by Tom Bale
‘But that was a little peck on the cheek!’
‘She chose to interpret it as something more.’
With a rueful sigh, Cate said, ‘And now it’s happened anyway.’
Dan felt his face burn. ‘I didn’t come here with this in mind—’
‘It wasn’t just a sympathy shag, then?’ Laughing, she lay back, staring at the ceiling. ‘Hey, it wouldn’t be so bad, really, if that’s what it was.’
Again, Dan had the uncomfortable sensation that they weren’t quite on the same page. ‘This is the best thing that’s happened to me for God knows how long,’ he said, and he ached when she passed up the opportunity to agree. Instead she looked pensive.
‘But isn’t it horrible how soon all the trouble comes roaring back? I can’t stop thinking about Martin, and Janine, and whether I’m to blame in some way.’
‘Why? It’s not your fault.’
‘Not directly, maybe.’ She told him that Martin had visited, most recently on Friday night, convinced they still had a future together. ‘When he was in the ambulance, he said my name. Tell Cate ... That’s all he said. You can imagine what it’s done to Janine.’
‘And to you,’ Dan pointed out.
‘That’s not all. On Saturday afternoon I was shopping with Mum, in the North Laines. Right where it happened.’
‘What?’ Dan had to think about that for a few seconds. ‘Are you saying he was following you?’
‘That’s what DS Thomsett suspects.’ She acknowledged Dan’s surprise. ‘He’s involved in this inquiry as well. He was the one who linked the two cases.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘He popped in this morning, unofficially. He’s worried because—’ She stopped abruptly, shaking her head. ‘Well, as he pointed out, it does seem a bit sinister. Two men dying in unusual circumstances, and both of them had a direct connection to me just before they were killed.’
Dan, listening in astonishment, said, ‘That’s crazy. There isn’t any link between them. Why on Earth would he think that?’
He was looking at her as the words spilled out, and he saw the way something changed in her eyes and the room went very quiet, and in that silence his blood turned to ice.
‘Why wouldn’t he think that, Dan? Nobody knows who killed either of them.’
‘No, that’s true. But it just seems ... unlikely, I suppose.’
Even Dan could hear how feeble he sounded. He shut his eyes. Thirty seconds ago he wouldn’t have wished himself anywhere but here, in bed with Cate. Now he wished he was anywhere else.
‘You do know something, though? About Hank O’Brien.’
He said nothing. Didn’t admit it. Didn’t deny it, either.
‘Tell me. Please.’
Dan sighed. Even if he’d wanted to, lying to her now was utterly beyond him.
He nodded slowly. ‘We killed him.’
CHAPTER 82
All the doubts that Cate had been trying to suppress, and now in one terrible moment they were released and made real. Her brother had lied to her. Dan had lied to her.
‘But you were driving. That’s what you told me.’
‘I was.’
‘Then how did it happen? Was it deliberate?’
‘Not really. At least, I don’t think so.’ Dan rubbed his head: a touch of the Stan Laurel, but not remotely endearing in this situation. ‘We spotted him up ahead, walking in the road. As I went to pass him, Robbie grabbed the steering wheel.’
‘He what?’
‘He claims it was meant to be a joke, to give the guy a fright. But Hank had his back to us, so he wouldn’t have realised.’
She cupped her hands over her mouth, horrified by the image. ‘And you knocked him down?’
‘Yes. A glancing blow, but it ... he was dead.’ Dan looked stricken as he relived it. ‘We couldn’t help him, and there was no signal on my phone. Robbie said to go home, call the police from his flat.’
‘Why not return to the pub?’
‘We should have done. Only I let myself get talked into driving away, and then he started saying it was pointless to report it. We’d only be destroying our lives, causing heartbreak for our families ...’ He pressed his hands together, as if in prayer. ‘I hate myself for agreeing to it.’
‘Robbie’s very skilful when it comes to emotional blackmail.’
‘He also made it clear that if I went to the police, I’d be on my own. He’d deny grabbing the wheel, and I wouldn’t be able to prove otherwise.’
