Psycho Alley

Six

After the slowness of those minutes when Henry was waiting for the arrival of assistance and relief, three hours later found the world revolving very rapidly indeed, threatening to spin him off into the stratosphere.

Rik Dean had been dragged off to hospital, tended by a couple of cool-dude paramedics who made Henry insanely jealous by their calm approach. The initial prognosis was good, confirmed subsequently by the A amp; E doctor: Rik was going to be OK. He needed emergency surgery to stitch up the jugular and the wounds, but he hadn’t lost as much blood as Henry had feared. It just looked bad.

The two detectives sent to Harrogate had returned, both slightly weepy and emotionally drained after having to deal with a family whose daughter had disappeared and could be dead. They had brought back the DNA swabs, everything packaged and secured precisely, and some dental X-rays. A comparison would be done first thing Monday by the forensic lab. Henry sensed the brittleness of the women, but they refused to go home when ordered.

Percy Pearson was in custody, but Henry doubted whether he actually had any link to the murder investigation he was running, although his knife would come under careful scrutiny by forensics, also in the morning.

And to top it all, the custody office at Blackpool central was full to bursting following a weekend of drunken debauchery.

His head hurt.

He needed to get changed out of his blood-splattered clothing. He kept a spare pair of trousers and a shirt in the office, and he gladly did a runner through the barred gate of the custody office and made to the lift after telling the custody sergeant to call him when the duty solicitor got round to Pearson.

Unusually, the lift was there waiting for him, doors akimbo. His only stroke of luck all day, he thought wistfully as he stepped in. Before he could select the button, Debbie Black joined him. She pressed the button for him and once the doors had closed with their usual reluctance, she moved into him. Her hands slid around his neck and before he could say anything she’d dragged his head down and parted his lips with hers, inserting a hot tongue.

It tasted good, warm, wet, sweet, smoky.

He responded by pulling her tight to him and getting his own tongue going. How long was it since he had French kissed? Did they even call it that these days?

They parted seconds before the lift reached its destination, Henry holding his breath. The doors creaked open, but no one was there and they had not reached their floor anyway. The doors closed.

Neither moved this time.

Debbie exhaled a long breath as though she was blowing a smoke ring. ‘Fifteen years is a long time to make up.’ Her breast rose and fell.

‘Aye,’ Henry said inadequately, a little twitch of the head accompanying the word.

The lift stopped at the required floor. They stepped into the corridor.

‘It’s terrible what happened to Rik, isn’t it?’

‘Aye,’ Henry said. They were walking toward his office. ‘He’ll be OK, though.’

It wasn’t a long walk. The corridors in Blackpool nick were all short. Within moments, they were outside his office door, Henry pausing with his hand on it. ‘I need to get changed.’

Debbie glanced down at him, taking in the blood on his trousers. Her eyes rose. ‘I’d love to get you out of those,’ she said wickedly.

Henry swallowed, fighting all his instincts, which were telling him to drag her into the office and let her wreak havoc.

‘Nice thought, just a smidgen busy,’ he shrugged.

She nodded understandingly. ‘Drink after work,’ she said, ‘whatever time you finish. I need a debrief.’ She raised her head and marched off around the corner. Henry pushed open the office door, muttering an obscenity of relief, and was immediately glad he hadn’t followed the weak path, because sitting plonk behind his desk was the chief constable, Robert Fanshaw-Bayley, rifling through his drawers and paperwork, grinning like the cat with the kill.

FB had no shame, showed no embarrassment, just raised his head and greeted Henry, making him think that perhaps he wasn’t actually going through his stuff at all, but simply winding Henry up. He was a past master at this. The plump chief’s grin turned to one of superiority and he lounged back in Henry’s chair, hands clasped behind his head, surveying the lower ranking officer.

‘Boss,’ Henry acknowledged, closing the door. He stood there hesitantly. ‘Can I help you?’ FB just shrugged. ‘I need to get changed.’ Henry indicated his trousers.

‘Don’t let me stop you.’

The office was so tiny, Henry had no room to manoeuvre and was obliged to drop his pants in front of FB.

‘More bloodletting follows you?’ FB said.

‘So it seems.’ He hopped around the very tight space in front of the desk as he pulled up his spare pants. They were reluctant to come up. ‘Fortunately he’ll be all right.’

‘I know — I’ve been to see him.’ FB looked sad. ‘He wasn’t wearing a stab vest.’

‘Doesn’t mean you don’t get stabbed even if you wear one.’ At last the pants came up. ‘Even if he’d worn it, he’d have been stabbed in the same place. Ahh …’ He buttoned them up and they were tight. ‘I’ve got to go and interview the offender,’ he said, ‘so …’ he squidged up his face, ‘unless you’ve anything pressing, I need to go back to the custody office.’ Henry wasn’t about to tell FB that Pearson’s solicitor wasn’t ready yet, but he did not want to spend any unnecessary time with FB.

