Death on High (The Lakeland Murders)

by Salkeld, J J

  It was cloudy now, and starting to get windy, and when the moon came out Mann saw what looked like an old abbey or church, standing all on its own among the fields. A flat-bed lorry was already parked next to it. They all got out of the car and Spedding opened the boot. There were two climbing harnesses, lots of rope, and a couple of big pairs of tin snips.

  Spedding passed a harness to Mann, and started to put the other one on himself.

  ‘I’m an action man too’ he said. ‘It’s not just squaddies that can do this stuff, you know marrer. Tom will belay you, and Carl will take care of me if needs be, all right? It’s only forty foot, and there are plenty of hand-holds, so I’ll lead.’

  ‘Are you putting in protection as you climb?’

  ‘Nah. I’ll be careful. And don’t worry, I’ll make sure the rope’s secure before you climb.’

  Mann watched as Spedding climbed. He was impressed, despite himself. Spedding was a good climber, quick but cautious with it. From the ground it wasn’t possible to see the roof, because it was hidden behind castellations, and it was a couple of minutes before Mann felt a tug on his rope, and he set off. He hadn’t climbed in ages, and he very glad he was being belayed. But Spedding was right, it was easy enough, although the tin snips dangling from his belt were a bit awkward.

  On the roof Mann unclipped, reached up and turned on the head-torch on his helmet. The roof was huge, and was actually two shallow roofs with a central valley gutter. Mann could see that there was lots of lead flashing. He helped Spedding rig a simple hoist, and they pulled up a basket. It would take forever doing it this way,

  ‘Keep the pieces small, and not too many at a time, OK?’ said Spedding. ‘We’ve got three hours, so take it nice and steady. They’ll send us up drinks and stuff later. Work near me, I’ll show you what to take.’

  Spedding must have done this before, because he worked fast, and despite Mann’s superior strength and fitness he knew that he wasn’t as quick. And even though Mann knew perfectly well that they were stealing from a historic building he still felt the need to try to match Spedding, load for load. Eventually his back started to hurt, but he could tell that Spedding was tiring too, and after an hour or so Mann’s tin snips were slicing through the lead flashing even faster than Spedding’s.

  They only stopped for five minutes to have a drink and a bar of chocolate, and after three hours Mann’s body was letting him know that it had done enough, bending, kneeling, cutting, lifting and loading.

  ‘Last load’ Spedding called down after the basket. ‘Right marrer, let’s get off here. Let the basket get clear and down you go.’

  ‘We’re leaving a lot behind Joey.’

  ‘Don’t worry, we’ll be back in a week or two. The stuff we’ve taken won’t cause any leaks for months. They’ll never even know we were up here tonight.’ Spedding had been keeping his head torch down, so it didn’t shine in Mann’s eyes, but now he lifted his head and the light fell full on Mann’s face. ‘Of course, if anyone does find out then we’ll know who’s told them, won’t we? Now, let’s get on our way, over you go.’

  Tuesday, 19th March

  Andy Hall had emailed Jane and said he’d be in late to work, but that Ian was fine, and that he’d tell her all about it when she got in. So she tried to avoid looking at the door and got on with ordering both Vicky and Lillian’s mobile phone records. She and Ray Dixon had also been co-ordinating the investigation into Cartmel’s haulage business and Fraser’s slaughterhouse, which meant that she’d done 80% of the graft but he’d signed 60% of the reports. Jane still couldn’t work out how he did it.

  ‘Low animal cunning’ said Dixon cheerfully, when she asked. They were drinking coffee in Hall’s office, with papers spread around them.

  ‘So we’ve got a pretty good picture of where we are with both these cowboys’ said Dixon. ‘This Cartmel lad is on his uppers, and it looks like he’s paying his blokes’ wages in the cash he’s getting in from Brockbank, and probably others too. If we don’t nick him he’s going bust anyway, so we’re doing him a favour really. Putting him out of his misery like. Shame that is though, I can remember seeing their trucks around even when I was a lad.’

  ‘Horse-drawn were they Ray?’ He laughed. ‘So we’ve got enough on Cartmel I think. He’s not even subtle about it, is he?’