****
Dan knew it might be yet another mistake to tell her this, but he couldn’t bring himself to regret it. Cate, however, looked shell-shocked. Little wonder, coming on top of Martin’s brutal murder. And with DS Thomsett searching for links between the two deaths, Dan realised that their problems were going to be compounded by more police resources, more media interest, more scrutiny ...
His phone was ringing. After a look from Cate, he scooped his jeans up from the floor and dug out his mobile. It was Robbie.
‘Talk of the devil,’ he muttered.
‘You’d better see what he wants.’
Cate sounded distant, and Dan felt a wrench of anxiety that he would lose her because of this. He was so stupid not to have seen that; so incredibly clumsy and stupid about everything ...
Robbie said, ‘Dan, you’ve gotta take a look at something. Can you come over?’
‘Not really. I don’t have a car, remember.’
‘This is mega-important. Turns out the late Mr O’Brien was a total frigging genius.’
‘Robbie, I’m not in the mood—’
‘Where are you? You with somebody?’
Dan sighed. Robbie in his excitable terrier mode was not easily dissuaded.
‘I’ll pop round later, but you’re giving me a lift home.’
‘Deal.’
As Dan ended the call Cate was sitting up. He noticed how she pulled the sheet with her, careful to cover her breasts.
‘What have you done with your car?’
‘It’s being crushed. Someone Robbie knows ...’
She nodded. ‘Probably wise. And what does my brother want?’
‘He didn’t say. I thought I’d better see him, to break the news that you know the truth.’
Cate shook her head. ‘No. Don’t tell him yet.’
****
It made Cate uncomfortable, having to confront such momentous issues while she was in bed, naked. But she wasn’t quite persuaded to throw Dan out, in part because there was still so much she needed to know.
She drew herself up, resting her elbows on her knees and her chin in her hands. A thinking pose.
‘I have to get this clear in my mind. I’m now party to a conspiracy to cover up an unlawful killing. If we’re caught, any of us, we’ll be sent to prison for a long time. There’s no question about that.’
Looking contrite, Dan reached out to touch her arm, but withdrew at once when she flinched.
She went on: ‘DS Thomsett said they’ll probably have to interview me about Martin. And they’re still searching for the men from the pub, relying on e-fits that I helped to amend – inaccurately.’ She paused, recalling DC Avery’s threat: Lie to us, or hold something back, and we’ll destroy you. ‘From now on, every contact I have with the police will be like walking a tightrope ...’
‘That’s why we kept you in the dark. Robbie thought it was better not to compromise you.’
‘Mm. I’m sure he had only my best interests at heart.’
‘Of course not. But it’s a valid argument.’ Dan began to add something, then dropped his head. ‘Look, if you decide that your best option is to report this, I won’t argue. Go ahead and tell DS Thomsett the whole story.’
‘You want me to shop you to the police? You can’t make the decision to hand yourself in, so you’re transferring that burden on to me?’
‘I don’t want you to. But you’re right in saying that I’ve ducked responsibility. I’m a coward, I know that.’
>
‘Not really. I don’t see why you should take the rap for what Robbie did.’ Despairing, Cate let out a long sigh. ‘It’s impossible. There’s no right answer here.’
****
Dan saw the misery he’d inflicted on her, and was debating how he could possibly explain the rest of it when she let out an exclamation.
‘Robbie took O’Brien’s place back on the books. He’s cheerfully doing business with Hank’s sister, even though he was responsible for the man’s death ...’
Nodding, Dan said, ‘It’s sheer insanity.’
‘God knows, he’s played with fire in the past, but this is just ...’ She gave a disgusted sigh. ‘I should have ratted on him to Mum years ago. Or even to the police.’
‘For doing what?’
‘Where do I start?’ Cate rubbed her eyes, looking almost too weary to continue. ‘Sleeping with clients. Taking backhanders. Renting properties off the books.’
‘That all sounds unethical, but would the police want to get involved?’
