Hail and Farewell (The Lakeland Murders) (32 page)

‘That’s not up to us,’ said Jane, quickly.

‘I know that. But it’s easy to see what DS Mann wants, isn’t it?’

‘Well, it’s not up to DS Mann, nor me either. So this is what we do. You go to work as normal tomorrow, and you wait to be contacted by a member of the CPS team. They’ll tell you it’s in connection with Operation Sinbad, OK?’

‘So it’s got a name, has it?’

‘It has now. And one more thing, just so we’re clear.’

‘Aye?’

‘If one word of this gets back to Bell, Hayton or anyone else then the deal is off. You’ll be nicked for the lot, including the conspiracy against Chris Brown. That’s right, everybody in the town would know that you were connected to the death of that young lad. Your family would have to move away. There’d be no other way.’

Waters nodded.

‘And if we do nick you I for one hope you get bail’ said Mann.

‘Why’s that?’ said Waters, and regretted it immediately.

‘Because Hayton’s lads will come for you, as sure as eggs. Of course remand probably wouldn’t be any better, like. You’d have absolutely nowhere to run to in there. Christ, I wouldn’t want to be you, if that happened.’

Friday, May 9th

It was ten o’clock before Jane Francis got the email that she’d been waiting for. Ian Mann, sitting opposite her in their small office, must have been waiting for it too. Because as she finished reading he got up, walked round the desk, and held out his hand.

‘Well done, Jane. You couldn’t have done it without me, like, but well done. This has the makings of a bloody monumental result.’

Jane laughed, and shook.

‘Steady on. Just because Waters has got his deal we’re not home and hosed yet. Let’s listen to these recordings he’s made, then decide where we are.’

‘The CPS seems pretty clear, judging from that email. Lee Bell is going down. No question about it, like.’

An hour later Keith Iredale knocked on the office door, waited, and then knocked again. When he opened the door he saw that Mann and Jane Francis both had headphones on. He wondered what they were listening to. Some sort of dad-rock, he thought.

‘Aye, lad, what is it?’ said Mann.

‘I was looking for something to do, like.’

Jane had taken her headphones off as well, and she nodded to Ian Mann. He smiled back at her.

‘Give us half an hour, and then you can go and assist with an arrest. And I think you’ll enjoy this one.’

‘Another one of Hayton’s thugs?’

‘Better than that. Lee ‘Stringer’ Bell himself. He’s about to discover that being a professional criminal has its risks.’

‘Jesus, has someone given him up?’

‘Aye, your friend and mine, Ron Waters.’

‘Christ almighty. He was on the take? So it wasn’t the DI then. Does he know he’s in the clear?’

‘Aye, he knows. In fact Andy Hall has asked him to make the arrest. But I wondered if you wanted to go with him? Help out, like.’

‘Isn’t Ken Hodgson going?’

‘He’s off. His piles have flared up, or something.’

‘Does the DI want me in on it?’

‘Why not go and ask him? Like I say, it’ll be the off in a bit.’

‘Are you coming, Ian?’

‘Aye, but I’ll only be helping out, like. In case it all kicks off.’

‘He’s at the taxi office then? Bell, I mean.’

‘Aye.’

‘Why not take him at home?’

‘Ask your DS. But I think he wants to send a very public message to George Hayton.’

‘That he’s next?’

‘Exactly. The only hard thing about Bell is his nickname. He’s looking at five or six years, no matter how bloody good Hayton’s brief is. He’ll fall apart in five minutes when he’s in the interview room, you watch. They always do, people like him. Two hours in the cells downstairs and he’ll be shitting himself and crying for his mummy.’

Twenty minutes later Jimmy Smith was taking the briefing. The room was full, because the good word had got round, and the officers were quiet. Mann and Jane stood near the back, and just as Smith was about to begin DS Hodgson walked in, to ironic cheers.

‘Rubber ring for Ken’ said Smith, and there was laughter and the odd remark. Smith gave it a moment before he continued. ‘Since this is a police station, which we all know is the only place on earth where gossip actually travels faster than the speed of sound, you’ll probably already know what’s going on. Thanks to the excellent work of DS Francis and Mann we’ve got Lee Bell by the short hairs. Ron Waters made tapes of all their meetings, so even though I’ll never speak to that bastard again he has at least given us Bell on a plate, even if he gets a free pass because of it. But that’s not our problem. Our problem is getting Bell out of Hayton’s office, and then making sure that we follow every rule and regulation to the exact letter. And I do mean that, because you can bet your life that when this gets to court Bell will have the best lawyers that money can buy, and one mistake could cost us a conviction.’

