The Crooked Beat (8 page)

‘If you like.’

‘Upstairs.’

Geraghty led the way into the family living room and closed the door. Ridley looked around. The photographs covered the man’s rugby career and his growing family with two young boys. Geraghty was about forty years of age, but any muscle he’d had was now fat.

‘You know what we want, Jimmy,’ Holborn said. ‘Let’s not piss about.’

‘I haven’t got the money.’

‘I heard that, Jimmy, and that’s what brings me here. It’s the wrong answer. Try again.’

‘I haven’t got it.’

‘Mr Salford’s not going to be best pleased with your attitude.’

‘I can’t help that.’

Holborn laughed. ‘That’s not the attitude we’re after, is it Don?’

Ridley said nothing, knowing this was heading in a direction which wasn’t right. Holborn lunged forward and punched Geraghty in the stomach. Ridley watched Geraghty go down, winded.

Holborn shook his head. ‘You try to help some people out but this how they treat you.’ He bent down. ‘Try again, Jimmy.’

Geraghty struggled to his feet. Holborn punched him back to the floor. ‘Nobody said you could stand up.’ He turned to Ridley and pointed at Geraghty. ‘Be my guest. Take out some of the day’s frustrations on the fat cunt.’

Ridley shook his head and walked over to the window. The street was quiet. If people weren’t downstairs celebrating, they were no doubt still in bed nursing hangovers from yesterday’s match.

‘Fucking hit him,’ Holborn repeated.

Ridley shook his head again.

‘I’ve got the money,’ Geraghty said.

‘That’s better Jimmy,’ Holborn said. ‘Much better. We’re all friends here, aren’t we?’ He helped him stand back up.

Geraghty went over to a drawer and took out an envelope.

Ridley glanced at it and knew it was cash. Geraghty held it out towards Holborn.

 ‘What the fuck are you thinking, Jimmy? You don’t pass money to me. I’m a police officer.’

Geraghty lowered his arm, a beaten man.

‘You pass it to Bancroft like normal. He’ll be in soon enough to see you.’ Holborn turned to Ridley and winked. ‘You remember your mate Andrew Bancroft, don’t you?’

Ridley didn’t say a word, but thought back the altercation in the interview room. He knew him.

Holborn spoke to Geraghty. ‘It wasn’t that hard after all, was it Jimmy?’ He nodded to Ridley. They were done here. Holborn headed for the door, but stopped before he left the room. ‘I want you to be ready the next time we visit, Jimmy. Are we clear on that? I don’t want to hear you’ve pissed Bancroft about again.’

Geraghty said he understood.

Holborn led Ridley back downstairs. The noise getting louder again. Victory songs from the Hull KR fans.

‘Who do you support?' Holborn asked Ridley.

‘I don’t mind.’

Holborn laughed. ‘Get a grip, Don. You can’t live in this city and not have a team.’

‘FC,’ Ridley eventually said.

Holborn nodded his approval. ‘Good choice, Don. These cunts can have their day in the sun, but we know the truth, don’t we? They’re small-time wankers. They’ll do fuck all next year.’

Holborn pushed his way out the pub, back into the car park. Ridley stopped him from walking any further. ‘Why did you have to do this to him today?’

Holborn smiled, took some money out and tucked it into Ridley’s pocket. ‘Times are changing, Don. You’re not a bad detective and I know you’re not a stupid bloke. You’ve already proved you know which the right team to support is. Make sure you don’t choose the wrong one this time.’

I reminded myself Roger Millfield was paying me to do a job for him. Neil Farr had questions to answer. I needed to clarify a few things. I found a parking space on a meter before walking the short distance from Silver Street to Parliament Street.

His office was close to Roger Millfield’s. All the solicitors and accountants grouped together in the area. Strength in numbers, I assumed. Farr’s receptionist told me he was busy and wouldn’t have the time to speak to me. I told her that if I didn’t see Mr Farr as a matter of urgency, I’d be forced to take my business elsewhere. It was the best I could do. She probably didn’t believe me, but eventually told me to take a seat while she double-checked his availability. Maybe it was a sign of the times. A few minutes later I was sitting in Neil Farr’s office. It was indistinguishable from Millfield’s, only the view changed.

‘This is most irregular, Mr Geraghty,’ he said, once he’d sat down.

‘I’m an irregular type of guy.’

‘And what line of business are you in again?’

‘I’m in what you might call the people business.’

‘I’m afraid I don’t follow you.’

‘I’m a Private Investigator.’ I passed him one of my cards. I only had old ones marked up as ‘Ridley & Son’ in my pocket.

Farr laughed nervously. ‘Come on, now. We’re not in America.’

‘I’m sure you use the services of one here.’

‘Very rarely and only for routine matters.’ Farr was flustered. He stood up. ‘I think you should leave, Mr Geraghty.’

I shook my head and waited until he sat back down. ‘We need to have a talk.’

‘I can’t imagine that we have anything to talk about.’

‘Kath Millfield.’

‘Kath?’

I nodded and repeated her name.

‘What about her?’

‘You’re good friends?’ I made sure I had his attention. ‘I saw you with her last night.’

‘Who do you work for?’

‘I’m not prepared to discuss that.’

‘Roger, I bet.’

I said nothing and waited for Farr to make a move. The silence was clearly making him uncomfortable. He eventually spoke. ‘The man’s a bully, always has been.’

‘And she’s just a friend?’