She waved a hand, as though he’d got mixed up. ‘Not for that stuff, but the drugs.’
‘Well, I know he smokes some weed occasionally. Does a bit of coke. But that’s no different to thousands of other—’
‘He deals in it, as well.’
‘What?’
‘On a small scale, I think. Hard to tell, because with me he’s always either bragging or trying to wind me up.’
Dan was staggered; could barely absorb yet another shock. ‘Where does he get it? And who does he sell it to?’
‘No idea on the first one. As for selling it ... to friends of his, to clients. You know what a massive social network he’s got. He said something a few months back about developing a route into the student market.’ Cate looked forlorn. ‘I always knew his behaviour would blow up in his face one day. I suppose I took the view that it would serve him right when it did.’ She blinked away tears. ‘I just never dreamt he’d take so many people with him.’
CHAPTER 83
Bree must have been dozing, because the sound of the front door opening made her jump. A dribble of saliva had cooled on her cheek. On TV, Reece Witherspoon was smiling prettily, but Bree couldn’t place the film.
Then Jimmy was in the room, shrugging off his jacket, tossing it aside like it disgusted him.
Flustered, she wiped her face. ‘You’re back early.’
‘Didn’t take long to put me in the picture.’
Before she could ask what he meant, he came steaming towards her. She raised her arms to ward him off but he was too quick. He grabbed her wrist and yanked her off balance, then clubbed her with his other hand, hard enough to rattle her brain.
‘You cheating little slut.’
‘Jimmy, no—’ She screamed. She couldn’t help it, even though she knew there was nothing Jimmy hated more than women screaming. It set his teeth on edge, and that was plenty of justification for giving her another slap, never mind what he thought she’d done.
‘Please, Jimmy, what’s happened?’
‘Don’t come the innocent. I had a feeling you were up to something. Now that fat slag Maureen’s dropped you right in it.’
‘What?’
‘She told Donna, who told Mike. And Mike told me.’
And then he spat on her: literally spat in her face, as though she was a worthless piece of ...
She’d never seen him this angry before. As if he could kill her with his bare hands. When the doorbell rang it felt like a lifesaver, but Jimmy only sniggered. ‘Ding ding. Round two.’
He drew back a fist. The doorbell rang again, long and loud. Cursing, he pointed a meaty finger at her. ‘You stay there.’
Bree obeyed him – almost. She crept to the door so she could see who the visitor was. Robbie wouldn’t have been crazy enough to come round, would he?
She heard a man’s voice, a northern accent, and the relief was incredible. But short-lived.
‘What the hell do you want?’ Jimmy snarled, adding, with fake politeness: ‘Dee Cee Avery ...’
‘No need to take that tone, sir,’ the man said. ‘It’s actually your wife I’m here to see.’
****
Robbie was like a kid waiting for Christmas morning, almost bursting with the need to share the secret. It was nearly four in the afternoon when Dan turned up, and then he was in a sour mood, barely responding to Robbie’s greeting.
‘Come on, look at this.’ Robbie led him through to the bedroom. He’d spread the documents out on the bed, and had the laptop there so he could play the video.
‘I want to talk to you about something.’
‘Yeah, in a minute. First, you’ve gotta hear about Gordon and Patricia Blake. Remember those names.’
‘Why?’
‘The Blakes are long-term acquaintances of Hank O’Brien. They dreamt up a plot to extort fifty million quid from the owner of Templeton Wynne.’
‘That’s Hank’s employers?’
‘Yeah.’ Robbie waited. ‘Didn’t you hear what I said? Fifty million pounds.’
Dan shrugged. Robbie pressed on, for fear of losing his momentum.
‘Hank’s journal explains it all. He had this auditing role at Templeton’s, so for years he went round collecting up proof of fraud. He’d stay late at night, steal pass codes, even break into filing cabinets to get his hands on this lot.’ He indicated the paperwork. ‘They’ve got government contracts all over the place, and they are ripping them off on a mind-blowing scale.’
‘So is it the Blakes who are trying to find us?’
