Iredale was pleased to have drawn Gary Thomas.
‘You know him, I assume?’ Mann had said, when he walked over to Iredale’s desk after the meeting had broken up.
‘Oh, aye. If this was a coffee shop he’d get a free cappuccino.’ A couple of passing officers laughed.
‘Off you go then. Or hang on two minutes and I’ll come with you. You never know, he might decide to give us a bit of sport, like.’
Iredale doubted that even Barry Thomas was quite stupid enough to take a swing at DS Mann. But he lived in hope.
Two hours later he was still hoping, because Thomas was nowhere to be found.
‘Has he done a runner?’ asked Mann.
‘I doubt it. I tell you what, his gran lives up at the top of town. She might know where he is. He lived with her for a bit, when his mum went away for stabbing her boyfriend.’
‘What about the dad?’
‘Pissed off before he was born. Probably a good job, given the mum’s taste for a carvery, like.’
‘Go on then, let’s give her a try. Which sort of granny is she though? The toxic methadone kind, or the sweet, cats and biscuits type?’
‘She’s all right, considering.’
‘Considering what?’
‘That Gary Thomas is her grandson. I wouldn’t wish that waste of space on anyone. If he was just a bit brighter then he’d be a really dangerous man.’
Granny Thomas made tea, and then asked after each member of Iredale’s family in turn. She was moving on to friends and acquaintances when Mann intervened. He needed to get back to meet Jane at shift change time, and it was less than an hour away now. And at this rate Granny Thomas would only be about a third of the way through the entire population of Workington by then.
‘So do you know where Gary is, Mrs. Thomas?’
‘You mean now, dear?’
‘Yes, now.’
‘No, sorry, I don’t.’
‘When did you last see him?’
‘At lunchtime. I cooked us a nice bit of fish.’
‘And where did he go after that? Did he say?’
‘No, sorry, love.’
Mann and Iredale heard a key in the lock, but Mrs. Thomas didn’t. She was surprised at the speed at which both men got up.
‘I’m home’ Gary called out from the hall. Iredale made it through the doorway first, and made a grab for Thomas’s arm. But the young man’s reactions were surprisingly quick, and his footwork nimble, so Iredale and Mann ended up chasing him down the street. Mann arrived, breathless, just as Iredale was strolling back with Thomas alongside.
‘He says he was surprised, that’s all.’
‘Then why did you run, you prat?’ said Mann.
‘I dunno. And you’d have never caught me, would you, marrer? Big lad like you.’
‘He’s got a point’ said Iredale, laughing.
‘So I’m nicked, like?’
‘No. You’re just coming down to the station to listen to a recording, that’s all.’
‘I’m happy to help, like. I really am. I’ll do all I can.’
Jane stood alone in the observation room.
‘Have I died and gone to copper’s heaven?’ she said out loud, because Gary Thomas was as good as his word. He immediately identified himself as voice four, and admitted that he’d seen Chris Brown go down, face first, into the beck.
‘I could tell he were dead, like, straight off.’
‘How did you know?’ asked Ian Mann.
‘Because he was face down in the water. And he didn’t get up. That’s usually a sign, like.’
‘Mightn’t he have just been unconscious?’
‘But he was dead. I was there, see. No-one could help him.’
‘That was a few minutes later. Why didn’t you raise the alarm as soon as it happened?’
Thomas shrugged.
‘No point. Like I say, he was already dead. Definitely.’
‘So how many of you were involved?’
‘Me and Matt.’
‘That’s all?’
Thomas looked across at his lawyer for confirmation.
‘Aye, that’s all.’
‘And whose instructions were you working to?’
‘No comment.’
‘Come on. Who told you to do it?’
‘Do what?’
‘Assault Chris Brown.’
‘No-one. Like I told you, Matt thought it was the Gambles lad.’
‘So who told you to attack him?’
‘Who?’
‘Tony Gambles.’
