(2013) The Catch

by Tom Bale

  Back on the A24, he found a pleasant-looking pub that was still serving food. He restored his original hairstyle, added glasses, and took his briefcase with him. Over a delicious fillet of sea bass he fired up his laptop and went online, attending to various matters. There was a mildly flirtatious email from Debbie Winwood, expressing the hope that his business trip was progressing well. She asked if he knew when he’d be coming back. He sent a brief reply: within the next week, he hoped.

  His gut feeling was that this would be concluded by then, even though at the moment he wasn’t sure exactly how it would end. A lot to play for.

  ****

  Gordon understood what Patricia had been getting at when he saw Stemper’s face. It was as though the man’s mask had slipped a little, and what they could see behind it was an unmistakable hint of vulnerability.

  Declining refreshments, Stemper took a seat at the kitchen table. He told them about his visit to the letting agency.

  ‘I registered as a prospective client, because I suspect that the farmhouse might soon be available to rent again. That hunch was confirmed when Hank’s sister had a visitor this morning. Jerry heard his voice and believes it was one of the men from Wednesday night.’

  ‘The brother?’ Patricia said.

  ‘It’s highly likely. I’ve taken another look at the Compton website. There’s reference to a Robert Scott. He’s on Facebook, as Robbie Scott, with a couple of hundred friends, one of them a Cate Scott.’

  ‘Caitlin,’ Gordon said.

  Stemper nodded. ‘Did you identify the law firm?’

  ‘Mitre Jeffreys Arnold,’ Patricia said. ‘They have offices nationwide and affiliate companies around the world. The bad news ... they’ve done a lot of work for Templeton Wynne.’

  ‘The London office, principally,’ Gordon added. ‘We can’t find any direct links between Templeton and the Brighton branch, or Caitlin specifically. But that’s not to say they don’t exist.’

  ‘It seems to get ever more complicated. Whenever we take a step in one direction, there’s something else pulling us in another.’

  Stemper weighed it up. ‘As you say, MJA are huge. Therefore it’s more likely than not to be a coincidence.’

  ‘I hope so. Otherwise ...’ It was an almost melancholy cry from Patricia.

  ‘Let’s focus on the positives,’ Gordon said. ‘You’ve identified two of the three people from Tuesday night. That’s a very significant advance.’

  ‘Any candidates for the other man?’ Patricia asked.

  ‘Plenty on Robert’s Facebook page,’ Stemper said. ‘Too many to hunt down one by one.’

  ‘The better route, surely, is to question this woman Cate?’ Gordon said. Patricia nodded, and both looked to Stemper for a response.

  ‘I agree. But I want to watch her for a day or two first, see who she consorts with.’

  Patricia was tight-lipped, clearly reluctant to offend Stemper, so Gordon chipped in. ‘It’s wise to be cautious, but we mustn’t lose sight of the timescale.’

  ‘I understand. Shall we say, until Monday? Sooner if I spot an opportunity for a fruitful conversation.’

  They all smiled. Then Stemper said, ‘And tonight. I take it nothing’s changed?’

  Another glance between them. Patricia shook her head.

  ‘That goes ahead as planned.’

  CHAPTER 67

  Louis’s recent behaviour had one fortunate consequence: it meant he was in his brother’s debt. And when Dan pointed out that it was their aunt to whom he should make amends, Louis could do little but agree.

  ‘Will you take her out to dinner?’ Dan asked. ‘Casa Don Carlos. She loves it there.’

  ‘Aren’t you coming?’

  ‘I’d like to, but there’s stuff I’ve got to sort out with Hayley.’ At least that wasn’t really a lie, Dan thought.

  ‘So this is serious, then. Are you gonna split up?’

  ‘I don’t know.’ Dan handed over sixty pounds. ‘Will that be enough to cover it?’

  ‘Should be.’ Louis gave him a cheeky grin. ‘Do you want change?’

  ‘No. You can keep it.’

  ****

  Joan was delighted by the offer, though she too tried to persuade Dan to join them, curtailing her pleas only when Louis gave her a none too subtle look.

