Substantial Threat

Fifteen

It was a Chinese take-away and they sat and ate it in the dining room at the hostel. It was one of the best Henry had eaten and he devoured it with relish. He was ravenously hungry too, and that helped. One or two curious officers who lived in the hostel passed through with frowns on their foreheads, wondering who this strange quintet of people was who were invading their space. Mostly it was quiet and also very hushed between the people who were sharing the immense banquet. Small talk was minimal.

Henry did not mind. He noticed how uncomfortable Rik Dean was. Very bloody uncomfortable. Dean and Burrows made occasional eye contact, but on the whole Dean kept his eyes on his Won Ton soup and crackers. Henry also noticed that Jane was watching him. He smiled pleasantly at her, but she puckered her brow and shook her head.

Donaldson partook in the food and enjoyed watching the unspoken interactions between the participants, happy not to be involved in any personal way.

At the end of the meal, Dean tidied away the boxes and foil containers. Henry drew Jane into a corner.

‘What’s the plan, Henry?’

‘Is there any way you could stay with her tonight?’ he asked hopefully.

Jane blew out her cheeks. ‘Other than the fact I have no night things, no wash bag, no change of clothes. That I have been wearing this lot since seven this morning, I probably smell like a fish, my knickers feel like they’re ready to walk in protest. My husband will go spare — yeah, no problem.’

‘If you can stay, I’ll get Rik to collect a change of clothing for you from home. D’you think your better half would be okay about that?’

‘He’d have to be. I’ll ring him.’ She stared at Henry. ‘Are you staying?’

‘I have Karl to sort out.’

‘And what about us?’

Henry went zip-lipped.

Jane’s mouth twisted. ‘Thought as much.’

Miller and Crazy met Ray at one of the bedsits in South Shore. Miller arrived in the car, Crazy on the motorbike. Ray was already there, holding a bottle of Stella. Two empty bottles were by his side, suggesting he had been busy consuming.

‘It’s all just gone to fucking rat shit,’ Ray said, beerfully. ‘Marty ripping me off — and what’s the full story behind that, I do not know. Him shagging Jackie, my bird. The fucking foreigners. Dix pissing off with my money.’ He hurled the half-empty bottle across the room. It thudded into the plasterboard, leaving a hole, and fell to the floor, its contents spraying everywhere. ‘Shit,’ said Ray unhappily. He folded his arms.

Miller watched the display with bemusement, wondering why they had been summoned. ‘We’ll get your money back,’ Miller promised.

‘With interest,’ Crazy added.

Ray scratched his forehead, then sighed. ‘Yeah, I know you will. I trust you two, can’t trust any other git, though, can I?’

The two henchmen knew when to speak and when not to. They clammed up.

‘And now this,’ Ray said, shaking his hands angrily. ‘The bitch. I cannot believe it!’

‘Believe what?’ Miller asked, wishing to be put out of his misery.

‘She’s gone to the cops. She’s going to grass on me.’

‘What are your plans?’ Donaldson asked Henry. They had retired to the games room downstairs, knocking balls around the snooker table in a desultory manner. Henry aimed a cue and belted the white ball into a cluster of reds, sending them spinning round the table.

‘Keep her here tonight, tucked away. Then in the morning move to another police station, maybe, so we don’t stay still. Then start debriefing her and if she gives us the goods, a written statement, that is, which condemns Ray Cragg to a life of crushing rocks, we’ll look seriously at putting her into a witness protection programme.’

‘Do you think she’ll need that?’ Donaldson potted a black.

‘Yes, I think she’ll be in big danger and I don’t think she’s done herself any favours by making that call to Ray. Sheer stupidity. That means we have less time to play with because he now knows she’s defected, if you’ll excuse the Bond-like terminology. He’ll be out to get her, probably even as we speak, so we have to keep on the move for a little while before things are arranged. If she gives us a statement, I can have her out of the county by tea time tomorrow, holed up in a half-decent house.’

