by Conrad Jones
“Thanks, Smithy, put him through.” Alec turned back to the first call. “I’ll keep you informed of any developments, let me know if anyone is unaccounted for,” he switched the line from the armed response unit to Graham Libby. “Doc?”
“Superintendent.” He sounded out of breath. “Look, the crime scene at the Shah fatality is like something from a Bourne movie.”
“What do you mean?”
“The victim has no fingers on his right hand, and his head has been blown off his shoulders, completely. I couldn’t understand what had happened until his wife said that he was taking a phone call.”
“I don’t understand, doc?”
“I think his mobile exploded, Alec.”
“You think someone put a bomb into a mobile phone?”
“There is no other way to explain the injuries until we begin to recover pieces of the bomb, but for now that’s my theory.”
“Shit!” Alec realised what Will and the team were doing, calling the potential targets on their telephones. “Will!” he bellowed across the office.
“Guv?”
“Don’t call any of them, one of the bombs was in a mobile phone!”
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Ambush
“My client and I have been waiting here for nearly two hours, Superintendent Ramsay.” Nigella Nielsen removed her glasses and greeted Alec with an icy glare.
The superintendent ignored the remark and slotted two cassettes into a battered recorder, which perched on a shelf above the only table in the square room. The table and chairs were screwed to the floor through metal brackets, to prevent them being thrown by violent suspects. Will Naylor stepped into the room behind him and Alec pressed the machine into life.
“Detective Superintendent Ramsay, conducting an interview with Malik Shah, represented by,” Alec remained silent to allow the brief to respond.
“Nigella Nielsen,” she tapped her fingers on the table angrily. The table was scored with scratches and doodles. Someone had carved a love heart with an arrow through it, declaring their love for ‘Soggy’.
“Also present,” he remained silent again.
“Detective Inspector Will Naylor.”
“Interview commencing at 11:15 a.m.” The detectives took their places at the table. The room was small, almost claustrophobic, and the walls were scarred with graffiti. “Malik – I can call you Malik, can’t I?”
“Could you tell me why my client is here, superintendent?” Nigella put her glasses back and opened a notebook. Malik didn’t respond to the question, but he met the superintendent’s gaze and held it.
“Do you know this man?” Alec flipped a mug shot of Kenny Richards out of his file. The black and white picture had been taken years before when Kenny was lifted for a vicious assault. Alec knew they had nothing on Shah, but he was hoping that he might be able to give them a lead.
“That is Kenny Richards,” Malik sneered. “How is Kenny?”
“Oh, he’s dead, Malik, but then you know that, don’t you?” Alec placed a second picture onto the table. Kenny’s body was sat upright in a chair, garrotted and shot through the head. His cheekbone and jaw were exposed, and the top of his skull was blown away.
“That’s not his good side, is it?” Malik looked at the picture and then looked at Alec in the eye. He was stone cold. There was no reaction to the picture at all. Alec had dealt with more killers than he cared to remember, and Malik Shah had the same dead look in his eyes. There was no emotion in them.
“He was shot dead last night along with his brothers and two of his business associates.” Alec maintained the eye contact. Malik hadn’t blinked yet. “Can you see the garrotte?”
Malik looked down at the picture, but he didn’t reply. He smiled at the superintendent, but it was an evil smile. There was malice behind it.
“All the other victims were shot in the back. Why do you think they garrotted Kenny?”
Malik yawned and put his hand over his mouth. Alec could see why nobody had broken through the ice cool exterior. He pressed on with the questioning, hoping that something would press the right button.
“You see, I think somebody wanted to ask Kenny some questions, before they killed him obviously. So they shot his men, and then strangled him while they asked him questions.”
“I really don’t have time for this.” Malik turned to his lawyer.
“Are you actually going to question my client, superintendent, because if not, then let him go.” Nigella looked over her glasses as she spoke.
