Black Daffodil (Trevor Joseph Detective series) (14 page)

‘Are there any other ethnic groups that you give carte blanche to mutilate and murder on your premises?’ Peter enquired.

Trevor was watching Eric Darrow just as closely as Peter. He saw the muscles tighten in Eric Darrow’s jaw, but when Darrow spoke his voice didn’t betray any emotion.

‘As I said, I refuse to believe murder or mutilation was carried out on these premises and I will continue to do so until I am faced with definitive proof.’

‘You’re not disturbed by the death that occurred here last night or the arm that was found in the car park?’ Trevor hoped to provoke a response.

‘I am a businessman, Inspector. An optimist who expects everyone to be as civilised as myself. Unfortunately I find myself constantly disappointed, especially with your colleagues. Damian isn’t the only one you have inconvenienced. The room the Chinese rented last night, along with the bathroom the drug addict Alfred Harding was found in, have also been designated crime scenes. I believe this has been done to penalise me – and at considerable cost. I can’t re-open the club until I am given access to the areas your forensic teams are working in. And, after they leave, like Damian I will have to call in professional cleaners. The chemicals your people use are most unpleasant. They leave a nasty, gritty residue along with a foul stench. I warned your superiors that my son and I will have to invoice them for our losses. Between us, it will come to a substantial sum. I had hoped the prospect might galvanise your forensic teams to complete their inquiries sooner, rather than later. But my warning has had no effect. Nothing does, when it comes to the question of the police wasting taxpayers’ money.’

‘Like your son’s flat, this casino is a crime scene. We are investigating one – possibly two murders – that occurred on these premises.’

‘Are you certain it was murder, Inspector? A severed arm doesn’t indicate murder. And I discovered that the man found in the bathroom had a syringe in his arm.’

Form the smirk on Darrow’s face, Trevor was certain he knew that Alfred was an undercover officer.

‘We don’t discuss case details with civilians.’

‘As you people insist crimes have been committed on my premises, I’d say I was an interested party, rather than a mere civilian.’ Darrow eyed Peter who was standing too close to him for comfort.

‘An interested party who can’t guarantee the safety of customers who visit his “business” premises,’ Peter snapped. Trevor realised that he was close to losing his temper.

‘How can I guarantee people’s safety, Sergeant Collins, when this city, indeed the whole country has fallen into anarchy? The inevitable result of an ineffective police force. A force whose officers book into five-star hotels and live the high life while allowing criminals to roam the streets and enter respectable establishments such as this one, unhindered.’

‘You admit you have criminals among your customers?’ Peter questioned.

‘If what you tell me about the arm you found in the car park is true, I would have to concede that I do.’

Tired of listening to Peter and Darrow fencing and wary of where it might lead, Trevor joined Peter on the walkway. ‘For the last time, Mr Darrow, have you heard of Black Daffodil?’

‘For the last time, Inspector Joseph, no I have not. But tell me, have you been seconded to the local force? Or are you operating out of your jurisdiction?’

‘Some operations cross boundaries.’ Trevor didn’t know why he’d said that much. He sensed Darrow knew exactly what he did, where he worked, what he was doing in Cardiff – and – his blood ran cold at the thought of Lyn and his baby – where he lived.

‘I wasn’t aware that you could operate outside of your area, but still,’ Darrow shrugged. ‘what do I know about the law? Have you any other questions, Inspector, Sergeant?’

‘Just one.’

Trevor looked mutely at Peter pleading with him not to push Darrow too far.

‘How much commission do you charge the dealers for setting up shop in your premises?’

‘Dealers – commission? I don’t understand the question, Sergeant. The only dealers in this club are the ones I employ to run the gaming tables. And they are not paid commission. They are paid a weekly wage, plus a bonus at the end of the year which is based on a share of the club’s annual profits.’

Peter stepped closer to Darrow. ‘You might not understand me, Mr Darrow. But I understand you. I know who you are, and what you do. And I’m coming after you.’

Darrow’s pale blue eyes glittered, cold and menacing. ‘Is that a threat, Sergeant Collins?’

‘No,’ Peter stepped back and joined Trevor at the door. ‘It’s a statement. We
will
be seeing you again. Very soon, Mr Darrow, good morning.’

Chapter Fourteen

You shouldn’t have pushed Darrow so hard,’ Trevor went to the car and held out his hand for the keys.