‘Yeah, I understand that.’ FB paused. Henry finished zipping, folded up the bloodied pants and tossed them on to the spare chair, having decided the best course of action would be to have them incinerated. Maybe then claim for a new pair, a thought dismissed when he glanced at FB: getting money out of the organization was not easy.

FB sniffed. ‘How’s the whole thing going?’

‘As this started out as the hunt for a flasher, it’s taken a turn for the worse, I’d say.’

‘Is this murder part of that original investigation? And where does Pearson fit into it?’

‘Not sure on any of those points yet, but at least I know who the probable murderer is and we’ll track him down sooner rather than later,’ he said confidently.

FB nodded sagely, double chins wobbling. ‘I need to warn you about something, though. Dave Anger.’

‘I’m pretty well sighted on him.’

‘Don’t be too sure, Henry,’ FB said gravely.

‘Why?’ His stomach fell.

‘Because I’m not sure how much longer I can protect you.’

Henry’s eyebrows came together. He knew that, despite everything about their love-hate relationship, he had quite a lot to thank FB for, particularly the posting to FMIT, but he wasn’t sure FB was actually protecting him. ‘What do you mean?’

‘Basically, if you don’t get a result on this, wave bye-bye to FMIT. Anger will cane you and there won’t be anything I can do about it. At the end of the day, staff selection is down to him, not me.’

Henry groaned. ‘I really fell for it, didn’t I?’ he said, trying to keep bitterness from his voice. ‘Conned by the carrot of substantive DCI. I feel like a sprog. I should’ve said no.’

‘And if you had said no, it would’ve been a good excuse to get rid of you. He’s out to drop you, that’s all I’m saying. He wants rid, wants a reshuffle, wants new blood, wants his mates on board, and mostly it’s not something I can argue against. You need to show him you can get a result and the pressure might ease, but only until the next job comes along.’

‘Fuck,’ Henry spat, sighing deeply, head shaking. ‘I actually thought he’d come round a bit with the GMP job. Obviously not. It goes deep, this, but I just don’t know what I’ve done to upset the twat.’

‘That I cannot answer, but it seems deeply personal.’

‘I wouldn’t mind if I knew the guy, could’ve upset him somewhere down the line, but he just seems to hate me, end of story.’

‘You could put in for a move,’ FB suggested.

‘Sideways and as a DI?’

‘Would that be so bad? Special Branch are on the lookout for DIs.’

‘I’ll think about it … now I need to get going, if you don’t mind. Got a murder to solve and all that. Not that it means anything these days.’

‘Sure … oh and by the way, take a bit of fatherly advice.’ FB winked salaciously. ‘Keep your cock out of Debbie Black … she’s a bit of a handful.’

The trousers were too tight, which was not surprising. They had been Henry’s ‘emergency’ pair for the last four years, and this was the first time he’d ever had to use them. It was apparent he had become more rotund over that period. They were also a bit too short, which was strangely uncomfortable. He was certain he had not grown.

Debbie Black and Jane Roscoe were hanging around the custody office, both descending on him when he appeared.

‘What’s going on now?’ Jane wanted to know.

‘I’m going to have a preliminary interview with Pearson and then I’m going to hand him over to the local CID to sort out, unless I think he has some involvement in the murder, which I don’t. My priority is still to find Uren.’

‘Who’s second jockey?’ Jane asked, meaning who would accompany him in the interview.

‘No one.’

‘I’ll do it,’ Jane offered quickly, turning Debbie’s face granite-like. Henry said OK, and Debbie looked mortified.

He walked to the custody desk which, for a brief spell, was quiet, with no prisoners waiting. ‘Has the duty solicitor got to Pearson yet?’ Henry asked the custody sergeant.

‘No — for some reason he’s decided not to have one, but I will make sure he gets one whether he likes it or not. For the time being, though …’ The sergeant shrugged and looked meaningfully at Henry. ‘You can have him.’ He reached under the desk and emerged with a set of sealed interview tapes and associated paperwork, which he dumped in Henry’s hands. ‘I’ll sign him out to you. Interview room two. Just make sure you comply with PACE.’

Pearson sat behind the table in the interview room in his white paper suit. His own clothing had been removed for forensic examination. He looked cowed and pathetic, not like the crazed knifeman he’d recently transformed into a few hours earlier. He could not make eye contact with Henry.

Henry held the sealed tapes in his hands, wanting to speak to Pearson off the record. It was a difficult thing to pull off these days, but Henry reckoned he had about four or five minutes grace. Some of the things he wanted to say, he didn’t want recorded. He glanced at Jane, wishing she wasn’t here.

Before Henry could start, though, Pearson blurted, ‘I hope you’re looking after Nigel. If you don’t look after him, I’ll sue you.’

Henry gave him a cold stare. ‘Let me get this straight,’ Henry said. ‘You are more concerned about the fate of a kitten, which you were only too happy to throw at me, than the predicament you’re in? Because, let me lay this right on the line: you are in very serious trouble. Not only have you attempted to murder a police officer-’

‘Yeah, yeah — and look at me!’ he cut in, pointing to his face which was red and swollen from Henry’s slapping. ‘I’ve been assaulted too — by you!’

