lifeline. A reprieve from a future where his home would have been either a young offender institution or a secure training centre. It must have felt like he was grassing up his own, but then he also had an obligation to Joseph. He decided not to press the boy further. He knew exactly who Mickey meant. Raymond Leonard had never made a secret of his hatred of the police, or his disgust that in the past his father had chosen to work with them. ‘Thank you, Mickey. I hear what you’re saying, and it’ll go no further, I pro
mise. And I really appreciate your help.’ He stood up. ‘Keep your ear to the ground for me, huh?’
‘Sure will.’ The boy gave him his signature salute, then added, ‘Catch you?’
‘For sure.’ Joseph placed a hand on his shoulder and walked him down to the foyer. ‘As soon as we have our killer locked up, we’ll hit the town, okay?’
Mickey walked through the front door, waved and stuck a thumb in the air. ‘Don’t forget!’
Joseph called out that he wouldn’t, then hurried back upstairs to the CID room. The minute he entered he knew that he’d missed something vital. He was greeted by stunned expressions and pale faces.
‘He rang again, Sarge.’ Dave’s voice was shaky. ‘The boss put it on loudspeaker. We all heard him.’
Joseph moved swiftly to Nikki’s side. ‘What did he say?’
‘He said he’s disappointed in us. He’d expected more.’ Her voice was a monotone. ‘That we are no match for him and maybe he should up his game.’
Joseph exhaled through gritted teeth and growled, ‘Oh God! What next?’
‘I dread to think.’ Nikki rubbed at her forehead.
‘Did he say anything else?’
‘Just that it was no wonder people had so little faith in the police these days.’
Joseph stared at Nikki and knew that she was keeping something from him. ‘And?’ he demanded.
Her eyes looked straight into his, then she dropped her gaze and said, ‘Okay, I know I have to tell you. Just before he hung up, he said, “Do tell the sergeant that his daughter looks amazing in that uniform, really hot.”’
Joseph felt his blood freeze in his veins. ‘Did he say looks? Or looked?’
Nikki’s voice was a whisper. ‘He said looks.’
Joseph spun round and stared at the wall clock. It was ten minutes after the time when they had arranged to speak. With his heart hammering in his chest, he rang Tamsin’s number, waited impatiently, then punched the red ‘off’ button. ‘No damned signal.’ He knew his voice was little more than a croak.
‘Don’t worry. I’ll try Niall.’ Yvonne already had her phone in her hand.
He watched her as she closed her mobile and mutely shook her head. The kind of fear that you read about in horror stories gripped him. Was this what Snipe meant by upping his game?
‘Sorry to interrupt again.’ The same civilian stood in the doorway, seemingly unaffected by the looks on the detectives’ faces. ‘This time the message is for DC Dave Harris?’
Dave stood up. ‘Yes?’
‘Two officers from the cybercrime unit are outside. They would like to speak to you immediately. Can I bring them in?’
Nikki seemed to suddenly spring awake. ‘Yes, do.’ She nodded to Dave. ‘This could be important. Let’s see what they want.’
The two officers, a man and a woman, hurried in through the door. They were both in a state of intense excitement, and began speaking in unison. ‘Only ever seen this once before!’
‘Yes, amazing! Look!’ The man pointed urgently to the woman.
She nodded, opened a laptop and punched in a load of numbers. ‘We are using the passwords that you gave us, Dave. Now take a look at this!’
Joseph, despite his terrible concerns for his daughter, could not help but join the others around the computer.
‘This is a copy of your accounts prior to the cyber theft.’ The man passed Dave a sheet of paper. ‘Is that right?’
Dave nodded glumly. ‘It is.’
‘Now we all know the accounts were stripped to zero balance on all three accounts, but . . .’ She turned the screen slightly. ‘Does that look like a miracle, or what?’
They all stared dumbly at the screen, then Dave looked as if he were going to give the woman a bear hug before bursting out with, ‘You’ve got it back! However did you manage that? You guys are incredible!’
‘My friend, we’ve done nothing. This started to trickle back in about half an hour ago.’ The woman grinned broadly. ‘And look closer at the figures.’
Dave looked then stepped back. ‘I don’t understand.’
‘This is one of the cleverest scams we’ve ever seen.’ The man looked at Nikki. ‘This is elite stuff, honestly.’
‘Where did the money go? Can you track who stole it?’
‘It wasn’t stolen, that’s the beauty of it. Someone accessed the account and sent Dave’s money halfway round the world, into other accounts and out again, into shares, then minutes later the shares were sold and the money was moved on. It’s so complex that we’d never track it if we live to be a hundred.’
‘And it’s come back with interest!’ The woman laughed. ‘We reckon you’ve made around twelve per cent.’
Joseph looked at Dave’s white face and saw his panic. ‘But couldn’t he take it again? Like he did before? How can we protect it? Should I withdraw it?’ The questions poured from his open mouth.
