Slow Burn (2010)

by Conrad Jones

  Saj was dead or dying. Nick was in no doubt about it. Workers from the arboretum, and shocked day-trippers started to approach the scene cautiously. Some of the braver members of the public called out for the violence to stop. Nick knew his friend was in trouble for what he had done to Saj Shah. The police would be on their way. David would be charged with grievous bodily harm at best, but looking at Saj, manslaughter or murder was more likely. Nick thought about Mr and Mrs Bernstein, Richard, who idolised his older brother, and beautiful Sarah. He couldn’t let the family suffer anymore. Nick raised the pipe and brought it down hard on Saj`s skull. The slushy thud was sickening to hear. A second heavy swing split the skull open like a melon, and his brains spilled out across the concrete. He looked at the shocked faces around him, and tears of anger ran down his face. Women shrieked, children, their faces covered from the horror by their parents, screamed. Nick clung to the pipe and sat down on the grass. The sound of sirens grew louder as he lay back and closed his eyes, wishing that this nightmare would be gone when he opened them.

  Chapter 25

  The aftermath School days

  David Bernstein and Nick Cross were arrested at the scene of the fracas in the park, and a lengthy investigation commenced. Witnesses reported seeing Saj Shah and his friends chasing across the park, shouting abuse before the fight started. Initial thoughts were that it was a feud between young drug dealers, however as the history of the youths involved came to the fore, the waters became very cloudy. David Bernstein had motive to kill Saj Shah, but witnesses said the fatal blows were struck by his friend Nick, and they confirmed that David was unconscious when it happened. It also appeared that David was chased, and attacked by Saj and two others, and that he had defended himself. A month into the investigation, David was charged with affray and given a six month suspended sentence. Nick Cross was charged with murder. Manslaughter was thrown out as witnesses were unanimous that Saj Shah was prone when the final blows were struck. He was sentenced to life with a recommendation that he served fifteen years.

  The court case was the final nail in the Bernstein family coffin. Mrs Bernstein moved away to live with her elderly mother in Scotland, claiming that she needed to be nursed because of the onset of dementia. The truth was that she was ashamed of her husband, and the way he dealt with the ongoing crisis. Mr Bernstein spiralled into alcoholism, and his liver packed up by the end of 1986. He never recovered from his daughter`s fall from grace, and subsequent suicide. Richard was well looked after by a trust fund that his parents had set up for him, and by the time his father died, he was off to university and the beginning of his adult life. Malik Shah, his family, and his gang had shattered Richard`s family life into pieces, killed his sister, and his father, and made his mother run away. Nick was given a life sentence, with a view to be eligible for parole after fifteen years. He served twelve, and Richard went to see him every month without fail. Their bond was strong, etched in blood, and it would remain so forever. They talked for hours about revenge during their visits; Richard never lost sight of his goal.

  David left school and went to university in Israel. He needed a fresh start. After his academic studies, he joined the military and focused his hatred for Malik Shah, and the young Muslims that had ruined his life, into the Israeli struggle against the surrounding Arab governments. Richard lost everyone important to him in the space of two years. The hatred and the sense of loss remained inside him, burning slowly, always hurting. The slow burn evolved into a living, breathing monster, a life-long plot for revenge. David loved the military, and within two years he joined the Israeli Special Forces. He waited patiently for Nick to be released, and when David left his military career, he had reached the rank of Captain. Richard Bernstein was waiting outside the prison gates when Nick was released, and they headed for the farm, stopping off at McDonalds on the way, so that Nick could buy a chocolate milkshake. One week later, David Bernstein, boarded a plane at Tel Aviv airport. He was ready to join them on their bitter quest.

  Chapter 26

  Present day/ Liverpool

  Liverpool Town Hall stands in High Street at its junction with Dale Street, Castle Street, and Water Street. It`s a grey stone building with a huge bronze dome on the top. Tall Roman columns stand guard either side of the wide doorway. When Alec and DI Will Naylor arrived, the historic facade had been sealed off from the public by yellow crime scene tape, which flapped noisily as the wind blew in off the River Mersey. Chief Carlton waited patiently for Alec and Will to arrive. The Chief felt that the mutilated body that had been dumped on the Town Hall steps was linked to the Malik Shah investigation. The cause of death was not obvious, because the victim was so badly tortured.

  “Alec, Detective Inspector Naylor,” the Chief acknowledged their arrival. A blast of wind brought a smell of the ocean with it.

  “Chief.” Alec responded. He looked toward the naked corpse and grimaced. “This looks personal.”

  “You could say that. Or someone wanted information from him.”

  “I`m guessing that he told them everything he knew. No one could withstand that amount of torture.” Alec stepped closer to the body. There were dozens of deep ragged holes all over the body, but the highest concentration of them was on the feet and shins. It appeared that the victim was subjected to a prolonged attack with a power tool of some description. “Why call us?”