‘Why not?’ Peter patted his pockets.

‘If he makes an official complaint …’

‘People like him are always making official complaints,’ Peter found the keys and held them up. ‘It’s what they do.’

‘To influential acquaintances, who only know the public front of the man who provides them with lavish nights out and supports charity fund-raisers. And, when asked, these influential acquaintances bring pressure to bear on “upstairs” who demand that poor souls like Bill and Dan take their complaints seriously and waste valuable time investigating them. All of which detracts time, energy and manpower from cases that warrant attention.’

Peter grinned. ‘We succeeded in rattling Darrow’s cage though, didn’t we?’

‘No,’ Trevor contradicted.

‘That’s only your opinion. You work your way, I work mine.’

‘Which is no bloody good when we’re supposed to be working together. I’m driving.’

Peter knew when to concede to Trevor. He waited until Trevor opened the car and climbed into the passenger seat. ‘Chris and Sarah next?’

‘After the estate agent’s. There might be something going down we should know about.’

‘Andrew would have phoned us.’

‘Change the Sim card.’ Trevor gave Peter his phone and wallet.

‘Is there any point when Darrow knows more about us than we do?’ Peter opened Trevor’s wallet.

‘Old habits die hard.’

Peter dialled Andrew’s direct number. ‘You only want to find out if Lyn’s safe?’

‘That too,’ Trevor agreed.

‘You going to tell on me for baiting Darrow?’ For all his flippancy Trevor knew Peter wasn’t joking.

‘I don’t need to. Bill and Dan know what you’re like.’

Peter nodded as Dan – not Andrew – answered the call.

Trevor drove out onto the main road that skirted the Bay and linked the newer glamorous, luxurious – and outrageously expensive – developments with the older, run-down social housing at the opposite end. He glanced at Peter, who was holding the phone to his ear but not saying anything beyond ‘yes’ and ‘no’. After less than a minute Peter ended the call.

‘Dan is in the office. He wants us to call in.’ Peter proceeded to switch the cards.

‘Did he say anything about our other halves?’

‘You heard my side of the conversation. I didn’t ask. But they were both fine last night.’

Trevor pictured his baby in Lyn’s arms and smiled.

‘You’re one lucky bastard.’

‘So are you. Not that you’re married yet. And, if you take your time over setting a date I might be able to talk some sense into her.’

‘Don’t you dare try.’

‘God alone knows what she sees in you,’ Trevor drew up at traffic lights.

‘A debonair, handsome, brilliant man. I also have other attributes you are unaware of, that modesty won’t permit me to mention because they will make you feel inadequate. You know something,’ Peter mused. ‘I can’t wait to start living the family life.’

Trevor thought of what was waiting for him at the end of the case. ‘I never thought I’d hear you say that.’

‘That’s enough of winding me up.’

‘I’m not.’ Trevor looked out of the window at the shining waterfront development of expensive restaurants and boutiques. Well-dressed women strolled in the sunshine carrying bags printed with designer logos. Couples, families and groups of friends sat gossiping at café tables. It occurred to him that the lifestyle was artificial; he thought of the way his brother and his family lived on the farm in Cornwall.

He suddenly realised he wanted his children to grow up the way he had: in the country, among hard working people with simple tastes and values. People who’d rejected the ‘advantages’ of modern cities and a consumer society built around over-priced ‘must have’ rarely used objects. Whose socialising was not conducted in bars and restaurants; whose conversations were not centred on which restaurant to patronise and where to spend their all-inclusive holidays, which could be taken in Mexico or Marbella, Turkey or Tunisia – it wouldn’t make any difference because all the places had the same layout, provided the same international buffet meals and drinks and sold the same Chinese-manufactured souvenirs in the resort shops.

‘Look at all those different-shaped coffee cups.’

‘Why?’ Trevor reluctantly left the idyllic rural cottage he was renovating in his mind’s eye.

‘When I was a kid, coffee was coffee, and tea was tea. You drank one or the other. You could put milk and sugar in it, or not. Now, there’s no such thing as coffee and tea. Instead you have menu boards of drinks. Tell me, how many people know what a Frapuccino, Cappuccino or Mocha is? Can anyone tell the difference between Brazilian, Guatemalan and Kenyan roast coffee beans? And what the hell is a mixed fruit tea when it’s at home?’

