Blazing Obsession

by Dai Henley

  She’d already discovered that he had one but didn’t use email. He loved texting where spelling and grammar weren’t required.

  Alisha, at first, thought it too dangerous, but when RP pointed out that these actions may cut short her relationship with Johnson, she agreed.

  “In that case, I’ll take the risk,” she said.

  *

  Within the week, she’d succeeded in ‘borrowing’ Johnson’s mobile. She delivered it to RP the next day. His techies copied the contacts file from the SIM card using a SIM card reader.

  She dropped the mobile back in Johnson’s jacket when she saw him the next day. He never missed it.

  “Easy-peasy,” she told me. “He went out like a light after a heavy drinking session. I hope RP can get something from it. I don’t think I can carry on with this much longer. He’s still a child in here.” She pointed a manicured, vividly varnished finger to her head and tapped several times.

  From the SIM card, RP followed-up Johnson’s list of current contacts, about thirty in total. It took his team a week of intensive investigation into their backgrounds, but none of them pointed us in the direction of Nick… except one… someone by the name of Colin Greenland.

  RP’s thorough research turned up the fact that Greenland had been in Belmarsh prison at the same time as Nick and had been released in December 1997 after serving a four-year sentence for drug dealing. RP called me with the news.

  “You’re telling me this guy was out of prison at the time of the arson attack and he knew Johnson?”

  “It would appear so, yes.”

  “He’s surely the link we’ve been looking for, isn’t he? Nick could have asked him to find someone like Johnson to carry out the arson attack on the cottage, correct?”

  “Yes… he could.” RP implied a note of caution. “But it’s not definite. Greenland’s a drug dealer, so is Johnson. That may be the only connection, and the fact that Greenland just happened to be in Belmarsh at the same time as Nick could be pure coincidence.”

  “Where does that leave us?” I said.

  “I’ll try to get more information from my contacts. You might want to tell Alisha about this. Perhaps she can find out more from Johnson.”

  *

  I mentioned Greenland’s name to Alisha. She frowned, whilst searching her memory.

  “Yes… yes …Colin… Colin Greenland. I think he’s the guy I’ve met a couple of times at the pub we go to. Big guy, not bad-looking, actually. I think he fancies me. Doesn’t miss a chance to chat me up. Gets right up Johnson’s nose. He’s like a horny stag at the moment.”

  “Do you think you can talk to Greenland? Find out whether there’s more to his link with Nick, other than being in Belmarsh at the same time?”

  “I’ll try.”

  “Don’t forget your little friend, the torch. You can use it when you’re with Johnson, too. Are you OK with that?”

  She nodded in agreement. “OK. I’ll have to be bloody careful, though. Johnson’s getting to be a bit of a handful.”

  “Don’t take any undue risks, Alisha. To be honest, if we’d don’t make progress soon, I’m all for sorting out Johnson now and wait for Nick to leave prison and deal with him then.”

  “Yes, but we’ll still be no nearer finding the truth, will we? And we can’t be one hundred per cent certain Nick’s behind this. I’ll do another week, yes?”

  Reluctantly, I agreed.

  *

  Using the torch digital recorder proved a masterstroke. A few days after our conversation, Alisha and I sat in RP’s office and listened to a recording between Alisha and Greenland.

  Before turning on the tape, Alisha explained that they were in The Rat’s Castle pub. Johnson conducted most of his business there. He’d left her in the main bar whilst he met up with other villains in a small bar at the rear of the premises known as the ‘Snug’. Greenland, never one to pass up an opportunity to chat up Alisha, had sidled up to her.

  Despite clattering glasses, a general hubbub of chatter and the sound of a football match on the TV, we heard the voices distinctly.

  Following inane banter, Alisha fast-forwarded to the vital dialogue.

  Alisha: A little bird tells me you’ve done time.

  Greenland: Who told you that? Your boyfriend?

  Alisha: That would be telling, wouldn’t it?

  Greenland: It’s no skin off my nose. Yeah, I ’ad an ’oliday in Belmarsh as it ’appens. Couple a years ago.

  Alisha: Belmarsh? Oh, I know someone there. Don’t suppose you’ve heard of him? His name’s Burrows, Nick Burrows.

