The Tattooed Man

by Alex Palmer

  ‘The minister could do that,’ he said bitterly. ‘He could raise all hell. It could seem that we’re out of control.’ Suddenly he snapped at Marvin. ‘I’m surprised you didn’t think of these ramifications. That’s what you’re supposed to do. Why did this have to happen? This whole thing is a can of worms.’

  ‘Commissioner, we need the continuity.’ Harrigan pressed on, hiding desperation. ‘It’s the best way to keep this whole incident under control.’

  ‘But if it wasn’t a member of the team, who was it? Who else had access?’ the commissioner asked furiously.

  ‘If you want to start at the top, what about Marvin here. You have access, don’t you, Marvin?’

  Marvin laughed sourly. ‘I had nothing to do with this.’

  ‘Don’t you want to play fair, mate? Isn’t everyone under suspicion? Why shouldn’t that include you? Maybe while we’re here, we should be asking questions about the special assistant commissioner’s competence. I direct Trevor to put a guard on my son. Marvin rescinds the order without notice and look at the result! Does that look like good policing? How many extra resources do we have to expend now because of his actions?’

  Marvin jerked backwards, his face red. ‘That’s a complete distortion—’

  ‘Could we have quiet, please?’ the commissioner ordered. ‘The commander has made his point. Inspector Gabriel and his team will remain in control of the investigation for the time being. I will instigate an Internal Affairs investigation. Everyone on the team will cooperate with them.’

  ‘There’s no need, Commissioner,’ Marvin said. ‘I can liaise with IA for you.’

  ‘No, Marvin. I want to control this directly. This meeting is finished.’

  Trevor interrupted them. ‘Since you’ve all been talking about me, am I allowed to say something?’

  In the silence, the commissioner signalled for him to go ahead. Harrigan held his breath.

  ‘I’ve been a copper for twenty-one years. I’ve received commendations and a bravery medal. You will not find one single fact about me anywhere that could embarrass anyone or that’s remotely bent.’

  The commissioner stared at him, his thoughts unreadable.

  ‘I’ve already said we are maintaining arrangements as they are,’ he replied, apparently unmoved. ‘Now everyone can get back to work.’

  Trevor walked out of the office immediately.

  ‘Commissioner,’ Marvin said, ‘if I could just have a word in private.’

  ‘I don’t have time now, Marvin. Why don’t you make an appointment with Chloe? Before you go, Paul. I hope you left a few marks of your own on that other man’s face.’

  ‘I did my best, Commissioner.’

  ‘You can also tell me why you think this kidnapping has happened.’

  ‘It’s either a matter of revenge because of what happened at Yaralla, or this individual wants to put pressure on the investigation in some way.’

  ‘We don’t know, in other words,’ the Commissioner said.

  ‘At this stage, anything we decide on is only supposition.’

  ‘Then Marvin isn’t completely at fault for not seeing a risk and acting as he did. That’s all. Thank you.’

  Stung, Harrigan turned away. They walked out in silence. Marvin glared angrily at Chloe but she made a point of not seeing him. He didn’t stop to arrange another meeting. Outside, the corridor was empty. Trevor had already disappeared, presumably down the fire stairs.

  ‘Come into my office,’ Marvin said quietly, almost in Harrigan’s ear. ‘There’s something I want you to listen to.’

  Marvin’s office was just along the hallway. Like the commissioner’s, it had a view. They walked past Marvin’s personal assistant, a loyal, middle-aged woman called Sharon, without speaking to her. She watched them with a puzzled expression on her face. Inside, Marvin sat down without speaking. Harrigan pulled up a chair without being asked. Marvin put a cassette player on his desk and hit the Play button.

  ‘Paul. It’s Marvin here. How are you tonight?’

  ‘I’m fine, Marvin. To what do I owe the pleasure?’

  ‘It’s business. You were at Jerry Freeman’s house today. You and your companion, as I believe she’s called. Freeman’s murder will affect the entire Pittwater investigation.’

  Marvin hit the Stop button.