‘I have no idea,’ Trevor wondered where Peter’s train of thought was going.

‘It’s like drugs. In the old days there was LSD, pot and heroin and that was it. Life was simple. Now everyone wants choice. Choice complicates life. Some idiot has to go and invent a bloody drug that kills people in more ways than one. Take a dodgy Black Daffodil – you’re dead. Cross someone who wants the formula – you’re dead. Send in undercover police officers to stop the bloody trade before it gets a grip and puts too many smiles on undertakers’ faces and the officers are murdered in cold blood.’

‘You want to go back to the old days?’

‘I’d like to go back to a time when half of the population didn’t reach for habit forming pills or potions to give them a thrill and the other half didn’t make themselves obscenely wealthy on the misery of the stupid bastards dull enough to get hooked.’

‘Philosophical Peter is more than I can take. Let’s see what Andrew and Dan have to tell us.’ Trevor drove on, parked the car, turned off the ignition and stepped outside. He had an uneasy feeling that Dan had been holding something back when he’d spoken to Peter on the phone.

Dan always insisted on breaking bad news face to face. He hoped it wasn’t about Chan – or any of the other undercover operatives. After yesterday he refused to consider the worst scenario – that it might be closer to home.

Trevor opened the door of the estate agent’s and the bright, breezy clerk smiled.

‘Mr Brown, Mr Horton isn’t here.’ She leaned towards Trevor. ‘Dentist’s appointment,’ she whispered as though she were passing on highly confidential information. ‘The area manager is here. He’s with a colleague but he asked me to send you and Mr Ashton right in. May I offer my congratulations on your acquisition of one of the prime penthouses on the Bay, sir?’

‘You may.’ Trevor allowed Peter to walk in ahead of him. Dan was sitting behind the desk. Bill was in a visitor’s chair.

‘Thanks for coming in.’ Dan motioned Trevor to close the door behind him.

‘You two look as though you’ve been to a funeral …’ Peter fell silent when he realised that given events he was being tactless, even for him.

‘Lee?’ Trevor asked.

‘Lee’s left leg was delivered to the local police station yesterday afternoon,’ Dan informed them. ‘It arrived by parcel post. They’re trying to track the parcel but as there were no stamps on it they think it was slipped into the van when the postman was busy in one of the local offices. Pathologist has examined it. Lee was alive when it was amputated.’

‘So much for the Triads waiting for one amputation to heal before inflicting another.’ Trevor sat down to steady himself.

‘If we don’t find him soon …’ Dan didn’t finish the sentence.

‘Lee’s wife?’ Trevor asked.

Dan shook his head. ‘No sign. Andrew’s missing.’

‘What!’ Peter exclaimed.

‘When he didn’t turn up here this morning I went to the flat that’s been rented for him. Everything was neat, tidy and in its place. Breakfast dishes piled next to the sink, laundry in the basket in the bathroom, his wallet and keys had gone.’

‘I went round later with the locals,’ Bill continued. ‘Nothing had been touched since Dan was there. There were only two sets of prints in the place – Andrew’s and Dan’s. We checked the CCTV in the area. Andrew left the apartment block at half past eight, in good time to get here for nine. We have pictures of him walking out of the foyer and along the street. He turned a corner by a coffee house, walked behind a line of stationary traffic held up at traffic lights and disappeared off screen.’

‘Faulty or tampered tape?’ Peter suggested.

‘We’re not ruling out anything at this stage,’ Dan said. ‘The last camera that caught him captures an image every fifteen seconds. We looked at the CCTV in the coffee house. He didn’t go in there. The locals have sent the numbers of the cars that were held up at the lights to the DVLA.’

‘He was all right yesterday?’ Trevor asked.

‘Arrived mid morning, which wasn’t surprising given the time he left the police station the night before. I phoned him at midday. He was upset about Chan, Alfred and the others.’

‘As we all are,’ Peter observed.

‘Chris and Sarah?’ Trevor asked.

‘Are waiting for you to pull them out. I would have done it this morning, but another team are working on the estate on an unrelated case and they asked us not to raise our profile there.’

‘How unrelated?’ Peter sat up, interested.

‘Arson and murder. A luxury flat was targeted on the Bay a month ago. A young woman was killed by the blast.’

‘What’s the connection to the estate?’ Trevor took the peppermint Dan offered him.

