The Binford Mysteries: A Collection of Gritty Urban Mystery Novels (3 - BOOK BOX SET)

by Rashad Salim

  Qasim was best friends with Zafar Khan. They were both notorious hoodlums in the local area and always up to no good.

  “I thought the police had cleared Zafar?” Atif asked.

  “So did I – and maybe he is. It’s Qasim that’s the key right now.”

  “If he was involved in your neighbour’s murder then he had to be involved with the attack on you too,” Atif said.

  “Maybe. That’s what I need to find out.”

  “Are you going to tell the police about Qasim?”

  “Eventually,” Tom said. “First I wanna speak to him myself and that’s where you come in.”

  “What do you need from me?”

  “I need to find Qasim.”

  “Can’t you find out his address from the school records?” Atif asked.

  “Probably, but no idea how long that could take. The school’s shut for the weekend and I can’t wait until next week. Besides, he was a former student and I don’t know if we still have his details on record. And I couldn’t go digging around in the records without drawing attention to myself. Do you know where he lives?”

  “No, but I could ask around.”

  “Would be great if you could find out, Atif.”

  “I still think you should tell the police what Marcus told you.”

  “I will. Just not yet.”

  “Okay, I’ll do what I can.”

  “Thanks, Atif. Totally appreciate this.”

  Atif said bye and Tom ended the call. Tom then phoned Billy Thompson.

  “Yeah?” Billy answered right away.

  “I’ve got news.”

  37

  “How many times we gonna go over this?” Billy asked.

  “I know you’ve promised to stay on the right side of this but you never know how you’re gonna react in the moment, right?” Tom said. “We both know this boy might’ve killed your brother. This is as personal as it gets. The last thing we need is you snapping.”

  The two of them were in Billy’s car which was parked near Qasim Rafiq’s home.

  It was almost ten o’ clock in the morning and they had been waiting in the car for almost two hours. They had barely spoken during this time. Tom had spent most of the time reading a newspaper and checking online news sources on his mobile phone. Billy had spent the time smoking and staring at Qasim’s front door for any activity.

  “...Relax. I know what I’m doing.”

  Yeah, Tom thought, thinking this was exactly how Billy had waited for him before they met.

  Atif had managed to get Qasim’s address from his sources and passed it on to Tom, who had in turn shared the information with Billy.

  Billy proposed surveillance of Qasim’s home first thing in the morning and requested Tom get a photo of Qasim too or they wouldn’t have a clue what their suspect looked like. Luckily, Atif easily managed to get plenty of photos of Qasim through his Facebook profile and sent them to Tom. There was no recognition when Tom saw the photos. But then again, he wondered, why would there be if Qasim had been wearing a mask during the attack?

  It was Saturday morning now and the two of them had assumed Qasim would be rising late.

  The idea had been to follow Qasim once he left the house and then confront him when the time was right. The two of them would interrogate him and apply all the pressure they could to get the information they needed out of the boy.

  Tom dropped the newspaper in the foot well. “Were you and John close?”

  “...No.”

  Tom watched Billy’s expression for any emotion. There wasn’t any.

  They hadn’t discussed Billy’s relationship with his brother at all until now and Tom suspected it was going to be a very brief and curt discussion.

  “Did John have any other family? I never saw any visitors come around.”

  Billy continued staring at Qasim’s front door. “...We got a sister – the middle child –

  who lives far from here.”

  “Parents?”

  “Both dead. Any other questions?”

  Billy’s annoyance at the conversation topic was clear but Tom persisted.

  “When was the last time you saw John?”

  “Fucking hell, mate. Am I in therapy here?”

  “Answer the question?”

  “I saw him about a year ago. I came by to give him money.”

  “Did the two of you get on?”

  Billy winced and Tom noticed. He tossed the cigarette bud out of the window and glared at Tom. “Does it sound like we did?”

  Tom looked down at his lap. “Sorry.”

