by Jack Probyn
CHAPTER 22
H
Drew Richmond had never been a man for superstition. Or was it intuition? Either way, he was a good judge of character, and he knew when something wasn’t right. And there was certainly something wrong with Jake’s reaction just then. Specifically, he didn’t know what, but it was off – the voices in his head were telling him so. And it worried him.
He’d known that getting Jake on board was going to take a while, but the way it had just played out wasn’t what he’d been expecting. Jake was ready to accept the money. To accept the bribe. As though it were only a fiver or a tenner, and not ten grand – a complete contrast to the way he’d behaved yesterday. Was it possible that Jake had completely changed overnight? Or was he just being paranoid?
Yes, he thought. Yes, I am.
The voices of doubt had been coming in thick and fast recently, trampling the voices of reason. There was one simple explanation. And that same explanation was the same method of silencing the voices of doubt. A double-edged sword. But, like with most things, you had to take the good with the bad. For Drew, he took a lot of the good, with a lot of the bad.
Whistling ‘Elephant Walk’ as he exited the office, he made his way to the men’s bathroom on the third floor. Inside, the urinals were empty, and he made a quick recce of the cubicles before jumping into the one furthest from the bathroom door.
Once inside, Drew lowered the toilet seat and sat on it, pulled out his burner phone from his pocket and switched it on. It was for emergency use only. The small screen of the Nokia 3110 illuminated and displayed the home page. He scrolled to the address book, found the number ending 783 – Liam’s – and sent him a message.
Jake = confirmed.
He hit send and waited, twirling the device in his fingers.
Twenty seconds later, he had a response.
How?
Drew typed out his next response.
Drew: 10G sitting in his drawer. Buying silence. Trust me.
Liam: I hope I can.
Drew: Have you spoken to H?
Liam: Give me time. I have to deal with DC first.
Drew’s eyes fell over the message several times, incredulous, with a bit of rage sparking in the pit of his stomach. Liam had promised he’d speak to Henry a week ago, and he still hadn’t. Danny Cipriano had only died two days ago, so what was his excuse?
Just as Drew started to type another response, Liam beat him to it.
Relax. H said Charlie and Mandy were coming to town. Maybe HU Archie Arnold ;)
That told Drew everything he needed to know. It wasn’t what he wanted, but there was nothing he could do about it. A certain hierarchy was in motion when it came to bringing drugs into the country and distributing them through the city with the help of Henry Matheson, and if he was going to make any headway into it, he needed to abide by the rules. For now.
Sighing heavily, Drew switched off the device, eased his back against the cistern, and rested his head on the concrete wall uncomfortably. Now it was time for him to relax a little more, clear the noise and distraction in his head, silence the voices of doubt to stop them making him go crazy. The good with the bad.
Drew reached inside his blazer pocket, pulled out a small bag of white powder, dipped his finger in and rubbed the substance into his gums. The hit was almost instant, a numbing sensation swelling inside his mouth and the rest of his body. His pulse climbed, and a thin layer of sweat coated his body, slick, like the plans he had for the future. It wouldn’t be long until the full high hit him.
All he had to do now was play it cool and make it look like there weren’t Class A drugs surging through his system.
On his way out, Drew sealed the bag and placed it back in his pocket, flushed the toilet and then washed the sin away from his skin.
CHAPTER 23
SCOUT’S HONOUR
The money was by his leg, hidden in the depths of his drawer, resting beneath four lever-arch folders and a fresh packet of Post-it notes. But, despite hiding it under all those layers, Jake couldn’t shake the feeling that it was on his person, that it was wrapped around him, plastered over his skin and clothes and face. A fancy-dress costume that declared to the world he was the victim of police bribery. He closed his eyes and tried to banish all thought of the money from his mind, but it was pointless. It lingered and followed him around like a ball and chain, weighing his conscience down.
Liam’s office door opened.
‘Jake,’ he called. ‘A word?’