‘Are we bringing in George Hayton too, boss?’ someone asked.

‘No, not yet. And let’s not get ahead of ourselves here. Me and DS Mann have had a small wager on whether or not Bell will implicate his boss, and I’m going with not. Because Bell must know, better than us, exactly what Hayton is capable of. But let’s see what happens, and for now I just need everyone switched on. Like I said, no mistakes.’

‘Will armed response officers be attending?’ asked Hodgson.

‘They’re on their way and will be standing by, but we’re not going in with them. There’s no evidence that Bell or Hayton carries a firearm, nor that any are on site at any of their legitimate businesses. I’m expecting it all to go smoothly, but we’ll still go in strength. They all need to understand, once and for bloody all, that our gang is bigger than theirs.’

When the marked cars and vans had stopped in the street outside the taxi office, and uniform had established a cordon, Smith climbed out of his car. Hodgson followed, wincing, a moment later. The only person in the front office was a dispatcher, and she just gestured to Smith to go upstairs. He didn’t even have time to get his warrant card out.

Lee Bell was in George Hayton’s office, and he didn’t even look round when Smith and Hodgson were shown in by Hayton’s PA.

‘All right, Jimmy’ said Hayton, cheerfully. ‘Haven’t seen you in ages, my old marrer.’

‘We’re here for Lee’ said Smith, ‘but I’m sure we’ll be back for you in a bit.’

‘Say nothing, Stringer’ said Hayton quickly, ‘I’ll get Hodges straight round. Where are you going? Workington nick?’

‘Aye. It’s a local job, is this. Stand up please, Mr. Bell.’

For the first time Bell did look round, and his smile faded as Hodgson formally arrested and cuffed him.

‘Is this really necessary?’ asked Bell.

‘Do I think you’re man enough to try anything?’ said Smith. ‘Well, Ken here is a lovely bloke, but he’s got fallen arches, a bad back, a dodgy knee and he’s a bloody martyr to his piles. But he could still take you any day of the week, son. So let’s just say it’s a precaution, shall we?’

The observation room next to interview room one was small, hot and windowless. Ian Mann half filled the floor space on his own, and with Jane and Keith Iredale in there as well it was uncomfortably full. So when the Super came in the four of them stood, shoulder to shoulder, as Smith began the interview.

‘You understand the charges, Mr. Bell?’

‘Yes.’

‘You know what you’ll draw for them, like?’

‘I’ll be out on bail in an hour, and the charges will be dropped in a month.’

‘Really? So you didn’t meet with Sergeant Waters on these dates, in these locations, and have the conversations that have been transcribed in these exhibits, APL1 to APL3 inclusive?’

Smith passed over two copies of the exhibits, and sat back.

‘Take your time.’

‘You’ve got tapes, have you?’ said Bell, after a minute or two.

‘Oh, aye.’

‘I’d like to consult with my client’ said Hodges quickly.

‘I thought you might,’ said Smith. But before he could go on Bell turned to his lawyer.

‘You, out. I want to change my brief.’

‘But, Mr. Bell….’ said Hodges.

Smith smiled across the table.

‘You heard the man. Ken, let’s suspend the interview and get this lot sorted out.’

It was seven o’clock before the interview started again. Superintendent Skinner didn’t join them in the observation room this time.

‘He turns into a pumpkin if he’s here after five’ said Mann, as he passed coffees to Jane and Iredale. ‘I got us a bun each too.’

‘Worried about your blood sugar levels?’ said Iredale, smiling.

‘Just keeping them topped up like, Keith.

‘There he is’ said Iredale, as a younger solicitor followed Bell into the interview room. ‘Now what’s all this about? This brief Jarvis was Moffett’s man. You do know that, don’t you?’

‘We do’ said Jane. ‘But it’s who Bell said he wanted, and he turned up fast enough when Stringer made the call.’

‘Have you spoken to Andy?’ asked Mann.

‘Yes, and he says that we shouldn’t read too much in to it.’

‘That’s rich, coming from him.’

