A Half Remembered Life (The Lakeland Murders Book 9)

by J. J. Salkeld

  ‘What stands to reason, sir?’

  ‘Don’t be obtuse, Jane. It doesn’t suit you. I admire academic qualifications in an officer, and your PhD even trumps by MBA. What’s it in again?’

  ‘Biology, sir.’

  ‘Well, even so. And it’s still a doctorate, I suppose. But my point is this. You’re no fool, neither is Andy, and neither am I. We all know that looking after a baby, no matter how delightful, will never be sufficiently stimulating for a man like him. He’s bound to be doing other things, to keep the old grey cells active, isn’t he?’

  ‘Andy’s not doing any paid work, sir. Not at present. If that’s what you’re getting at.’

  ‘How about unpaid work?’

  ‘Would that even be work, technically speaking? Andy has all kinds of hobbies and interests, but I’m not sure that any of them would be of any interest…’

  Winter held up his hand. ‘All right, let’s stop dancing around this. Let me come straight to the point. This morning you reviewed a case file from way back in 2000. An accidental death. Why did you do that, DI Francis?’

  ‘A source mentioned something pertaining to that case to me. I wanted to check if there was anything to support their claims.’

  ‘This source was Andy Hall, I take it.’

  ‘This source was confidential, sir.’

  ‘And was there anything to support these claims?’

  ‘There was not.’

  ‘You’re quite sure?’

  ‘Yes. But may I ask…’

  ‘No, you may not ask, DI Francis. I keep abreast of what’s happening in this headquarters, that’s all you need to know. So let me be quite clear about this, just so there are no misunderstandings. The case file that you reviewed is closed, and you broke no disciplinary or operational rules in reading it, beyond wasting your time. Which is, of course, actually my time. However, you are not at liberty to pass on any information contained therein to anyone outside this police service without the express permission of the ACC Crime. To do so would lay yourself open to the very real risk of criminal prosecution. Do you understand?’

  ‘Yes, sir, I understand.’

  ‘Good. And are you at liberty to tell me precisely what this source alleged?’

  Jane made eye contact with Winter and then held it, very much against its will.

  ‘Yes, sir, I am. My information is that the deceased, the man known as Cam Donald, was actually an undercover police officer. My source alleged that Donald was murdered when this fact came to light.’

  ‘I see.’ Winter had a decent poker-face, she’d give the little creep that. ‘Very…imaginative, I must say. But hasn’t it occurred to your source that we would have undoubtedly investigated rather more fully, had one of our officers really been the victim?’

  ‘So you are familiar with the file, sir?’

  ‘No. No, of course I’m not. I just meant….’

  Winter was visibly flustered now, and Jane wasn’t about to concede her advantage.

  ‘Was Cam Donald an undercover police officer, sir?’

  ‘Absolutely not. Of course he wasn’t. This is all a fantasy, a complete fantasy. Frankly I’m astonished that an experience officer like former DCS Hall could ever fall for this sort of stuff, still less that you’d follow up on it for him.’

  ‘As I said, sir….’

  ‘Yes, yes, I heard what you said. That doesn’t mean I believed you. So you tell Hall that this is a total and utter waste of time. Now I appreciate that he’s got time on his hands, Christ knows that’s obvious enough, but if he involves you again your future is on the line, and maybe even your liberty as well. So please make sure that he understands that. How would you like to celebrate your daughter’s first birthday during visiting hours at some women’s prison somewhere, DI Francis?’

  ‘That won’t happen, sir.’

  ‘I’m glad to hear it. And I do mean what I’ve said, DI Francis. There’s been no cover up, no undercover cops, no murders made to look like accidents. It’s all too ridiculous to even be worth discussing, let alone wasting our scarce resources re-investigating.’

  But you were still super-keen to discuss it all, thought Jane, as she returned to the meeting, and tried to catch up on everything she’d missed. When it was over she bolted down a couple of the sandwiches from the buffet, helped herself to a couple of pieces of fruit, then ran down to her car. When she was safely inside she called Andy from her personal mobile.

