‘Armed police; drop your weapon,’ one armed cop shouted at Vinnie, as he realised that he was still holding his gun. This is becoming a habit, Vinnie thought, as he dropped it on the ground and stood up with his hands raised. ‘I’m DI Palmer!’ he shouted at the approaching officer.
Chapter Sixty-Five
Two hours later in Brian Darlington’s office, Vinnie Palmer took his seat at the chief’s conference table with Susan Grady on one side and Harry Delany on the other. Opposite was Cath Simms, who sat next to Christine Jones. The chief had invited Christine to this impromptu debrief so he could thank her in person for her outstanding bravery. He’d also agreed that she could remain, and subject to the chief’s editorial approval, use her knowledge in a documentary of the whole affair. Obviously, all the usual legal safeguards and caveats would have to be observed, and nothing could be broadcast sub judice, but Christine would have her scoop at the end of it all.
Vinnie quickly updated everyone: the mill had been raided and all the trafficked women were now safe, including the new arrivals. A woman called Gill was obviously a live-in madam, and was now settling in to her new accommodation in Preston’s police cells. DI Jim Day was co-ordinating the early investigations, protecting the upstairs of the mill forensically and formulating interview teams to speak to the women and the madam, Gill. And not that it mattered now that Babik was dead, Jim Day had confirmed that the key Jody Watson gave Vinnie had opened the steel door leading into the mill’s top floor. It was indeed the key to all they needed.
The chief re-joined them and took his seat at the head of the oblong table, and Vinnie told him that everyone was up to date. Darlington congratulated them all again, then asked about any loose ends that might need strategizing whilst they were all together.
‘The would-be informant in custody, sir?’ Harry asked.
Darlington nodded. Vinnie knew he was talking about Sadiq but choosing not to use his name in front of the others; that bit they didn’t need to know.
‘Well, unless the CPS insists, which I doubt they will, we don’t plan to use him as a witness. If we don’t need to, we don’t think he deserves to profit from this when he comes before a parole board, given the circumstances of his offending.’
Darlington nodded again. Vinnie knew Cath and Sue would love to know who they were talking about, but both were too professional to ask. Vinnie and Harry had discussed this in private and were in agreement. Sadiq had been convicted of running one of Babik’s other brothels and was only driven by greed and his own self interests. The judge of any subsequent trials would have to be shown Sadiq’s draft witness statement, but would agree that there was nothing in there to assist the defence, so would order it not to be disclosed.
Vinnie was pleased the chief agreed, as the likes of Sadiq fed the cancer of people trafficking and deserved no rewards.
‘The only other issue to clear up urgently, as Vinnie and I see it, is with regard to the bent solicitor Grant Fletcher,’ Harry said. He went on to explain that all they had against Fletcher was intelligence and not evidence — unless they used Sadiq as a witness against him, which they had just agreed not to.
‘Plus, even if we did use Sadiq, it’s his word against a solicitor’s; it won’t carry much evidential value,’ Vinnie said.
‘Vinnie’s right, the defence will tear it to shreds,’ Harry added.
Then Vinnie noticed Sue smiling widely. Everyone else must have noticed, too, as all eyes turned towards her.
‘Not strictly true,’ she said. She paused and then explained. Apparently, Babik had many conversations with Fletcher and had always been guarded about them with Sue. That was until earlier that day when she, Babik and Fernandez were on their way to collect Vinnie.
Babik was driving and he took an incoming call. His phone must have automatically synchronised with the car’s Bluetooth hands-free facility, so it came through the car’s audio speakers. It was Grant Fletcher. Babik warned him that he was on hands-free and would call him back, but Fletcher was having none of it, he was moaning that he had not been paid all that Babik had promised him, and that without his help, Babik wouldn’t have had control of Fletcher’s client. Babik tried to shut him up, but he carried on until Babik cut the call off.
‘That’ll make great evidence, but it’ll only be your word, Sue,’ Vinnie said.
‘Not strictly true,’ she said again, and smiled wider as she took her mobile phone from her pocket and started to wave it in the air. ‘I managed to click the audio record feature and have it all on here, clear as anything.’
‘Excellent,’ Darlington said, as did Vinnie and Harry. Christine looked on, clearly amazed.