Jake looked at his desk, then his drawer, and then the rest of the office before climbing out of his chair and moving across the floor. He shut Liam’s door behind him. The hubbub of the office played quietly in the background.
Liam was swinging from side to side in his chair, drinking from his coffee cup. It was nearly filled to the brim.
‘Another one already, guv?’ Jake asked, attempting to lighten the mood and soften the blow of what was about to come.
‘There’s more coffee in my body than blood right now,’ Liam replied.
They both chuckled, but it was over as quickly as it had started. An awkward silence descended and an ominous air followed. Mercifully, it was ended by Liam telling Jake to sit.
‘There’s something I wanted to discuss with you, Jake…’
‘Oh…?’
Liam cleared his throat. ‘Last night. I know it was a bit of a shock and may take a while to process, but I wanted to check in, see how you were doing.’
Jake swallowed, preparing himself for the torrent of bullshit and lies that was about to come out of his mouth. Whichever way he played it, he needed to be careful; Liam was a highly trained officer, and there was no doubt in Jake’s mind that he would be scrutinising Jake’s actions for any sign that he was lying: dilated pupils, sweat forming on his skin, constantly averting his gaze, rapid speaking, over-explaining – all of them telltale signs of deceit which he needed to be careful not to display.
‘I mean… it was a bit of a shock, to begin with. But…’ He paused. ‘It made a lot more sense when I thought about it. I mean, I worked out why you guys were so interested in Archie Arnold during the Stratford Killer case. You needed someone to pin the murder on, just like you do now.’
‘Good man. I always knew you were a good egg, Jake. But I trust we have you fully on board with this?’
‘You do, sir.’
‘And, not that I hope it ever comes to this, but you’re aware of what will happen if you turn into a bad egg?’
Jake nodded. ‘Very much so.’
‘Even better.’ Liam took another sip of his coffee. As he set the cup down, he burped, sending a dense cloud of alcoholic spirit towards Jake. There certainly wasn’t any hint of coffee inside that mug. ‘From what I understand,’ Liam continued, ‘Drew’s already shown you how loyalty works in this team?’
Jake lifted his head, his eyes locked with Liam’s. ‘He’s made it very clear.’
‘You can always rely on Drew to do that.’
He hesitated again, this time leaning closer towards Jake with his arms on the desk. His dark, unassuming gaze bore into Jake’s, ruffling the hairs on his arms. ‘You know you can trust me, right?’
‘Of course, guv.’
‘Is there… is there anything you wanna tell me?’
Jake considered for a moment and then settled on telling the truth. At least, part of it.
‘I’m just tired,’ Jake said. ‘Didn’t get much sleep last night. Maisie was up and it was my turn to look after her.’
‘I know how it is. I was fifteen when my little sister was born. Fucking nightmare. Had to look after her and make sure she was all right. So I know what you’re going through. But you sure there isn’t something else? You look like you’ve got the weight of the world on your shoulders.’
That ain’t the half of it.
Jake glanced down at his lap. A lump swelled in his throat.
‘Please keep it between us,’ he said, making sure to get the caveat
in as soon as possible.
‘You have my word.’ Liam raised his fingers in a salute. ‘Scout’s honour.’
‘We’re having issues… financially.’
‘Still?’
Jake nodded. ‘I feel embarrassed even telling you. It’s an accumulation of a lot of things. The Dark Web cloning my details didn’t help. But, basically, a long time ago I crashed into a car and the driver’s insurance turned out to be fraudulent. So now my insurances have gone up, the premiums are through the roof and I’ve got legal fees I’m struggling to pay. No matter what car I look at changing to, the prices are astronomical – and I need a car to get to work. And, to top it all off, our energy and water bills have gone up. They’ve said we underpaid in the past year so they’ve “adjusted the bill to reflect this”.’ He used air quotes for the final few words.
It took Liam a long time to respond. For a moment, Jake wondered if his boss had been listening at all.
