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

by Rashad Salim

  “Remember, be cool,” Billy said. “This’ll all be over soon.”

  Tom had been watching Billy operate and wondered how he got so good at being bad.

  Billy bowed down to put his head beside Qasim’s so he could listen in on the phone conversation.

  The phone rang a couple of times but there was no answer and the call went into voicemail. Qasim looked at Tom with terror in his eyes. Tom suspected the boy thought he’d be finished if Zafar didn’t pick up and on second thoughts, Tom thought that might be a possibility too if their plan failed and Billy snapped in anger.

  Something came to Tom right then. “Stop!”

  “What is it?” Billy asked.

  “Can’t fucking believe we didn’t think this through. Good thing he didn’t answer.”

  Billy frowned. “What you on about?”

  Tom took the phone from Qasim and fiddled with some of its accessories until he found what he was looking for. “I used to have a phone like this and the voice recorder option lets you record calls.” He set it up and handed the phone back to Qasim.

  “Good idea,” Billy said. “We’ll get him to incriminate himself and have proof.”

  Qasim phoned again. Just when Tom thought the call was going to go into voicemail, Zafar answered and Tom darted forward so he could eavesdrop on the conversation too.

  “Zaf?”

  “Yeah, wassup?”

  “I gotta chat to you.”

  “Yeah?” Zafar seemed curious and it made Tom wonder if the boy was playing dumb, pretending to be oblivious of Qasim’s abduction. “How come?”

  “Did you talk to Aziz?”

  “Why?”

  Why not just say yes or no? Tom was convinced Zafar knew Qasim had been compromised.

  “You ain’t heard?” Qasim asked. “About what happened?”

  Zafar was silent.

  Qasim looked at Billy for guidance.

  Billy nodded for Qasim to continue as he was.

  “...Ah, fuck man,” I was walkin’ down the road when Mr Smith and this other man showed up. Fuckers blocked my path but luckily I was on the phone to Aziz. He was with the boys. I told him to come down.”

  “Then what happened?” Zafar asked.

  “Mr Smith and the cockney bastard with him started accusin’ me of shit.” Billy smiled at Qasim. “I don’t know who they’ve been talkin’ to but they were askin’ about trouble maker students from Binford. And then Aziz and the boys finally showed up.” Qasim had been telling the story at motor mouth speed and was breathing heavy hard now. “...Fuckin’ hell, bruv...you know what happened then?”

  “Go on,” Zafar said coolly.

  “The cockney guy pulled out a gun! He pointed it at the boys! They took Aziz’s car keys and forced me into their boot. I was so scared, man, you have no idea.”

  “You still with them?”

  “Nah.”

  “How did you escape?”

  “They let me go. Took me for a ride all the way to the other side of town and then kicked me out.”

  “That’s quite a story,” Zafar said calmly.

  Tom held his breath. There was no way their plan would work now.

  “I thought they were gonna fuck me up, bruv. The Binford Snatcher style! Know what I mean? But they said they were just tryin’ to teach me a lesson ‘cause I gave ‘em lip.”

  Zafar giggled. “You gave ‘em lip? Sounds like they did you Snatcher style anyway.” He laughed a little.

  Qasim waited for Zafar to say more but that was it. He looked at Billy for guidance.

  Tom stepped back and whispered ‘meet up’.

  “We need to meet up, bruv.” Qasim said.

  “For what?”

  “We need to talk and right now.”

  “We’re talkin’ right now, duh,” Zafar said.

  Qasim winced. “No, I mean in person. I don’t wanna talk about this shit over the phone no more. Someone might be listening in on us.”

  Billy gave Qasim a thumbs up signal.

  Zafar laughed. “You serious? This ain’t James Bond. No one’s listenin’ in on us.”

  Billy gave Tom a mischievous look.

  “We don’t know that. I swear that Mr Smith is onto us. Who knows who else is?”

  “Calm down,” Zafar said. “They just scared you, that’s all. Don’t be a pussy about it though. I bet the gun weren’t even real. Man, I wish I was there...”