“I think someone wanted information from Kenny Richards, and I think it was you, Malik,” Alec tilted his head and waited for a response. He ignored the protestations of Nigella Nielsen for now, but he knew that he would have to let Malik walk very soon. They had nothing, and he was giving nothing away.
“My client has an alibi for last night.”
“Oh yes, I’m sure he does,” Alec replied, turning to the brief. “I don’t think for one minute that he did this with his own hands, because that’s not how you work, Malik, is it?”
“No comment,” Malik smiled.
“I think you want to know who is attacking your organisation, because it’s obvious now that somebody is, and you think that too, don’t you?”
“No comment.” There was a flicker of acknowledgment. He did think that his organisation was under attack. Alec saw a momentary dilation of his pupils. It wasn’t evidence, but it was an indication that he was driving down the right road.
“Did you ask Bruce Mann questions too?”
“Who?” Malik grinned again. Alec could see that this man was ice-cold inside. He thought the whole process was a game, and he showed no fear or concern whatsoever. The mention of Kenny Richards and Bruce Mann brought no visible response from Shah, but when he mentioned his organisation, there was a flicker. It was more evidence that Malik Shah didn’t care a dot about who was hurt, but his business was important to him. It might be the only thing that he cared about.
“Bruce Mann.” Alec put a photo of the tortured body onto the table. Nigella recoiled visibly and she glanced sideways at Malik. Alec was happy with the response from the Grenade representative. It was about time she realised what the scumbags she defended were capable of. “He was tortured with power tools, and then dumped on the steps of the town hall.”
“No comment.” The dead glaze returned to Malik’s eyes. The torture of Bruce Mann meant nothing to him. He shut down again.
“Have you spoken to Rasim Shah today?” Alec looked in his eye. There was a flash of a response, but it was gone in a second. “This is his Lexus.” The image was shocking. The Lexus was nothing more than a twisted burnt out shell. The charred remains of the driver were still in situ, nothing remained but blackened bones and a grinning skull. “Rasim Shah was in it when it exploded this morning. See? That is one of your partners.”
The glaze shifted and a sharpness came to Malik’s eyes as he took in the detail. Alec couldn’t gauge his response, but he knew that Malik was shocked. He could see anger in his eyes too. Malik Shah folded his arms, and turned to his lawyer. “Get me out of here, do it now. I’m saying nothing else to this idiot.”
“We will make a ‘no comment’ statement from here on in, superintendent.” She looked at her watch and wrote down the time in her notes. “Charge my client, or release him.”
“Charge him with what exactly?” Alec responded. He looked at the lawyer.
“Exactly, detective, you have nothing to charge him with.” She removed her glasses and twisted them between her finger and thumb. There was concern on her face. Alec could tell that she wasn’t comfortable sitting next to Malik anymore. She couldn’t wait to get out of there, and he’d hazard a guess that she wouldn’t represent him again.
“Omar Patel is dead, too.” Alec threw in another grenade of his own.
“Yes, he had his head blown clean off minutes before Rasim was hit.” Will spoke for the first time. The detectives planned their moves before the
interview to measure Malik’s reaction when he heard about the morning’s events. It was an ambush. “The bomb squad are on their way to three addresses, all belonging to your business partners, just in case they have been targeted too.”
“No comment,” Malik snarled. There was real anger on his face now. The death of his partners was news to him that was certain. He showed no fear though, only anger.
“Who did you think was attacking you?” Alec asked. “Amir Patel was the first target, wasn’t he?”
“No comment.” Malik looked at the ceiling. He was seething, Will could almost feel the blood boiling from across the table.
“Was it you that questioned Bruce Mann?”
“No comment.”
“He didn’t know anything, so you dumped his body in a public place, as a message,” Alec continued. “Then your dealers were whacked, so you attacked the Richards, hoping Kenny would have some answers, right?”
“No comment.”
“You must have upset someone, Malik?”
“No comment.”
“Does the name Einstein mean anything to you?” There was no recognition in Shah’s eyes.