‘If we get Fletcher’s billing to prove timings of calls, added to the fact we now have Babik’s phone, we just need to prove that it was actually Fletcher on the line, and we have him,’ Cath said.
‘A voice expert should be able to do that,’ Sue said.
Vinnie knew this was technically true, but he also knew how uncertain and challengeable such evidence could be, and said as much. Then he added, ‘I have an idea.’
*
An hour later they were all huddled around a technical expert in an audio lab. Harry confirmed that a full arrest team was poised outside Grant Fletcher’s office on Winckley Square in Preston where a lot of the city’s solicitors had their offices in the grand Georgian houses which overlooked a small park. Fletcher’s office directly faced a statue of Sir Robert Peel, the Lancashire-born prime minister and father of modern policing. Vinnie knew that an intelligence officer was placed near the statue, which he thought was quite fitting, and the officer had just confirmed that Fletcher had been seen entering his office building about 10 minutes ago.
Cath nodded at Sue, who picked up a mobile phone with an exhibit label tied to it. It was Babik’s phone. The technician nodded as he pushed buttons on his laptop, which was now hard-wired to the phone.
‘Ok, I’m on loudspeaker, here goes,’ Sue said, as she dialled a number.
‘About bloody time Cornel, I’ve been waiting ages,’ said a voice Vinnie knew must be Fletcher’s.
‘And before you make any excuses,’ Fletcher said, carrying straight on, ‘I want the full 20grand you owe me. Never mind all the other information I’ve given you, and don’t forget it was my idea to kidnap Sadiq’s wife. He’d have sung like the proverbial, otherwise.’
Vinnie and Harry grinned at each other; they had more than they could have hoped for. They both ran to the far corner of the room and Harry whispered his command to the arrest team, via his mobile. ‘Strike, strike, strike.’
From the other side of the room, Vinnie could hear Fletcher’s voice shouting, ‘Babik, Babik are you there?’ just before Sue ended the call.
Vinnie and Harry re-joined them as the technician confirmed he’d got the lot. A long couple of minutes followed, as they all waited to hear confirmation that the arrest team had nabbed Fletcher in possession of his phone.
Then came the cherry on the cake. Babik’s phone burst into life, it was an incoming call from Fletcher’s mobile. ‘Babik, are you there? How dare you hang up on me!’ said Fletcher’s voice, followed by, ‘Who the hell let you into my office?’ Then the line went dead.
*
Thirty minutes later, and Vinnie and Harry were back in Darlington’s office with Christine. Sue and Cath were busy elsewhere, writing up what had just taken place.
‘I just wanted to thank you all again, not only Christine for her bravery, but to you two for running this job so well,’ Darlington said.
‘I still can’t quite believe that Boldo is Fernandez,’ Vinnie said.
‘Me neither,’ Christine added.
‘Early indications from Cath’s team are that Fernandez wants to sell out his entire network for a brown envelope,’ Harry said. ‘So he’ll get 20 years instead of 25; this is a trade-off that will be worth it.’
‘It will, if we have prevented a UK-wide trafficking network from being established, and compro
mise an existing network that covers Europe and free many enslaved women,’ Darlington said.
Nobody spoke for a moment and then Vinnie commented, ‘I’d no idea just how widespread this trafficking problem had become.’
‘Me neither,’ Harry said. ‘It’s hidden below the surface of normality.’
‘I don’t want to look into any more eyes that are barren of hope,’ Vinnie said, remembering the soulless looks he’d seen at the first mill they liberated.
‘Don’t worry, I’ve already spoken to June, and we are going to throw some serious resources at this one. The programme will go out primetime, to help highlight the problem. Increase public awareness,’ Christine told them.
‘And I am due to see the home sec next week, so will do my bit to make government aware,’ Darlington said.
No one spoke, as all seemed to be having a moment of reflection. Then Harry spoke up. ‘Just do me one favour,’ he said, as he turned to Vinnie and Christine.
‘What?’ Vinnie asked.
‘Be more careful where you take your holidays in future. My blood pressure can’t take it.’
‘Not sure about that, Harry,’ Christine said. ‘Come on Vinnie Palmer, it’s time you took me home. We need to plan the next one — after we’ve sorted out some other unfinished business.’
Vinnie could feel his cheeks redden slightly.
‘Then, tomorrow, I need to get to work,’ she added, serious again.
He knew that they all had plenty to do.
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