  “What the fuck would you have done?” Qasim asked. “Pulled out yours?”

  Zaf laughed. “That would’ve shit ‘em up real good.”

  “Look, Zaf,” Qasim said. “I’m gonna need the gun back.”

  “Fuck off, Qas. What do you think I am?”

  “I never should’ve got it in the first place,” Qasim said. “We should’ve let it go after you ended up stabbing Mr Jones instead.”

  Tom squeezed Qasim’s shoulder hoping the boy would take the hint and be more subtle.

  “And let Mr Smith live? I already told you before. I had to finish what we started, didn’t I? Otherwise it would’ve all been a waste. We would’ve risked everythin’ for nothin’.”

  “But an innocent man was killed.”

  “Who? Mr Jones? That cunt deserved what he got for gettin’ in the way.”

  “What about the neighbour?”

  “Fuck’s sake, you really are a little bitch, you know that, Qas? That only happened ‘cause I got the wrong door. It was dark and I didn’t get a good look at the door number. Don’t forget I was under a lot of stress. It ain’t like on TV. Shit happens. Anyway, who gives a fuck about the neighbour? He was a druggie the cops ain’t gonna bother with that shit.”

  Tom and Billy exchanged looks.

  In his rage, Zafar had admitted shooting John Thompson and they both heard it loud and clear.

  “I’m sorry, bruv,” Qasim said. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that.”

  Qasim was genuinely upset, Tom thought. He squeezed the boy’s shoulder again for emotional support.

  “I just want this all to end,” Qasim said. “I just want it to blow over but it’s gettin’ worse and worse.”

  “Don’t worry,” Zafar said, having calmed down. “I’m gonna make sure I get him next time. He ain’t gonna get away this time.”

  Qasim caught Tom’s eye and held his gaze. “Why can’t you just let it go?”

  “You know I can’t.”

  “Why not? Why take the risk?”

  “Because the man who wanted Smith dead won’t pay fully until I finish the job.”

  44

  Tom staggered back at discovering Zafar was ordered to kill him by someone else.

  He thought he was about to collapse and Billy grabbed him.

  Billy’s eyes narrowed at Tom and he gave him a quick shake to snap him out of his shock.

  Tom stood back, no longer in earshot. He took a couple of deep breaths and tried to make sense of it all.

  Billy gestured for Qasim to ask who this man was.

  “Someone paid you to jump Mr Smith?” Qasim asked.

  Tom came closer to listen in on the call, having somewhat regained his composure.

  Zafar laughed. “What? You thought I was gonna go through all that for nothin’?”

  “Who paid you?”

  “...What’s with all the questions? You didn’t wanna know shit before? What the fuck is up with you?”

  Tom looked at Billy panicked.

  Billy gestured for him to calm down.

  “Maybe I should’ve, ya know? That was before my life was ruined!”

  Zafar sighed. “I can’t say ...well, maybe not yet.”

  Billy looked at Qasim and whispered “Meet up.”

  “Where are you now?”

  “I’m on my way to see this geezer.”

  “What for?”

  “He wants to talk and said he’d pay me a bonus now. On top of the half once it’s done”

  “Let me go with you.”

  “I can’t,” Zafar said. �
��He’s proper paranoid, even more than you, and he’s only dealin’ with me. No one else.”

  “You trust him?”

  “Don’t worry, I know him.”

  “Where you meetin’ him?”

  “At the junkyard but that’s all I can say and I’m getting late so I’ll chat to you later. In the meantime have a zoot and calm the fuck down. Bye.”

  Zafar hung up before Qasim could say anything.

  Billy took the phone from Qasim. “You did well, son. Better than I thought.”

  “You gonna let me go now?”

  “Sure, just give us a moment,” Billy said and put his gun away. He nudged the boy back into the lying-down position he’d been in and shut the boot door. He turned to Tom. “What do you think?”

  They walked twenty feet away from the car just in case Qasim overheard anything they discussed.

  “I think we got all the info we needed,” Tom said. “And we need to tell the police everything we know now.”