  ‘Can’t afford to be’ said Dixon. ‘Fraser’s a different kettle of fish though. How many companies has he got?’

  ‘Ten active, plus more dormant, and it will take months to piece it all together, what with the foreign trading and the endless inter-company transfers and stuff. I think we’ll need the forensic accounts boys to sharpen their pencils to get to the bottom of that lot. But I think what we’re saying is that we’ve got plenty on both of them when they’re nicked. Cartmel’s in the bag, and Fraser has deliberately made his accounts as opaque as possible. That’s got to mean something.’

  Dixon noisily drained his coffee. Jane noticed a drip run down onto Hall’s table. ‘You write it all up, and I’ll sign it. Shame we’ve got nothing on where the metals go though. But maybe Ian got a lead last night, excuse the pun.’

  ‘It’s not a pun Ray, it’s a heteronym.’

  Dixon didn’t look as if he wanted to know what it was. ‘That’s completely legal now though, right? You know me love, I hate prejudice.’

  ‘Of course you do Ray. So we tell the boss that if we can find out where the metal is going then we can wrap this all up and bring Ian in from the cold?’ asked Jane.

  ‘Aye, and about time too. Obviously I hate the Sarge because he tells me what to do and then expects me to actually do some of it occasionally, but I won’t be sorry when he’s out of all this. I’ve got a bad feeling about Spedding and his boys. Don’t tell anyone this Jane, or I’ll be forced to kill you and bury you along with all the other DCs who got too close, but I’ve been waking up in the night worrying about Ian. All these years on the job, and it’s the first time it’s happened.’

  ‘You’re really worried?’

  ‘Yes. Like I say, call it an old copper’s nose, but I am.’

  ‘You can’t be worried about Ian not being able to look after himself though Ray?’

  ‘’Course not, maybe it’s that he’s too bloody handy. I don’t know. I’ve worked with Ian for years and do you know how many times he’s told me about the stuff he got up to in the Marines? None. Not once. I’ve asked him often enough about it too. All the other ex-military types we’ve got in here never stop polishing their medals do they? But you never get a word out of Ian. It’s just not natural.’

  Andy Hall arrived at the station at half ten, and Ian Mann was just a few minutes behind him. They sat in Hall’s office, with the door closed, for ten minutes. Then Mann came out and told Ray that they’d be seeing the Super at eleven-thirty.

  ‘Will Gory Gorham be there Sarge?’

  ‘Funny enough she won’t. To the boss’s surprise it seems that the Super’s foot-stamping had the desired effect, and she’s been banished back to wherever she came from. The Chief has told Robinson that he’s 1IC the whole operation.’

  ‘The Super must be made up.’

  ‘He’s probably shitting himself Ray. If it all goes paws up from here it’ll be the Super who’ll be carrying the can.’

  ‘I thought that was you Sarge.’

  Mann cuffed Dixon playfully with the file he was holding. ‘I’ll be fine Ray, you can count on it.’

  Superintendent Robinson was still reading Mann’s report when Hall, Mann and Dixon filed in to the meeting room. He held up his hand, and they sat and waited.

  ‘Well done Ian’ he said eventually. ‘A very helpful report, although your spelling could do with some work. So where do we go from here then, gentlemen?’

  Hall took the lead. ‘We’ve been talking about it this morning sir, and our feeling is that Ian should go through with the next metals raid, and that since we know where it is we should track the truck that they load up with the lead back to it’s f
inal destination, be that a scrappie or wherever.’

  ‘That would mean even more damage to a scheduled ancient monument though’ said Robinson doubtfully. ‘That lovely old building survived the attentions of Henry the Eighth, but not of Ian Mann the first it seems. I’m beginning to lose track of the number of offences that Ian has committed in the course of this investigation.’

  ‘With respect sir, we always knew that this was likely to happen, and there’s no such thing as a victimless crime. Ian has instigated nothing.’

  ‘I don’t require a lecture from you Inspector’ said Robinson sharply, ‘and what I’m saying is that while we keep a watching brief we’re allowing concern to build in a number of communities, not just the farming folks, but now the heritage lobby too.’