  They were ready to leave by seven, which was earlier than Dan would have wished. Knowing his aunt, she’d eat her dinner quickly and want to be back home by eight-thirty. Just in case, Dan texted Robbie, warning him that he might be there sooner than they’d agreed.

  For Joan, this was almost a dress rehearsal for her date next week. Despite the short notice she made a considerable effort, and it showed. ‘You scrub up well for an old bird,’ was Louis’s less than respectful compliment, though he then declared that he was proud to be escorting such an attractive woman.

  ‘You mean you won’t hide if we see one of your friends?’

  ‘Nah. They’ll be well jealous. And you wait till Ron sees you on Wednesday. He’ll think he’s won the lottery.’

  ‘All right, don’t overdo it.’ Joan kissed Dan goodbye, gripping his hand tightly for a moment. ‘You’re a lovely man,’ she whispered in his ear. ‘I hope everything works out the way you want it to.’

  ****

  It was an enigmatic comment, which played on his mind during the next hour while he waited impatiently for nightfall: one eye on the window, another on the TV.

  The local news was dominated by a fatal stabbing in the centre of Brighton. Dan felt a twinge of guilt that someone else’s misfortune had helped dislodge the hit-and-run from the headlines.

  By eight o’clock the rain had eased off, but there was enough low cloud to hasten the darkness. He realised he had no good reason to delay any longer.

  As he opened the garage door he noticed that his hands were shaking. He hadn’t felt this nervous about getting behind the wheel since his driving test.

  The Fiesta started first time, which was a small relief. Reversing it out of the garage was a different matter. He hadn’t done it for a year or two, and he’d forgotten how narrow the opening was. But it was probably the nerves that caused him to scrape the edge of a wing mirror on the wall.

  ‘You bloody idiot!’ he shrieked. He had to stop for a few seconds to compose himself. Then he got the car straight and managed to back out in one smooth motion.

  The urge to panic was ever-present. Now the Fiesta was out, he wanted it away from the house as fast as possible. First he had to shut the garage and lock it. He couldn’t have Joan and Louis coming back and finding it open.

  He was walking back down the drive when he heard a door slam. For a second he thought his aunt was home, but then he heard the beep of a car lock and realised it was a neighbour going out.

  Dan climbed into the Fiesta and watched the rear-view mirror until he saw the neighbour pass by. Then he reversed gently over the pavement and on to the road.

  So far, so good.

  ****

  The journey was uneventful, but still a major ordeal. His rational mind understood that the dented bodywork was virtually invisible to other motorists, but to Dan it screamed for attention as blatantly as if he had Hank O’Brien strapped to the roof.

  A couple of times on the A27 he had to overtake slow-moving lorries. As he accelerated it came back to him: the way he’d set a course to pass O’Brien, then the sudden wrench as Robbie pulled on the wheel, followed by the impact, the heavy thud of a body, the weightless terror as the car lost traction on the verge.

  It was all there, in perfect vivid detail, and Dan felt vomit rising in his throat. His vision swam and the road shimmered and vanished for a moment. A flick of the wheel now and the same blackness that had swallowed O’Brien for ever could swallow Dan too, if he chose.

  But he couldn’t do that. He knew it wasn’t the answer.

  For the rest of the journey he was assailed by thoughts of the man who had killed his parents. Was this how he had suffered in the day
s and weeks afterwards? Had he been haunted by what he’d done?

  Somehow, Dan doubted it.

  ****

  The directions Robbie had supplied proved easy to follow. Dan turned into the lane and his headlights picked out the open gates. As he reached them Robbie came towards him at a fast trot, waving him in.

  By the time Dan got out of the car, Robbie was already closing the gates, his attention fixed on the road beyond.

  ‘What is it?’

  ‘Nothing. Just ...’ Robbie went on looking that way for a moment, then turned, shook his head. ‘Nothing.’

  Dan surveyed the house. Apart from a single light in the hallway, the place was in darkness. The grounds were bordered by tall trees, barely visible against the charcoal sky; he could hear them swaying in the wind.

  ‘It’s safe here, though?’

  ‘Yep. Nearest house is about three, four hundred yards away. We’re good.’