“No comment.”
“I think that you’re under attack, angry crack suppliers, rival arms dealers, who knows?” Alec crossed the line mentioning guns, but he had to push home the advantage that they had. Shah was steaming, and angry men make mistakes.
“No comment.” Malik looked Alec up and down with hatred in his eyes this time, real hatred. Alec could feel the loathing coming across the table from him. The mention of drugs and guns had offended him. “Are you going to charge me, or release me?”
“Do you have any evidence that my client handles drugs and arms, superintendent?” Nigella asked. Her face had turned visibly pale. She wanted no part in this, that was becoming increasingly obvious.
“No, I don’t.” Alec leaned back in his chair and sighed. “I do have evidence that someone built an explosive device into a mobile phone and blew your partner’s head clean off his shoulders. What kind of people can do that?”
“No comment.”
“The skill and technology and sheer determination that is required to pull that off is frightening. I would be very concerned if I were you, Malik.”
“You could be next,” Will closed his file and leaned forward, placing his elbows onto the table. Malik leaned forward too, and glared at Will.
“Read my lips, no comment.”
“Are you going to charge my client, or not?”
Alec closed his file; they were getting nowhere fast. “Interview terminated. You’re free to leave, Malik, but I’d keep my head down if I were you.” He stood up, frustrated, and annoyed. They had nothing. Nothing to charge him with, and not a clue what was going on. A knock on the door stopped everyone from leaving. Smithy popped his head around the door. “Can I have a word, Guv?”
“Does it concern Mr Shah?” Alec asked sarcastically. “He’s just leaving. Am I to assume that Mr Pindar will be making a no comment statement too?”
“Yes.” Nigella picked up her briefcase.
“What is it, Smithy?”
“Ahmed Shah, Mustapha Shah and Saj Rajesh, guv. All dead, guv.”
Malik looked physically shocked. Will was pleased that the grin had been wiped off his face, but he was worried by the expression that replaced it. Shah looked furious. Furious gangsters are dangerous people. Someone would be on the receiving end of violent retribution.
“What happened to them?” Alec sat on the edge of the table.
“Letter bombs, guv. At least that’s the bomb squad’s initial assessment.”
“Thanks, Smithy.”
“Guv,” the ginger detective backed out of the room and closed the door.
“Have you got anything to say, Malik?” Alec stroked the deep dimple on his chin. The lines around his eyes creased as he looked at him intensely. “Every one of your business partners except Aswan Pindar has been murdered. You could be next, Malik.”
“No comment,” Malik hissed as he pushed by him. The door slammed loudly behind him as he left the room.
Chapter Forty
Lenny Mcvitie
Lenny Mcvitie was a sixty-year-old Irishman, and a legend in the underworld of crime. A onetime bare-knuckle champion, Lenny was feared and respected by people on both sides of the law. Alec had dealt with Lenny many times, never as a suspect though. Lenny had been a vital source of information over the years. He was an old-fashioned criminal, and he didn’t like the influx of foreign gangs or the way they operated. He had manners and he liked to think that he had some morals.
“Detective Naylor, how the devil are you?” Lenny stood up and towered over the table. He held out a giant gnarled hand and greeted the young DI with a genuine enthusiasm. His ruddy face parted in a toothless grin. “Where’s Alec?”
“He’s on his way, Lenny,” Will tried to free his hand from the giant Irishman’s grip, but he wasn’t finished shaking it yet. It would be a huge mistake to disrespect Lenny. He was the type of man that would go out of his way help the people he liked, but woe betide those that crossed him.
“Now then, are you still seeing that little darling from the forensic unit?” Lenny released Will’s hand. The question hit Will in the guts. He thought that his private life was relatively private, especially when the city’s biggest villains were concerned.
“No, Lenny, it finished a while ago.” Will was embarrassed. Lenny had eyes and ears all over the city, and he liked to keep a track of what was going on around him. Keeping up with a police detective’s extramarital affairs could be used to his own advantage one day. It was fun too.