  They sat in silence for a few minutes.

  “Johnny was always getting into shit,” Billy finally said.

  And you were always getting him out of it?

  “We grew up here,” Billy said. “Used to live around the block until about fifteen years ago. I left first. Didn’t have much of a choice when I was sent down. And then Michelle settled down with someone respectable and they have a respectable family now. Ain’t heard from her in years. As for John, he lived with mum ‘til she passed away two years ago.”

  Tom thought about Billy’s prison time and wondered how long he had been put away. “You went to prison?” he asked.

  Billy nodded.

  “For what?

  “Something naughty.” He gave Tom a look that said more than his words could.

  Tom had sensed Billy had something dodgy about him from the moment he laid eyes on him and wondered how much of a criminal he still was.

  “...Anyway, enough about me,” Billy said and lit another cigarette. “What I’m interested in is you and what got all of this started in the first place.” He turned to face Tom. “Did you have any enemies before you started teaching here? Maybe something from the past?”

  Tom shook his head. He couldn’t help but smile at the thought of trouble in Nottingham where he had lived a quaint life. “Impossible,” he said.

  “How long you been in Binford?”

  Tom told him about moving to town from Nottingham. “Ever been there?”

  Billy shook his head. “Nah, but I always thought Robin Hood was alright.” He smiled and Tom laughed.

  It was the first time the atmosphere between them had lightened up and when the moment passed, it brought Tom back to the reality of the situation.

  Tom hadn’t expected the surveillance to be so uncomfortable. He had to use an empty plastic bottle when he had to relieve himself.

  Billy had forbidden him from leaving the car unless it was an emergency and the call of nature didn’t qualify. He also had a bottle down by his feet for himself.

  They had been sitting in the car for five hours when Billy nudged Tom hard on the shoulder.

  Tom had fallen asleep but now he was wide awake and startled. “What?”

  “Look.”

  Tom looked at Qasim’s front door and saw a middle aged Asian man walk out of the front door. He guessed this was Qasim’s father.

  The man wore a white prayer hat and traditional Pakistani clothes.

  “Looks like he’s off to the mosque,” Billy said. “Afternoon prayers.”

  Tom looked at his watch. It was almost half past one.

  “Maybe Qasim will join him?” Tom said.

  “I somehow doubt that.”

  Tom thought about that. He watched Qasim’s father walk down the road away from them. “What happens if he stays home all day?” he asked.

  “What kind of a teenager would stay home all day on a fucking Saturday?”

  “One who is trying to keep a low profile?”

  “Hmm...”

  Qasim’s father was out of sight now.

  “Think about it,” Tom said. “If he did do the deed, he’s probably hiding out now. And if he does leave the house it might not be until well after dark. Then what do we do?”

  “We keep an eye on his house until he does come out,” Billy said.

  Tom imagined sitting in the car for another five hours and sighed. “He better come
out soon,” he said. “I don’t know how much more of this I can take.”

  “Relax,” Billy said. “This is the easy part.”

  Tom stared out of the window wondered about the hard part.

  Qasim’s father returned home less than an hour later. When he entered the family home there was still no sign of Qasim.

  Then, at around quarter past three – over seven hours after Tom and Billy had arrived at the spot – the front door opened and Qasim appeared.

  Tom sat up straight.

  “We could grab him now,” Billy said.

  Tom looked at him. “And do what? Kidnap him, right out in the open?”

  “No. We’ll just wait for him to get away from home and any neighbours that might get in our way.”

  Tom wondered how many times Billy had done this kind of thing before.

  Qasim shut the door and walked down the garden path.

  “Gotta give him some distance,” Billy said.

  Qasim strolled up the road towards them but on the other side of the road.

  “Still don’t think this is a wild goose chase?” Billy asked.

  “It’s the only lead we’ve got.”