‘No-one. Me and Matt were just settling an old score, that’s all.’
‘And what was this old score?’ Mann didn’t bother to wait for an answer. He could tell from Thomas’s expression that his question hadn’t yet been translated from sound into any actual meaning. ‘Why did you want to give Gambles a doing?’
‘Oh, aye, I see. Don’t remember, to tell the truth. Money, I expect. It usually is, isn’t it? But it’ll have been something and nothing, like.’
‘So you intended to kill Gambles because of some kind of disagreement, but you’re not sure what?’
‘No, we never intended to kill anyone. Christ, what do you think I am? It was just a bit of a bundle that went too far, that’s all.’
Mann looked down at his notes.
‘So what is it that you do, Mr. Thomas? What’s your job?’
‘I’m on the sick.’
‘Really? What’s wrong with you? Because it’s obviously not your legs.’
‘How did you know that?’
‘Because you ran away from us earlier.’
‘Oh, right, aye.’
‘So you don’t work for anyone?’
‘That’s right.’
‘Not George Hayton?’
‘Who?’
Thomas was smiling until the lawyer leaned over and whispered something to him.
‘I was only joking. I know George Hayton, of course I do. Everyone does. Lovely bloke, he is. But I don’t work for him. No way, Jose.’
‘So what you’re saying is that you and Matt Hayton were trying to settle a score with Tony Gambles, but you don’t recall what it was about, and that Chris Brown was attacked by mistake.’
‘Aye, by mistake. I’m very sorry about what happened, like. It was just a bit of horse-play that went wrong. That’s all it was. Honest.’
Ian Mann wondered, just for a second, if he’d ever seen anyone look less sorry for taking the life of an innocent young man, but he knew that it was a pointless, and depressing, question to ask himself. Because he certainly had, and more than once at that. It was simply par for the course with people like Gary Thomas, and all he could do was try to keep him off the streets for a year or two. What had made him act like that Mann couldn’t understand. He never had, and he knew that he never would.
DI Jimmy Smith didn’t recognise Andy Hall’s voice on the phone at first, but they’d only spoken a couple of times, and southern accents all sounded much the same to him.
‘What can I do for you, sir?’
‘I wanted to give you a heads up about something.’
‘That’s very good of you, sir. Much obliged, sir.’
Hall didn’t reply for a moment. When he did his tone was quite unchanged.
‘Cut it out, for Christ’s sake, Jimmy. You’re pissed off, I get that, and I understand why.’
‘That’s very,’ Smith paused for a moment, ‘omniscient of you, sir. But I do know that Matt Hayton and that waste of space Gary Thomas are going down for Chris Brown’s death. It’s a good result. I mean that. The town needed it. Congratulations where they’re due, like.’
‘Thanks, but I’ve done sod all really. And that’s not why I was calling anyway. Like I said, I’ve got something to tell you, in total confidence.’
‘So you trust me then? You don’t think I’m on the bloody take?’
‘As it happens I always did trust you. But you’re right, there is a rotten apple in your
nick. And I expect you’ve always known that as well, haven’t you?’
‘Aye, I’ve suspected it, like. A couple of times we’ve been closing to nicking George Hayton, but it’s never quite happened. Nothing I could prove, but it left a bad taste, you know? I spoke to the Super about it, of course.’
‘What did he say?’
‘He almost shat himself, to tell the truth. His promotion chances would be buggered if something like that came out, and we both knew it. So he kept asking me for solid evidence.’
‘Put up or shut up?’
‘Aye, that’s about it. Anyhow, I never managed to take it anywhere, like. So who is it then? Not one of mine?’
‘No, it’s not. Jane Francis and Ian Mann are on their way to Ron Waters’ house as we speak.’
‘Shit. Is he banged to rights?’
‘No. That’s why this is a heads up. It’s just circumstantial at this stage, but if he doesn’t own up then you know what will happen next.’
‘We’ll be inundated by the bloody muck-rakers.’
