Gregory's Game (19 page)

‘Is that what you really think? Or what they've told you to say?' Jaz challenged.

He had the grace to look uncomfortable.

‘Look, I'll keep this as off the record as I can. We're looking into a murder and a kidnapping. A woman and her little girl.'

He frowned. ‘How can that have anything to do with the explosion?'

‘We don't know, yet. We don't know if it is, but there are links, names that have come up in both cases, so I've got to look into it. And the early newspaper reports said—'

‘Said I was a stupid bugger who couldn't tell the difference between dogs that had been shot and ones that died in an explosion.'

‘I'd have thought the difference was an obvious one,' Jaz suggested.

Toby sighed and flopped down in one of the big armchairs in his tiny living room. The space was dominated by a TV and a games console. Two big chairs filled most of the remaining space. He was single, Jazz guessed.

‘We were first responders; got there before the police. The place was in bits and we were told there'd been no one home so far as anyone knew. The whole place was an inferno. A couple of us went round the back, just to check how far from the wood it was, make sure the fire hadn't spread and there were no outbuildings to worry about. People store some odd stuff in outbuildings; you can't be sure what you'll find. Anyway, the whole place was surrounded by this high wall and there's, like, lawn all round the house, so a natural fire break. Which was lucky. But the explosion had sent burning debris out even past the wall, so I called that in and then started round the back. And that's when I saw the dogs. Irish wolfhounds or something. Big buggers. Stone dead. One had half its head missing. The other had a hole in its chest big as a fist. So I called that in too and then got back round to the front. Me and two more fire crew were dispatched to take care of the secondary fires in the wood. The rest of the crew made a start on the house. A few minutes later two more fire trucks arrived and so did the police and an ambulance, just in case, like, and later my division manager came and looked at the dogs. It took a long time to get the fire under control and these journalists turned up, a TV news crew, and I got talking to them.'

‘You'd been told to make a statement?'

He shook his head. ‘No, and I got it in the neck for it later. But I'd been stood down – I mean, I'm the least experienced of the team, so I'd been put in charge of all the back-up jobs while the big boys went and played with the fire. And I just got chatting, like, and I told them about the dogs, about how it seemed, you know, a bit strange, like. And then I noticed this other police car turn up. And they came up and took charge and cleared the journos off and next thing I know my boss is calling me all sorts of idiot for talking to them and how I'd no idea what I was seeing and I should never say anything without clearing it with him first. I thought I was going to get the sack.'

‘But you are certain of what you saw?'

He nodded awkwardly. ‘Yeah, I'm sure. Someone shot those dogs. But look, I don't want to get involved in any of this. I've got a job I like and I want to keep it, right?'

Right, Jaz agreed. She left shortly after, Toby obviously now very uncomfortable with his revelations and regretting them. She hoped she wouldn't have to get him to repeat the story at any time; she had the sneaking suspicion he'd deny it all.

T
he evening briefing was in some ways depressing. There had still been no contact from the kidnappers of Katherine Marsh and her daughter. No real progress had been made; house-to-house enquiries had thrown up no reports of strangers in the street or unusual activity and it was, as someone commented, the sort of street where strangers stood out like a sore thumb and a lot of the residents, either older people or young parents, were around for much of the day.

The fact that Katherine's car had been shot at raised a shocked murmur among the team but wasn't immediately helpful. Jaz and Susan's digging led to speculation and debate, but everyone agreed it was hard to see how it all fitted together.

Jaz reported back on her conversation with Toby, the fire officer.

‘Can you get him in to make a statement?' Branch asked.

‘I can get him in,' Jaz said. ‘But he's obviously been told to keep schtum and he'll now have had time to regret talking to me.'

Branch nodded. ‘Well, if it becomes relevant, we'll bring some pressure to bear.'

‘There is one other thing,' Jaz said, feeling somewhat deflated. ‘I mean, it's not a lead, exactly, but it might be a source of information. We had all the Gilligan and Hayes stuff sent over. Officially, the investigation is still open, but there's been nothing new really since day one. But there's an ex police officer involved. A local guy.'