Robbie scowled. ‘Probably. Anyway, they employed this old guy called Jerry to act as a messenger, but also to keep an eye on Hank. Only Hank saw through it straight away ...’
Robbie tailed off, watching Dan grow fidgety, as though none of it meant anything to him.
‘You see, if the dirt on Templeton wasn’t enough, Hank gathered stuff on the Blakes as well. At any point he could have switched it round and sold them out to Templeton.’
‘Except that we came along. So what do you think the Blakes are going to do now?’
‘Ah. I’ve got a plan there.’
Still nothing. Dan looked calm enough on the surface, but he seemed to be trembling slightly, like a boiler with a faulty pressure gauge. Robbie threw up his hands.
‘All right, mate. I can see you’re not impressed. So what’s up?’
‘Lots of things. I assume you don’t know about Martin?’
‘Cate’s ex? What’s he done?’
‘He’s dead. Someone stabbed him in Brighton, yesterday afternoon.’
‘No? Bloody hell!’ Robbie laughed, which probably wasn’t the right reaction. But when he thought about it, he realised that this news meant very little to him. ‘Do they know who did it?’
‘Nope.’
‘He was a chippy old bastard, though. Always used to piss me off.’
‘Yeah, well, Cate’s pretty cut up, so be careful what you say to her.’
‘Aren’t I always? Besides, I thought she was glad to see the back of him.’
Dan grunted: not relevant. ‘What’s this about you dealing drugs?’
‘Eh?’ The abrupt change of subject threw Robbie off balance. ‘Dunno what you mean.’
‘Bollocks, you don’t.’
‘Who’ve you been talking to?’
‘Doesn’t matter. Is it true?’
Robbie spotted a weak point, a chink of hope. ‘Not my sister?’
Dan’s face coloured. He went to speak but Robbie snickered. ‘Oh, Jesus! Don’t tell me you’ve gone to bed with my bloody sister?’
****
Dan knew his feelings were transparent, but he wasn’t going to be deterred: not by that, nor by the manner in which Robbie swept a hand towards the papers littering the bed.
‘You’d better not have mentioned any of this.’
Dan shook his head. He had few qualms about lying to Robbie.
‘Let’s get back to you and your death wish. Are you r
eally dealing in drugs?’
‘You’re making it sound like I’m Pablo fucking Escobar. It was just something I dabbled in from time to time, helping people out.’
‘So you’ve stopped?’
‘Pretty much.’
‘What does that mean? You haven’t stopped?’
‘Hey, less of the interrogation. Just because you’re Mr Perfect. Like I said the other day, some of us prefer to have a bit of fun, you know?’
Like I said the other day.
It was an innocuous phrase, but a shadow crossed Robbie’s eyes as he said it; as though he wished he could reel the words back in. He was referring to Thursday night, the conversation they’d had after Dan broke up the tussle in North Street ...
And what was it Cate had said? Something about developing a route into the student market.
‘My brother.’
Robbie feigned confusion. ‘What about him?’
They were standing a couple of feet apart. It took less than half a second for Dan to grab Robbie by his shirt, pinning him to the spot.
‘Have you supplied drugs to Louis?’
‘Let me go. Will you calm the fuck down?’
Dan tightened his grip. ‘I’ll get the truth from him, so you may as well tell me.’
‘It was weed. Practically harmless. The booze is far worse for him.’
‘He’s seventeen.’ Dan shoved Robbie backwards, and he stumbled and dropped on to the bed, scattering paper everywhere and knocking the laptop on to the floor.
‘How could you look me in the eye when you’ve been pushing drugs to my kid brother?’
‘You think he won’t get hold of it if I don’t help him? At least with me he’s not gonna get conned, or turned over by the cops.’
‘How much do you give him? And how often?’ Dan stood over Robbie, primed for violence: one move, one wrong reaction and he would pile in.
Robbie shook his head. ‘Just a taste, every now and then.’ A beat of silence; deliberating. ‘And he wanted some for his mates.’
‘You turned Louis into your subcontractor?’