  ‘I have that whole conversation recorded, including where you say you have a tape and photographs. Do you think you’re the only person who thinks things through, Harrigan? I didn’t get to where I am today in this organisation without knowing how to protect myself. If you take me or my son down, you’re coming with us.’

  Harrigan stared at Marvin. Any number of possible rejoinders were in his head. Haven’t you already taken my son down by collaborating in his abduction? You stole that contract on orders, didn’t you? You’ll never be the police commissioner. Perhaps his stare and the silence were more disturbing than he realised. Marvin was forced to look away. Harrigan got to his feet and leaned across Marvin’s desk, face to face. He spoke with an anger all the more powerful for being controlled.

  ‘What can you tell me about the whereabouts of my son?’

  ‘That had nothing to do with me!’

  ‘What can you tell me?’

  ‘Nothing! I have no information at all! None! You can believe that!’ Marvin was shouting now.

  ‘If you step out of line again the way you did today, we’ll both be clearing our desks. If my son isn’t found in one piece, then you are going to pay for it with your skin. I fucking mean that, mate.’

  ‘You have no business threatening me, Harrigan.’

  ‘You just remember what I said. If my son doesn’t come home in one piece, you pay. You pay in spades.’

  He walked to the door. For some reason, he stopped and looked back. Marvin was staring after him, his expression a mixture of calculation and a curious blank-eyed look. Harrigan walked out, shutting the door behind him with a sharp click. His back felt the imprint of an invisible knife.

  The main door to the incident room was propped against the wall and the door frame was splintered. There was a buzz of subdued busyness; people were settling back to their desks. Trevor was in his office, just hanging up from a phone call. Harrigan walked in to be met by a furious glare.

  ‘How are you?’ he asked.

  ‘How am I? I’m just fucking fine. I’ve just had the special assistant commissioner tell me I’m an embarrassment to the service while the rest of you stand around and fucking patronise me like I’m not there. And that fucking includes you, thank you very much, boss!’

  Trevor leaned across his desk, stabbing a finger at Harrigan while he shouted. Outside, silence fell like a guillotine. Harrigan shut the door immediately.

  ‘Do you know what colour your face is right now?’ he said. ‘Do you want to take a pill?’

  ‘Jesus!’ Trevor said softly.

  He poured himself a glass of water and with shaking hands took a tablet.

  ‘You know what you’re doing?’ Harrigan went on. ‘Exactly what Marvin wants. If you let him get to you, you’ll be taken out of here on a stretcher. Don’t let him do it to you.’

  ‘I’m one of those boofheads who’s honest,’ Trevor said, when he was calmer. ‘It means fuck all to God.’

  ‘God’s paranoid. Spook him and he won’t care who he walks over to protect his backside. At the moment, his paranoia is working for us. We’ve got to keep it that way. Now forget all that crap. What are you doing about Toby?’

  ‘Give God his due, as soon as he heard, he said forget the money. Just get the personnel out there. I’ve got a team at Cotswold, we’re canvassing and searching the district, and I’ve sent out a state-wide alert. We’re checking all stolen vehicles for a possible lead. As soon we’ve got something to guide us, we’ll hone the search in that direction. Why do you reckon this man is the kidnapper?’ Trevor passed Ambrosine’s sketch of the gunman across his desk to Harrigan.

  ‘My guess is he’s the same
man who shot Freeman,’ Harrigan said. ‘He’s a South African. Grace said the gunman had a South African accent. He’s a small man as well.’

  ‘We’ve sent his picture out everywhere as a person of interest. If anyone sees him, we’ll hear. But why has he got your boy, boss?’

  ‘I think it’s to do with this.’ Harrigan put his LPS badge on Trevor’s desk. ‘I was given that when I saw Elena Calvo. It gives you access to the building at Campbelltown. I think they tracked me to Yaralla using that. I want you to get it checked out.’

  ‘No worries. She’s a player, you say.’

  ‘Up to her neck. We need to talk to the minister again. Grace went to the LPS launch for me. Edwards spoke to her there and established a connection between LPS and Beck. We need to interview him about it.’

  ‘He’s been on to us, boss. His adviser rang the commissioner this morning requesting a meeting,’ Trevor replied. ‘That’s just been confirmed as happening tomorrow afternoon around four if you’re available.’

