by Luke Delaney
“Maybe he is,” said Sally. “We’re trying to find that out. But for now, you remember taking the prints out of the Yard?”
“Yeah. And I remember taking them back just as clearly.”
Sally picked up the speed of the questions. “Why did you pull them out in the first place?”
“I was doing someone a favor. The prints weren’t for me.”
“Who were they for?”
“Paul Jarratt. He was a DS at Richmond at the time. I was still a DC. We worked the Korsakov case together. He asked me to pull the prints, so I did.”
“Did he say why he wanted them?”
“I can’t remember. Maybe he said the Prison Service had asked for them, but I’m not sure. All I know is that if someone has lost his prints, it wasn’t me. If you want to know why DS Jarratt needed the prints, then perhaps you should ask him.”
“You know what?” Sally told him. “I think I’ll do exactly that.”
The phone was ringing on Hellier’s desk as he entered his office. He closed the door before answering.
“Hello. James Hellier speaking.”
“Mr. Hellier,” the voice on the other end began. “I hope you don’t mind me calling you at work. It was the only way I could think of contacting you.”
The voice belonged to a man. He sounded mature, in his forties perhaps. He spoke quite well. Hellier could hear no trace of an accent. He didn’t recognize the voice, but suspected it was being artificially disguised. It sounded concerned. He could sense no harmful intent, but was as cautious as ever.
“You’re not a journalist, are you?” Hellier barked the question. “Because if you are, I’ll find out whom you work for and by this evening you’ll be looking for a new job that you won’t find.”
“No. No.” The man’s voice was slightly pleading. Hellier still sensed no threat.
“Then who are you?”
“A friend,” the man answered. “A friend who knew Daniel Graydon. And now. . now I’d like to become your friend. A friend who can help you.”
Hellier said nothing.
“Listen to these instructions. Follow them exactly if you want to meet me, but be careful. Your enemies are everywhere.”
Hellier listened hard to the instructions, memorizing every detail. When the voice had finished, the phone line went dead. Hellier sat in silence with the phone pressed to his ear. His new friend had to be a journalist. He wouldn’t put it past Corrigan to have put the vermin on to him in the first place, trying to panic him into making a mistake, but it wouldn’t work. He knew how to deal with journalists and he knew how to deal with Corrigan. After a minute or two he was brought back to the world by a knock at his door.
“Come in,” he said, his voice a little hoarse. The door opened as Sebastian Gibran let himself in and pulled a chair close to Hellier’s desk. Hellier found himself leaning back, as far away from Gibran as he could get.
“Thought I’d see how you were. See how things were going with the police. Make sure you were okay. Nothing getting on top of you too much?”
“I’m fine, thank you, Sebastian. Despite everything, I seem to be bearing up.” Hellier found it harder than usual to play the corporate game. The voice on the telephone had been an unwelcome complication.
“Good. I knew it would take more than jealous allegations to upset a man like you.”
“Jealous allegations?”
“Of course. People will always be jealous of people like us. They want what we have, but they’re never going to have it. It’s not just wealth, it’s everything. They can win their millions in the lottery as much as they like, but they’ll never be like us. Never walk among other men as we can, safe in the comfort of our own superiority. It’s our right. You do understand, don’t you, James?”
“A king will always be a king. A peasant will always be a peasant.”
“Exactly.” Gibran beamed. “That’s why I brought you to this firm in the first place, James, because I knew you had what it takes. When I first spoke to you at that conference all those years ago, I knew. I’d met hundreds of financial superstars that week, but I knew you were different. I knew you belonged here at Butler and Mason-and I made damn certain I got you.”
“I’m forever grateful,” Hellier managed, but he was a little disturbed by this side of Gibran he’d never seen before-the perfect corporate manager and visionary seemingly replaced by a more arrogant, self-serving elitist. Was he finally meeting the real Sebastian Gibran-or was Gibran trying to trick him into lowering his guard, looking for a reason to move him on to pastures far less green?
