The Dirty Game

by Solomon Carter

  “Go on,” said Dan.

  Balfour made a noise, like he was going to speak but changed his mind.

  “Go on!” said Dan.

  Balfour’s silhouette shook its head. Dan stepped closer and shouted down at him. “Go on, tell me!”

  Eva stepped close to Dan to control him with her proximity. His energy was tense, and explosive but he held back.

  “Let’s just say this is bigger than me. Now can I go and have my drink now?”

  Eva spoke before Dan. “Yes. Go. We’ll check what you said, Balfour. It had better be the truth.”

  “Oh, it is,” said Balfour, standing up. He walked away gingerly through the churchyard and onto the street. Eva felt Dan’s tension right beside her.

  “He didn’t do it, Dan. You know that, right?”

  “How can you be sure?”

  “I’m going to check what he said, but you know it. You already know what he said is going to stack up.”

  Dan’s fists stayed balled by his sides.

  “He’s not the killer. But he knows something, Eva, and he wouldn’t tell us. Maybe we should have kept on at him until he did. We had a chance there, Eva.”

  “No, Dan. He couldn’t tell us. Maybe he heard something. Maybe he knows the killer’s identity, Dan. But he couldn’t tell us for a reason.”

  “So what? We’ve failed? We’ve hit a dead end and that’s it?” said Dan, with anger in his voice.

  “No. That’s not it. I told you, Dan. I’m with you all the way on this one.”

  Dan’s eyes met hers. She saw his gratitude. He nodded in silent thanks. But to get past this dead end, Eva had to do something she didn’t want to. It was time to call Rowntree. Rowntree would have the information they needed. Now Eva just needed a good strategy to get it from him without giving him a millimetre of what he really wanted. Eva hoped her awkward feelings stayed out of sight most of all. What Dan didn’t know, wouldn’t hurt him… right?

  Eight

  Before tackling Rowntree there was the small matter of Alabaster to contend with. After Eva persuaded Dan to use the Alabaster case as temporary respite from avenging Laura, he agreed to help her stake out Alabaster’s offices at night. Eva had even purchased some new kit especially for the job. It was about building their surveillance capability for the business, and about showing Jim Greer they were serious. Jim Greer was talkative and long in the tooth. He would have a lot of friends and contacts by now. His word of mouth could give their business wings, or kill it stone dead. A lot depended on the outcome of this case.

  That night from ten until eleven they set up temporary cameras in the big green office and along the top floor corridor. The cameras were little more than plastic eyes with wireless connections, linked to Eva’s laptop. She was able to view the cameras on a split screen or have any camera view go full screen as she needed. The picture quality was surprisingly pretty clear. So far they had drawn a blank on getting any CCTV footage from the bureaucratic old biddy who looked after the building. It was more than her job was worth to let two unknown private detectives see the footage, even though Eva saw her go gooey when she saw Dan for the first time. So here they were, as always, relying on themselves. A fourth and final camera was set on the ground floor facing out the front door and anyone who climbed the stairs. They were locked, loaded and ready to go. Now came the wait. They sat in the boardroom, the door locked with all the lights out but for a pale nightlight with just enough glow for them to see one another, but it couldn’t be detected from outside.

  “John Balfour knows the killer. Who do you think it is? A man like Balfour doesn’t know too many people, not after a decade and a half inside.”

  Her mind flicked to Rowntree and his ugly proposition. She put it away and closed the drawer in her mind.

  “It could be anyone, Dan. It could be a friend he knew inside. It could be someone in his family. It could be a face in the paper he just suspects for no good reason. Who knows?”

  Dan shook his head. “No. The average person knows what, 300 people on Facebook? A man like him knows a handful. It wouldn’t take too long to eliminate a good deal of them. I say we just sit down with him, across a table and work on him until the answers come dropping out of his mouth.”

  “A police style interrogation, Dan? Without police powers? That’s illegal and dangerous. We went a step too far already last night, and we can’t keep doing it. Besides, interrogation didn’t work too well for Rowntree as I recall.”

  “You think? He let us off and pinned Maggie Gillespie on the masked vigilante. He did exactly what he wanted to do.”