‘Exactly. I just wanted you to know.’
‘Does the Super know?’
‘No. No-one else. I just wanted to let you know, as a professional courtesy.’
‘Thanks, Andy. It’s appreciated.’
‘And there’s something else.’
‘For fuck’s sake. There’s not two of them, is there?’
‘Sort of. Bill Iredale was blackmailed by Hayton for years, and used to feed him odds and ends. Still privileged stuff though, of course. He’s cut a deal with the CPS and we’ve been using him to try to get under Hayton’s skin. Make him show out.’
‘Fucking hell. No bloody way. Waters I can believe. He’s not the brightest, and there was always something about him, I thought. Lazy bastard too. We tried him in CID for six months because he seemed so keen to get in, but we had to chuck him back to uniform after three months.’
‘Now you know why he seemed so keen.’
‘Aye, but Bill Iredale is as straight as a bloody die, and always was. And the kid’s the same, you do know that?’
‘Yes. Don’t worry. He doesn’t know anything about it, either.’
The line went quiet, and Hall waited for the question that he knew was coming. It’s exactly the one that he would have asked, had the positions been reversed.
‘So why are you telling me this?’
‘I thought you deserved to know. This last few days must have been tough for you.’
‘And? There’s got to be an ‘and’ around here somewhere.’
‘And I might need your help. Soon, too.’
‘You’re thinking about what happens if Waters gives George Hayton up?’
‘Yes, among other things.’
‘All right, so what’s the craic then? You’d call in officers from other divisions to make the arrests?’
‘Yes, we’d have to. But they’d be under your operational command. You know the turf, and you know the people involved.’
‘What about firearms?’
‘I’ve just spoken to their boss. We’ve worked together before. If you call, they’ll rock up. No paperwork, no authorisation from your Super. The ACC Crime has signed off on it.’
‘All right, fine. And I can’t tell anyone? Not even Hodgson?’
‘No, not for now. Jane or Ian will phone you as soon as they’ve interviewed Waters. You’ll be kept in the loop from here on, don’t worry.’
It was half an hour after the end of his shift, and Keith Iredale booted down his computer. As far as he could see all of the case paperwork was up to date, and since Mann and Jane Francis weren’t around he didn’t have any reason to hang about at work. He wanted to though, because his sister’s texts had become increasingly frantic. He’d have to go round there, and tell his brother-in-law what action would be taken. He couldn’t put it off any longer.
Mike opened the door when Iredale knocked, and he didn’t even bother making a joke.
‘Not at work?’ Iredale asked.
‘We finished that job at lunchtime. Don’t start the next one until next week.’
Tina called her brother though to the living room. She was tidying away the kids’ toys. She looked tired, and when she spoke she sounded angry.
‘Well? What’s going to happen about Mike? It’s bad enough with mum, and now this on top. You’ve played God bloody almighty long enough, Keith.’
‘There is other stuff going on, love. We’ve had a breakthrough on the Chris Brown death.’
‘Bully for you. But what about us? What’s going to happen? I talked to a solicitor about this, and Mike could get a bloody massive fine. It’d sink us, Keith.’
‘No, it won’t. Look, if it was anybody but Mike I’d be bloody delighted to have nabbed another fly-tipper, because they’re selfish bastards, and the stuff they leave can be hazardous. Really dangerous, sometimes.’
‘Mike didn’t do anything like that.’
‘No, it wasn’t hazardous waste in itself, but that’s no excuse. When it’s dumped anything could happen to it. Christ, Tina, I can’t believe you’re defending him. It’s like you taking the kids’ dirty nappies and just chucking them about in the road. You’d never bloody do it.’
‘So you’re saying he’ll be charged?’
‘Aye. I had a word with a lass I know at the CPS, and she said that if he goes guilty, and if he’d already signed up for a voluntary beach cleaning scheme, then they’ll do their best for him. He’s looking at a fine though, probably a couple of grand.’