‘A suspect caught going into the luxury flat on CCTV before the blast. Locals believe their target is hiding in the adjoining block to the one Chris and Sarah are in.’

‘We’d do the locals a favour if we flush him out,’ Peter said laconically.

‘Her,’ Dan corrected him.

‘Equality in all things, even crime.’ Peter quipped.

‘Thanks to that run-in you had with the thugs, the remaining dealers up there believe you and Peter are Mister Bigs, so you can go in and pull out Chris and Sarah without raising suspicion. Follow their van to this address.’ Dan handed Trevor a slip of paper.

Trevor read it. ‘Safe house?’

‘Transit stop to safe house. We’ll keep them holed up for a few weeks. None of us are prepared to take any more risks with the remaining officers on this case. The operation is finished. It’s a disaster for policing but, for those who have lost their lives, it’s a tragedy. Bill and I are finding this one hard to live with. We both feel guilty as hell for sending you out there.’

‘We’re grown-ups, Dan. We knew what we were letting ourselves in for,’ Trevor consoled him.

‘Did you?’ Dan demanded softly. ‘Did you really?’

‘It goes with the territory.’ Peter perched on the edge of the desk. ‘Stop being so hard on yourselves. Think of it this way, if you could turn the clock back, would either of you do anything differently?’

‘I’d track down and string up the bloody leak – whoever he or she is,’ Bill muttered darkly.

‘If you find him or her, I’ll do it for you,’ Peter volunteered. ‘Any sign of Kelly?’

‘No,’ Dan answered.

‘As Dan said, everyone has been pulled off the case, but Alexander bribed one of the smaller fry. The Russian bid has been accepted. The formula for Black Daffodil will be handed one week from today.’

‘In the casino?’ Trevor asked.

‘Presumably. All Alexander could get out of his nark was “the lucky place”, which in a casino could be any table.’

‘Darrow has to be in on it,’ Peter crowed. ‘And you had a go at me for rattling him,’ he said to Trevor.

‘You’ve seen Darrow?’ Bill’s voice hardened.

Trevor briefed Dan and Bill on their visit to Darrow in the casino that morning and Darrow’s knowledge of their undercover personas. But he played down Peter’s belligerence and goading.

‘It doesn’t mean necessarily follow that Darrow knows about the exchange because it’s been set up in the casino. If Darrow had the formula he’d be manufacturing Black Daffodil and raking in the profits for himself. There’s no way a man like him would turn down the chance of making a fortune that size that’s there for the taking.’ Dan spoke with the authority of someone who’d been stalking his quarry for a long time.

‘He likes to pretend he’s a legitimate business man,’ Trevor reminded him. ‘And the casino is a convenient place to do business. Look at the gangs that operate in and around there. The Triads had a regular booking for a back room. And just about every other gang on the Bay meet there.’

‘The exchange?’ Peter asked. ‘Are the Russians paying cash?’

‘Word is diamonds,’ Bill answered.

‘Small portable wealth. Clever,’ Trevor commented.

‘Now what?’ Peter asked Dan.

‘You bring in Sarah and Chris. And we return to our station.’

‘And if the Russians go after Alexander, or the Albanians, Justin?’ Peter asked.

‘They’re already in safe houses.’

‘And Andrew and Lee and Lee’s wife?’

‘We leave it to the locals to try and find them.’ Dan was obviously not happy at the prospect.

‘That I don’t like,’ Peter said.

‘Neither do we,’ Bill agreed, ‘but when it comes to missing people, even on this case, we have no jurisdiction.’

‘And Trevor and me?’ Peter asked.

‘Debriefing in our home station tonight before you hole up somewhere safe.’

‘I don’t like it, Dan,’ Peter complained.

‘What choice do we have? The operation is blown …’

‘It is blown. And do you know what I think?’ Peter didn’t wait for an answer. ‘I think that those of us who have survived it will never be safe again. Not while the leak remains within the force waiting to sell any one of us to the highest bidder. This case may be blown – but what about the next – and the next? We need to find whoever’s behind this and we need to find him or her fast. And sit on the bugger until he tells us exactly where Andrew, Lee and Lee’s wife are.’

‘Carrying on is not an option, Peter,’ Dan said firmly.

‘Trevor and I have to collect Sarah and Chris. That will give us thinking time.’

‘We’ll meet you at the address we’ve given you.’ Dan turned his back on them and walked to the window.