  Eva nodded and looked away. “Anyway. Let’s not spend time thinking about Gary Rowntree.”

  “Hear hear. Hang on…look…” Dan pointed at the screen. “There’s somebody down there. Did you see that?”

  “No…” said Eva

  They both almost missed the blur that crossed the camera view on the ground floor. Whoever came in had entered by the back, and now they were on the stairs. It was almost midnight. No firm in the office worked later than eight pm, maybe nine at the latest.

  “Listen,” said Eva. Dan and Eva dropped to silent. Their breathing, their movement was hushed and frozen. Thirty seconds later, there was a bump outside in the corridor as the door to the Alabaster’s wing was opened outside. The change in air pressure outside sucked the boardroom door against the jamb. Dan and Eva stared at the door, and then looked at the screen. A big shadow moved into view, and then pale light from a fire exit light threw the face into relief for a second. A big pale face with plenty of flesh and a glint of spectacles came into view.

  “Damn. I gave her a hard time, but I never really suspected her…” said Dan. Eva put her finger to his lips. In playful mockery Dan kissed Eva’s finger.

  Eva’s attention was devoted to the laptop screen. She pressed a key and switched the views. Now the full screen was given to the green office, a wash of moonlight and street lamp light thrown across the acre of empty carpet. They saw the big weeble shape of Susan poodle into the area around her own desk. The big woman sat down and opened the cupboard and bent down to inspect it. She pulled unknown contents on to its desk, and then she opened the drawer beneath her desktop keyboard and extracted more items. They all went on the surface of her desk. Her hands and forearms delved deep into the drawer, but she seemed to draw a blank. She bent down again and stuffed her entire arm into the cupboard space.

  “What the hell is she doing?”

  “Looking for something. Maybe a book with her passwords, or her own sequence or plan written in it. But coming here this time of night, doing what she’s doing? It’s suspicious!” She whispered.

  “It’s wrong is what it is. Guilty as charged. We have ourselves a winner.” Dan stood up. “Come on, I want to see the look on her face.”

  “What?”

  “This is the best bit,” said Dan. He opened the door and walked quickly into the main room. Eva hurried behind him. Susan yelped and thudded her head on her desk as she launched up and stood. Dan shone the torchlight into the big woman’s squinting face. She blinked like a mole, her breath was rasping.

  “What? Please, no!”

  “It’s okay, Susan. We’re the good guys. But, Susan, which side are you on?”

  “You son of a bitch. Turn on the light. Turn it on, right now! You nearly gave me a heart attack!”

  Eva flicked on one set of strip lights. They buzzed and hummed and flicked into life.

  Susan was shaking and Eva suddenly had a bad, nagging feeling.

  “I’m looking for my purse. That’s why I’m here. Look! I lost it somewhere, and I hoped David had stored it somewhere in the office.”

  “Couldn’t you just phone Dave and ask him?”

  The woman shook her head. “Dave has problems. It’s not worth calling him after dark.”

  “Why. Is he a werewolf or something?” asked Dan.

  “No. He’s an alcoholic. Why are you such a totally obnoxious idiot? Whatever
do you see in him?” she asked Eva.

  “It’s a long story. So you lost your purse. Did you find it?”

  “No? I will have to cancel my cards and I had sixty pounds cash in there too.”

  “Your cash?” said Dan.

  “That’s enough, Dan. Okay, look. We can sort this out tomorrow. I’m sorry for the fright we gave you, but we’ve got to find this thief, Susan. This business and all your jobs depend on it.”

  Susan nodded. Eva and Dan exchanged a frightful look as she turned away. Dan looked cynical, and Eva gave an ‘I don’t know’ shrug. They flicked off the light and followed the big woman to the door of Alabaster’s part of the building and locked her out.

  “There will be repercussions tomorrow,” said Eva.

  “There always are, Eva. It’s seems to be a part of the business.”

  They walked back to the boardroom. Eva was hungry and looked at the flat and empty red bag on the table. “I wish you hadn’t eaten all those Maltesers, Dan.”

  “Next time, buy a bigger bag.”