  ‘I just got leant on by the bloody ACC, Andy. And hard, too. The bloke must be bricking it about something.’

  ‘What did he say?’

  ‘Keep my neb out of the Donald death, and if I told you anything about it it’d be straight to jail for me, without passing ‘Go’.’

  ‘Bloody hell, Jane. What brought that on? I thought you just said that the file was clean.’

  ‘As a whistle, Andy. Not sure what else the SIO could have done. There were no loose ends, nothing that felt remotely wrong. He sent out a SOCO team, and the vehicle involved was properly inspected. That’s pretty thorough, for an open-and-shut accidental death, but not over the top either.’

  ‘Did you tell Winter that Donald was an undercover cop?’

  ‘I did.’

  ‘And?’

  ‘He was rattled, no question. He knocked me straight back, got himself in a right bugger’s muddle, and then really went on the offensive.’

  ‘So we know he’s lying, don’t we?’

  ‘Aye, of course we do. These bloody pen-pushers have never been real coppers, have they? How stupid does he have to be, anyway, showing out like that?’

  ‘No, Jane, what he said was right, in a way. You’re in an impossible position here. We both know it, and I won’t let you take any risks. So from now on we don’t even discuss this, OK? Winter can’t stop me asking around, can he? There’s no law against that. But you’re out of this, Jane, you hear me?’

  ‘Sod off, Andy. I’ve had nothing but blokes telling me what to do today, and I’m totally bloody sick of it. I’ll decide what I do, or don’t do, and you can just mind your own bloody business.’

  When Hall phoned Ian Mann, some ten minutes later, Mann was in the car park of the small office building next door to TJR International.

  ‘You found him then, Ian?’

  ‘Aye, the bloke’s called Will Callaghan. Retired copper from Greater Manchester. Three staff, and he’s legit, apparently. Mainly does the usual, matrimonial shit and that, plus some jobs for legal firms, and insurance companies as well.’

  ‘Blimey, Ian, who needs Jane’s help when you’re on the case, eh?’

  ‘It costs me a few favours, finding this stuff out.’

  ‘I know, and I’m grateful. And you got nothing from your mates on the whole undercover cops angle, then?’

  ‘How did you know that?’

  ‘Bloody hell, Sherlock, isn’t it obvious? Because you’d have already phoned me with the news, if you had.’

  ‘Aye, all right, smart-arse. Point taken. They know nowt about all that, or so they say. Anyway, Callaghan is in his office right now, so shall I nip in and have a word, like?’

  ‘No, not yet. I want to have a chat with Pete Spedding first. See if that takes us anywhere.’

  It was a moment before Mann replied. ‘So you reckon there’s really something in all this then, do you, Andy?’

  ‘I do. I’m bloody sure of it, in fact. Jane just had a look at the Cam Donald case file up at HQ, and within seconds the ACC, no less, was all over her like a cheap suit. Virtually clapped her in irons on the spot.’

  ‘Shit. Well that proves it.’

  ‘It proves something, that’s for sure, but not necessarily that Spedding is telling us the truth. The bloke may very well be at it here, Ian. Let’s not forget that possibility.’

  ‘Like how?’

  ‘I can think of a few possibilities, but it’s too soon to say with any kind of certainty. Anyway, you’ve done enough for now. Plenty, in fact. And no more ne
ws about the complaint, I suppose?’

  ‘No. They’ve charged that little tosser with assaulting a police officer, finally, so that’s something, I suppose. But the union rep says I’m still in the shit. Maggie’s sticking to her story, apparently, so I could end up getting charged as well.’

  ‘I’m sorry, mate. Just keep yourself busy. Go for a quick hundred mile run, or something.’

  Mann laughed. ‘I might just do that, and all.’

  Pete Spedding suggested a stroll along Scout Scar when Hall phoned him after supper, and they met at the bottom of Sepulchre Lane. It was nice not to have the kids for once, since both Jane and Alice Spedding were home from work, and the two men set off at a good rate, unencumbered by buggies and babies. And the pace was plenty high enough to have Hall panting, well before they reached Queens Road.