‘No way! We’ve set up a new generation fraud detection system. He won’t dare try again on the same accounts.’ The man looked more confident than Dave. ‘Honestly, if he did try, he’d recognise the system and know not to touch it. And if he did, we’d have him.’
Dave looked shell-shocked. And if he hadn’t been so worried, Joseph would have laughed at the wide eyes, the parted lips and the cheeks flushed scarlet. And then his phone rang, the throwaway PAYG phone. He grabbed it and as he did so, he realised that the whole room was silent.
‘Dad? I’m so sorry my check-in call is late. We’ve just spent ten miles in the longest cellphone dead zone in Britain.’
Joseph wanted to cry. He wanted to laugh too, but all he did was say, ‘She’s okay,’ to the officers that had gathered around him. Then he listened to his daughter explain their location and how drop-dead embarrassing it had been when Niall had insisted on standing guard outside the ladies loo in the service station.
‘And he made five poor women who were busting to pee queue in the corridor until I was out again! Can you imagine it?’
‘Sorry, but he acted exactly as I would have expected. Your safety is his only concern. The distressed bladders of others come second, I’m afraid.’ He tried to sound casual, but his heart was still racing and his head was a mess. ‘Can I have a word with Niall before you hang up?’
‘Sure. He’ll be back in a minute. I’m locked in the car and he’s paying for fuel.’
Joseph swallowed. Snipe’s words, placing his daughter within eye-balling distance, echoed around in his brain. Come on, Niall, and get your arse back in that car . . . He needed to keep hearing her voice. ‘So how long does Niall think it’ll take to get to your mother’s place?’
‘He reckons just over two hours, traffic allowing.’ She paused for a moment, then added, ‘He’s nice, Dad, isn’t he? I mean he’s really thoughtful.’
‘He’s certainly one of the good guys, Tam.’
‘How old is he? I don’t like to ask in case he gets the wrong idea.’
Joseph gave a small smile. ‘Not absolutely sure, but his crew-mate is here. I’ll ask.’ He called across to Yvonne, who threw him a knowing look, grinned and told him that Niall was twenty-six and available.
Joseph passed the information on, and heard a little murmur of appreciation from Tamsin. ‘And he’s not attached,’ he added helpfully.
‘Dad! I was only thinking he looked quite young to have been working at the station even before you went there. Don’t start making something out of nothing.’
Yeah, yeah, thought Joseph, but said, ‘Of course not.’
‘Here he comes. I’ll pass you over, and no matchmaking, okay, Father?’ she hissed.
Joseph heaved a sigh of relief when he heard Niall’s voice, and he swiftly told him what had happened. ‘Don’t alarm her, Niall. But keep your wits about you and don’t let your guard down for one second.’
‘Wilco, Sarge. We’ll ring again in an hour.’
Joseph closed his phone and stared at Nikki’s concerned face. ‘I don’t know what to think.’
>
Her face darkened. ‘Well, I do. I think Snipe is showing us just how clever he is. He has us by the balls. He knows our weaknesses and the things that wind us up quickest. He’s playing us for fools and loving every fucking minute of it.’
He could hardly dispute that. In the last few minutes he had been to hell and back, and probably for nothing. More than likely it was just another little diversion, courtesy of their wicked trickster. He sank down into a chair. Nikki did the same.
‘I had a text while you were talking to Tamsin.’ She tapped her phone a couple of times and passed it across to Joseph. ‘Read it.’
Cop-shop exterior now clean.3 live spies found, all dealt with, permanently.
Joseph handed the phone back to Nikki. ‘Thank God for Vinnie.’
‘Ditto.’ She leant forward resting her elbows on the desk. ‘Let’s call a powwow. Just Yvonne, Dave and the two of us.’
‘And Jim Hunter?’
‘Not yet. He’s been delayed by the super and right now, I want to keep this in-house.’ She looked at him pensively. ‘They say that to know the perpetrator of a crime, you have to know the victim. It all stems from them. And from where I’m sitting it seems as if the team is the victim, so we need to look more deeply at the people we’ve collectively and royally pissed off.’ She stood up, determination strengthening her voice. ‘I’ll disband the meeting, and you get the other two and bring them to my office. This has gone on long enough. If we don’t nail this bastard soon, he’s going to tear this team apart and destroy us all.’
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
At two o’clock, Nikki closed her door and looked around her. Dave and Yvonne were seated and Joseph was leaning against the wall. The frightened look they had been wearing was replaced with something far more suited to a group of hunters.
Nikki perched on the edge of her desk. ‘As I see it, we’ve concentrated so hard on the stingers that Snipe has thrown under our tyres that we haven’t spent nearly enough time trying to discover who Snipe really is.’ She slipped off the desk and began to pace. ‘Someone hates us. Someone wants to hurt us. Someone wants us dead. That takes a lot of energy, a whole lot of pent-up vengeance. And my God, he’s planned this carefully. No way is it a spur of the moment thing. This is a vendetta that has been germinating for years, festering and boiling in his blood.’ She looked at them intently. ‘We are looking at older cases here. Who hates us that badly?’
