Judas Horse

Chapter 16

Jack and Mason entered the squad room to find Lee had just arrived from Oxford and was itching for a full handover. ‘DI Mason and I will go through the details of his interview and then communicate the next course of action to the team,’ he announced.

During his drive from Oxford to Chipping Norton, he had coordinated a series of background checks on De Voe, but it turned out he was not in any system and did not have a criminal record. However, his name was now in capital letters right in the centre of the evidence board. Jack was horrified. ‘We can’t show our hand yet, sir.’

Lee shrugged. ‘We’ve got no IDs, no court-reliable witnesses, no prints, no DNA...’

Gifford chipped in. ‘Even the greasy fingerprint on the back of Barrowman’s office chair doesn’t belong to anyone in any system, here or internationally. They’re all clean, Eamonn.’

‘All we have is one scared woman who’s confessed to a burglary-gone-wrong from three years ago,’ Jack went on.

Lee ignored Jack and was looking at Mason to see if he was going to back him up, seeing that Gifford now seemed to have gone over to the other side. But Mason simply said, ‘Just listen to him, Eamonn.’ Lee frowned. He knew nothing of the violent confrontation between Mason and Jack when they found Mulhern’s mutilated body in the stable, but he could sense that Jack now had some kind of hold over his Oxford partner.

With Gifford and Mason providing backup, Jack continued. ‘If we go after De Voe now, we lose the gang, and we can’t allow that to happen just because we’re itching to move. I want the man who can push a letter opener into a dog’s brain, and who can beat Mathew with a crowbar over a pizza, and who can torture and murder Jacob Mulhern. I want Mr Smart. Look at how much we do know, sir. We’ve been right about everything: how they used an insider, how they move around, how they avoid CCTV, how they select their targets, the fact that they’re transient and not from around here... and now we know where they come in from and disappear to. We’re ahead of them.’

Lee looked at Jack warily. ‘What do you suggest then? And remember the final decision lies with Oxford Robbery.’

Jack thanked Lee for his trust and stepped forwards to address the room. Mason was glad to be on Jack’s side; he reckoned being against him was probably a dangerous place to be.

‘The annual equestrian event next week is too good a target for them to resist. We have time to get this right. Charlotte will need looking after, so she should stay in the care of myself and Bevan. Bevan has a good rapport with her and won’t take any shit from Charlotte when she falters, which she will. The only thing we don’t know, and I’m sure Charlotte doesn’t either, is when this gang is here, where do they hide? Why haven’t we noticed them?’ he turned to Bevan. ‘We still need to check out the transient communities and visitors that move around the Cotswolds unseen; bus drivers, casual labourers, road workers, lorry drivers, tourists.’

Bevan nodded eagerly. ‘Yes, sir. We can track and collate visitor parking permits, temporary council contracts and acquisitions, B&B booking systems—’

‘Do this for me as well, please,’ Jack interrupted. ‘When I first arrived here, Oaks and I stopped at temporary traffic lights — there are loads of them all over the place, but why? Are they legitimate? I didn’t see any roadworks being done. Has this gang got the balls to actually control the fucking traffic to clear their escape route? I wouldn’t put it past them.’

Lee held a hand up. ‘I get the impression, DS Warr, that you’re giving all of us orders, while having another plan for yourself.’

Jack ignored the sarcasm. ‘I know the world De Voe lives in. I suggest that I go back to London and get on the inside. From there, I can do more. Oxfordshire is your territory, DI Lee. London is mine.’

Lee was clearly finding it difficult to fault Jack’s logic, so Jack gave it one final push. ‘Ex-prime minister Cameron is opening the equestrian event. His property hasn’t been hit yet — for one thing Charlotte doesn’t work for him — but I think all bets are off now, don’t you? Everyone will be out of their homes. Everyone is a target. Sir, if you think Barrowman will be grateful when we catch these bastards, just imagine the praise that’ll come our way from someone like Cameron.’

Lee didn’t respond immediately, asking Jack to pop into Gifford’s office with him whilst they discussed a few details.

Once the door was closed, he let rip. ‘Is that how you see me, Jack? With my head halfway up the most important arse in the county? You don’t understand: I’m not in this for the fucking kudos; I’m just seeing the bigger picture. The bigwigs that you insist on ignoring are the same people who have the ear of the DCI. That matters because, whether you like it or not, we’re answerable to them. One of us has to keep that in mind.’ He gave Jack a hard stare. ‘So, you go back to London, Jack. But you report to me daily and you don’t act without my say-so. This must be coordinated, or it goes tits-up in the blink of an eye. This gang has taken the piss for three years — they hire horseboxes from right under our noses in the name of Mr Smart, for fuck’s sake! We’re different coppers, me and you, and that’s fine, but if you can’t work under my lead, now’s the time to say so.’

Jack gave him his sincerest smile. ‘I can, sir.’

Lee nodded but still looked at him suspiciously, suspecting that Jack had somehow got the better of him.

Before Jack headed for London, he had one final conversation with Bevan. ‘I’m going to give Charlotte my mobile number and I want you to give her yours. But Charlotte’s not the weak one; Annie is and Charlotte will do anything to protect her. She needs to feel safe, so I want her to only communicate with us in the first instance. I’ll then feed the relevant information on to everyone else. I’m also going to get a burner phone; you’ll have that number, too. But just you.’ Although Bevan was listening intently, Jack could see that she wasn’t sure about the ethics of following his instructions above those of his senior officers. ‘Bevan, you’re one of the smartest, most painstaking officers I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with. We’re so close to the end. I need you to be my patient, logical brain over here, whilst I’m in London. Please. Help me to help Charlotte get out of this in one piece.’