“Any gratitude owed has already been repaid,” Gibran told him. You know, James, none of us are immune from making mistakes. The very nature of our business is risk oriented. We accept that people will make bad decisions from time to time. Those decisions will sometimes cost us a great deal of money, but we accept it.”
Hellier listened, trying to predict the moment when the conversation would become specific to him.
“But other mistakes, errors of judgment not related to work, are less tolerated. The people who own Butler and Mason like to portray a very particular image: they like their employees to be married, settled, and they encourage people to have children by creating a pay structure that rewards a family life. The image of this company has emerged by design, not accident, and they guard it jealously. If an employee has elements in their life that do not fit easily with our company ethos, then they would be expected to bury those”-Gibran searched for an appropriate word-“those habits, where they would never be seen. If they failed to do so, then their position here might not be tenable. If someone was to draw unwanted attention to our business, even if it was by accident, even if it was later shown not to be that person’s fault, the company would nevertheless expect that person to bring that situation to a swift conclusion. We’re all clear on that philosophy, aren’t we, James?”
“I understand perfectly,” Hellier answered.
“Listen,” Gibran said, his voice and tone suddenly sounding more like the man Hellier recognized. “That was the corporate line-make of it what you will. This is from me: watch your back. I can protect you only so much. I like you, James. You’re a good man. Tread carefully, my friend.”
Hellier watched him for a while before answering. “I will. Thank you.”
“As Nietzsche said, ‘Not mankind, but Superman is the goal. . My desire is to bring forth creatures which stand sublimely above the whole species.’ That is what we are expected to be, James. The failings of normal men are not a luxury we’re allowed.”
“ ‘To live beyond good and evil,’ ” Hellier said, continuing the quote from Nietzsche.
Gibran leaned slowly forward. “I knew we understood each other. You see, James, it’s our imaginations that truly set us apart. Without them, we’d be just like all those other sad fools wandering around soulless, aimless, pointless. Only fit to be ruled over by those fit to rule. That may sound arrogant, but it’s not. It’s reality. It’s the truth.”
Sean entered the press conference room at New Scotland Yard. He walked behind Superintendent Featherstone, who would head the conference. Sean was only there to deal with specifics, not the general presentation.
Other than the TV people there were about a dozen journalists there. A lot less than there would be for a celebrity or child murder, but more than there would have been for a run-of-the-mill killing. Most of them had been following the case since Hellier’s initial arrest, when Donnelly had leaked it to a contact in the media.
Featherstone introduced them and outlined the details of Daniel Graydon’s murder. He began to tell the journalists what the police wanted from the public. Sally would repeat it later that night on Crimewatch.
“We’re appealing to anyone who may have seen Daniel meet someone outside the Utopia nightclub that night. Perhaps a cabdriver who took Daniel home. A friend or acquaintance who maybe gave him a lift,” Featherstone explained.
“We are also interested
in anyone who may have heard or seen something later that night, close to Daniel’s flat in New Cross. Did anyone see a man acting strangely in the area? Again, maybe the man responsible for this terrible crime used a cab to leave the area. Can anyone remember picking up a passenger in the early hours? Someone who aroused their suspicions?”
Sean listened absentmindedly. Featherstone was doing a professional job, sticking to the script, but there was one thing the two of them hadn’t discussed ahead of the conference. A question from a journalist almost made Sean jump. “Do you have a description of the suspect?”
Featherstone was about to answer no when Sean jumped in.
“Yes,” he said. It was the first time he’d spoken. Featherstone was surprised. His mouth hung open a little.
“What’s the description?” the journalist asked.
“We believe we’re looking for a white male, in his forties. He’s slim, fair haired, and smart in appearance.” Sean was describing Hellier.
“Where has this description come from?” asked another journalist.
“I can’t tell you that at this stage,” Sean answered.