Henry lined the cue up on the white and slammed it into the pink so hard that the ball bounced and flew off the table. Donaldson caught it in his left hand.

‘What I would like to do is get her used to talking now, even though it’s late. That’s what I’d like Jane to sort out. Chat her up, put her at ease. I’d like to leave her with a voice-activated tape recorder, but I can’t just put my hands on one.’

‘I always carry one in my case,’ said Donaldson, placing the pink ball back on the table. ‘I prefer pool,’ he said.

The games room door opened. Rik Dean stood shamefacedly at the door.

‘Boss,’ he said to Henry. ‘Need a word.’

Henry racked his cue. He knew this had been coming.

‘It would be better to get her before she makes a written statement,’ Miller said, thinking hard. ‘Then no matter what, there’s nothing they can use in court.’

‘Good speech,’ said Ray.

‘They won’t have started formally interviewing her yet. They’ll be softening her up, offering her inducements, but they’ll get into her ribs tomorrow, I’d guess.’

‘So we don’t have much time?’

Miller shook his head.

‘I want her taken out before she makes a statement.’

‘Easier said than done.’ Crazy sniffed.

‘Think I don’t know that?’ Ray snapped.

‘Is there any way your informer in the intelligence unit could find out where they’re keeping her?’ Miller asked.

‘Doubt it. She’s just a bloody admin clerk.’

Miller scratched his head, then had an idea. ‘Got it! What is the name of the cop involved in it?’

‘Henry Christie.’

‘That twat!’ Crazy spat.

‘He’s the key to this,’ Miller said thoughtfully. ‘He can lead us to her. We follow him, he takes us there. Just follow him from home.’

‘We don’t know where he lives.’

‘Couldn’t your admin clerk find out?’ Miller asked.

‘She doesn’t have access to personal records. I’ve asked before.’

‘Doesn’t matter,’ Miller said. ‘I know how to find his address.’ He turned to Crazy, winked, then said to Ray, ‘This will cost you big bucks, Ray. This will not be easy.’

‘Tell you what — afterwards, when you find Dix, because I still want that to happen — you two split the money. Hundred and forty grand each, give or take a bob or two. How’s about that? Worth it to me.’

Miller and Crazy nodded. It sounded very good.

Henry lounged against the wall on one side of the corridor, Dean stood opposite. Henry regarded him coldly. He knew Rik was an excellent detective, but Henry also knew he had done something very stupid. Dean’s face was mainly floorward, his eyes occasionally rising to meet Henry’s, but only fleetingly.

Dean sighed heavily. He shook his head with disgust. ‘I’ve been a fool,’ he admitted, and said no more.

‘Tell me.’ Henry’s voice was tough.

Dean’s head continued to shake. ‘You know I took that statement from Jack Burrows regarding the young girl who was murdered in one of her flats?’

‘I do.’

‘Shit.’ He screwed his eyes up, finding it hard to continue. ‘I slept with her. There! Said it. I slept with her.’

‘I thought as much,’ Henry said in a clipped tone. ‘What did you tell her?’

‘Nothing, nothing much.’

‘Pillow talk,’ said Henry. ‘Did you keep her up to date with the investigation?’ Dean nodded. ‘Did you know she was involved with the Cragg brothers?’

‘Er. . no.’ It was an unsure answer.

‘Tell me the truth, Rik.’

‘I had an idea.’ He winced.

‘Was the fuck worth it?’ Henry asked.

‘It wasn’t like that.’

‘Oh, what was it like? Was it love?’ he asked harshly. ‘So during your post-coital chats you told her how things were going on with the investigation? Yeah?’

‘Suppose so,’ Dean said miserably.

‘And the fact that her boyfriend could have been a prime suspect didn’t enter your idiotic bonce?’

‘I didn’t actually know he was her boyfriend, did I?’