  There seemed to be a tacit understanding that the main agenda item would have to wait until they were out on the open hillside. And Hall didn’t mind, because Spedding was good company. So they talked about everything, and nothing, in the way that blokes who are comfortable in each other’s company tend to do.

  By the time they were crossing the golf course Hall would have almost preferred not to talk about Spedding’s claims at all, and just regard him as a new friend with an over-active imagination. They’d just quietly write off everything that had been said in the pub as the beer talking, and nothing more. Twenty four hours before that might still have been possible, but not now. Not after what had happened to Jane. And not after what Ian Mann had seen.

  ‘So you believe me, Andy? I am being watched?’

  ‘There’s certainly a private investigator active in your street, yes.’

  ‘I told you, didn’t I? So what does he say, this bloke?’

  ‘We haven’t spoken to him yet.’

  ‘We?’

  Hall smiled. ‘I do have friends, you know.’

  ‘Another retired cop, is it?’

  ‘I think it’s best if we both concentrate on the matter in hand, don’t you?’

  Hall’s tone was as calm as always, but Spedding felt mildly rebuked. Hall didn’t trust him, and he shouldn’t have been surprised.

  ‘Right, yeah, of course. So what else is new?’

  ‘There’s absolutely nothing in the police file to suggest that your friend Cam’s death was suspicious.’

  ‘There wouldn’t be though, would there?’

  ‘Well, that’s not all. Because senior sources at Cumbria Constabulary deny that Mike was an undercover cop. They deny it absolutely.’

  ‘It’s a cover up, like I keep telling you. They knew that Mike was in too deep, what with Alice having the lad and everything, and when Mike was murdered the bosses were terrified that it would all have to come out. So they just did what came naturally, Andy, and covered it all up.’

  Hall led the way through a fat man’s agony, and out onto the open fellside. He needed to kick on with this investigation, if that is what it had become now, and either take it somewhere, or close it down. So when he spoke again, Hall sounded exactly like a copper.

  ‘Can you prove that Mike was in the job?’

  ‘No. Not directly, not any more. But you could, Andy, I know you could.’

  But Hall had no intention of discussing what he could and couldn’t do, not least because he was far from sure about what that actually was.

  ‘How about you then, Pete? You must be able to prove that you were in the job.’

  ‘I told you. They took my Warrant Card, everything.’

  ‘How about uncles and aunts, your teachers? Anyone who knew you back then. Can I speak to some of them?’

  ‘Not unless you’re a psychic. It’s all such a long time ago now, Andy.’

  ‘I see. I’m sorry.’

  They walked on in silence for a moment. Then Spending caught Hall’s arm, and stopped. Hall had no choice but to do the same.

  ‘But we wouldn’t be having this conversation if you didn’t believe me, would we, Andy? If you thought I was making it all up you’d just smile politely whenever we met at those bloody toddler groups, and pretend we’d never even had a discussion about all this. So you already know that I’m telling the truth. You already know that I really was an undercover cop.’

  ‘You’re right. And yes, I do know that what you told me is true. I gave Kent a call this afternoon, and spoke to a very helpful lady in their professional development team. You said you trained in ’85, right?’

  ‘Yes, that’s right.’

  ‘I said I was after a picture of a friend, to use on a birthday card. I asked for a copy of the group photo from that year. And do you know what happened?’

  ‘She knocked you back. Said it was lost, or something.’

  ‘No, she didn’t do that. Though that would have been the smart move, I dare say. No, what she did was this. She put me through to a DI who spent ten minutes asking all sort of questions before he finally said no. Now why would he bother to do that? All he had to do was say that it’s not policy to release graduation pictures, and ring off. That’s a twenty second conversation, tops. But instead he went through that huge rigmarole. You see what I’m saying?’

  ‘Yeah, I do. He was fishing for info about you. So where are we at, then?’

  ‘Just about to cross the Kendal by-pass’ said Hall, smiling, before they walked over the footbridge in single file.

