Find Them Dead

12 Thursday 29 November

Five minutes later, Glenn Branson checked his notes and addressed his assembled company of detectives, including Kevin Hall, Jack Alexander and Velvet Wilde. They had been joined by two members of the Financial Investigation Unit, led by civilian Emily Denyer, a dark-haired woman in her early thirties.

‘The time is 9 a.m., Thursday, November 29th. This is the seventh briefing of Operation Farmhouse — the investigation into the attempted importation into the UK of six million pounds’ worth of cocaine, discovered in a faked rare classic Ferrari at Newhaven Port early last Monday morning, November 26th.’

He glanced at his notes. ‘Our prime suspect, Michael Starr, the driver of the car and enclosed trailer bringing the Ferrari into England, is currently on remand in Lewes Prison. As you know, we believe Starr is a major player in the bigger investigation. The National Crime Agency intelligence, together with information from the Met regarding this route and details around LH Classics, has come up trumps, and I believe, thanks to further information from London, we are close to nailing the mastermind behind the entire operation.’

Branson continued. ‘OK, we’ve searched Starr’s home in West Sussex and removed a computer which Digital Forensics are now examining. Living in the house with Starr is his younger brother, Stuie, who has Down’s Syndrome and needs help with day-to-day living. A neighbour had been keeping an eye on him whilst Mickey Starr was away on his — ah — business trip. Velvet has an update on him, I believe?’ He looked at her.

‘Yes, sir,’ DC Wilde said, in her Belfast accent. ‘As he is close to independent living, I’ve arranged with social services for an appropriate adult to call daily at the house until the immediate future of his brother is ascertained. Starr’s solicitor is appealing to have him released on bail, so he can look after Stuie.’

‘That’s not going to happen,’ Branson said. ‘Not with the charges facing him for the value of the drugs, and his assaults at the time of his arrest.’

‘I agree with you, sir.’

‘Has the younger brother given any useful information, Velvet?’ Jack Alexander asked the DC.

‘Not so far, no. He’s angry that Mickey hasn’t come home because he’d promised they were going to buy a chippy and he would have a job as the food preparer.’

‘Well, that promise is fried!’ Hall said and chuckled, looking around.

‘If I could chip in,’ Wilde said, ‘his future has gone down the pan!’

‘People!’ Branson admonished. He turned to the Financial Investigators. ‘Emily, I understand you have some fresh information for us?’

‘Yes,’ she said, scrolling through the digital information on her screen. ‘As we always do, we’ve been tracking the financial trail, and I’m very pleased to say we may have a breakthrough. Our devious crime lord has been very careful to hide his tracks, and he’s done it very ingeniously — but we may have found a crucial chink.’

‘Yes?’ Branson said.

‘We’ve found a bank account in the Seychelles which appears linked to the company LH Classics. The Seychelles used to be completely secretive about all financial transactions, but recently they’ve had a policy change and are now cooperating with government agencies over money laundering. They’re sending us over statements showing all transactions since the account was set up. It’s interesting to see there are numerous cash payments originating in Brighton going into this account.’

‘Nice work, Emily!’ the DI said.

‘Thank you.’

Branson’s mobile rang. He glanced at the display and when he saw who it was from, Aiden Gilbert of Digital Forensics, he raised an apologetic hand. ‘This might be something of interest, excuse me a sec,’ he said to the team and answered it. ‘DI Branson.’

‘Glenn,’ Gilbert said. ‘I thought I’d call you right away. I’ve just had the cell-site analysis report back from the phone company for the burner with Starr’s prints all over it. It’s quite interesting.’

‘Yeah?’

‘We’ve a plot of the phone’s movements for the ten days since it was activated, and a log of the calls made on it. The day before we know that Starr took the car and trailer across the Channel, en route to collect the Ferrari, he visited a location in Brighton, where he spent just over an hour. Cell-site doesn’t usually enable us to pinpoint an actual building in cities, but there were two phone calls made, over the next four days, to a firm located within the area pinpointed.’

Branson sat upright, excited. ‘Yes? You have its name?’

‘Yes, it was simple. I rang the number and the switchboard answered.’

‘You’re a star! What’s the firm?’

Gilbert told him.

As he heard the name, Glenn beamed. ‘Brilliant, Aiden,’ he said. ‘Just brilliant!’

‘Yes?’

‘Christmas has come early.’