The Keeper

by Catriona King

  “OK, close the door and grab a seat please.” He faced them, adopting an earnest look. “This has to be strictly off the books. You understand?”

  Liam nodded and rubbed his hands. It would be like the good old days. Ken looked confused and Craig sighed, knowing that he was going to have to spell things out for the younger man.

  “OK. Major James has disappeared, most likely abducted from the base. Yes?”

  Ken nodded.

  “During The Troubles he was involved with work on paramilitaries and we’ve had five dead ones in a week. Therefore the Major’s disappearance is unlikely to be a coincidence. Agreed?”

  Liam answered for both of them. “Yep.”

  Craig continued. “I’ve just come from Intelligence and been told that the army won’t hand over their records on James’ work. And, as Liam pointed out, Intelligence must have their own copy, which they won’t give us either. But, if we hope to save Major James’ life we need to know everything that there is to know, to wit, exactly what he did during The Troubles to get him kidnapped now. So…”

  He watched as the light dawned on Ken and he blanched. His pallor was followed by a frantic shake of the head.

  “No way! We can’t possibly-”

  Liam gave him a shove. “Ach, stop whining, you big girl. We can and we will.”

  The soldier’s eyes widened to saucers as Craig tried to reassure him. “I’ll take the blame if you get caught, Ken.”

  Liam grinned broadly. “There you go. Your ass is covered so just enjoy it. It’s not often you’ll get a Super sanctioning us to steal records from an army base.”

  ****

  Craig had waved the others out and was just settling down to read the file that Davy had left for him when his mobile flashed with a text. He was about to leave it to read later when he saw that it came from Katy’s phone. He opened it, smiling, but his face dropped when he read the words.

  ‘Help me, Mark. Sophia’s her-’

  He knew instantly that ‘her’ should have been here. Katy had been cut off as she’d typed! He dialled her number urgently but it cut to answerphone, so he raced through the squad-room and into the lift, to the surprise of everyone in his team.

  Ten minutes of driving and dialling later he was at St Mary’s Hospital running down the corridors to the medical wards. He’d never believed that Sophia could be dangerous but maybe ignoring her had pushed her over the edge. His anger grew as he ran; Katy wasn’t aggressive, she would be no match for a jealous psychotic. If Sophia had even touched her he would-

  The thought was cut short by his arrival at the medical unit and a sharp push on the main door. It was closed, and he suddenly remembered that access was only granted with a pass. He was just preparing to hammer on the window when he heard a familiar voice in the stairwell behind him.

  “Hello, Marc.”

  He swung round to see Sophia Emiliani on the top step, wearing a knowing smile.

  “If I’d known how easy it was to get you here I’d have done this ages ago.”

  Craig took a step towards her, his expression a mixture of fury and fear. “Where’s Katy? What have you done to her?”

  The psychiatrist’s expression changed from a smug smile to an anger that matched his own. “That’s all you care about, isn’t it? Your precious, bloody Katy. I love you more than she ever will-”

  He cut across her. “You don’t love me. We’ve never been more than professional-”

  She gawped at him. “You call the way you looked at me professional? The way you held my hand when we danced?”

  Craig remembered the party in April where she’d wound herself around him and he’d detached her forcibly, and shouted back.

  “WE DIDN’T DANCE! You came on to me and I pushed you away.”

  He hated being so unchivalrous, but months of harassment had finally made him blunt.

  “Where is she, Sophia? If you’ve hurt her-”

  Her face contorted into a sneer. “You’ll do what?” Her words rose in volume to a scream. “What will you do to me, Marc? WHAT?”

  Craig watched her move sideways until she was standing against the wall then he gawped as she banged her head back twice, hard, drawing blood that ran down the concrete in streaks. He stepped forward to stop her just as she yelled. “WHY DID YOU DO THIS TO ME? I LOVE YOU.”

  He stopped, stunned as she deliberately smeared her lipstick across her face and ripped away her shirt, revealing unmistakable fingerprint bruising around her neck. Then she hurled herself down the short flight of steps behind her, causing a thud that no-one could have missed as she hit the ground.