‘I don’t know what to say, mate. Has it been tough?’
Jake nodded.
‘And you and Elizabeth…?’
‘For now. We both know it’s an issue. I’ve told her I’ll fix it, but it won’t be long until things get really bad.’
‘Sure. Sure.’ Liam trailed off again. ‘Do you have a solution? A way to fix it?’
Jake smirked. ‘Well, Drew’s reward was a nice, welcome gift, I can assure you. That’ll help cover some of it. Without that, I mean… I even looked up gambling and loans last night. You don’t know how close I was to making a mistake.’
‘A big mistake,’ Liam replied. ‘You never wanna resort to that type of thing. Trust me. I’ve been there and have got the scars to prove it. Everything’ll sort itself out, kid. I s’pose our new work together can help pay some of it?’
‘I reckon so.’
‘And I’m sure we can keep this out of the Directorate of Professional Standards’ noses. They don’t need to know just yet.’
‘I… I… thank you, sir.’
‘Now, stop flattering me and get back to work. I’ve got a call to make.’
CHAPTER 24
TENACIOUS TANNER
The cold air bit Liam’s fingers and nose as he pulled his car door open and hopped inside. He placed his hands on the steering wheel, then paused to look around. Everything was as it should be. The empty coffee cup he’d left there this morning. The pair of sunglasses hiding in the glove compartment. The Jo Nesbo book that he hadn’t read for weeks lying on the back seat. The air freshener hanging from the rear-view mirror.
But there was something different. Something wrong. Out of place. There was a funny smell, strange. As though someone who sweated profusely – or just permanently stank of body odour – had been inside.
At once his thoughts turned to The Cabal. Was this their doing? Had The Farmer been sent to give him a warning – and at his own place of work? Staying inside the car wasn’t worth the risk. Better to get somewhere that hadn’t been compromised.
Liam jumped out and locked the car repeatedly, just for good measure, then made his way out of the grounds and found an isolated bench next to a tree by the main road. Cars paraded past, paying him little attention, and pedestrians scurried across the pavement with their headphones in and heads down, looking into their black mirrors. Nobody looked his way, almost as if he wasn’t even there. Perfect location for a conversation. He removed a small burner phone from his pocket – different to the one he’d used to speak with Drew – and dialled the only contact in it.
‘Yes?’ the voice on the other end asked.
‘Can you talk?’
‘Wouldn’t have answered otherwise. What do you want?’ There was that usual hostility in Elliot Bridger’s voice.
‘How’s retirement?’ Liam asked. ‘Treating you well?’
‘I know you didn’t call for a chat, Liam. You and I are busy people.’
‘Retirement’s busy? Well, I don’t like the sound of it if that’s the case.’
‘Get on with it, Liam.’
‘I thought I’d call to tell you the news.’
‘What news?’
‘Danny Cipriano. He’s dead.’
Silence.
‘Bridger… You there?’
‘How?’ Bridger asked.
‘Taken from witness protection. The Farmer. Drowned in cement and then buried in it.’
‘Fucking… what?’ Bridger choked. ‘Where?’
‘Olympic Stadium construction site.’
‘You’re shitting me?’
‘Wish I was.’
Another brief silence as Bridger controlled his breathing.
‘Hold on a minute…’ he began. ‘Why’s he dead?’
‘Because apparently Danny thought that freedom of speech applied to him, and that he could talk to someone about us.’
‘Did he mention any names?’
‘None. That I’m aware of.’
The last time they’d met, Liam had been pointing a gun at Bridger’s head, forcing the man to lie to Jake down the phone. Since then, they’d become acquaintances, dangling on the precipice of becoming friends. They were allies, united in their common goal of climbing the ladder of The Cabal’s ranks, and both men knew first-hand what The Cabal was capable of. Sometimes in this business it was better to make friends than enemies. Especially if you wanted to survive.
