Take Two

CHAPTER 96

It took Carolyn an hour to get to Carter’s place because she had been about to get into the shower when he called. She rang the doorbell and Carter opened the door. ‘I come bearing gifts,’ she said, holding up a bottle of claret. Carter took it from her as she stepped inside. Richards kicked the door closed and Halpin stepped out from behind a shelving unit packed with electrical equipment.

Carolyn’s mouth dropped open. ‘Warwick? What’s going on?’

‘You can drop the Australian accent, honey, we’re way beyond that,’ said Richards.

‘What are you talking about?’ She looked at the gun in Halpin’s hand. ‘Is that loaded?’

‘Of course it’s loaded,’ said Halpin. ‘What sort of question is that?’

Carolyn looked at Richards. ‘Warwick, why’s he pointing a gun at me?’

‘We know what’s going on, Carolyn,’ said Richards. ‘Now please, drop that stupid Australian accent. Jenny doesn’t exist. Carter here helped you create her. We’ve seen the passport stuff on the laptop, and we’ve heard the message you made on the recorder, the one he sent to you when I was with you at the supermarket.’

Carolyn looked over at Carter and he shrugged.

‘Shit,’ said Carolyn.

‘I’m sorry,’ said Carter.

‘It’s not your fault, Terry,’ said Carolyn. ‘It’s my fault for getting you involved.’ She looked over at Richards. ‘Please don’t do this.’

‘Do what?’

‘What you’re thinking about doing. I won’t tell anyone what I saw. I swear.’

‘I wish I could believe you, Carolyn. Seriously.’

‘I haven’t told anyone. Just Terry.’

‘But you saw what I did to Cohen, didn’t you?’

Carolyn nodded.

‘Why didn’t you go to the cops then?’

Carolyn tried to smile but her lower lip was trembling and it turned into a grimace. ‘I was scared,’ she said. ‘I still am.’

‘Too scared to go to the cops?’

‘I wasn’t sure what I’d seen. And I wasn’t sure if you’d seen me. I thought if I just kept quiet, it would all go away.’ She swallowed nervously. ‘Please, Warwick, we won’t say anything. Will we, Terry?’

Carter nodded. ‘I don’t care what you did, Warwick. It’s nothing to do with me. Carolyn said she wanted my help and I helped her. I saw nothing.’

Richards shook his head. ‘That’s not true though, is it? You helped her out of the trunk, didn’t you? It couldn’t have been anyone else.’

‘Just leave us alone, Warwick. We won’t say anything,’ said Carolyn. ‘And we don’t have any proof anyway. There’s no body, is there?’

‘The body’s at the bottom of the North Sea, which is where it should be,’ said Halpin. He waved the gun at her face. ‘How did you get out of that bloody trunk?’

‘Terry got me out,’ said Carolyn. ‘I asked him to go to the marina with me and to keep an eye on things.’

‘When I saw you leave the boat I went on board and found her,’ said Carter. ‘I got her off the boat and into my car before your goon here arrived.’

‘What did you put in the trunk?’ asked Richards.

‘A couple of scuba tanks. I wrapped them in a quilt from one of the cabins. The weight felt about right. I watched the boat head down the river and got Carolyn home.’

‘But why didn’t you go to the cops then?’

‘And tell them what?’ said Carolyn. ‘You’d drugged me and put me in a trunk? Would they have believed me? You’d be out on bail and then…’ She shrugged.

‘You figured I’d come after you and finish the job?’

‘That’s what you do, isn’t it?’ said Carolyn. ‘You killed Max Dunbar, right?’

Richards gestured at Halpin. ‘Mick here took care of him.’

‘And the truck driver.’

Halpin grinned. ‘Guilty as charged,’ he said.

‘You killed them both?’ asked Carolyn.

‘It had to be done,’ said Halpin. ‘But don’t dump that on me, little lady. You killed Reg when you climbed into his truck that night, and you signed Dunbar’s death warrant when you asked him to investigate Warwick.’

‘I think we’ve done enough talking,’ said Richards.

‘Warwick, please, we won’t say anything,’ said Carolyn. There were tears in her eyes and she brushed them away with the back of her hand.

‘Damn right you won’t,’ said Halpin.