  Craig raced down to help just as several people ran up from the floor below, to find him leaning over the psychiatrist, with her screaming and pushing him away. Sophia showed everyone who was there deep cuts on her hands and arms that must have been made before he’d arrived.

  “He assaulted me! He’s a maniac! Get the police. Call the police.”

  As Craig rose and held up his hands in surrender he realised that Sophia had got exactly what she had probably wanted for months. If she couldn’t have him she would have revenge for his rejection of her, by accusing him of an assault that could cause the end of his career.

  ****

  Craigantlet Army Base. The Officers’ Mess. 8 p.m.

  As Liam stared at Ken’s rear end crawling in front of him through the grass he wondered if other people spent their nights like this. Then he thought about it again, this time with a grin. Lots of blokes would die to have his job; what other occupation would allow you to break and enter without the risk of being banged up, even if it was only because Craig wouldn’t let them get caught.

  Ken turned, his worried expression saying that he definitely didn’t agree with Liam’s excitement. He hissed at him, his eyes frantic. “If the MPs see us, we’ll be in the stockade until we die.”

  Damn. Liam had forgotten all about the military police; Craig had no jurisdiction over them. There was only one thing for it. They’d better hustle, steal the records and get their asses out of Dodge PDQ. He gave the nervous soldier a shove forward and in less than a minute they were beneath the window of Stephen James’ office. Ken craned his neck above the sill then turned back with a panicked look.

  “It’s empty.”

  Liam rolled his eyes. “Who did you expect to see? A show girl?” He waved him to look again, this time for a cabinet or anything that could hold files. A swift nod and a jerked thumb said that there was a suitable receptacle to Ken’s right hand side. Liam’s jerked thumb back said “get in there.” He was surprised by the Captain’s adamantly shaken head in reply.

  “If I get caught in there it’ll be the end of my career. The army isn’t forgiving.”

  Liam rolled his eyes again. The youth of today had no damn spunk. “I suppose you mean ’cos I’m old it doesn’t matter if I get kicked out of the police.”

  Ken grinned sheepishly. “Something like that.”

  “Cheers.” Liam tutted loudly. “Ach, all right then, but you owe me big time if I get caught.”

  Without further ado the lanky D.C.I. stepped over the low sill and disappeared to the right hand side of the room, thanking God that James’ office hadn’t been on the top floor. After a lengthy silence Ken started to worry and ventured another peek inside the room. He found Liam sitting on the floor rummaging through some files, with a padlock and a broken chain lying by his side. The thought of Stephen James’ future anger made him squeak. “You broke it! He’ll go mad!”

  Liam glanced up calmly. “He’ll be doing nothing if he’s dead.”

  He set down the file he was perusing and lifted one he’d set behind him on the floor, rising to his feet and slipping it inside his coat. Just then footsteps approached and stopped just outside the door. Liam barely had time to hide behind the curtains before a key turned in the lock and a woman entered, pushing a vacuum cleaner and carrying some plastic bags. Damn. Just their luck to pick cleaning day. He was just debating whether
to jump out the window, stay put and hold his breath for ten minutes, or leg it down the corridor, when a man’s voice beckoned the woman outside.

  “Could you do the common room first, Kelly? Thanks.”

  It was all the gap that Liam required. He was over the sill and past the flower bed in a minute, with Ken scrabbling to keep up. When they’d reached the safety of the Ford Liam allowed himself a guffaw.

  “That was some craic. I haven’t enjoyed myself that much since me and Reggie Boyd nicked some whiskey from the old C.C.”

  Ken looked like a rabbit caught in the headlights and he could hardly breathe never mind laugh. If this was what Liam got up to at fifty, he’d have hated to have met him in his youth. As they belted down the backroads descending the Craigantlet Hills into Holywood, Liam yanked the file from inside his jacket and threw it onto Ken’s lap.

  “Take a butcher’s at that. Second page.”

  Ken read and nodded for a moment, his jaw dropping as he did.

  “Read out the second paragraph.”

  The soldier did as he was told, reading in an awed voice. “Nineteen seventy-nine to nineteen-eighty-four. Military liaison to Operation Javett; Lieutenant Stephen Paul James.” He glanced up. “His middle name’s Paul.”

