The Last Big Job (28 page)

‘
In a manner of speaking. Being in the dead section is
remarkably apt - he’s the third body in the job over here. Just
identified him this morning.’

‘
Oh, interesting ... which possibly means he’s been bang at it
and we didn’t know. He’s obviously upset someone.’

‘
Upset is a little mild. Really upset, I’d say.’

‘
There is a marker on the file. Any interest to
you?’

‘
Go on.’

‘
It’s an RCS reference, now NCS of course. Bolton office. Got
a pen? I’ll read it out.’

Danny noted it down, asked the FIO to copy the file and send
it immediately to her.

Next she opened the Police Almanac and found the number for
the NCS office at Bolton and made a similar request to the one
she’d initially made of the FIO. The woman she spoke to took
details and promised to ring back within ten minutes, which she
did.

‘
I can confirm that we do have a file in that name. Can’t give
you any details over the phone, though.’

‘
Why not?’

‘
Policy.’

‘
Can you send me a copy by fax?’

‘
Only if you have the necessary authority.’

‘
Does it make any difference if I tell you the guy is dead and
I’m investigating his murder?’

‘
Not to me.’

Bitch, Danny thought uncharitably. ‘I’ll get back to you.’ She
hung up her phone with exaggerated softness, speculating as to why
the woman would not give out the details. Maybe Fitch was more than
just a target. An informant, possibly. She sniffed up, then dialled
the overseas number again, but got no reply.

‘
So you are telling me that you have no idea about the
statements made by me and Terry regarding Jacky Lee’s murder?’
Henry’s voice was incredulous.

‘
Swear it.’ Connor crossed his heart.

‘
And you didn’t know there was an undercover operation up and
running against Lee and subsequently against Gunk and
Gary?’

‘
Hope to die.’

‘
Shit.’ Henry shook his head in major disbelief ‘What the hell
is Davison playing at? He said he would tell you, his deputy, about
me, Terry and the statements.’

‘
I have picked up on some odd goings-on with him, I have to
admit. For instance he actually interviewed Thompson and Elphick
himself, which is pretty damn unusual. Came out from both
interviews saying neither had made any admission - which we knew,
because they’d already been spoken to by interview teams anyway. He
justified himself doing the interviews by saying that someone had
to have a real good stab at them as none of the interviewing team
seemed to be getting anywhere.’

‘
Presumably the interviews were taped?’

Connor nodded.

‘
Have you listened to them?’

‘
No. Davison kept hold of the copy tapes. The master copies
are sealed and stored in the system by now.’

‘
That’s obviously when he let it slip, intentionally or
otherwise, to Gunk and Gazzer about mine and Terry’s statements,’
Henry concluded. ‘The stupid man! I’m just ... speechless - and
angry. Just what the hell does he think he’s playing
at?’

‘
I have an idea on that score,’ Connor said.

Henry waited.

‘
He’s got six unsolved murders on his plate at the moment, not
including Jacky Lee. I don’t think the murders are connected in any
way or anything like that, except that none of the offenders have
been arrested and charged yet. There’s a feeling going round the
Force that if they’d all been better managed from the top, there
would have been results by now. For what it’s worth, I think
Davison is getting twitchy and he’s panicking. This could be a
last-ditch effort to get a good result by whatever means possible.’
Connor shrugged. ‘But it’s only a theory.’

‘
And a bloody good one. He got me hammered. I could just as
easily be dead now,’ Henry whined bitterly. ‘He’s always been a
loose cannon, ever since being a PC.’

‘
What are you going to do about it?’

Henry thought for a moment. ‘No idea just yet. Instinct tells
me I should try to take him down. I usually follow my instinct,
even if it lands me in deep pooh.’

‘
You’d probably have a justified grievance against him, but
until you hear what’s on those tapes, you might be struggling for
evidence. Tell you what, I’ll try and get authorisation - on the QT
- to break the seal on the master tapes, have a listen and then get
back to you.’