  “Yeah. So you can eat more of them,” said Eva. Dan shook his head. They looked at the laptop and tapped a button and the screen came back to life. Immediately they saw something else. There, near the glass frontage of the building was an indistinct shadow. It blotted out some of the light from outside.

  “Come. Here kitty, kitty, kitty… ” said Dan. They heard a sound from out the back, the start of an old unhealthy car engine, rattling into life and the shadow on the screen stopped moving. The engine roared louder and then the car noise pootled away. “Jeez, that woman’s car needs a service,” said Dan. The shadow on the screen withdrew.

  “No!” said Eva. She slapped the veneer table top and stood. She hurried to the window, but the porch way obscured too much of the front steps. She waited. There, at the left of the building a figure moved away, already too far to be identifiable. It was a male figure, tall, and covered in dark clothing and maybe wearing a hat or a hoodie.

  “Damn it. Do you think it was the light, or was it Susan’s car which put him off?”

  “It had to be Susan. She’d put me off anything.”

  “At least we’re getting closer,” said Eva. “It’s a man. And not a small one either…”

  “Is that enough?”

  “Of course not. It’s not nearly enough. But it’s all we’ve got.”

  Dan sighed and looked away. “Maybe I need a break from this case instead of the other one.”

  “Nice try, Dan. But this is the case that pays.” But it only paid if they caught the thief. So far it wasn’t looking good. The case was simple and complex at the same time. There was a good chance it would outwit them before Greer’s patience wore through. But Eva wasn’t giving up yet because they couldn’t afford to fail…

  Nine

  “Hi Gary,” said Eva. She kept her eyes steady, showing neither fear nor arrogance. The man had to believe she was unflappable, as if nothing he’d said at the restaurant bothered her at all. Gary Rowntree played a similar hand. He looked at Eva, then there was a second before he acknowledged Dan Bradley at her side.

  “Hello to you too,” he said, putting on the false charm. Charm Eva had once believed in. “To what do I owe this displeasure?” It was a joke, but Eva knew it was true. Rowntree spent another second looking at Dan, waiting for the rage, but it never came because Dan didn’t know about the proposition. And unless she wanted blood on the carpet, Dan probably never would.

  “The displeasure is all mine, Gary,” said Dan, meaning every word.

  “Really, Dan? After all the help I’ve given you I thought you would have moved onto gratitude. Why are you still on the street? Who do you think you owe for that?”

  “No one Gary. I don’t owe a thing to any man living, and I never will.”

  “Don’t push it Gary,” added Eva. Gary Rowntree looked at Eva. There was a hint of a blush appearing in his cheeks and he made the faintest of nods. They were at the front desk of the Southend Police Station, a female desk sergeant peering nosily at Rowntree’s impromptu meeting.

  “I’d get busy with that paperwork if I were you, Sally. Before your clipboard rots,” said Rowntree. The desk sergeant nodded. “I was just…”

  “Yes, you were, weren’t you? I’m stepping out for fifteen okay, Sally?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  The three of them walked out into the crisp cool air beneath the Civic Centre tower which loomed above them. They slowly walked up to the public fountain which spouted water high, past some unreadable piece of civic art.

  “Right then, Eva. Dan. What do you want?”

  The big man thrust his hands deep into his suit pockets and looked them over. Dan matched him look for look.

  “I know what you said about John Balfour, Gary. And it’s no can do. We have to speak to him.”

  Gary looked at Eva. “What have you told him?”

  “She tells me everything, pal. There’d be no secrets from you.”

  In a flat voice Eva said “He’s right. There’s no secrets, Gary. You can see that, can’t you?” Her voice was flat with the deliberate lie, saying the opposite of what she meant. Rowntree’s eyes changed in understanding. Dan didn’t know a thing about their conversation. If he did Dan would have gone nuclear as soon as they arrived.

  “I see. That’s good to hear. I respect that in a woman. Now let’s be honest. You’ve already spoken to Balfour. I know all about it. He showed me where you hit him. Remind me, folks? Are you detectives or thugs? Because I’m sure it said detectives on your business cards.”