‘Oh? Who, and how involved?' Branch asked.

‘His name is Alec Friedman, was a DI. He quit a few months ago, but he was used as a consultant on the Gilligan and Hayes thing. Apparently his aunt was involved in some way – though I can't tell you how because some of the details are missing.'

‘Missing? I thought you sent for all the case notes.'

‘I did. Some of it has been, what do you call it, redacted.' She held up the sheets she had printed off to show him. ‘Look, bits are blacked out. I phoned through to find out why, but was just told it came from above – and I don't think they meant God. Anyway, I spoke to a DI Barnes, who was involved in the Gilligan and Hayes thing. He couldn't tell me much, but did suggest I speak to this Alec Friedman.'

‘Alec?' Tess said. ‘I don't see …'

‘You know him?'

‘Yes. I used to know him well.'

‘Then you should be the one to talk to him, I think,' Branch said.

Tess nodded.

‘Did DI Barnes say who authorized his involvement?' Branch asked.

Jaz grinned. ‘Oh, that would have been God as well,' she said. ‘Barnes said Mr Friedman was far from happy. He wanted to stay retired. There was something else he said too, or sort of said. I asked him if he'd heard of Gustav Clay and he just laughed, then he said we should ask Alec about his car accident.'

‘He didn't elaborate?'

‘No, he was out at a scene so I only talked to him for a few minutes, but I don't think he was happy even to do that.'

Branch frowned and nodded. ‘OK,' he said. ‘Well, keep on digging and maybe try to persuade DI Barnes to come over and have a chat. Now, media management. What's happening on scene?'

The meeting broke up soon after that. Tess caught up with Jaz as they were both leaving. ‘This Barnes, did he say anything more about Alec? Is his name in the case notes?'

‘Not that I could see, and no, like I said, he was busy on scene. He could only spare me a couple of minutes.'

‘Or only wanted to.'

Jaz shrugged. ‘Maybe. Isn't Alec Friedman that friend of yours who came into the office the other day?'

‘He was,' Tess said, wondering now if it had been such a random coincidence as Alec had made out.

K
at's mobile phone vibrated in Ian's pocket. He took it out and stared at the screen. He pressed the button and lifted the phone to his ear. ‘Hello. Kat?'

‘Katherine can't come to the phone right now.'

Ian's legs turned to jelly. He dropped down into the chair, his heart thumping in his chest and his mouth suddenly dry.

‘I want to speak to my wife.'

‘Sorry, can't be done.'

‘Why are you doing this? You promised me they'd be kept safe.'

‘And so they have been. So far.'

‘No. You lied. You said you'd get Kat and the baby out and I'd be joining them. You said—'

‘And I kept my word. Pity you didn't do the same. Ian, you have only yourself to blame for what has happened to your wife and child. We had a deal; you reneged on that deal.'

‘No. I didn't have what you wanted. I couldn't get what you wanted. I thought I'd be able to, but—'

‘And that's my problem? How? A deal is a deal. You became greedy, Professor Marsh. You'd got yourself a glimpse of something and you wanted more.'

‘It wasn't like that!' Ian shouted desperately. ‘I couldn't … Look, give me a chance. A few more days, that's all I need. You can give me that.'

‘Can I, Professor? Look at it from my angle. You gave me guarantees; I in turn gave others guarantees. You don't keep your end of the bargain, then neither can I, and that makes me look bad. I have a reputation, Ian. You're spoiling that for me.'

‘A few more days,' Ian begged. ‘I just need a few more days.'

There was a moment or two of silence as the other man considered the option and Ian allowed himself to hope. ‘Forty-eight hours, Professor. Fail me and I'll have to get what compensation I can in other ways.'

‘What do you mean?' Ian asked, but he thought he knew. He couldn't bear to know.

‘Forty-eight hours. No more.'

The phone went dead. Ian knew it would do him no good to try and call the number back, but he tried it anyway, desperately searching through the menu for the number of the last call, finding it unknown. In a fit of sheer frustration, he hurled the phone across the room and then hurled himself after it. What if he'd broken it? What if he'd smashed this last link to his wife and child? What if …?