  “I think this is connected to Malik Shah,” the chief replied, pointing to the battered corpse. Lividity was setting in and the body was turning blue were it touched the stone steps. “We don’t know who he is yet, but he was dumped here as a warning to someone. I`m guessing it`s a revenge attack.”

  Alec thought about it in silence. There was no doubt that the body was dumped in a public place for a reason, and the level of violence used was disproportionate to an interrogation. The victim had been systematically tortured, but the perpetrators had targeted the limbs heavily in order to keep the victim alive as long as possible. Any man, no matter how tough would have parted with whatever information they had a long time before most of the wounds were inflicted. He had to agree that the level of violence used, and the site of the body dump, was probably a message to someone.

  “It could be a gangland murder?” Alec thought the link to Malik Shah was tenuous at best, unless the Chief knew something that he didn`t.

  “Can you see the scars on the thumbs?” the Chief said.

  Alec leaned closer to the body. The smell of blood and excrement became heavier, the closer he got. There were scars around the bottom of each digit.

  “I see them.”

  “I can`t be sure yet, but a couple of years ago, there was a small time gangster sent to hospital with his thumbs in his pockets. I remember the case well. He wouldn’t speak to us at all, but informers told us that he had crossed another dealer. Ashwan Pindar`s name cropped up.”

  “Malik Shah`s sidekick?”

  “Bingo,” the Chief nodded.

  “He would have a motive to bomb Shah`s people,” Alec mused. It was a possibility, but he didn’t buy into it yet. Having your thumbs cut off was extreme, but not uncommon in the drug world. Jumping from there, to a well organised assassination, using a van bomb, was too much for a small time crook to pull off.

  “Maybe you`re right. Until I`m sure it`s the same man I can`t say, but I wanted you to see it before we move in and search his home etcetera.”

  Alec nodded in agreement. “Thanks, when you know for sure if it`s the same guy, let us know.”

  “Do you want in on the search?”

  “I think we should be there, Chief. You run with it here, and we`ll concentrate on the Shah links. We`re trying to track down the relatives of the informer that went missing in the witness protection programme.”

  The Chief smiled and held out his hand. Alec shook it. He turned and walked away from the mutilated victim, the smell of the sea filled his senses and the air seemed fresher the further away from the body he was. Seagulls squawked in the distance as they floa
ted on the wind above the Irish Sea. It was time to turn up the heat on Malik Shah.

  CHAPTER 27

  Alec Ramsey/Present Day

  “Superintendent,” Graham Libby greeted Alec. He nodded to his younger colleague. “DI Naylor, are you still working your way through the female population?” Dr Libby was the crime scene specialist, head of SOCO. He`d lost a valued member of his team when her affair with the young DI became public knowledge, much to the angst of her husband.

  “So many women, and only one life,” Will sighed sarcastically.

  “Quite” the doctor replied in an acid tone. “We have the early results back. The blood in the alleyway matches the missing boy, Abdul Salim, but we don’t have DNA yet.”

  Graham Libby turned, and walked down the alleyway. He waved his hand beckoning the detectives to follow him. Yellow tabs made a trail between the two tower blocks, each one numbered, marking a vital piece of evidence.

  “They were shot out there, and then dragged down here toward the loading bay at the rear of the buildings.”

  The air became chill as they walked deeper, out of the reaches of the sunlight. Chewing gum splodges littered the pavement, and the stench of urine clawed at their throats. Dark trails of congealed blood reached off into the distance.

  “The bullets were nine millimetre rounds, hollow points, fired with uncanny accuracy.”

  The detectives looked at each other with concern. Hollow points were manufactured for one reason and one reason only, to decimate the interior skeletal structure, and internal organs of a human target. Accuracy with a pistol can only be developed by practice, which hinted at a military career, perhaps a law enforcement background. They emerged at the rear of the buildings, cast in shadows. The air was just as rank, if not worse.

  “The bodies and the mountain bikes were here, and here.”

  “Have you seen anything like this recently?” Alec asked. Dr Libby attended most of the violent deaths in the city.

  “Dead drug dealers, yes,” he frowned and shook his head. “This is a new one on me.”

  “What makes you say that?” Will asked. He was completely unfazed by the Dr`s dislike of him. The technician he`d been sleeping with resigned because her husband forced her to. He wouldn’t allow her to return to work, where she could come into contact with Will. How was that his fault?

  “The accuracy of the shots. They were centre of the forehead, and the ammunition.” He counted the reasons on his fingers as he talked. “The drugs and the money were left at the scene.”

  Will looked around the crime scene while he thought about it. The note left on the victim specified that the young dealers worked for Malik Shah. Initial investigations supported that, although it was mostly rumour and speculation.

  “Why leave the money and the drugs behind?” Will said.

  “I don`t think that is why they came here,” Alec replied. “They didn’t kill them to rob them.” He crossed the delivery bay to a recess in the towering building. There was a double delivery door padlocked and barred with a rusty chain. On the floor, a cardboard box looked out of place. It was clean and dry. “Have we had officers here at night?”