  ‘They don’t actually know that half their flashing is missing though, do they sir?’ said Dixon brightly. Robinson didn’t answer, but instead he turned his attention to Ian Mann.

  ‘So if we do let this continue, how long before Spedding will want to get back to Gilsland Abbey and finish the job?’

  ‘Not long sir. If I was a betting man I’d say sometime in the next week or so. He’ll probably send someone out there this week to check that he hasn’t been rumbled, then get the job finished. But he’ll have one eye on the weather forecast, because strong winds and to a lesser extent rain would slow us down a lot. I had a look at the forecast just now, and it’s not great for the next few days.’

  Robinson made some notes. ‘Is there any way that you can fix a homing device to their lorry before you climb?’

  ‘It’s possible sir, but I wouldn’t count on it. The driver seems to stay with the vehicle, so it would be taking a chance.’

  ‘I’d be against that anyway’ added Hall, ‘because it’s too risky for Ian. I’d be concerned if something went wrong when Ian’s up on that roof with Spedding.’

  Robinson looked back down at Mann’s report. ‘Ian hasn’t said anything in his report about the personal risks being too high, but I take your point Andy. Can we get away with using the helicopter then Ian?’

  ‘Not a chance sir. It’s as quiet as the grave out there. We’ll have to put a spotter on the ground near the Abbey, and then have cars on all the main roads they could use to get away. Then we’ll have to front-and-follow them as best we can. If we get the cars which don’t pick them up from the off out on to the right roads reasonably quickly then we should be able to do it.’

  ‘How many cars?’

  ‘Can I get back to you on that sir?’ said Hall, ‘I’ll need to talk to tactical support.’

  ‘Armed units?’ asked Robinson. ‘I expect you’ll want tactical’s advice on that too?’

  Hall nodded. ‘As to our spotter on the ground sir’ said Hall, ‘I think that should be me.’

  ‘No, you’ll be in the control room here with me Ian’ said Robinson firmly.

  ‘I’d like to volunteer sir’ said Dixon. Robinson looked astonished, Hall marginally less so. ‘I have met Spedding and some of his boys after all.’

  Robinson didn’t look remotely convinced. He couldn’t imagine Dixon spending half the night up a tree any more than he could see himself doing it. ‘Inspector?’

  ‘If I can’t do it then I’d support Ray’s suggestion’ said Hall.

  ‘Very well then, that’s decided. Andy, can I ask you to formulate a plan, discuss it with Ian of course, and then pass to me for approval. Now, let’s turn to the matter of arrests. I’ve decided that whatever the outcome of the next operation we will make all of the arrests in this case very promptly indeed, so I’m also going to need a plan for that please Andy. Ian, I need you out of that house in Carlisle immediately after the next raid, and back here for debriefing. You’ve done a great job so far Sergeant, better than we could possibly have hoped, so just a few more days and it will be over. I bet you’ll be glad to get back to your normal duties.’

  Mann didn’t look anything like as happy as Robinson expected him to.

  For the rest of the day Dixon was the butt of everyone’s jokes, and to everyone’s surprise Jane’s contribution was judged to be the best. Because when she heard that Dixon had volunteered she want out in to town in her coffee break, and bought him a little present. He swore loudly when he saw it sitting on his desk, but he still walked round the whole station with his new ‘MY HERO’ mug in his hand. He would have shown it to Ian Mann too, but he had already gone.

  Wednesday, 20th March

  It didn’t take Jane Francis long to establish that Vicky Harrison and Lillian Hill hadn’t spoken to each other in the days and weeks after Tony’s death, not on their mobiles, not on their landlines. She wasn’t surprised, because if they were telling the truth then that’s what she would have expected to find. But it was also what she’d expected to find if they’d been lying.

  She concentrated on Vicky’s phone. There were hundreds of calls over the last few months, many to the same local numbers, so Jane decided to exclude the ones made during working hours. When she did that there were remarkably few left, and when she also excluded calls made to Tony’s mobile and to Vicky’s son Peter there were fewer than 30 individual numbers left.