  ‘I’ll be there. Who’s invited?’

  ‘I know you and me are supposed to be there, but I haven’t been told who else is coming. Apparently, Edwards has beefed up his personal security since the launch. I think Gracie must have told him to do that. All well and good. She’s a professional. But why snatch your boy? You still haven’t told me that.’

  ‘I think the gunman’s working for Calvo and this is her way of putting pressure on the police investigation.’

  Trevor glanced at the door.

  ‘Did she offer you something the other day, mate?’ he asked.

  ‘Money and a job. I said no. She’s playing for keeps. Whatever Beck was up to, she’s implicated in it.’

  ‘Are you saying we have a working scenario?’ Trevor asked. ‘Calvo has Beck removed to protect herself, then tries to get you onside to cruel the investigation. It’s a possible fit. Do you want to make a statement?’

  ‘It’s my word against hers. It’d be difficult to sustain in a courtroom. Which brings us to the contract. What happened to it?’

  ‘Fucked if I know,’ Trevor said. ‘Frankie went to check it and it wasn’t there. I don’t even know how long it’s been gone. That’s one line of inquiry stone dead. Assuming I ever get to run this investigation properly with all these fucking firefights.’

  Harrigan thought of taking Freeman’s photograph out of his wallet and sharing the story with Trevor. He chose not to.

  ‘Calvo’s reached in here to get her hands on it,’ he said. ‘She’s bought someone.’

  ‘Would she know who to ask?’

  ‘Beck knew the right people. If he and Calvo are connected in some way, why shouldn’t that information have made it back to her, or at least to her dirty tricks man? But if she did have Beck killed to hide what he was doing, why leave the contract behind? Why publicise the killings on the net? Unless she wanted to scare other people off.’

  ‘Maybe leaving the contract behind was an oversight,’ Trevor said. ‘The killer could have been rushing to finish. Maybe he thought he had both contracts and then realised he only had one.’

  ‘I’m not convinced by that. It was too much of a setup. But either way, Elena Calvo is still a player in this. Right now I need to see the scene where Toby was snatched.’

  ‘I’ll ring the sergeant in charge and tell him you’re on your way. As soon as we hear anything, I’ll be on the phone to you. What do you think he’ll want?’

  ‘I can’t know that till he contacts me,’ Harrigan said. ‘Maybe he doesn’t want anything. Maybe he just wants to put me through hell.’

  ‘It’s a lot of trouble to go to just for that, boss. We need to organise taps on your phones and a watch on your internet connections. If anyone does contact you, we’ll be listening.’

  ‘Leave my personal mobile alone,’ Harrigan said. ‘He can’t know that number. He’ll ring on my work phone. Watch that.’

  ‘If that’s what you want. Do I post people to sit with you while you wait?’

  ‘No,’ Harrigan said. ‘I don’t know when he’ll call. Have people standing by. We can make arrangements quickly enough if they’re ready to go.’

  ‘Boss, I haven’t thanked you for what you did up there in the commissioner’s office. I know I shouted at you but I appreciate you putting your neck out and I owe you. But I’ve got a question to ask you. Gracie at Freeman’s house the other day. What was that really about?’

  ‘Mate, I’m going to have to ask you to trust me,’ Harrigan said.

  ‘Then tell me something. What does it mean for this investigation? Is it compromised? Is the shit going to hit the fan and take us with it?’

  ‘No. This investigation’s on track and it’s going to stay there.’

  ‘Are you playing me for a fool?’ Trevor asked quietly.

  The only fool in this is me, Harrigan thought. Fool and liar.

  ‘That’s the last thing I’d do,’ he said. ‘In this case, the buck stops with me.’

  ‘I’ll take you at your word. There’s one more thing you should know. Gracie. I know Toby’s on your mind more than anything, but if you get the chance, I’d pick up the phone if I were you. I rang to tell her about Toby and she didn’t sound too happy. I think she’s waiting for you to tell her you want to talk to her. I don’t know if you want to be a single man again. You might want to think about it.’

  Grace and Trevor had been old friends; a friendship that had slipped a little since she had been seeing Harrigan. Trevor would have picked up the vibe.