‘I know what you mean. I swear, if one of the kids so much as sends him a text saying that she’ll be in late for tea he spends about two hours analysing it. It does my head in, sometimes.’

‘I bet you’re careful about what you say then, Jane’ said Iredale, wondering if he’d overstepped a line. But she smiled immediately.

‘You’re right. I wouldn’t want to start a domestic over a misplaced apostrophe.’

Jarvis and Bell were sitting down now, and the three officers fell silent as Hodgson turned on the tape.

‘I’d like to make a short statement on behalf of my client. Should you wish to ask questions either before or after I have advised my client to give ‘no comment’ answers. Would you like to hear his statement?’

‘Certainly’ said Smith.

‘My client confirms that the recordings that you have are genuine, and that he met with Mr. Waters as you have suggested.’

‘Yes’ said Iredale, and Jane shushed him.

‘My client was acting under the instructions of George Hayton, and was in fear for his life at all times. My client is in a position to provide information connecting George Hayton and several of his key associates with a number of serious offences.’ Hodgson paused, and smiled. ‘And, just as Mr. Waters took the precaution of making recordings of his conversations with my client, I can also confirm that my client is in a position to furnish you with written and other evidence that will serve to fully confirm his allegations.’

‘Are we talking about murder?’

‘One murder.’

‘Terry Christian?’

‘Yes.’

‘And what is your client looking for in exchange?’

‘Full immunity from prosecution.’

‘Anything else? Witness protection, cash, anything like that?’

‘No.’

Smith glanced at Hodgson, then back at Bell. He looked genuinely confused.

‘I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to ask this. Your client does know that he won’t live very long doesn’t he, however this plays out from here? Frankly I don’t give a shit what happens to him, that goes without saying, but I don’t want it all to fall apart when he realises that he’s dead meat if he goes through with what you’re suggesting here.’

‘No, Inspector. What we are asking for is full immunity from all prosecutions connected with any offence whatsoever, in return for full co-operation. That is all.’

‘Including testimony in court?’

‘Absolutely.’

Smith shook his head.

‘Listen’ said Bell, shaking his lawyer’s hand free from his arm. ‘I know I’m not the bravest, or the strongest, but I am bloody clever. Cleverer than you, I dare say. I’ve always known I’d be sitting here, or somewhere just like this, one day. I knew from the first time I met George Hayton. I knew what he’d do, involve me in his criminal activities right away, so he’d have complete control over me. So I kept evidence, the kind that you can use, right from the start.’

‘Good for you’, said Smith, ‘but you’ve got another thing coming if you think that taking Hayton down will make you safe. It won’t. Not in a million years.’

This time Bell laughed.

‘You know they call me Stringer, don’t you?’

‘Aye.’

‘And you know what happens to Stringer in
The Wire
?’

‘Aye, he turned out to be British. A proper turn up, that was.’

‘I mean you know what happens to the character?’

‘I don’t watch cop shows, son. Christ, I’m bloody here all day. I’d rather watch sewing or baking with the wife when I get home. But I’m guessing that it doesn’t end well for the lad, this Stringer.’

‘That’s right. And that’s because he hadn’t foreseen this day, even though this day, or one very like it, was bound to come. But I did, and I intend to retire. Now, today. I’m nearly twenty seven, and that seems like a good time.’

‘But what about money?’

‘That’s none of your concern’ said Jarvis. ‘All we need from you, Inspector, is confirmation that you will convey this offer to your superiors, and do so promptly. My client is willing to give you until ten am tomorrow.’

‘Or what? He’ll check out of our cells?’

‘This really isn’t the attitude, Inspector. And, if I may so, it’s not your place to offer a view.’

Smith smiled.

‘You’re right. I’m just a country copper. But I wasn’t born yesterday. So I assume that some samples of the types of evidence that your client has collected will be made available for me to share with senior officers and the CPS?’

‘Indeed, yes. I will personally deliver a representative sample, but a tiny fraction of the total, within the hour.’

‘And does this evidence contain financial records?’

Jarvis smiled.

‘Now what do you think, Inspector?’

It was almost closing time when Andy Hall called, and Jane had to go outside the pub to talk. It was the cops who were making most of the noise anyway. The air was cold, and she was sure that she could taste the sea on the breeze.

‘How are you?’ he said.