‘
That sounds brilliant. Thanks,’ Henry said
genuinely.

‘
Let me buy you another coffee, then you can tell me what your
plans are regarding Gunk and Gazzer.’ Connor signalled to a
waitress. ‘I need to think about what to do with Davison, too. As
an SIO I know he can do what the hell he likes, but running an
undercover operation without letting me know is just a bit on the
naughty side, not to say downright irresponsible. He’ll have to
have some bloody good reasons for it. I think the guy’s in the
shit, don’t you, H?’

Before he could answer, his mobile rang on his belt. ‘Frank
Jagger,’ he said, straight back into role without thinking about
it.

‘
Frankie baby, how you feeling?’ came Gary Thompson’s voice
brightly.

‘
Unbelievable as it might seem, I feel like fuck,’ he
responded and held a cautionary finger up to Connor to keep him
quiet.

‘
Aw, you soft git. Still interested in business? I know we
were rudely interrupted last night.’

‘
Suppose so.’

‘
Where are you?’

‘
City centre - mooching around.’

‘
Get your arse back to your hotel and we’ll pick you up and go
for a drive.’

Henry did not like the sound of that. Sometimes people who
went for drives found themselves on mystery tours, deposited in
canals with their heads blown off

‘
I haven’t got a lot of time, Gazzer,’ Henry said, deciding to
exert some authority. It was important that things progressed on
his terms as much as possible from now on. ‘I’11 be in the
coffee-house at the hotel and we can talk there.’ Henry had no
intention of doing anything further with them in private or without
back-up.

‘
You’re too suspicious, Frank,’ Thompson chided.

‘
Yeah, right, and I really can trust you.’

‘
Be there in fifteen.’

The call ended. Henry looked across at Connor who was eager to
know its contents. Henry told him nothing because it was better and
safer that way. ‘Got to go. We’ll talk soon.’ He pushed himself up
with a groan of pain. ‘Oh, there is one thing, John. Thought you’d
like to know, if you don’t already.’

‘
What’s that?’

‘
The Russians are coming.’

Henry did not have time to get wired up before the meet with
Gary Thompson in the hotel coffee-shop. He wasn’t too concerned
about missing any evidence because he saw this rendezvous as the
prelude to several others he would be engineering in the near
future, but he did have time to make a quick call to Terry
Briggs.

During the walk back to the hotel, Henry made the decision to
stick with the operation for the time being, even though he was
fuming with Davison. He had considered pulling out, but his
professionalism as a cop - someone who hated to see the guilty go
unpunished - made him want to be instrumental in putting Thompson,
Elphick and hopefully Jacky Lee’s actual killer away for a long
time. He had no doubt in his mind that the terrible duo had set Lee
up and it was now down to his skill as an undercover cop to get
them to admit that to him, on tape, in the not too distant
future.

Yes, he would stay where he was and see the job through to its
natural conclusion, whatever that might be.

Then he would dedicate his life to shafting Rupert Davison
good and proper.

Twenty minutes after leaving Sticky Fingers he was sitting by
one of the windows in the hotel coffee-shop, overlooking Piccadilly
Gardens, having ordered his umpteenth dose of caffeine.

Thompson’s BMW pulled up outside the hotel a few minutes
later. Thompson stepped out from the rear seat and the car drew
away. Henry got a brief glimpse of Elphick at the wheel and the
shape of a man in the front passenger seat. Henry assumed it was
Drozdov.

Gazzer was smartly dressed, looked the part. Slicked-back
hair, the ubiquitous earring, mobile phone in one hand, he trotted
in, nodding at the doorman, very cool, collected and sharp. A
million miles from the individual Henry had seen scuttling away
moments before the murder of his boss. He had obviously grown into
the vacuum created by Lee’s death. And yet, although Gazzer had the
majority of the peanut brain he and Gunk shared between them, Henry
doubted if he really had the nous to take on Lee’s mantle, run his
businesses and make them a success.

Gazzer flashed a winning smile, said, ‘Morning, Frank,’ sat
down.