  Liam answered without looking. He was too busy gesticulating at a cyclist for not wearing a helmet and pointing at his own head. “And mine’s Mungo. So what else does it say?”

  “Javett was a joint op between T Branch at MI5, RUC Special Branch and the army.”

  “That much I gathered; that’s why I lifted it. But there’s bound to be more in there.”

  Ken’s face fell. “There is, but it’s in some sort of shorthand.”

  Liam nodded and pulled onto the A2, accelerating towards Belfast.

  “Where are we going now?”

  “To see the only man I know who can decode everything, and his skinny blue-haired mate.”

  ****

  The uniformed sergeant stared at Craig with a mixture of embarrassment and disgust, exactly the way Craig would have looked at an officer accused of assaulting a woman as well. Guilty until proven innocent and an embarrassment to the force. He waved the younger man on.

  “Go ahead, son. Read me my rights and cuff me, but first I need to phone the Chief Constable.”

  It wasn’t a pleasant call. Sean Flanagan might have respected Craig’s work and liked him but he suspended him immediately, pending an investigation.

  “I understand, sir. I’ll brief Liam to take over the case.”

  Flanagan needed to know more. “Who is this woman?”

  Craig sighed heavily. “A forensic psychiatrist who worked with us on a case back in March. She was seconded to St Mary’s from a London Trust.”

  Flanagan’s voice was grim. “Did you two have a relationship?”

  Craig’s “NO” was louder than he’d meant it to be. He repeated the word, adding a sir. “No, sir. But she seems to have got the wrong end of the stick. She’s been texting and calling me for months and foolishly I thought if I ignored her she would go away, but-”

  Flanagan stopped him mid excuse. “That’s enough, Marc. You need to engage counsel and I need to play this by the rules. I’ll send A.C.C. Byrne to interview you at High Street. You met during the Bwye case up in Derry, I believe. He’ll interview the doctor too and then we’ll see. Until then you’ll be bailed but you can’t go near Docklands or the case. Is that clear?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Craig had no intention of keeping his word.

  ****

  The C.C.U. 9.30 p.m.

  When Liam and Ken re-entered the squad-room they were surprised to see everyone still there. They were even more surprised by their miserable faces. Liam scanned the room with a grin.

  “I know you missed us but we’re back now, so give us a smile.”

  Annette responded in a flat voice. “The boss has been suspended.” Then she led him into Craig’s office and gave him a blow by blow account.

  “He’s at High Street being interviewed by an A.C.C. now. One of Katy’s school friends is acting as his solicitor.”

  Liam had listened in silence, shaking his head; it halted with a snort of disgust. “Ach, the stupid bugger. I told him that woman was trouble. What the hell did he go to see her for?”

  Annette shrugged. “It happened at St Mary’s so I’d hazard a guess that it had something to do with Katy. Maybe she and Sophia got into a fight and he went to intervene.”

  He gawped at her. “Fight? Katy? No way; she wouldn’t harm a fly. Now if it was Natalie you were talking-”

  Annette interrupted him, annoyed. “Does it really matter why he was there? There’s no way this is true. The boss would never assault a woman, not even one as annoying as that overblown Barbie Doll!”

  Liam allowed himself a laugh, stopping mid chuckle when he saw her glare.

  “Nicky’s gone down there with some food.”

  “I hope she’s put a file inside it.”

  Annette was about to blow up so he raised a hand in peace. “I’m joking.” He reclined in Craig’s chair and folded his hands across his paunch, thinking for a minute.

  “OK, the boss is innocent and we can all testify to her plaguing him with texts and calls, plus her getting handsy with him at that party back in April. So he’ll get off; it’s only a matter of when. Meanwhile we have a missing army officer and a case that the press have just had a briefing on, and no matter how controlled it was they’ll start digging now.” He sprang to his feet and pulled open the door. “Listen up, everyone. It’s time for a quick update.”

  There was a rapid rearranging of chairs as everyone gathered around.