  “We don’t know everythin’,” Billy said. “The paymaster. Zafar’s client.”

  “Once the police nab Zafar they’ll get all the answers out of him.”

  Billy shook his head.

  “We can’t hold off any longer, Billy. We took this boy unlawfully and threatened his life.”

  “True,” Billy said. “But we managed to get more answers in the last hour than the Old Bill have all week!”

  “And hopefully that’s gonna make up for our unlawful methods.” Tom pointed at Billy’s coat pocket. “That gun real?”

  “Does it look like a water pistol to you?” Billy asked.

  “Is it loaded?”

  “What do you think?” Billy said.

  “What if it went off, hey?”

  Billy shrugged.

  “I can’t believe what we just did,” Tom said, more to himself than to Billy. “I kidnapped a fucking teenager and let someone put a gun to his fucking head.”

  Billy patted Tom’s shoulder. “It’s alright, sweetheart. You’ll get over it.”

  “I’m calling DS Barker right now,” Tom said and reached for his phone.

  Billy stopped him. “Before you do that, we need to think.”

  “About what? It’s done. The boy confessed about Zafar. He told us everything he knows.”

  “You don’t really think I can just turn him in without me getting a slap on the wrist, do you?”

  “What are you saying?”

  “You can turn him in. I can’t. Yes, we broke the law but you’re one dozy sod if you think the coppers are gonna let me off for using a gun to get all this done.”

  “Meaning?”

  “That means you turn in Qasim and get off the hook. Me? I’m going after Zafar.”

  “But you promised!” Tom said, stunned.

  “Promised what?”

  “That we would do this on the right side of the law.”

  “Fuck the law,” Billy said. He turned his back on Tom and began walking back to the car.

  “We had an agreement, you lying bastard!” He said, following Billy back to the car.

  “I never lied,” Billy said over his shoulder. “I just changed my mind.”

  “So, what now? I’ve gotta turn him in,” Tom said, pointing at the car boot. “While you’re off to kill Zafar and his client?”

  “Pretty much.”

  “I don’t fucking believe this,” Tom said, knowing there was nothing he could do to stop Billy.

  “Just be glad I didn’t tell you to piss off and got rid of this boy too.”

  Billy moved toward the driver’s seat door.

  “Wait,” Tom said.

  “What?”

  “Are you just going to drive up to the police station and chuck him out of the boot? In front of everyone?”

  Billy chuckled. “Good point.”

  “There’s no need to tie him up. I’ll keep an eye on him in the backseat. You can put the doors on child safety lock too so there’s no chance of getting out unless you let us out.”

  Billy nodded and opened the car boot.

  Qasim stared at him in fear.

  “Alright, sunshine, we’re takin’ you to the old bill now.”

  “What?” Qasim asked, wild eyed. “You said you’d let me go!”

  “I can’t really do that now, can I? You’re too valuable now.”

  “But you promised!” Qasim said, cowering and avoiding Billy’s gaze.

  Billy clenched his jaw and leaned in to Qasim. “Look here, cunt. I could put my gun in your mouth right now and pull the trigger just ‘cause you gave your mate Zafar the gun used to kill my brother.”

  Qasim, jolted by the revelation of Billy’s identity, stared into Billy’s eyes in total shock.

  “That’s right, you little toe rag. Now get up.”

  Billy yanked him out of the car boot, dragged him around the car and flung him into the back seat of the car. He adjusted the child safety lock and slammed the door shut.

  Billy turned to face Tom. “Aren’t you the least bit curious who paid Zafar?”

  “Of course, but that’s for the police to handle now.”

  “Suit yourself. I’m gonna drop you both off at the police station.

  “And then you’re going to gun down Zafar and his client at the junkyard?”

  Billy shrugged. “I’ll see how it goes but this is the end of the road for you, mate.”

  45

  When they arrived outside Binford Police Station Billy stopped the car but kept the engine running. “Alright, out you two,” he said.

  Tom turned to Qasim. Aside from the occasional sobbing, the boy had kept quiet the entire journey.