The phone in its bright pink case had hit the arm of the chair and fallen to the floor. To his profound relief, it was unharmed. Ian stared at the screen, willing it to ring again, knowing that it would not. Eventually, he put it back into his pocket and just sat, his back to the wall, his head full of terrible thoughts. He knew he had killed them, Kat and little Daisy, just as directly as if he'd plunged a knife into their hearts and twisted it and, oddly, finally acknowledging that filled him with a new resolve. There was nothing he could do for them now, so he had to move on, put all thoughts of guilt and pain aside.

The priority now was simply to save himself.

O
n the Friday morning Tess arrived at Naomi and Alec's flat just as they were leaving for their morning walk.

‘I can go on my own,' Naomi said.

‘No. No, I don't think so. If you want to talk to me, Tess, you can tag along.'

Naomi could hear the irritation in his voice, the upset still hanging on from his visit to see his old colleague earlier in the week. Naomi understood; she doubted Tess would.

‘Okay,' Tess said slowly. ‘Well, I don't mind tagging along. I've just got a few questions to ask you, if you don't mind.'

Beside her, Naomi felt Alec shrug. ‘Ask away,' he said.

Tess waited until they had reached the promenade before beginning. Naomi paused, expecting Alec to take up his usual position on the sea wall, but much to her surprise, he came down with her to the sea's edge and Tess had no option but to follow.

‘We've been talking to a DI Barnes,' she said.

‘Nice for you,' Alec returned. ‘He's a pleasant man.'

‘You were involved in that Gilligan and Hayes thing a couple of months back, apparently.'

‘Indirectly. Why?'

‘Because what happened then might impact on this current kidnapping. And the murder.'

Alec shrugged. ‘Well I'm sure Barnes will help in any way he can. I've resigned, you know.'

‘But it makes me wonder, Alec. When you came to see me the other day, you were very interested in the murder of Anthony Palmer. Why was that? Was it really a coincidence, you suddenly turning up like that?'

Alec laughed shortly. ‘Why wouldn't it be?'

‘Because the last thing you were involved in, and this, it seems they are all hooked up together somehow and—'

‘And when I came to visit you the other day it was genuinely just a wish to see an old friend. No one knew of the supposed connection then, did they? And I wasn't involved. My aunt was, again, indirectly …'

‘That would be Molly Chambers. The old lady who had some killer blow his brains out on her landing.'

‘Molly does have that effect on some people,' Naomi said. She knew she shouldn't have but it was just too much to resist.

‘Molly Chambers, yes,' Alec said. ‘She became involved because on the site where Gilligan and Hayes died in the back of that van, she happened to have some of her stuff in storage and there was a suspicion that her locker had been tampered with. Molly isn't the easiest of people to handle. I liaised, you might say.'

‘Liaised. Right. So maybe you can tell me why, when we sent for the file, half of it had been, shall we say, removed.'

‘I resigned,' Alec said again. ‘Tess, I'm out now. I can't tell you any more.'

‘Not even about the car crash you were both involved in?'

‘What about it?'

‘An accident? Really?'

‘My brakes failed. We were on the crest of a rather nasty hill. The weather was bad. I did all the right things, took my foot off the accelerator, went down through the gears and was about to switch off the ignition when my dear aunt Molly got impatient and pulled the hand brake on. Had she waited a few seconds more, I'm sure it would all have been fine; as it was we skidded off the road and rolled three or so times down the hill.'

Alec's voice was very controlled, but Naomi could feel him shaking; he still found it so hard to talk about those last few moments before the crash. In truth, he didn't recall a lot about it, but Molly did and Molly had spared him no detail.

‘We survived,' Alec said. ‘There's not a lot more to tell.'

A beat of silence and then Tess tried another tack. ‘What do you know about a man called Gustav Clay?'

‘Career diplomat, friend of Molly's and her husband. Died a couple of months ago. Why?'

‘In a gas explosion. At his house,' Tess pursued.