  On the far side they stopped for a minute, had a drink, then strolled on, towards the distant hills and the reddening sky.

  ‘Well,’ said Hall, ‘we’ve made some progress, anyway. I know you were in the job, that you worked undercover, and I know that no-one wants to admit it, even after all these years. So I suspect that you’re right, and that you are currently under observation too. So that’s issue one, and our most pressing concern. But as to what happened to your mate? I don’t want to believe that a serving officer might have been murdered, and that our own constabulary did sod all about it, and to be completely honest I still don’t. But there’s no real evidence either way, at least so far. However, there is one question that we could address together, and which might take us a bit further forward.’

  ‘Why I’m being followed, after all this time?’

  ‘Exactly that. When did you first notice that you’d picked up a shadow?’

  Spedding thought about it.

  ‘Two or three weeks. A month, tops.’

  ‘And you’re sure that you weren’t being followed before that?’

  ‘I’ve never noticed anyone. And this bloke isn’t exactly subtle, I can tell you.’

  ‘You’re right about that. But have you really been on your guard, I mean properly, for all these years?’

  ‘Honestly? No, I haven’t. I’ve forgotten most of the training that I ever had. Counter-surveillance, and everything else that goes with it, really. So I suppose I might have been watched before the current bloke came along, if someone was doing a decent job, I mean.’

  Hall nodded. ‘OK, fine. Well, one possibility is that our man, or whoever has employed him, actually wanted you to spot him. Have you considered that possibility?’

  ‘No, I hadn’t. But why would someone do that? What would they expect me to do?’

  ‘To react in a certain way, perhaps. Tell me, Pete, what were you planning to do about this bloke you believe has been watching you? Before you told me, I mean.’

  They walked in silence for a while, and Hall didn’t even glance at Spedding. The view was too beautiful, with the Langdales' tops unencumbered by clouds, and the evening sun warming the land between where they walked and the far distant fells. Hall would give him time to think.

  ‘I don’t know what I’d have done, Andy, to tell you the truth. Talk to him, I suppose, eventually. You know, try to find out what he was after. Make him go away, anyhow. But then we met at that playgroup, and someone said that you’d been a copper, a senior officer, a detective. So I just thought, you know, that you might help me get to the bottom of it all.’r />
  ‘OK, fine. And of course there is another possible explanation as to why our friendly neighbourhood PI is making so little effort to keep out of sight. Just ask yourself this question, Pete. What if he didn’t know you used to be a cop? Would that explain the behaviour that we’ve seen from this guy?’

  ‘Bloody hell, Andy. Now I see why you were a DCS. I suppose it would, at that. You’re full of bright ideas, aren’t you?’

  Hall shrugged. ‘Ideas are cheap, I’m afraid, and it’s evidence that usually comes expensive. It’s just a working hypothesis that seems to fit the facts, such as they are. But you know what cons are like, Pete, they never seen to spot us when we’re watching them, do they? My officers who had all the surveillance training in the world used to complain that they hardly ever made use of any of it. People just wander through the world oblivious, most of the time. Like they’re all in a dream, or some kind of trance.’

  Spending laughed. ‘You’re saying I’m a con, Andy? Or that I’m in a trance?’

  ‘No, I’m saying that he probably thinks you are just an ordinary punter, and that experience has taught him that he doesn’t have to make any real effort in terms of concealment.’

  ‘But he must know that I was a cop, mustn’t he? Why else would he be watching me?’

  ‘Exactly’, said Hall, and Spedding waited for him to continue. But Hall didn’t say another word.

  ‘Exactly what, mate?’ asked Spedding, after another twenty steps.

  ‘Well, let me put it this way. Could there be another explanation as to why you’re being watched? It’s a sensible question to ask ourselves. I don’t want to pry, Pete, but are you..’

  ‘Playing away? No, I’m not. I’m too bloody knackered because of Kate, quite apart from anything else.’

  Hall smiled. ‘I hear you. All right, Pete, thanks for that. We’re still no further forward as yet, not really, but I didn’t expect us to be after his conversation.’