The journalists’ excitement grew. “Detective Inspector. .” The female journalist raised her voice above the increasing noise and competition for answers. “Inspector.” She caught Sean’s eye. “Have you just described James Hellier, Inspector?”
“No comment,” Sean answered.
Another journalist pursued the question. “Is Mr. Hellier no longer a suspect in this murder, Inspector?”
“For legal reasons, I can’t answer that.”
“Why was Mr. Hellier not charged?” another asked.
“This is an ongoing investigation, which means I can’t answer that at this time.”
“Is Mr. Hellier a witness in this case?”
The journalists had revealed why they were there. Hellier was the story. Sean had known it from the beginning. He could feel that Featherstone wanted to get the conference back on track, which was fine by Sean. It had served its purpose. Hellier would hear about it and read between the lines. The pressure would be back on. It was revenge for Hellier embarrassing the surveillance operation. For trying to cause a split in the team. A piece on the chessboard had been moved and Hellier would have to respond. Another question came from the floor.
“Was Mr. Hellier having sexual relations with the victim?”
“I think Detective Superintendent Featherstone will be best placed to answer your questions.” He leaned back into his chair, signifying that his involvement in the conference was over.
“Superintendent,” a journalist asked, “is James Hellier a suspect in this murder inquiry or not?”
Featherstone answered without hesitation, the media training paying off. “At this point Mr. Hellier is helping us with our inquiries. I can’t reveal any more details than that until sometime in the future, but I can assure you that it is my intention to conduct as open an investigation into the death of Daniel Graydon as possible, and of course the media will be kept informed. As I was about to say, we would also like the public’s help in tracing two other men that we need to speak to.”
Sean wasn’t listening anymore and didn’t hear Featherstone giving the media the names of Steven Paramore and Jonnie Dempsey. The journalists were once again directing their questions to Featherstone, who dealt with them as beautifully as a conductor would his orchestra. Featherstone presented the user-friendly face of the police service. The clean shirt over an unwashed body. Sean sat quietly chewing the inside of his mouth, waiting for the show to come to a natural end, thinking of Hellier. Seeing him kneeling next to Daniel Graydon, pushing the ice pick through his skin. Standing over Heather Freeman as he swept the knife across her stretched throat.
Hellier had followed the instructions given on the phone exactly. He’d left work at 6 P.M. and walked out the front door in full view of the surveillance team. He hailed the first cab he saw and told the driver to take him to Victoria train station. Once there, he descended into the underground system, moving through the labyrinth of tunnels on foot, boarding trains traveling in one direction, then unexpectedly disembarking and doubling back, making it almost impossible to follow him.
An hour later he stood in Hyde Park looking up at the statue of Achilles. Large trees provided good cover. He could see the bandstand in the park, about thirty meters away. The man on the phone had said he would be there at seven thirty. He would be carrying a small blue Reebok knapsack and wearing a yellow shirt.
Hellier kept his distance. He wanted time to observe the man before he approached him. A friend of Daniel Graydon. What did he know? What had Daniel told him? What did he know about Hellier? It had to be a journalist looking for a story to titillate the masses, but had he found out more than he’d bargained for? Something that could be dangerous to Hellier? Had his phone been hacked? He doubted it. When it came to hacking a phone, he could teach any half-cocked journalist or private detective a thing or two; he was pretty certain his hadn’t been. He needed to find out what they knew about him and deal with it-deal with it with extreme prejudice.
His mobile rang. The display showed PRIVATE NUMBER CALLING. He answered: “James Hellier.”
“I’m so sorry. I’m afraid I’m going to be late. I won’t be able to get to you until about eight. You must wait for me. It’s vital that you wait for me.”
Hellier checked his watch. It meant waiting for almost an hour. “This had better be worth it.”
“It will be,” the man said. “Please believe me. It’s more important than you can possibly imagine.”
“Who are you?” Hellier asked.