‘Shit, Keith, it might as well be two hundred thousand. Where are we supposed to get that kind of money?’
‘Me.’
‘How many times? No way. No way at all. Mike, get in here.’
Mike came just in to the room, and stopped.
‘Keith’s saying he’ll pay your fine.’
‘Oh, aye’ he replied, noncommittally.
‘We can’t take his bloody money, can we? Of course we can’t.’
‘You can, and you will. Mike’s going to stand up in court, admit what he’s done, and be told that if he does it again it’ll be jail time. But I’ll pay the bloody fine, whatever it is, because it’s the right thing to do, and because I believe that he won’t do it again.’
‘Do you, marrer?’ said Gambles.
‘Aye, so don’t make a total bloody pillock of me. I’ll never live it down at work if you do.’
Iredale looked at his sister. She nodded, then walked over and hugged him.
‘All right, Keith. Thanks. You’re probably right, and it’s what dad would want. I know that.’
‘Forget dad for once’ said Iredale. ‘It’s just about right and wrong, isn’t it? And Mike’s such a twat that if he got away with this he’d just do something even worse next time. It’s just the way he is. So you get yourself down to the nick tomorrow, marrer, give your statement and then you’ll be charged. And make sure he’s got that lawyer with him, Tina. Stop him from saying anything stupid. I’ll pay for it as well, like. Don’t you worry about that.’
Jane Francis was fidgeting as she and Ian Mann sat in the car, and he found it irritating.
He’d never had her down as the nervous type, but then he’d never seen her shacking up with Andy Hall either. They’d worked together for a good few years, and Mann knew all that he needed to know about her. He knew what she liked from the take-away or the sandwich shop, he knew that she was always punctual, and he knew that she worked as hard as anyone he’d ever known. She never let up, and she never slowed down. He knew where her mother lived, he knew a bit about the job she’d done before, although he stopped listening pretty quickly if she ever mentioned it, and he knew that she didn’t do small talk. And that suited him perfectly, because he didn’t either. So they sat together in silence, except for the sound of Jane’s car keys jingling as she bounced them up and down off the steering wheel.
‘Relax, Jane’ he said eventually. ‘You’ve already got a great result here. Chris Brown
’s death was days, maybe hours away from being written up as an accidental, but now you’ve got two violent offenders going guilty on serious charges.’
‘But George Hayton isn’t, is he? A few threats from him, probably some promises too, and those two idiots have insulated him completely. He’s just as guilty as they are, and we can’t bloody touch him for it.’
‘Maybe not. Let’s see. Maybe Waters will grass him up.’
‘Come on, Ian. Be your age. He won’t cough. He knows how much evidence we’d need. I’ve just got a bad feeling about this.’
‘How do you mean?’
‘I mean that I think that Andy’s playing this one all wrong. What if Waters just dead-bats us, then fucks off as fast as he can? I’m sure that Hayton would fund his lifestyle in Bogota or wherever.’
‘Bogota? Is that somewhere out near Aspatria, like?’
Jane laughed, briefly.
‘It was just an example. The point I’m making is that we’re showing our hand, and we don’t need to.’
‘Well, we’ll soon find out’ said Mann, pointing through the windscreen. ‘Look who’s arriving.’
‘Great. And you’re sure the wife’s out?’
‘Aye. She’s at work for another hour and a half.’
‘That’ll be plenty of time, either way.’
The two officers walked to the front door of the house. It was modern, detached, and the garden had a regimented neatness that both of them noticed, but which only Ian Mann actually approved of.
‘Do you want me round the back?’ he said.
‘No, there’s no need for that.’
Jane was right, because when Waters opened the door he only looked surprised for a moment.
‘It’s you’ he said, holding the door open. ‘Take you shoes off.’
Then Waters turned away, and walked into the sitting room.
Hail and Farewell (The Lakeland Murders) Page 25