There was a heavy sigh on the phone. ‘Of all the places to do it as well,’ Bridger said. ‘They’ve left you with a mess to clean up.’
‘Unless The Cabal’s got a plan I don’t know about.’
‘What are you saying?’ Bridger’s tone dropped.
‘The Cabal wouldn’t tell me who the body was, and I only found out it was Danny from the pathologist report. I had no warning that it was going to happen either. No preamble. It just happened. Now I’ve got to deal with it. And something doesn’t seem right. It’s making me think maybe Danny did mention names. Maybe Danny did implicate either me or you or the rest of us. And I’m being kept in the dark as a precursor for what’s about to come.’
Bridger started to speak – babbling incoherently – but eventually trailed off.
‘I’m just saying you need to be cautious. Put all the bad blood behind us and listen to me. You just need to be sure you’ve got an alibi at all times and that your whereabouts are well documented.’
‘You and I both know that counts for nothing when it comes to this. You could have all the evidence in the world and all it would take is one administrative error, and poof – all gone.’ Bridger hesitated. ‘Fucking hell, Liam. I said I was done with this shit. We agreed that this shit would be over as soon as I got Danny and Michael out of remand.’
‘I’m just telling you to be careful, that’s all. Nothing’s happened yet. And we don’t know if anything will either. You just need to be prepared to take the necessary actions.’
‘This is bullshit.’
Liam rolled his eyes. ‘I don’t like it any more than you do. But this is something we’ve got to deal with. We both knew this day was coming.’
‘Not this soon though,’ Bridger added.
‘There’s something else as well.’
‘What?’
‘Tanner.’
Silence. Liam knew the name sent palpitations through Bridger’s body.
‘He’s on the case. We’re investigating Danny’s death. But this time it’s different. He’s onside. Drew managed to work some magic on him.’
‘Magic doesn’t exist.’
‘It’s true.’
‘Drew’s even more of a loose cannon than Jake. I’ve seen it. And I’ve warned you about him in the past.’
Liam rolled his eyes. ‘I don’t need reminding. My point is, you know that Jake’s going to want to speak to you. It’s inevitable. Wherever Danny appears, you appear.’
‘Looks like you need to watch out for yourself as well then, Liam. Tanner’s tenacious.’
‘You look after yourself, and I’ll look after myself. If Tanner does
anything he shouldn’t, you can leave him to me. I know his weaknesses.’
CHAPTER 25
UNEXPECTED DISCOVERY
Uncovering shocking and unhelpful information was becoming a somewhat recurring theme throughout the investigation for Jake. First it was Drew and what he’d done to Hannah Bryant. Then the identification of Danny Cipriano as the dead body in the cement. Then uncovering the corrupt organisation Drew, Liam and Garrison were running.
And now it was this. To top it all off.
In the last half hour, Jake had been tasked with investigating the life and times of their number one suspect, Richard Maddison. After running his name through the PNC, Jake had unearthed a wealth of information on Richard Maddison that would undoubtedly seal the man’s fate. He had a past, a history that he probably didn’t want people to know about – least of all the bent cops who were trying to pin a murder on him.
In 2005, he had been convicted of sexual activity with a child, after sleeping with an underage girl he’d met in a nightclub in Newcastle. He’d found out about her age the following day, and was later sentenced to sixteen months in prison and put on the Sex Offenders Register.
But that wasn’t the most interesting thing Jake had discovered.
Imprisonment for the sexual assault wasn’t the only time Richard had ended up behind bars. In fact, when he was younger, in his early twenties, he’d been arrested a couple of times for robbing shops and convenience stores on an estate in Newcastle. The same estate that Danny, Michael and Luke Cipriano – The Crimsons – had grown up on. Following his arrest, he’d been served with an ASBO and given far more warnings than he deserved. But then something went wrong: Richard had broken into a car and tried to pilfer the contents, but was arrested and charged with the help of some keen eyewitnesses – who later turned out to be Danny and Michael Cipriano.
