Hot Seat

Lap Thirty-Eight

It was seven p.m. before Dylan and I got out of the police station. After we gave our statements, Sergeant Lucas kept us while his higher-ups decided whether we should be charged for our interference. Eventually, Lucas appeared to tell us we were more trouble than we were worth and to get out of his sight.

We arrived back at Archway to find Steve and Claudia waiting for us. Claudia tapped her watch when she saw me. I didn’t need reminding. Three hours’ notice wasn’t a lot of time to prepare anything. We entrenched ourselves in the situation room. Everyone’s gaze was on me.

‘Are you sure you want to do this?’ Claudia asked me.

I glanced over at Steve. His expressionless stare gave me no encouragement. I didn’t think he wanted me to go through with this, but he’d back me.

‘I’m sure.’

‘Because if you don’t, we’ll catch these guys eventually. They will screw up. They always do.’

But they’ll only go down for the drugs, I thought. Barrington’s interests didn’t lie with finding Jason’s killer.

‘I like the idea of catching these people sooner.’

Claudia flashed a brittle smile. ‘OK. The thing to remember is to be patient. This is the first stage. You are just baiting the line. Sell them on the idea that Archway can be their new drug pipeline. We need these people to fall in love with your proposal. There won’t be any drugs at tonight’s meeting. It’ll be all talk. Tonight is about seduction.’

‘No shagging on the first date,’ Dylan said.

Steve and I laughed.

‘Please take this seriously,’ Claudia said. ‘This is very dangerous. We ’ave no protection or support.’

‘We are taking this seriously,’ I said. ‘We’re just a little anxious.’

‘The best cure for anxiety is to do what you’re anxious about.’ Steve stood. ‘So let’s do this.’

Steve led a two-car convoy up to Ragged Racing’s workshop. Dylan rode with Steve and Claudia rode with me. On the drive up, she talked me through tactics and strategy. All too soon we arrived at the industrial park.

Steve and Dylan climbed from the Capri and into the back of the Honda.

‘This is it, I suppose,’ Dylan said. ‘You want me to come with you?’

‘No, I want to go in alone. It’s better to give them the impression they have the upper hand.’

‘They do,’ Steve said. ‘Remember that.’

That was a confidence shaker.

Claudia pulled out her mobile. ‘If you need ’elp, call. We’ll come running.’

That was if I got the chance to make a call. ‘I know. Now get out.’

They climbed from my Honda. Steve opened my door and took my hand. ‘Be careful, son.’

‘I will.’

Steve closed my door and I pulled away. I rounded the corner and light spilled from the entrance to Ragged Racing. I was expected. I wondered how many were waiting for me inside. Five? Ten? Well, there was only one way to find out. I parked next to Rags’ Mercedes and let myself in.

I found Rags in the workshop, alone. He stood in front of my car running his hand over its contours. He was a man admiring his own handiwork. It was worth admiring. He’d built quite an empire for himself, but at what cost?

I felt like an intruder with my presence, so I let the sound of my footsteps on the concrete floor announce my arrival.

‘I was thinking about Jason today,’ Rags said without turning around.

He wants to talk, I thought, so let him talk. ‘In what way?’

He turned around and leaned against my racecar. He tried smiling at me but it failed to take shape. The Rags the ESCC had come to know and fear was gone. His mistakes had caught up with him.

‘I was thinking what a great guy Jason was. He was hardworking, smart, attentive and honest.’

‘And he didn’t deserve to die.’

‘No. He had integrity. The kind this sport needs. The kind I used to have.’

Rags was going to confess. He just had to be pressed and pushed in the right places. He knew it was over.

‘Was his death connected to what we’re doing tonight?’ I asked.

Rags nodded.

Only one question came next. My mouth went dry at the prospect of asking it. ‘I know that you knew that Jason was going to search the transporter the night he was killed. Did you kill him?’

‘I might not have done the deed, but I phoned it in. I took my hands off the wheel and let someone else steer. If I had half the guts Jason had, I would have faced him myself. I don’t think I could have dissuaded him, but at least he would be alive and we wouldn’t be here tonight.’

I said nothing. Rags was struggling with the guilt, but he deserved to struggle. He’d let a man die. And if he’d let one die, he’d be likely to do it again.

‘You disappoint me. I thought more of you.’

The remark surprised me. ‘How so?’

‘You seemed honest. Your grandfather has a reputation for playing by the rules. I didn’t think you’d want anything to do with this.’

It was time to get into character. ‘Yeah, well, being honest doesn’t put money in the bank.’

Rags shook his head. ‘There’s more to life than money.’

‘That’s easy to say when you have it. My dad made it to the top of this sport and didn’t have a penny to show for it. Worse, he died owing money. It almost cost my grandfather his livelihood. That wouldn’t happen in any other industry. I may be my father’s son, but I won’t starve because of some ideal. I want to succeed in this sport and I don’t care how I do it.’

A tremor that I hadn’t intended invaded the tail end of my speech. I was breathing hard when I’d finished. Maybe I wasn’t entirely playacting.

‘I thought like you and look where it’s gotten me,’ Rags said.

‘To the top of your game.’

Rags shook his head. ‘You’re too young to get it. That’s your problem. But you’ll work it out. Hopefully before your mistakes swallow you up.’

‘Can we get on with this?’

‘Why don’t you just go? Forget about this shit. I’ll tell my people that you had second thoughts and I paid you off.’

‘But you haven’t.’

‘I will. I’ve got ten grand waiting for you in my office. You can have it and I’ll make sure you get more.’

Something was wrong. Rags was trying to sideline me and it unnerved me, but I had to follow through with the plan. ‘You’re not squeezing me out. I want what I came here for and that’s a piece of the action.’

The sound of a car pulling up outside drew our attention.

Rags looked back at me and raised his hands. ‘Have it your way, Aidy. I did my best for you. Don’t you forget that.’

My heart thundered in my chest. This was it. I was going to come face-to-face with Jason’s killer.

As Rags went to the door to let our visitor in, my mobile vibrated in my pocket. It was Dylan. I answered it.

‘Be quick.’

‘Mate, we’re busted.’ Dylan was out of breath. His voice was uneven like he was running. ‘It’s Barrington. Him and two of his boys just swooped in. They’ve got Claudia and Steve. I’m trying to give these fuckers the slip so I can back you up.’

A voice in the background barked something I couldn’t quite make out. Then a second voice, much closer to Dylan’s phone, told him to stop. I recognized Barrington’s voice.

‘Shit,’ Dylan said.

The panic I heard in Dylan’s voice spread to me.

Barrington had to be right next to Dylan as I heard his voice clearly. ‘Use my personnel for your own private investigation? I don’t bloody think so. Your fun and games are over.’

‘Aidy, get out,’ Dylan said. ‘You’re on your own.’

But it was too late. Rags was returning with our drug connection — Crichlow. And I was totally alone now.