“Someone who has an interest in your current predicament. Someone who wants to help. Just be sure to wait for me.”
“I’ll be here.” Hellier didn’t attempt to disguise his annoyance. He snapped his mobile shut. It appeared he would have plenty of time to study his favorite London statue.
For the first time in a long while, Sean went home at a reasonable hour. Kate found it a little strange at first. She’d become accustomed to him not being there.
Sally was doing the Crimewatch presentation that night. Several of the team would stay on at Peckham until midnight, answering any calls from the public the appeal might bring. Sean wasn’t hopeful. He only hoped Hellier was watching. He’d briefed Sally to use Hellier’s description as that of the possible killer, just as he’d done at the press conference.
He also wanted to see the presentation on the Heather Freeman murder. DI Brown would be on the show that night, but no mention would be made of the connection. How would that affect Hellier’s behavior? He pictured Hellier laughing at their incompetence. Fine. Let him laugh.
His mobile began to ring. He groaned. Kate stared across the living room at him. “Hello. Sean Corrigan speaking.”
“Bad news, guv’nor.” It was DC Stan McGowan. “He left work at about six, but we lost him on the underground. He was definitely trying to shake us. We had no chance. Sorry.”
“Why didn’t you call earlier?” Sean asked. It was almost eight thirty now.
“We’ve been running around trying to find him. I sent a couple of boys to his home address, but he either beat them there or he hasn’t gone home yet.”
“Okay, Stan,” Sean said. “You’ve done your best. Stay with it tonight. Concentrate on the home address. Tomorrow I’ll see if I can’t get a dedicated surveillance team back.”
“Sorry,” Stan said again. Sean hung up. He wondered if he could stay awake long enough to watch Crimewatch.
Hellier checked his watch. It was three minutes since he’d last checked. Ten past eight. The man had sworn he’d be there by eight. He was late. He hadn’t called. Dammit. Where was the fool? Hellier looked at his watch again.
What did the caller really want? He’d said he could help. Who could help him? Why would they want to? Were they going to try and blackmail him? That would at least be amusing. He checked his phone. No missed calls.
He
wasn’t going to stand here all night. He had better things to do. He’d lost the police surveillance, but he needed to be careful. Journalists could still be a problem, even if the police weren’t. He felt excitement rising in him like an old friend. Time for a treat. He deserved one.
Kate watched Sean struggling to stay awake in his chair. A bottle of Stella Artois rested on his chest. She watched it rise and fall gently. If he fell asleep properly, he would spill the beer. The cold liquid would wake him up quickly enough. She hoped it would happen. It would make her laugh, and Sean hadn’t made her laugh much lately.
He was losing the battle to keep his eyes open. Hearing the presenter mention a murder in South London, Kate shook Sean by the shoulder. “I think you’re on.”
“Uh?”
“You’re on,” she repeated. “It’s your case next.”
Sean sat upright. He rubbed his face hard and shook his head. “Thanks.”
He watched the presenter outline the case. It was supposed to be informative only, the media helping the police to catch a killer, but the presenter’s background gave him away. He couldn’t help using gutter-press terminology. He tried to look shocked when describing the murder as “gruesome.” He paused dramatically as he informed the nation of how Daniel had been stabbed “seventy-seven times.” The tabloid words flowed from his mouth: “Bloody. .” “Horrific. .” “Mutilated. .” He had them all. In truth, there was only one reason the program existed. Ratings. The British public liked nothing better than watching other people’s suffering from a safe distance.
The camera switched to Sally. She looked a little nervous, but you couldn’t tell unless you knew her like Sean did. She was as professional as he knew she’d be. Informative, accurate, businesslike, but compassionate too.
She gave the description of Hellier as Sean had asked. He felt satisfaction at the thought of Hellier watching and listening to himself being described on national TV, but he had to remember that Hellier was like a poisonous snake. He was dangerous. It was important to keep a firm grip of his neck or risk being bitten.