  Jane carefully transcribed them to a new spreadsheet and started looking each of them up. She was so engrossed that she didn’t even notice Andy Hall come in, and she didn’t respond to his greeting. And in the five minutes that elapsed between that moment and when Andy re-appeared carrying a mug of tea for her Jane had one of those moments that reminded her why she’d joined the Police in the first place. But even in that moment of discovery Jane felt disappointment too, because her imminent departure meant that such feelings would be few and far between in future.

  ‘How are you getting on’ said Hall, looking down at Jane’s laptop. ‘You’re looking at Vicky’s and Lillian’s phone records?’

  ‘Yes, and I’ve just found something. Vicky phoned a domestic violence helpline twice, on consecutive evenings, just over three months ago. I assume that there’s no point me following them up?’

  ‘Actually you can. If she was a client, or calling for advice, then obviously you’ll get nothing out of them, but they might tell you if she was calling because she’s a fundraiser or something like that. That’s certainly possible.’

  Jane nodded. Even with her academic training she was surprised and annoyed that she still jumped to conclusions so often.

  ‘Will do, but does it take us any further forward anyway? It might give us a hint of motive I suppose. She’s been very keen to tell us how controlling Tony was, so maybe it went further, from mental pressure to physical violence. Possibly in the time leading up to his death.’

  Hall frowned. He didn’t like the way that this case could be going. ‘I suppose we could talk to the son. I wonder if he’s at home for the Easter holidays? If he is we could call round to the house during working hours and see if he’s there.’

  ‘This afternoon maybe?’

  ‘Why this afternoon?’

  ‘He’s a student, Andy. It’ll be the crack of noon before he’s up and about.’

  ‘Don’t you believe it. From what I hear from my daughter her friends in the year above are all working like mad at uni. They’re all terrified of finishing with a shed-load of debt and no jobs to go to. When I was a student I didn’t even think about looking for a job until Christmas in my third year, and I congratulated myself on planning that far ahead too. But yes, we’ll go round this afternoon.’

  ‘OK, but there’s one other thing I’ve been thinking about Andy. It’s about the fact that Tony must have had two phones, so his wife wouldn’t know about Lillian.’

  ‘Yes, what about it? Assuming of course that he did phone her at all.’

  ‘But we know he did. Ed Willis told us as much.’

  ‘You’re right, good point. So?’

  ‘Well I’ve been wondering about why he went to so much trouble. And it struck me that it might be because he had no intention of his wife finding out about it,
not ever, which in turn could mean that he had no intention of leaving her either. See what I mean?’

  ‘Yes Jane, I do. It’s a lot of ifs and buts of course, but I do see where you’re going. You think that maybe Tony told Lillian that she wasn’t going to be the next Mrs. Harrison, and that maybe she pushed him over the edge. But if that’s the case, then why would Vicky keep her mouth shut, even if he had been abusing her? Any thoughts?’

  ‘Not at present, no, but leave it with me.’

  Ben Brockbank called Mann and told him that he was going to be in Carlisle that morning, and had something for him. ‘A bit of the cow-pie’ he’d said, and laughed. Mann suggested that they meet in a cafe overlooking the square. It was raining pretty hard, so they wouldn’t be able to sit outside, but then continental cafe culture wasn’t really Carlisle’s strong suite at the best of times, and Mann liked it that way.

  When he arrived Brockbank was already there, sitting at a misted up window table. He looked as if he was dressed for the farm.

  ‘You needn’t have smartened yourself up just for me like’ said Mann as he approached the table carrying his coffee, and pointing down at Brockbank’s boots. Brockbank laughed and shrugged.

  ‘I’m helping my dad out after. Here, this is for you.’

  ‘Mann picked up the envelope and slipped it into his pocket.

  ‘Feels heavy marrer’

  ‘So were those beasts. Living off the fat of the land, they were.’

  They drank their coffee and looked out through the window. There weren’t many people about, and those that were seemed to be in a hurry.

  ‘Can I ask you something Ben?’ said Mann.