  “What does it say on yours, Gary? Does it mention all the things you don’t want your bosses to know about?” said Dan.

  “You’re a fantasist and you always have been.” Rowntree looked at Eva. “You shouldn’t have done that, but you did. So why are you even bothering to consult with me? As window dressing? I’m not stupid, so please don’t make the mistake of underestimating me.”

  “Balfour is not telling us everything,” said Eva.

  “If he didn’t kill Laura Gosling then he knows nothing. He’s probably telling you the truth,” said Rowntree.

  “Uh-uh,” said Dan, shaking his head. “He let us know something, maybe he learned it by mistake. He has a strong suspicion about who killed Laura. And it could be more than just suspicion…”

  Rowntree tutted and folded his arms. “And?” he snapped.

  “And we think he might open up if someone more… official is with us,” said Eva.

  “You want me to be one of your little deputies? Are you sure?”

  “Yes, we’re sure,” said Dan. Rowntree and Dan glared at one another.

  “He’s got a suspicion, eh?” said Rowntree.

  “At the very least. He said someone big.”

  Rowntree’s eyes drew into a squint. “Yeah. Okay. I’m with you. Come on, let’s go hunt some big game.” Rowntree walked away to fetch his car.

  “John, it’s me, your old mucker, Rowntree. Can you to come out to play? I’m outside with a couple of my mates… Yeah. That’s right. Outside. I’ll see you in two, old son. There’s a good boy.”

  Rowntree hung up the call and slid his phone away. He looked at Dan and Eva beside him in St Mary’s Walk and raised one of his eyebrows. “Shouldn’t be long, folks. Balfour knows not to mess me around.”

  “Why do all the bad ones do what you tell them, Gary? I’ve always wondered,” said Dan, leaving much more unsaid. Rowntree’s eyes produced an unnerving spark of light.

  “I don’t know. I think it could be my immense charisma, Dan. Or it could be that if I smashed their face in there’d be nothing they could do about it. But that’s not my style, is it Dan? That’s much more your style. Which is why I’ve had to close my eyes tight and stick my fingers in my ears so many times, so I could avoid pressing any more charges against you.”

  Dan hissed in derision.

  “Or it could be that he wants to change while he still can. Balfour is one of a hundred on my
books who are in last chance saloon. If they don’t take their medicine and do as they’re told, it’s goodbye freedom all over again,” said Rowntree.

  “That’s a lot of excuses and I don’t believe any of them, Gary.”

  “But then you didn’t like a word I’ve said, did you?”

  “Like? Believe is maybe a better word, Gary.”

  “Shut up. You’re a jailbird too. Don’t get above yourself or I might start remembering a few things you’ve done.”

  “Oh please… every bloody time…” said Eva as the door of Baflour’s bedsit opened, the man froze in the doorway, peering at them over his well misshapen nose.

  “For fuck’s sake Gary. These bastards have been all over me already. What did you bring them here for?”

  Rowntree took four quick steps from the garden gate to John Balfour’s doorstep and grabbed hold of his right earlobe. He twisted it and pulled the man down the step and along the path. Balfour covered Rowntree’s hands with his own to limit the pain but he still groaned.

  “Do you think I take orders from you, John? Well I never, you are a prize one aren’t you. You’re a murderer John, tried and convicted, a blot on my landscape. The only reason I’m here is because duty calls, and you’re a dot on my radar. Especially when another local tart has been offed, just when you’re free again. Not great timing for you, eh? But just a bit of a coincidence, I’m sure.”

  John Balfour pulled his head away from Rowntree’s hand. Eva looked at Rowntree and Balfour intently, wanting to understand the dynamic. She had learned ugly things about Gary Rowntree, things she had never believed because she had been naïve, even wilfully so. He had seemed a friend, but now he was altogether different. Balfour’s face screwed up and his eyes watered. He was shaking with indignation.

  “You KNOW I didn’t do it.”

  “Know is a very strong word John. I don’t know anything of the sort. These two local gumshoes think you did it, and I know at least one of them has detective skills, so tell me John. Why not you? The murder fits your M.O. like a glove.”