  Greenland: Burrows? I might have. Big place, Belmarsh. What’s ’e to you?

  Alisha: Oh, just a boyfriend.

  Greenland: One of many, I bet.

  Alisha: Oh, yes. Loads. Anyway, how did you get to know Leroy?

  Greenland: Leroy? I’ve known ’im ages. Now there’s a bloke who should be inside.

  Alisha: Really? Why do you say that?

  Greenland: Doncha’ know? ’E was all over the papers a few months ago. Burnt down an ’ouse wiv a woman and two kids in it.

  Alisha: Why? What happened?

  Greenland: Someone put ’im up to it. Leroy’ll do anything for money. Anyway, he went to court and somehow ’e got off, jammy bugger!

  Alisha: But who on earth would want to set fire to a house with a family in it?

  Greenland: All I know is this geezer wanted to get his own back. A lover’s tiff, summin’ like that. Said if he couldn’t ’ave ’em, no-one would.

  Alisha: That’s terrible!

  Greenland: It’s called life. Anyway, d’ya wanna a drink or somethin’? My norf and souf’s like the bottom of a birdcage.

  Alisha leaned over and switched off the recorder.

  I let out a low whistle. I asked Roger, “What do you make of that?”

  “Let’s hear it again,” he said, and motioned to Alisha to rewind the tape. This time he listened more intently.

  When it had finished, he sat back in his chair and said, “Well, I thought he sounded a bit cagey about knowing Nick. And he appeared to know a lot about the arson attack. I got the impression he didn’t rate Johnson much.”

  Alisha answered, “No, he doesn’t. There’s a lot of rivalry there. What do you want me to do next?”

  RP thought for a moment and said, “Well what’s good about this is that it leaves the way open for you to raise the subject of the arson with Johnson. You can tell him Greenland told you about it.”

  He continued, “What we really need to know is whether Burrows got Greenland to approach Johnson.”

  I looked at them both and said, “I’m sure he did. Lynne carrying my baby must have screwed him up. So screwed up, he took Georgie three thousand miles away.”

  “Could be, James,” RP said. “Are you still happy to carry on, Alisha?”

  “Yes. Yes, of course. I think we’re getting somewhere at last.”

  RP replied. “OK. Be careful now.”

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  September 1999

  I wanted to be the proactive driver in our plan. Instead, RP and Alisha were still the leading players. This didn’t sit comfortably with me.

  I couldn’t get involved with Johnson; he’d have recognised me instantly as the person staring at him incessantly when he sat in the dock at Winchester Crown Court. And my outburst had been particularly dramatic and memorable.

  Two days later, Alisha called me at home. Breathless with excitement, she said she’d got a break-though. I pressed her to tell me what she meant but said it would be better if we met at RP’s office as soon as possible.

  Within the hour, I walked into his office in St James’s Street.

  Alisha beat me there by a few minutes. RP’s glamorous PA ushered me into his office. RP poured me a cup of tea as I entered and waved a hand in the direction of a chair opposite Alisha, who smiled up at me.

  As I sat, he said, “You’ve some news for us, Alisha?”

  She plac
ed the torch tape recorder on RP’s desk.

  “Well, I hope so. The recording’s a bit indistinct in places and you’ll hear Johnson talking fast. We’re in his flat. Look, parts of this are a bit embarrassing… he’s drunk and excited. I worked hard to get him in a good mood; you know what I mean …”

  I didn’t want to think about it.

  RP glanced at me and said, “We’re both big boys, aren’t we, James?” I nodded, concerned about what I was about to hear.

  Alisha pushed the switch and fast-forwarded to a pre-determined point. I could only guess at other parts of the conversation she’d concealed from us.

  Alisha: Colin Greenland tells me you’re famous.

  Johnson: Why, what’s ’e been saying?

  Alisha: Says you were charged and tried for an arson attack and got away with it?

  Johnson: Yeah. I did. It was in all the papers. Bit of a star, me. Trouble was I spent eight months on remand. Time I’ll never get back.

  Alisha: Did you do it?