  “This will be short and sweet then you can all go home. As well as five dead terrorists we now have a missing army Major, probably taken by the same man or men.”

  Andy’s hand rose to ask a question but Liam shook his head.

  “No questions till the end. OK, said missing Major is Ken’s old chief, Stephen James. The boss had a hunch he might have been involved in something back in the day that got him kidnapped. So, long story short and don’t ask how we got it, a file has recently fallen into our possession which confirms that James acted as military liaison to an operation in the late seventies, early eighties, between the army, Special Branch and MI5. Its contents are in code so Davy has it now, trying to work his magic, and we’re hoping it might give us a clue as to the Major’s abductor.”

  Davy gave him a pained look. Much as he relished a challenge he didn’t like doing it against someone’s execution clock.

  “Meanwhile, I’m sure all of you are wondering why I’m briefing instead of the boss. Well, all you need to know is the boss won’t be in the office for a few days so I’m the acting Super.” He allowed himself a joke. “As opposed to just being super which I always am.” Only Ash laughed, earning him a Liam brownie point. “OK, why the boss is away or where he is, is none of your business. So keep your noses out, get on with your jobs and call me, Annette or Andy for anything to do with the case.” He nodded at Andy. “I’ll brief you in a minute. OK, on the case, what more do we have on the car and gun?”

  Davy shook his head. “You know the gun was recommissioned by Rat S…Sutherland for Hart. Beyond that it’s a dead end forensically. We don’t have the gun itself and there were no prints on the bullets.”

  “Car?”

  Ash smiled and turned to his notebook. “There are only four navy saloons still to check. A BMW driven by a Mrs Coughlin in Derry and two belonging to men in Belfast; one called Patrick Davey who drives a Toyota and the other, Roy Sayers who has a Hyundai. There’s a third man, Joshua Quinn, living out near Katesbridge, off the M1 in County Down. He drives a Mazda.” He paused for a moment, staring into space, before restarting in an excited voice. “There’s a brilliant movie called The Third Man.”

  Davy jerked his head at his friend. “He’s a movie buff.”

  Andy roused himself, interested. “So am I. Which d
irectors do you like?”

  Liam was having none of it. “There’s no bloody movie called ‘The third man living out near Katesbridge’, and you can talk about the others on your own time.” He walked over and ripped the page off Ash’s book, much to his disgruntlement.

  “OK. Ash, I want you digging into the car owners’ backgrounds and if anything flags up give me a call. Davy, ask Limavady to chase up the Derry woman locally. Annette, you take the first Belfast man; Ken’s going with you.”

  He turned to find Carmen. She was whispering something to Andy. He wasn’t her best buddy even on a good day, so Liam knew even without hearing her words that she was having a bitch. He leaned in close to her face.

  “If anyone bitches about the boss, or starts speculating about what’s going on, they’ll have me to deal with. Is that clear?”

  She flashed an innocent smile that fooled no-one.

  “Right. You and Andy are chasing Belfast man number two and I’ll take the Katesbridge one. OK, before we get on with it, any word on Aaron?”

  Annette repeated what she knew, which wasn’t much; the patrol car from Limavady had visited Aaron’s client but they said that he’d left Derry the day before.

  “I think he set up the visit to the client in Derry especially, as an alibi; so he could sneak back home, assault Jake and then reappear later looking innocent. But now he’s realised that we’ll see his car on CCTV so he’s gone on the run.”

  Liam nodded. “Guilty as sin. OK. Ash, I want you to keep chasing the uniforms on their search for Aaron Foster. If he’s sighted anywhere I want him lifted ASAP.”

  He turned back towards Craig’s office, beckoning Andy to follow, and brought him up to date with Craig’s predicament. Andy shook his head immediately.

  “No way. He’s not the type.”

  “No, he’s not, but, much as it kills me to say it, procedure has to be followed and the boss would be the first to agree. I’m nipping to High Street to see him before heading out to Katesbridge. Keep an eye on Carmen, will you. I don’t want her stirring things up. There’s never been any love lost between her and the boss, so she’d give three cheers if he was booted out.” He opened the door. “Right, I’m off. I’m on my mobile for anything anyone needs.”