  “I still think there’s a chance Marcus was pulling your leg. Even if he had nothing to do with John’s murder. Shifting the attention away from him by leading you to someone else would be a good tactic.”

  “I’m pretty sure he was telling the truth.”

  “Honour among criminals?” Billy smirked.

  “...Something like that.”

  There was more to it though. Tom never got the feeling there was any animosity from Marcus’ end when they came face to face. Unless Marcus was a great actor, he was indifferent to Tom as if he hadn’t given the teacher any more thought since he was expelled.

  “You really think he’s gonna turn himself in to the cops?”

  “He’s not handing himself in. He’s just co-operating.”

  Tom watched Qasim walking away through the car’s side mirror.

  Billy turned the ignition and they began trailing Qasim at a safe distance.

  Tom’s heart was beating faster now. He speculated the different ways Qasim would react to being confronted.

  He reassured himself in the knowledge that this time he’d be the one doing the ambush.

  38

  Tom and Billy had been trailing Qasim Rafiq for less than a few minutes when he turned the corner and ended up on a much quieter road.

  “Time to say hello,” Billy said.

  Qasim had been talking on his mobile phone, deep in conversation since he had left his home.

  Billy overtook Qasim and parked the car fifty feet ahead of the boy. He opened the door and Tom followed suit.

  The two of them walked around and stood on the pavement, blocking Qasim’s path.

  Qasim made eye contact with the two men and slowed to a stroll. He was still on the phone but not within earshot yet.

  Tom wondered who he was talking to and if the conversation was related to either Chris or John.

  Qasim never broke eye contact with them as he said his final words before hanging up and putting the phone into his jeans pocket.

  Billy approached Qasim. Tom fell into step with him.

  When they were ten feet away from the boy he stopped and glanced at Tom.

  Tom had been waiting for his cue and now he finally got it. He had told Billy he would handle most of the talking but Billy was welcome to chime in at the right time if it was necessary.

  “How’s it going, Qasim?”

  Qasim frowned. “Who are you?”

  “I’m Tom Smith. I’m a teacher at Binford Sixth Form.”

  “We just want to ask you a few questions,” Billy said. The comment had come as a surprise to Tom who gave him a look of disapproval but Billy took no notice.

  “About what?” Qasim asked.

  “About the murder of one of my neighbours,” Tom said.

  Qasim shrugged. “What’s that got to do with me?”

  Billy was growing agitated. “We’ve got reason to believe that you know who did it,” he said. He folded his arms across his chest and swayed back and forth, while glaring at the boy.

  Qasim swallowed hard and blinked several times frantically. “I don’t know anything.”

  “Ever seen a gun in real life before?” Billy asked.

  Qasim looked around his surroundings, probably for someone to rescue him, Tom thought. “Why?” He was breathing heavy now.

  “Because I know you bought one the other day,” Tom said. “So where is it?”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Don’t gimme that shit,” Billy said. “What did you do with it?”

  “I don’t know anything about guns!”

  “That’s not what I heard,” Tom said. “I know you bought a gun. Now I want to know what you’ve done with it.”

  Qasim panted. “I didn’t do anything.”

  “Then you better tell us what you did with the piece,” Billy said.

  Qasim took a step back and looked past Tom and Billy. “I’m not telling you shit!”

  “You little toe rag,” Billy said with his jaw clenched.

  “What the fuck’s goin’ on here?” someone called out from behind Tom and Billy.

  Tom spun around to see a car had slowed down behind them.

  The voice belonged to an Asian youth in the front passenger seat. The young man had his head out of the window and glared at Tom and Billy.

  Tom saw the car was filled with four young men and felt a sense of panic consume him. He had been confident he had things under control but now it seemed as if he and Billy were about to lose control of the situation.

  They were outnumbered if it came to a physical confrontation and he was sure at least one of the youths would be carrying a knife.

  Tom looked on as the car doors opened and the four Asian men climbed out.

  Billy pointed at Qasim. “You ain’t going nowhere.”