  “We don’t have to mention the gun,” Tom said.

  Billy looked at him through the rear view mirror and frowned. “What?”

  “I said we don’t have to tell the police we coerced the info out of him at gunpoint.”

  “Got amnesia, Tom?” Billy said. “His mates all saw me pull him away with a gun pointed at him. The same gun I threatened them with, you dope. Forgotten all that?”

  “I know what they saw. But we can tell them you said it was just a toy – a replica – and you never told us until now.”

  Billy shook his head. “Don’t do me any favours, okay? You’re making yourself sound like a right tit.”

  Tom turned to face Qasim. “I know you never meant any harm, I believe you on that. But now it’s time for you to do the right thing. I’ll put in a good word for you if you don’t mention the gun. All you gotta say is we held you and forced you to tell us everything. But you can’t mention the gun, okay?”

  Qasim said nothing. He just stared down at his lap.

  “You must realise something, Qasim, if you don’t co-operate with the police right now, it’s going to be a lot more serious later on. You’ll be in worse trouble if you don’t work with the police. Zafar’s going to get caught and arrested soon. So is his client. This really is your last chance to get out of trouble. Do you understand?”

  Qasim nodded.

  Billy was watching in the rear view mirror. “Don’t forget, these boys would grass you up in no time if they were in your shoes. They don’t give a shit about you. No one does.”

  Tom shot him a look.

  “...Except for Mr Smith here,” Billy said and smirked.

  “Think of your parents,” Tom said.

  Qasim winced and Tom thought he was about to start weeping again.

  “Just think of the pain and embarrassment you’ll cause them if you don’t confess everything right now,” Tom said. “Tell the police everything right now and I give you my word I’ll tell them and your parents you wanted to do the right thing all along but were too scared of Zafar to do so, okay?”

  Qasim nodded.

  “All you really needed was someone to help you out of this mess, isn’t that right?” Tom asked him.

  Qasim nodded.

  “Yes?” Tom asked him again.

  Qasim swallowed hard. “...Yes.”
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  “Okay,” Tom said. He looked at Billy and nodded at the door.

  Billy got out of the car and opened Tom’s door.

  Tom got out and helped Qasim out too, holding the boy’s arm firm.

  Billy looked at Qasim. “You’re doin’ alright, son. Keep it up and you’ll be fine. Just don’t try anythin’ and cock it all up now, got it?”

  Qasim looked away and nodded.

  Billy gave Tom a smile, a farewell gesture, and got back into the car.

  Tom wanted to say something to Billy but nothing came to mind so he turned and walked with Qasim towards the police station entrance. Once they passed through the front doors, Tom looked over his shoulder at Billy and saw him drive off.

  There he goes, Tom thought, off to kill Zafar and his client and anyone else involved in his brother’s murder. It was an unsettling thought and he had to shake it off to focus on what he had to do now.

  46

  Tom approached the front desk at the reception. The Desk Sergeant was a big man in his late thirties.

  Tom asked if he could see DS Barker. After doing some checking up, the officer told Tom the detective was not in the building.

  “What’s it regarding again?” the officer asked. “I can get one of the other officers available to deal with you.”

  “It’s okay, I’ll try phoning him. Do you know if and when he’ll be back?”

  “There’s no telling, I’m afraid,” the officer said. He gave both Tom and Qasim a look that made Tom guess he was trying to suss them out himself.

  “Well, thanks anyway,” Tom said. “Just give us a moment.”

  Tom gave the officer a smile and nudged Qasim away from the front desk. He led the boy to the seats in the waiting area. They took the seats furthest away from the front desk.

  They sat in silence for a while. Tom needed to think. He went over everything in his head again. Everything he had discovered in chronological order and tried to build a mental timeline of events.

  “...People are gonna be wondering where I am,” Qasim finally said. “I need to make a phone call. I’m allowed that, aren’t I?”

  Tom turned to face him. “Sure, but not yet. Not until we’ve spoken to an investigating police officer.” And then, as it just occurred to him, he added, “Don’t forget, you’re not under arrest yet.”