‘Are you going to let him kill us, Warwick?’ said Carolyn, her voice trembling.

‘I’m afraid so, yes. I don’t have any choice. If you tell the cops I killed Cohen and Dunbar and Reg whatever-his-name-is, then I go away for ever.’

Carolyn nodded slowly. Then she smiled. ‘Then there’s something you need to know,’ she said. Her voice was firmer and more assertive.

‘What?’ said Richards.

‘The cops know everything. Or at least they do now.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘They’ve heard your confession. So it’s all over.’

‘Bollocks,’ said Richards.

‘The cops know everything,’ said Carolyn.

‘Like fuck they do,’ snarled Halpin.

‘They’ve heard every word,’ said Carter.

‘They’re bloody well wired, is that it?’ said Richards. He stepped forward, grabbed Carter’s shirt and ripped it open. Buttons burst off and clattered on the wooden floor. Richards stared at Carter’s muscular chest.

‘Darling, you’re so butch,’ Carter said and laughed. ‘Do you want to feel around in my shorts?’

Richards pushed Carter backwards and he tripped and fell heavily onto the floor. He was still laughing, even when Halpin pointed the gun at him.

Richards stepped towards Carolyn but she pointed a warning finger at his face. ‘Don’t you bloody well touch me, Warwick,’ she said. ‘I’m not wired. But the whole building is.’

‘Smile,’ said Carter, pointing up at the ceiling. ‘You’re on camera. Are you ready for your close-up?’

Richards looked around at the walls and ceiling. He didn’t see any cameras. ‘What are you talking about?’

‘The whole place is wired for sound and vision, Warwick. Has been since the weekend. The cops have you on film from the moment you walked in. The cameras are state-of-the-art. They’re tiny but they see everything.’

‘Bollocks,’ said Richards.

‘And every single thing you’ve said since you walked in here has been heard and recorded,’ said Carolyn. ‘It’s over.’

‘She’s full of shit, boss,’ said Halpin. ‘If it’s over, why aren’t the cops in here already?’

‘They are,’ said Carolyn. ‘They were here before you broke in. And if you look down, you’ll see a little red dot on your chest that shows just how close they are.’

Halpin looked down and cursed when he saw the laser dot hovering over his heart. He looked up at Richards. A similar dot was centered on his chest. ‘Boss?’

‘It’s over, mate,’ said Richards wearily. He raised his hands.

Two armed police officers in black coveralls and black Kevlar vests appeared from behind a shelving unit at the far end of the building. They were holding black carbines with laser sights on the top. ‘Armed police, drop your weapon!’ shouted one.

‘Do it, Mick,’ said Richards.

Halpin tossed the gun on the floor.

The door opened and Biddulph and Marriott walked in holding police radios. Biddulph smiled at Carolyn. ‘Nice work, Miss Castle,’ said the inspector. ‘We got it all, loud and clear.’

‘I like to think my supporting role helped,’ said Carter, getting up off the floor.

Half a dozen uniformed officers poured in through the door. Two of them pushed Halpin against a wall and handcuffed his hands behind his back.

Richards held out his hands to be cuffed. Biddulph waved for him to turn around. ‘I know this is a bit late, but I am sorry,’ Richards said to Carolyn.

‘Sorry for what?’ said Carolyn. ‘For killing Cohen? Max? Reg? For trying to kill me?’

‘For all of it, but mainly for you.’ Biddulph snapped on handcuffs. Two uniformed officers grabbed Richards by the arms.

‘Sorry doesn’t cut it,’ said Carolyn. ‘You’ll be an old man when you get out of prison. If you do ever get out.’

‘You could bring me a cake with a file in it.’

Carolyn laughed harshly and shook her head. ‘You think this is funny? You killed Cohen and you killed Reg and Max and you were sure as hell going to kill me and Terry so let’s not pretend you’re anything other than what you are. A scumbag gangster who’s finally going to get what’s coming to him.’

‘You know, I was sure Jenny had feelings for me.’ He shook his head sadly. ‘You’re one hell of an actress, Carolyn.’

‘I don’t need your approval, Warwick,’ said Carolyn. She brushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear. ‘I just need you to spend the rest of your life behind bars. You do that and I’ll be satisfied.’