  Johnson: Yeah. It was a job, weren’t it. Down on the south coast. I didn’t ask questions. Got well paid though. Ten grand in cash.

  RP and Alisha looked to me for a reaction. I stared at the torch, my hatred of Johnson intensifying. Is that all my family’s lives were worth? Ten grand.

  Alisha: Who paid you?

  Johnson: Never mind that, come ’ere! Let’s …

  Alisha: No, this is interesting. I want to know everything about you.

  Johnson: Can’t tell you. No one knows. ’E’d kill me if I told anyone.

  Alisha: Yes, but when you were caught surely the cops put pressure on you to find out whether you were acting alone or not. Otherwise, what would have been your motive?

  Johnson: Yeah, they did, big time. If I’d told ’em, my life would ’ave been ’ell inside. I ain’t no squealer. Bad enough being on remand. No one likes a child killer. It weren’t an ’appy time for me in that place.

  Alisha: But supposing you hadn’t got off? You’d be banged up for twenty years or more and your man would be free. Didn’t that worry you?

  Johnson: Yeah, ’course it bloody did! But if I squealed, I told you, ’e threatened to kill me. ’E knew some ’ard cases inside – ’e’d fix it, believe me. ’E’s a nasty bastard. Doing time was better and there was always a chance I might get off, an’ I did.

  Alisha: Do you know why he wanted to murder that family?

  Johnson: Summin’ to do with ’er finishing with ’im… I dunno… you’ll have to ask Greenland, ’e’s the bloke who knows ’im better. ’E’s done business wiv ’im before. ’E’s the one who set up the meet when ’e told me about the job.

  Alisha: Do you still see the guy?

  Johnson: Yeah. ’E’s still worried I might let summin’ slip. ’E pays me a bit of insurance once a month just to be sure.

  Alisha: How much?

  Johnson: A monkey. Cash.

  Alisha: How much is that?

  Johnson: Five ’undred quid.

  Alisha: Is that all? He’s got off cheap if you ask me. He could be rotting in jail for a long time and you’re the one keeping him free.

  Johnson: Yeah. But it’s nuttin’ to do with you, is it? I dunno why you’re so interested.

  Alisha: No, you’re right. I just think he’s had you over, that’s all.

  Johnson: No one’s ’ad me over… now come on …’ere! Let’s ’ave some fun!

  Alisha leant over the desk and turned off the recorder. “I don’t think you’ll want to hear the rest.”

  We sat quietly for a few seconds, considering the implications.

  RP broke the silence. “If I’ve heard correctly, Burrows isn’t behind this.” Even the great RP sounded incredulous. “Johnson clearly said he meets whoever it is once a month to pick up his insurance money. It has to be somebody else, unless Burrows got another guy to do his dirty work, which, I suppose, isn’t out of the question.”

  “That’s what I felt. I couldn’t believe what he said.” Alisha sounded excited.

  I finally found my voice. “If it is someone else, who the hell is this guy? Why would he want to do this?”

  RP stroked his chin with his right hand several times, his usual affectation, whilst his mind processed various scenarios.

  Eventually, he said, “At least now, we’ve got a direct line on whoever it is. Alisha, if you can find out when Johnson next goes to meet Mr Mystery Man, we can get a look at him – shake him down, find out the connection.”

  “I’ll try, but as you heard on the tape, I need to be careful. Johnson’s getting a bit wary of me asking too many questions.”

  I asked RP, “What about getting to Colin Greenland? He’s the one who set up the meeting to discuss the job, according to Johnson. He’ll know who it is, won’t he?”

  “Good point, James,” RP replied. “What do you think, Alisha? Can you work a little magic there?”

  “Well, Greenland’s definitely keen on me. Johnson hates me talking to him. I’ll have to choose my moment carefully.”

  RP said, “A list of Greenland’s contacts would be useful. Do you think you could repeat the mobile phone trick you pulled on Johnson?”

  “I’ll try.”

  RP said, “OK. Well, we can’t go much further forward until we know who this mystery man is.”

  I nodded in agreement, despite being conscious that Alisha remained in the driving seat.

  RP considered putting Johnson under surveillance 24/7 but decided against it. Apart from the cost, although I didn’t give a toss about that, he decided it wasn’t going to be particularly effective. It would be a chance in a million that one of us would recognise the mystery man.

