Find Them Dead

17 Saturday 1 December

When the interview with the detective and the Financial Investigator terminated, Terence Gready, only too well aware of his rights, requested that he stay on in the interview room for a private conference with his solicitor.

For many years, despite Gready’s own extensive knowledge of the law, he had always listened to Fox’s wise counsel. After the others had left, he looked up warily at the wide-angle CCTV camera. ‘Want to check that’s off, Nick?’ he said.

Fox shook his head. ‘It’ll be off — and even if it wasn’t, you know anything we discuss now would be inadmissible evidence. We’re good.’

‘I don’t feel that good. My big worry is Mickey — he loves that brother of his. Fucking dotes on him. I’ve been worried ever since he was arrested that he might try to make a deal with the prosecution — and rat me up. What do you think? One of your colleagues is acting for him, has he said anything to you?’

Gready was paying Fox’s firm to act for Mickey. But it wasn’t out of altruism, it was so he would know what Starr was thinking.

‘A chain is only as strong as its weakest link, Terry. Starr is your weak link. You’re smart to be concerned. He asked my colleague yesterday if he thought he’d get a lesser sentence by pleading guilty.’

‘Understandable. As long as he doesn’t grass me up, it’s OK.’

Fox raised a calming hand. ‘He’s got the message not to go there.’

‘And?’

‘He’s sore. He’s blaming his arrest on you.’

‘On me? If he hadn’t been so damned greedy and packed all the Ferrari’s tyres with coke — the fucking stupid idiot — we’d have been home free.’

‘That’s not what he thinks, Terry. From what he’s said, he reckons you knew your operation was under surveillance and you let him be the fall guy.’

Gready shrugged. ‘Let him be the fall guy? Does he seriously think that if I had the remotest intention of doing that, I’d have lost six million quid’s worth of cocaine in the process? It doesn’t make any sense, Nick. Shit, if I had any inkling — any at all — I’d have halted everything until the heat had blown over. Tell him that.’

‘I’ll tell him, but you need to look at it from his perspective. He’s bang to rights. Caught red-handed trying to import six million quid’s worth of cocaine. Looking at the wrong end of fifteen years, at best. Whilst you might, just might — in his mind — wriggle away free.’

‘Well, if I did manage to get out of this shit, I’d be his best chance of getting him out, too.’

‘You really think that, Terry?’

‘Don’t you?’

‘Sure I do. But we’ve a PR job to do on Mickey.’

‘Nick, whether he pleads guilty or not, whatever happens, I need him in the witness box telling the jury he doesn’t know me, and we’ve never met. I need him backing me that this is all a stitch-up by rival drug dealers.’

Fox looked at him, dubiously. ‘Well, that’s going to depend, there might be a big difference in his attitude if he does plead guilty.’

Gready narrowed his eyes at Fox. ‘Well, you tell him there’s another big difference, that it’s not the fall that kills you, it’s the sudden stop. Tell him if we’re both going down, I’ll be the one with the parachute.’

Fox stood up and patted him affectionately on the shoulder. ‘Don’t worry, I’ll sort him.’ He grinned. ‘Trust me, I’m a lawyer.’

Gready managed a weak smile back.