  ‘I’ll call her.’

  Before Harrigan could get to his feet, there was a knock on the door. Chloe stood there, Harrigan’s briefcase in her hand.

  ‘I’ve brought this down for you,’ she said. ‘You left it upstairs.’

  Harrigan realised with a shock that he had forgotten about and then almost lost one of the keys to the investigation. The crop specimens Harold had packed for him were in his briefcase.

  ‘Thanks, Chloe. Where was it?’

  ‘Next to my desk. Don’t worry,’ she said, giving him sharp look, ‘no one’s touched it but me.’

  She was gone.

  ‘You had things on your mind, boss,’ Trevor said.

  ‘We all did. I’ll see you, mate.’

  Down in his car, Harrigan spun the combination on his briefcase and opened it. The parcel hadn’t been touched. He locked the briefcase again and sat there weighing the options. With Marvin still in place, it was too dangerous to give these to Trevor. The evidence room wasn’t secure; that had already been proved. But if he kept them, the chain of evidence was compromised. Better for them to go where they could be accounted for. Harrigan had dealt with any number of forensic laboratories in his career. The name of one, Millennium Forensic Technologies, discreet and professional, was already in his mind. Tomorrow he would see them and start to find out what the fuss was about. First, he had his son to think about.

  21

  Harrigan arrived at the familiar grounds of Cotswold House at a time when the residents were usually asleep. Tonight, all the lights were on. The sergeant was there to meet him and take him through what had happened. A white van had arrived in the car park during the mid-afternoon. The driver had been wearing a hat and sunglasses. No one had got a clear view of his face. A little later, one of the residents had seen Tim wheeling Toby through to the car park. There had been a smallish man with Tim, walking very close to him. Toby’s head was slumped forward but he sometimes did sit that way in his chair. The resident had thought that Toby was going on an excursion and Tim was wheeling him out to the house van.

  Harrigan looked into Susie’s office. The chairs were knocked over, Susie’s loved pot plants had been upended on the floor and the phone torn out.

  Toby’s rooms were empty. All they had to offer was his absence. Harrigan walked into a space he’d visited as often as he could these last ten years or so. It was the carefully designed cradle that had kept Toby functioning and allowed his mind the chance to
work effectively. Cramped in his body and in this room, working through his computer and his imagination, Toby’s mind had ranged over infinite space. But he was fragile. His body did not withstand extremes of temperature; he had difficulty eating and drinking and he needed medications. Had he been left in a locked van in the sun all day? Was he even still alive? How could Harrigan know?

  He brought these thoughts to a stop purely for self-preservation. As soon as he’d finished at Cotswold House, he went to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. Tim was still unconscious, his face pale. Although not life-threatening, his injury was serious. Susie was sedated. Her face was badly bruised, her eye black and her lip cut. Harrigan walked away. Out in his car, he rang Trevor.

  ‘Anything to guide us yet?’ he asked.

  ‘No, boss. You’ll be the first to hear. Maybe you should get some sleep.’

  How was he going to sleep? He drove home to his empty house. By now, it was late. He had half-hoped Grace would be there but why should she be? He hadn’t called her and she didn’t know where he was or what he was doing. Why would she wait for him in an empty house?

  On the way home, he checked his post office box where there was nothing but the usual collections of official and junk mail. At his house, he checked his mailbox. A small parcel was inside. Once in the house, he opened it to find a mobile phone.

  The house had a cool, silent emptiness, which for a few seconds felt almost comforting, a feeling that dissipated almost as quickly. Harrigan had no appetite and poured himself a whisky. In his study, he saw on his desk an envelope addressed to him in Grace’s handwriting. His heart dipped but it was no ‘Dear John’ letter, instead a report on the launch which, on reading, proved to be as good, if not better, than any he could have received from his own people. Her writing was clear, easy to read. He thought of her in the dead hours smoking endless cigarettes and making these notes and then later waiting for a phone call that never came. I was busy. I was exhausted. I told you that if you didn’t hear anything, that was good. Points of view which were mutually exclusive. Maybe for her it had been the final straw.