‘It doesn’t matter, Rik, because what you did was jeopardize a whole murder enquiry. Why the hell do you think she let you sleep with her? Because you’re a good shag? It was the woman who owned the flat where the girl was murdered, for God’s sake. Why? Ahh! Even she’s a fuckin’ suspect, Rik.’ Henry could have screamed. He threw his hands up. ‘Once this is sorted, I’ll deal with you,’ he said, bringing the conversation to a close. ‘And don’t think for a moment you’re going to get off lightly — you’re not!’

Miller had left the flat, gone to his own place and returned about half an hour later with a laptop computer. He flashed a CD-ROM. ‘Let’s have a look at this.’

Miller opened the laptop, plugged it in and booted it up. He perched it on his knees and the other two men got into a position where they could see the screen. They were intrigued. He opened the CD drive and inserted the disc.

‘What’s the cop’s name again?’

‘Henry Christie.’

‘And where do you think he lives?’

‘Somewhere in Blackpool, I guess. Definitely Lancashire,’ said Ray. ‘What the hell is this?’

‘It’s a CD-ROM which contains the names and addresses of every person in the UK who is on a voters’ list.’

‘Bloody hell!’

‘Very useful for tracking people down. Got it free with a computer magazine.’ He tapped a few keys and the disk set off on its memory search, whirring as it spun. Moments later all the people with the surname of Christie who lived in Lancashire were displayed. There was only one Henry James Christie. He tabbed down to it and pressed enter. Henry’s address appeared on the screen.

‘How about that, then? Not bad for a free gift, eh?’

Another corridor, another conversation. This time Henry and Jane Roscoe.

‘Chat to her and use this.’ He handed her Donaldson’s tape recorder. ‘Rik will go and get you a change of clothing and I’ll be back first thing. You okay with that?’

She nodded. She was exhausted.

‘Good lass.’

‘Henry! Oh, it doesn’t matter.’ She turned away and walked down the corridor. Henry watched, strangely drawn to her, but knowing that ultimately he was doing the right thing for himself and his family, although it was damned hard. Jane went into the TV lounge where Burrows was sitting. Donaldson appeared by Henry’s elbow.

‘She really has the hots for you, that one. I knew that when I met her last year. Plain as the day is long.’

‘I’m a new man now, though. In my formative years I would have done something very silly, but now, at my tender age, I know better.’ Henry smiled. ‘I just fuck ’em and leave ’em now.’

‘Hey, you’re growing up at last, Henry.’ Donaldson patted his back.

‘Yeah, Mister Mature, that’s me.’ Henry scowled and checked his watch. It was very late, or very early depending on viewpoint. ‘We can be at my house in under an hour if you like?’

‘I need to be back at the airport by seven thirty, but I would like to see Kate and the girls, however fleetingly.’

‘Good.’

‘And I have a confession to make to you.’

‘I’m a cop, so you can tell me anything.’

‘I overheard your conversation with DS Dean.’

‘Silly, silly man. Him, not you.’

‘People make mistakes. They often don’t realize they’re doing it at the time, but it has made me think of something.’

‘You’ve slept with someone you shouldn’t have?’

‘Not recently. . but I have a feeling I know someone who has.’

They left Crazy’s bike near the flat in South Shore and Miller drove them both to a housing estate on the outskirts of Blackpool, not too far from the motorway junction at Marton Circle. They drove past Henry Christie’s house just once, and returned to South Shore to pick up the motorbike. Ten minutes later they were parked up separately near the detective’s house, keeping in touch with each other by radio. Miller settled himself at the top of the avenue on which Henry’s house was situated, with a clear view of the house and driveway. He settled down low in his seat, reclined it and relaxed.

At 4 a.m. he was roused from a sort of sleep by a car driving past him. He sank further into the seat and watched it park on the Christies’ driveway. Two men got out.

‘He’s landed back,’ Miller said to Crazy over the radio.

‘In that Vectra?’

‘That’s the one.’

Miller watched the two men enter the house. He assumed the driver was Christie, not having seen or met him before. Both men were big and handy-looking and for the first time in a long time, Miller had an uneasy feeling inside him.