  Dan gestured at a Citroen Picasso parked by the garage. ‘Whose is that?’

  ‘Indira’s. She needed a better car for the weekend.’

  ‘You lent her your BMW?’

  ‘Yeah.’ Robbie made it sound as if it was commonplace to put his pride and joy into the hands of others.

  Dan let him come closer, until he could see his face clearly. ‘So what’s the plan, exactly?’

  ‘First things first, we’ve got to move your car.’ Robbie pointed towards a patch of grass to the side of the garage. ‘Probably best if you drive. I’ll guide you.’

  ‘Where’s it going?’

  ‘There’s a barn—’ Robbie broke off, staring at the bushes along the side of the driveway. Dan spun round, his heart juddering.

  ‘What is it?’

  Robbie chuckled. ‘Don’t worry. Makes me jumpy, all this countryside. I’m not used to it.’ He shoved his hands into the pockets of his jacket. ‘Follow me.’

  ****

  Still full of misgivings, Dan drove on to the grass and rolled along behind Robbie until a building loomed into view. It turned out to be a large barn, its entrance gaping wide.

  Once inside, Robbie pressed a button on the wall and the huge roller door descended. Then he switched on the lights and a bank of fluorescents fired up overhead. Dan got out of the car and immediately noticed a sledgehammer leaning against the wall. There was a fuel can next to it.

  He turned to Robbie, who was beginning to smile. A smile that said I can explain everything ...

  ‘Did you bring those?’

  ‘Yeah.’ No bluster, for once.

  ‘What for?’

  ‘I looked into getting it repaired, but I couldn’t find anywhere. With all the stuff over the news, and the cops testing for paint, I don’t think we can risk it, to be honest.’

  Dan put on a sceptical expression, but the same thing had occurred to him. ‘So what, then?’

  ‘Jed’s got a mate, works in a scrapyard. He can make it disappear. But he says it’s better if it’s properly smashed up first.’

  ‘Does he?’ Dan sighed. In many ways the Fiesta was an old heap: nothing to be sentimental about. But it was relatively cheap to run, and it got him from A to B.

  And he couldn’t afford to replace it.

  Then Robbie chose to rub salt into the wound. ‘The guy wants three hundred. I’ve paid a hundred up front. I thought I’d deduct that from the cash you lent me the other night.’

  Dan laughed, which was arguably wiser than punching Robbie in the mouth.

  ‘And what am I going to do for a car?’

  ‘Ah.You’ve got Third Party Fire and Theft, yeah? So report it stolen and stick a claim in.’

  ‘No.’

  ‘Why not? Think of all the premiums you’ve paid over the years. You’re owed that money.’

  ‘I doubt if the insurance company would see it like that. Besides, I’d have to report it to the police.’

  ‘That’s just to get a reference number. They won’t take any action.’

  ‘But what if they go digging into you, and the deal with O’Brien? If anything leads them to me, and they find out I had a car go missing ...’

  Robbie shrugged. ‘Have it your way. But whether you claim for it or not, this is still the best answer.’

  ‘And how do I explain that I’ve suddenly got no car, and no money for a new one?’

  There was a heavy silence. Robbie took himself for a wander around the barn, hands shoved in his pockets. At first Dan thought he was simply being given time for it to sink in, but Robbie’s body language hinted at something else, so Dan kept quiet.

  Then Robbie’s head snapped up. He strode decisively towards the door, indicating that Dan should follow.

  ‘Come on. You need to see this.’

  CHAPTER 68

  Robbie stepped outside and waited for Dan. The cloud cover meant there was no moon or starlight. He could make out the farmhouse from the glow of a light he’d left on in the hall, but everything else was vague, sinister shadow.

  It wasn’t just nature creeping him out. This afternoon he’d called in at the office, just so he could truthfully tell his mother he’d been at work, then dashed home to shower and change. He was back at the farmhouse by half-six, and decided to take a look at the footpath that ran round the perimeter.

  There he made an unwelcome discovery: half a dozen discarded sweet wrappers, and clear signs that somebody had crushed the weeds as they delved into the bushes. He recalled a dog growling as he’d bid farewell to Hank’s sister. Somebody had been hiding here.