  “No, Guv, why?”

  “Someone`s been sleeping in this doorway, recently.” Alec kneeled down and looked back to where his colleagues stood. “Will, have a look around. I can`t see you from here. We may have found a witness.”

  Chapter 28

  The MIT/ PRESENT DAY

  Agent Spence reluctantly handed over two computer disks. The Commander took them and placed them on the desk in front of him. He gestured to a chair and the agent smoothed his grey suit before sitting down.

  “Where`s Alec?” the Commander clicked the intercom on his desk.

  “He`s gone to meet the Chief at the town hall, Commander. Something to do with a body found there, sir.”

  “Well it`s just you and me for now,” the Commander picked up the disks. “What are these going to tell us?”

  “Where do you want me to start?” Spence shrugged. “There`s information going back years on there. The paper files will be with you this afternoon.”

  “I want to know why Malik Shah is still at liberty if you have been watching him for so long.”

  “He`s smart, that`s why. Every time we have got near him he`s onto us immediately, and you know about the witness that we had. Malik Shah made him disappear from under our noses.”

  There was a knock at the door and Alec walked in, closing the door behind him. He nodded a greeting to the Commander and sat down without acknowledging Agent Spence at all.

  “Agent Spence was just about to explain why Shah has not been neutralised yet,” the Commander smiled.

  “Should be enlightening, I`m glad I didn’t miss it,” Alec replied deadpan. He looked at the agent for the first time, and Spence shifted uncomfortably. Alec`s eyes were icy blue and they seemed to look inside you.

  “Shah is slippery. All our investigations have hit brick walls before we can get close to him,” the agent pointed to the disks. “He doesn’t have a hair out of place, never gets physically involved in anything illegal, and neither do his partners. They hire people to work for them, and so they`re expendable. If any one does get caught, and that`s rare, then there are no direct links back to Shah.”

  “Have you had any infiltrators in his organisation?” the Commander raised an eyebrow. It was an obvious question, but it needed asking.

  “We looked at it, but he doesn’t have any outsiders on the team. Not a single person, his close associates are all family or old friends going back years. Nobody else gets close to them. An outsider would be spotted immediately.”

  “What about the drugs smuggling?” Alec asked. There was always a link between drugs and drug dealers, and they usually leave a trail leading back to the kingpin.

  “We know the Shah family made their fortune in the eighties, bringing heroine in from Pakistan and Afghanistan. Later on, they pioneered ecstasy smuggling from Amsterdam. Malik worked his way through the ranks, and as he progressed several of his older cousins met sticky endings, if you know what I mean.”

  “Why have they never been busted, if you know where and what they were trafficking?” Alec pushed.

  “They target poor Asian families, both here and in Pakistan. They lend them money or drugs, and then they whack the interest sky high. Their enforcers are brutal, and they start applying pressure. The next thing they offer them an easy way out of the debt.”

  “Mules,” Alec mused.

  “Exactly, and they never know who they are working for, so they couldn’t tell us even if we catch them at it. If the drugs are seized the debt passes back to the family with the cost of the drugs on top. They never escape the cycle and there is an endless supply of people desperate to clear the debts.”

  “What information did the informer have that made him such a target for Shah to risk attacking a safe house?” Alec asked. He wanted to ask a number of questions about the loss of a witness from the protection programme, but he had to take it softly to glean the information from the MI5 agent. MI5 were not his favourite agency, but he respected the ability of their agents. To snatch a witness from a safe house was incredibly daring.

  Agent Spence paused a moment. He smoothed his gelled grey hair back from his face with his hand. Alec noticed that he did this when he was under pressure. He looked at the floor in front of him for a second, thinking about what he was about to say and then met Alec`s gaze.

  “The informer was arrested in Amsterdam, driving a truck onto a ferry. The truck was supposed to be empty, but the driver screwed up. Over a period of a week or so, he was supposed to find the vehicle waiting areas, choose a British car, break into it and stash some of the drugs, and a couple of weapons in the door panels. He would then note down the registration and leave it, so that the owners were completely unaware. Then he had move onto another one, and another one until the contraband was gone.”

  “You have to admire their thinking,” Alec l
ooked at the Commander.

  “It`s brilliant,” the Commander agreed.

  “It`s simple, they trace the number plates and a couple of weeks later they find the vehicle and break into it again, this time to recover their contraband. No one is near the gear when it comes through customs.” Agent Spence was talking freely now. He had relaxed a little.

  “So what went wrong?” Alec encouraged him to keep talking.

  “The driver got cold feet. He was rumbled breaking into a car and panicked. He was terrified of failing and attracting the wrath of the dealers, and so he chose to drive the truck with the contraband still onboard.”

  “Okay, that makes sense, but what did he have on Malik Shah?” the Commander asked.