Henry surveyed the prisoner. ‘Not only have you tried to murder a police officer,’ he reiterated, ‘but a twelve-year-old boy was found bound and gagged in your bedroom, naked, having been brutally buggered, and video-recording equipment was also in the room. I’ve very quickly skimmed the tape found in the camera and yes, you are in very serious trouble, Mr Pearson.’ Henry could not keep the contempt out of his voice or his body language. ‘And yes, I slapped you to defend myself and my colleague. I slapped you as hard as I could under the circumstances and I’ll quite happily tell that to a court … the offender in this case is you, and you need to get that firmly in your brain.’

Their eyes remained locked. Henry’s were hard and unyielding; Pearson’s were initially defiant, then crumbling.

‘He consented,’ he pouted. ‘He was very mature.’

‘Twelve-year-olds can’t consent,’ Henry corrected him. Pearson went silent. ‘And it’s all on video.’

Still no response.

Henry allowed the pause to stretch out a while, enjoying the prisoner’s discomfort as the consequences of his actions filtered through.

‘I’m going to prison, aren’t I?’

‘I’ll say — and for a very long time. You are a danger to young boys and I imagine any judge will relish sending you down.’

Pearson nodded thoughtfully.

‘Whatever happens,’ Henry persisted, ‘you will be going down. That’s a fact — no way round it.’

‘I think I’ve got that message.’ Pearson began to well up.

‘But you can smooth the way.’

Pearson wiped his red, bloodshot eyes. Henry saw the swelling around Pearson’s cheekbone was lovely. He was rather proud of it, never having appreciated the value of a good slap, well delivered, other than in the occasional soft-porn he’d watched.

‘How?’

‘Admit, admit, admit — and help me. Throw yourself on the mercy of the court — and help me.’

‘Why should I help you?’

‘Because I truly can make sure the court knows how helpful you’ve been, how remorseful you are, all that sort of thing.’

He eyed Henry with suspicion. ‘What sort of help?’

‘I need an address.’

Pearson swallowed as though he knew what was coming. ‘Whose?’

‘You already know. George Uren’s.’

‘I don’t know it,’ he said, too quickly.

Henry paused. ‘Yes you do.’

Pearson looked down at his knees. ‘I can’t tell you. It was a mistake to tell you lot I’d seen him around … if he ever found out I’d said anything, he’d kill me.’

‘Violent, is he?’

‘You don’t know the half of it.’

‘I promise he won’t find out and, this is a promise too, if you don’t tell me you’re looking at the difference between five years or ten years in the pokey. That’s what I can do for you.’

‘You can’t do that!’

‘ ’Course I can. I have very good contacts in the judiciary. A trial court judge is in my lodge,’ he lied. ‘I can make things happen, Percy, but only if you give …’ Henry’s voice trailed away. Using Pearson’s first name stuck in his throat. He found it almost impossible to be matey with anyone who abused kids. ‘I know you spent time with him in Accy. I know you were his pal.’

‘No,’ he said. ‘I was never his pal. I did what I had to to rub along. He is very violent, he hurts people … know what I mean? I don’t. I love people and they love me. I treat people right.’

Henry felt Jane squirm next to him. He glanced at her and saw her face was seething with disgust at what Pearson was claiming.

‘He is a very bad man,’ Pearson said.

‘And I want his address.’ Henry persisted. Pearson touched his swollen face gingerly. ‘And I want to know who he’s running with.’

Pearson gasped, his eyes suddenly filled with terror. He began breathing rapidly and held his hand over his chest. Henry had hit a nerve. ‘I don’t know that. I don’t know who he’s with, honest.’ His rapid breathing continued as he wound himself up.

‘OK, just the address then … think of the difference between a five and a ten stretch.’

Pearson gave him what he wanted.

Henry checked his watch, quickly ripped the wrapping off the tapes and inserted them into the recorder. ‘Now let’s have a quick interview,’ he said.

With Pearson back in his cell, Henry, Jane and Debbie stood in one corner of the custody office having a scrum-down.

Henry was excited, something concrete in his hands at last: an address.

‘Good bloody result,’ Jane said. ‘You dealt with him well.’

‘I lied … because I’ll actually do my best to get him fourteen years, not five or ten … it’s the least he deserves … and I don’t know anyone in the judiciary, except a few local JPs.’

‘And I didn’t know you were a mason,’ Jane teased.

Henry just winked at her and touched his nose mysteriously. ‘Still, good result, but what a creepy bastard.’

Jane shivered in distaste as though she was chewing something sour. ‘All that talk about love.’

‘One thing’s for sure, we’re dealing with the grubby end of policing. Give me a good old drug dealer any day.’

‘Course of action?’ Debbie interrupted, annoyed by the intimate exchange between Jane and Henry.

‘Let’s get a team together and hit this house.’