  This proved not to be one of RP’s better decisions.

  *

  Three days later, in the early hours of Saturday, my mobile’s shrill ring tone jarred me awake. I peered at my luminous alarm clock. It read 1.10am.

  “Oh, James! Can you pick me up? Now? I’m in a late-night cafe, The Hide Bar in Bermondsey Road. I’m in a bit of a state!” I heard Alisha snivel into the phone.

  “Of course! What’s happened? You sound upset.”

  “I can’t tell you now. Just get here quickly, can you?”

  “I’m on my way.”

  I tore through light traffic on the A2 and The Old Kent Road, aware of speed cameras and traffic lights, and worried about Alisha’s anguished call. Less than twenty-five minutes later, I spotted her in the window of the cafe.

  Heavy eye make-up streaked down her face; she had a cut lip and a bruised swelling under her left eye.

  Her dyed-blonde hair was a mess and one of the heels of her shoes had snapped off. Dabbing her eyes with a tissue she’d taken from her handbag, she looked a million miles away from the ballsy woman I knew.

  As I approached her she fell into my arms with relief. I hugged her tightly for an age, before saying, “What the hell happened?”

  “I… I suppose it’s my own fault. We were drinking in the Apollo club near The Rat’s Castle pub. Me, Leroy and a few of his mates. Colin Greenland was there too. Leroy went outside to do a bit of dealing. That’s when I took the chance to chat up Greenland – ”

  “And …”

  “Maybe I went a bit too far. Leroy returned and caught us snogging. He went mental. Dragged me out of the club and into an alleyway. He punched me in the face. Then he kept slapping me, called me a prick teaser and tried to rape me.”

  “Oh, Alisha!”

  I held her tightly again.

  “I tried to stop him. I caught him in the bollocks once with my knee but it only made him angrier. I couldn’t match his strength. I didn’t have time to use the Mace in my handbag. Then somebody from the club loomed from the darkness and shouted at him. He stopped and stormed back into the club in a strop.”

  “This is crazy. That’s it. You’ve done enough.” I shepherded her to my car.

  “I’ll take you back to my house. Don’t even think about arguing with me.”

&nb
sp; In a barely audible voice, she said, “OK.”

  She laid her head against the headrest and sighed in relief. As I sat beside her on the driver’s side, she opened her handbag and produced a mobile phone. I thought she wanted to call someone but she sat there staring at it.

  “At least I didn’t leave empty-handed,” she said, a hint of a smile crossing her face.

  “Is that …?”

  “Yes. It’s Colin Greenland’s mobile. He was so out of his head, he won’t miss it for a while.”

  “Alisha!”

  “What? That was the idea wasn’t it? Let’s hope RP can find out who our mystery man is.”

  When we got home, I made some coffee. Bathing her swollen eye with tepid water, I said, “Alisha, I’m proud of you. But look, this really is the end for you, OK?”

  “Maybe. Let’s see what happens next?” There seemed no point in discussing it further. I showed her to the spare bedroom, hugged her once more and kissed her tenderly on the cheek.

  “Try to get some sleep. We’ll talk about it in the morning.”

  I returned to my bedroom.

  *

  Next morning, over a late breakfast of boiled eggs and strong coffee, Alisha, looking as if she’d gone three rounds with Mike Tyson, passed over the mobile RP had supplied. It showed half-a-dozen text messages from Johnson, all expressing how sorry he felt about last night and urging her to get in touch.

  “What should I do about these?” Alisha said.

  “Nothing. You’re not going back, Alisha. It’s over. Does he know where you live?”

  “No, I was careful not to tell him. I just gave him a general area.”

  She handed me Greenland’s mobile.

  “Good. I’ll discuss this with RP on Monday. He’ll have a few ideas.”

  We spent the rest of Saturday and Sunday together. I bought food from the market and we shared a lunch of cold chicken and baked potatoes washed down with a bottle of Sancerre.

  Late on Sunday evening, I drove her back to her flat. By the time we arrived, Johnson had texted a further four times, and left countless messages imploring her to forgive him.