“Did her husband find out?” Lenny chuckled at Will’s discomfort. He tipped him a cheeky wink. “Shame, she was a diamond, so she was.”
Will was rescued from the unwelcome questioning when Alec entered the room.
“Lenny,” Alec said. “How are you?”
“Damn fine, superintendent.” Lenny shook his hand with the same enthusiasm as before. “Now then, will I be needing a lawyer?”
“I doubt it, Lenny.” Alec sat down and gestured for the big man to do the same. Lenny smiled. His front teeth were missing, a result of a bare-knuckle bout years ago. “We just want a chat.”
“About Kenny Richards, I bet?” Lenny wiped his flattened nose with the back of his hand and sniffed. “Good man, Kenny Richards, God bless his soul.” Lenny made the sign of the cross and kissed an invisible crucifix. He wasn’t a religious man, but he had had a Catholic upbringing, and some old habits die hard. He crossed himself more out of superstition than from religious belief.
“You’ve heard, then,” Alec smiled, putting the gangster at ease. They went back years. They met first a charity ball. These are strange events frequented by high-ranking officials, celebrities, and criminals alike. Within minutes they were chatting about Alec’s time in Ireland, the troubles and some of the characters that they both knew. It was the start of an unusual relationship where they shared information, and a mutual respect.
“Who hasn’t heard that?” Lenny shook his head and frowned. “Bad news travels fast, superintendent.” Lenny had a habit of switching from addressing him with his Christian name and his rank, depending on how comfortable he was with the subject matter. He obviously had a problem with talking about Kenny Richards.
“What have you heard on the grapevine?”
Lenny looked thoughtful for a moment. He was selecting his next words carefully. Lenny wasn’t the brightest bulb on the tree, but he wasn’t stupid either. Some things were best unsaid.
“The funny thing is, Alec, I haven’t heard a thing.” Lenny tapped his bent nose with his index finger. “Now that is all wrong because I hear everything. Your randy young DI can verify that, can’t you, Will? ”
Alec looked at Will and frowned. Will shrugged, not wanting to go into any detail about their earlier conversation. He waited for the Irishman to expand.
“Kenny Richards was a ve
ry good friend of mine, Alec, if someone were to put out a hit on him, then I’d know about it.”
“What if it was someone from out of town?”
“I’d know about it.” Lenny looked deadly serious.
“We know that Kenny was targeted, the gunmen mentioned his name to the staff that they locked up,” Will said.
“I’m talking hypothetically, of course.” Lenny put his huge hands palms-down on the table. His knuckles were crisscrossed with scar tissue, and a heavy gold bracelet hung from his left wrist.
“Of course,” Alec replied.
“Kenny was a popular man. He had many influential friends in the city, and across the country. Now if he’d upset someone to the point that they wanted him dead, then whoever it was would have to seriously consider who else would be offended by his death. Me for instance, and if I hadn’t been consulted then there could be severe consequences, you understand.” Lenny looked annoyed as he spoke about his friend.
“Who would put a hit out on him?” Will asked.
“Everybody knows that me and Kenny were good friends. Now if someone knew that a hit was going down then someone would have warned me, and I would have stopped it. He was one of the lads, everyone’s buddy, unless you pissed him off, of course.”
“Of course,” Alec humoured the old lag. “Has he pissed anyone off lately?”
“No, Alec, I would have heard about it.”
“Kenny was tortured,” Alec put the picture of Kenny garrotted on the table. Lenny picked it up with trembling hands. His face reddened and his eyes looked watery for a moment. “I think someone questioned him before he died.”
“Looks that way,” Lenny grimaced and handed the picture back.
“What could he possibly know that would result in his entire crew being assassinated?”
“Most of us do business together in a relatively civilised manner, only the foreigners keep themselves to themselves, and they cross the line more often than not.” Lenny didn’t see himself as foreign.