  On the drive up Robbie had kept a close eye on the traffic behind him and he was confident that he hadn’t been followed. But now, with this, he knew for certain that it wasn’t just his imagination running wild.

  Even so, he decided to say nothing: Dan’s reaction was all too easy to predict.

  ****

  First stop was the house, to collect a flashlight and a couple of beers. Robbie popped the caps and offered one to Dan, who stared at it in horror.

  ‘Are they Hank’s?’

  ‘No. I bought ’em on the way here.’

  Ruefully Dan accepted the bottle. ‘You’re driving me home, remember.’

  ‘As if I’d forget.’

  Robbie led the way across the lawn in darkness, saving the flashlight for when they were inside. He’d expected a bombardment of questions, but there was only a moody silence, broken by a loud sniff as he entered the shed.

  ‘Stinks, doesn’t it?’

  Robbie shone the light around the interior, illuminating the piles of junk. He’d been in two minds about showing Dan what he’d found. His natural inclination was to keep it to himself, but he knew that Dan’s feedback could be useful, especially as Robbie had no real clue what he was dealing with.

  He put his beer down and propped the flashlight on an old TV, directing the light across the shed.

  ‘Give me a hand with this.’

  He took one end of the bookcase and shifted it an inch or two. With an air of exasperation, Dan moved to the other end and they manoeuvred it clear of the hatch.

  ‘Shine the light down here.’ Robbie lifted the hatch, imagining for a second that the hiding place would be empty. But the boxes were just as he had left them.

  ‘How did you find this?’

  ‘Sheer brilliance.’ Robbie laughed. ‘Plus a soupçon of luck.’

  ‘What’s in the boxes?’

  ‘Papers, mostly. I only found them this afternoon. Haven’t had a proper look yet.’ He reached for his beer and took a long pull on the bottle.

  Dan was staring at the boxes, his face partly in shadow, his expression sombre. ‘Why would Hank have paperwork hidden away?’

  ‘I dunno. Intriguing, isn’t it?’

  Dan grunted. ‘That’s not the word I’d use.’

  ****

  At Robbie’s suggestion they carried the boxes into the barn. He opened each one, upended it and spread the papers out on the floor. He felt deflated by Dan’s reaction. Not a hint of excitement: just the
usual anxiety and gloom. He wasn’t even drinking his beer.

  ‘Good, isn’t it?’

  ‘Is it?’ Dan seemed puzzled. ‘What made you go searching in the first place?’

  ‘Something you said Wednesday night, after that bloke jumped out on us. Got me wondering what kind of secrets Hank might have been keeping.’

  Dan crouched down and examined a couple of reports. ‘Templeton Wynne.’

  ‘I think that’s who Hank worked for. Heard of them?’

  ‘Vaguely. No idea what they do.’

  ‘Me neither.’ Robbie took a swig of beer. ‘Hank’s got a home office, but it’s been cleared out. His sister said the company collected everything.’ He gestured at the boxes. ‘So this was stuff he didn’t want anyone to know about – not even his own employers.’

  ‘Do you think it’s insider trading?’

  ‘Could be. Whatever it is, it must be valuable.’

  Dan was nodding, working it out for himself. ‘So this is what they’re after. The man on Wednesday night. The reason he’s trying to find us is because of this.’

  ‘I reckon you’re right.’

  ‘How can you sound cheerful about it? We don’t have a clue what we’re involved in.’ Dan looked horrified, staring at Robbie as though he expected the world to cave in on them.

  ‘It’s not all bad news.’ Robbie reached for his trump card: the document wallet. ‘Look what else he’d stashed away.’

  ****

  He tipped the money out, picked up a wad of notes and showed it to Dan. ‘There’s a good twenty thousand here.’ A nod at the Fiesta. ‘And that’s worth, say, three grand?’

  ‘Nearer four. It’s done less than sixty thousand miles.’

  ‘All right. Four. Christ, make it five if you like.’ But no more than that, Robbie thought. The rest is mine.

  ‘Make it five ...?’ Dan echoed. ‘You’re saying we take this money?’