  Qasim took another few steps back and said, “Neither are you.”

  39

  “Took your fuckin’ time, Aziz!” Qasim called out to his friends.

  Tom groaned inward upon realising Qasim had been talking to this rescue squad while he and Billy had been waiting to approach him. He regretted not acting sooner. If he had, he and Billy wouldn’t have this potentially catastrophic confrontation now.

  “Relax,” answered the young man at the forefront of the crowd of boys. “They ain’t gonna do nothin’ now.”

  Tom guessed Aziz was a little older than Qasim – probably around twenty years old – whereas the other boys were in their late teens.

  “Nothing to see here boys,” Tom said. “We’re just having a word with your little friend, that’s all.”

  “Not anymore, you ain’t,” Aziz said, puffing out his chest.

  “Mind your own business, lads,” Billy said. “This is serious business for grown-ups.”

  Unlike himself, Tom was glad to see Billy hadn’t seemed intimidated by the presence of these youths.

  At the same time he felt like he had lost the upper hand in questioning Qasim. He doubted he’d regain that, even if the youths stopped interfering in his exchange with Qasim. His problem was he had no idea how to get the truth out of Qasim.

  Aziz pulled out a huge blade from behind and held it out.

  Tom gulped. The sight of the blade sent him in a panic. He couldn’t take his eyes off it.

  He recalled the knives Chris Jones’ killers had used when attacking him and Tom.

  Billy rolled his eyes and swore. “Alright, that’s it,” he said and pulled out a handgun from his inside coat pocket.

  Tom thought he was imagining things.

  Aziz and his cronies staggered backwards at the sight of the handgun.

  Tom, along with Aziz and his cronies, watched in horror as Billy lunged toward Qasim and grabbed him by his jacket with the barrel of the gun pointed at the boy’s chest.

&n
bsp; “You’re comin’ with us,” Billy said to Qasim.

  Qasim looked like he was about to burst in tears. He looked at Tom helplessly, appealing for him to intervene. Tom was too stunned to say or do anything. All he could do was look on in shock.

  “Please!” Aziz called out and raised his hands in the air.

  Billy aimed the gun at Aziz. He clenched his jaw and glared at him.

  Tom thought Billy was about to shoot them any second.

  “Drop that fuckin’ knife! Right now, cunt!”

  Aziz followed Billy’s instructions and the knife dropped to the ground. His friends also raised their hands in surrender. Tom looked around to check if there were witnesses in the area watching Billy holding the youths at gunpoint. He didn’t see anyone.

  “Now gimme ya fucking car keys!” Billy ordered Aziz.

  Aziz was trembling as much as Qasim. He fumbled in his pockets until he found his keys and held them out for Billy.

  “Take the keys, Tommy boy.”

  Tom finally snapped out of his shock. “What the fuck are you doing? This wasn’t part of the plan!”

  “Fuck the plan, mate. This is the new one. Now get the fuckin’ keys!”

  Tom went to Aziz and snatched the keys from him. He stepped back in line with Billy. He stuffed them into Qasim’s pockets. “You can get them off him later,” he told Aziz.

  “Count yourself lucky,” Billy told Aziz, with the gun still pointed at the youth. “I was gonna drop ‘em down the fuckin’ drain to teach you a lesson.” Billy smirked at Aziz, taunting him further. “Now fuck off back to ya car.”

  The boys did as he instructed.

  “We’re takin’ your boy for a ride,” Billy said when the youths were at a safe distance behind their vehicle. “Just try anything and I’m gonna pop him in the fuckin’ head, got it?”

  The youths gestured their understanding.

  Billy hadn’t let go of Qasim and dragged the boy towards his car. “Come on, Tom. What the fuck ya waitin’ for?”

  The situation had gone wildly out of control and Tom couldn’t imagine how much worse it could get – unless Billy’s gun went off and he ended up shooting Qasim.