‘
Gazzer,’ Henry nodded.

He pointed at Henry, clicking his thumb like the hammer of a
gun. ‘Not Gazzer from now on. Gary, please. More in keeping with
the position in life, credibility being an issue and all
that.’

‘
Sure, fine. Gary it is.’

Thompson peered closely at Henry’s battered face. ‘Mm, we did
make a bit of a mess of you, didn’t we?’ he admitted.

‘
I won’t disagree with that.’

‘
Not that I’m apologising for it. I think it was totally
necessary - and anyway, we needed to put on a little bit of a show
for Nikolai.’

‘
What?’ Henry demanded. ‘Couldn’t you have chosen some other
poor sod?’ he complained. ‘Anyway, who is this Nikolai
bloke?’

‘
Just a new business partner.’

‘
Sounds like a Russian name to me.’

‘
He is Russian ... the way of the world now that Communism’s
collapsed. They have a lot to offer people like me, people who want
to expand.’

‘
I take it you’re talking about the Russian Mafia as opposed
to legitimate Russian businessmen?’

‘
Is there such an animal?’

Henry decided to have a stab at the jugular, just to test the
water. ‘Did he kill Jacky for you? And if he did, what does he want
in exchange? Ten, twenty per cent of your business?’ He knew he had
hit a nerve when Thompson shifted uncomfortably for a milli-second
and then regained self-control.

‘
Fuck all to do with you, mate.’

‘
It does have something to do with me. I was there when Jacky
got slotted, remember, and then I’ve been beaten up as a showcase
of your serious intent. I’m a businessman, Gary, not a gangster or
a violent sod. I make brass for myself and others, just like Jacky
did. Live and let live, that’s my motto.’

‘
You make Jacky sound like an angel - which he is now, of
course.’ Gary leaned forwards. ‘He was an out-and-out violent
bastard - he’d put a lump of lead into anybody’s skull if he
thought they’d stitched him up.’

Henry - Frank - tried to look shocked.

‘
Yeah, it’s true, Frank. All you saw was him being Mr
Nice,’

Gary whispered, half-closing his eyes, giving the indication
he had imparted a tremendous, earth-shattering secret ... and right
on cue, Henry’s mobile phone rang.

‘
Just give me a second,’ he said to Thompson, knowing it was
Terry Briggs at the other end. ‘Frank Jagger. Hi . . . yeah. . .
sure. . .’ He looked quickly up at Thompson and said, ‘Yes, I can
talk.’

He listened for a few moments, then: ‘Where do you want it?’
he asked. He listened to the response, then said, ‘How much? . . .
Twenty? I’m not sure about that. . .’ He gave the impression of
cutting himself off in mid-sentence, again looking at Thompson, who
was seriously trying to earwig the conversation. Henry took the
phone away from his ear and pressed the ‘secret’ button. ‘Look,
sorry, Gary.’ He began to get to his feet. ‘Can you spare me a
minute? Delicate business.’

Thompson nodded understandingly.

Henry moved stiffly away from the table and walked out of the
coffee-house into the reception foyer. ‘Yeah, he’s all ears, Terry.
I’ll feed him a few lines. . . Catch you later.’

He re-entered the coffee shop and slipped in opposite Thompson
who was fumbling through his Filofax.

‘
Wankers,’ hissed Henry angrily. He glared at his mobile
phone.

‘
Problem?’

‘
No - well, nothing really.’ He sighed heavily. ‘Just a load
of gear I need to get shifted PDQ. It’s sticking in a warehouse
down South.’ He curled his lips bitterly. ‘Deal just fell
through.’

‘
Anything I might be able to help with?’

Oh, come to me, my melancholy baby, Henry wanted to sing. Come
to Daddy. He had started to put together a little scam so that even
if murder charges could not be pinned on Gary and Gunk, they would
have a few handling or conspiracy charges on them at the very
least. If Drozdov could be roped in too, what a bonus that would
be.