‘I resent that comment, Mr Geraghty. I’ve known Kath for many years and she’s a dear friend.’ He leaned forward. ‘And to be frank, you should look closer to home.’

‘What does that mean?’

He held his hands up. ‘I shouldn’t have said that. Ignore me.’

It was too late for that. I was going nowhere until I heard whatever was on his mind. ‘I should look closer to home?’

Farr swivelled back in his chair to face me. ‘I’m not talking out of turn if I tell you Kath’s marriage hasn’t been the happiest or the smoothest. It’s not a secret.’

‘So why should I look closer to home?’

He pointed at me. ‘Let’s be clear Mr Geraghty, you’re the one who came to me. You’re the one who asked me the question.’

I told him we were clear on that.

He waved my card at me. ‘She once had an affair with your Don Ridley.’

I wasn’t expecting to hear that. I asked him when this affair had taken place.

‘I’m going back a long way. I don’t see how it’s relevant. I shouldn’t have said anything.’

‘How long ago?’

‘I don’t know. More than a couple of decades ago. Ancient history.’ He walked to the door, opened it and asked me to leave. ‘I really shouldn’t be having this conversation with you.’

I sat in my car and rubbed my face. I wasn’t expecting to learn that Don had once had an affair. Nor did I know what to do with the information. I stared at Sarah’s number in my mobile before I pressed call. I knew if I didn’t call her, she’d call me.

‘I’ve spoken with Neil Farr,’ I said.

‘Learn anything useful?’

‘Not really.’ I immediately felt bad for lying to her. Instinctively, I knew I couldn’t tell her about Don’s affair. It would break her heart. I told Sarah I’d keep trying and asked her if she’d found anything more out about George Sutherland.

‘He’s skint. His last accounts show that he owes money to a lot of different people. His business empire has crumbled due to the recession and no one wants to buy his house. Apart from the pub, that’s pretty much all he’s got. He’s managed to lose everything else. It seems he’s remortgaged what he could and there’s nothing left.’

I thanked Sarah for the information. It explained why he was smuggling cigarettes into the country. He was desperate.

‘What are you going to do, Joe?’

‘I need to know more about Sutherland.’ I knew that was the only way forward if I was going to sort this mess out. ‘I need to find his weakness. I need an angle on him.’

‘We’ll find it.’

I could almost hear the smile in her voice. I ended the call, pleased I had someone to share the load with.

I headed for a cafe off George Street in the city centre. I borrowed their telephone directory and found the number for the police station in Queens Gardens. My call was eventually answered and I was put through to Acting Detective Inspector Coleman’s office. I told him where I was, cut the connection and waited. His appearance at the hospital to speak to Don didn’t make sense. There was something going on. Ten minutes later Coleman walked through the door. He spotted me, made his way over and sat down. He didn’t bother ordering a drink.

‘What’s going on?’ I said.

‘You’re the one who called.’

‘What’s going on?’ I repeated.

He leaned forwards. ‘You’re the one who called me.’

I smiled and nodded. He wasn’t going to give me anything easily. ‘You implied that Don has enemies.’

‘Only stating the obvious.’ He relaxed into his chair, even though he didn’t seem very comfortable with the situation. ‘He was a policeman for long time. We make enemies. Nature of the beast.’

I’d given the possibility of someone holding a grudge against Don some thought and not made any progress. He’d been a well-respected detective for Humberside Police, but it had been a difficult job.. We’d also no doubt upset people when we’d operated as Private Investigators, but there was nothing obvious. Some of those cases had involved the police and the right people had gone to prison. The majority of work had been routine. There was no one we’d upset to the point they’d come looking for revenge. I needed a route into his police career. I asked him what Don had told him in the hospital.

‘Nothing,’ Coleman said.

‘So what can you tell me?’

‘I’m not at liberty to talk to you about ongoing police matters. You know that.’

‘Off the record?’

‘You know how it works, Joe.’

Stalemate again. But we both knew he held all the aces. He was part of a huge investigative machine. I was one man on his own.

‘It could be something, it could be nothing,’ Coleman said.

I finished my drink. ‘You’re bang on there.’ I left him sitting there. I’d taken what I wanted from our chat. I’d chosen the place deliberately to see how long it would take him to arrive. His swift appearance and the mention of ongoing police matters told me everything I needed to know. Something was happening that I wasn’t aware of. I was right to be worried about Don.

I had things I needed to discuss with Roger Millfield, but his secretary made it easy for me. She told me Millfield was on a training course at the KC Stadium. He wanted to speak to me as soon as possible. I called Sarah to see if she was free. Don had been discharged, so I offered to take her to his house once we’d finished with Millfield.

We drove the short distance to Anlaby Road. We stood outside the main entrance to the stadium and looked upwards at the sloping West Stand roof. It had been built a decade ago with the proceeds from the council’s sale of shares in local telecommunication company, Kingston Communications. The place still took my breath away a little.

The board in the reception area told me the accountancy course was in the Wilberforce Suite. Sarah shook her head when I told her I was going straight in. Millfield had called me, so I wasn’t prepared to wait. There wasn’t time for that. She sat down in one of the chairs placed around the glass table in the corner and waited. The lecturer stopped talking and the room fell silent as I entered. Millfield quickly excused himself and walked towards me. We stepped outside and walked around the stadium concourse. Sarah followed us.

He spoke to Sarah. ‘I thought the old business had shut down.’

‘Joe’s asked me to help him out.’

Millfield stared at us both before taking an envelope out of his pocket. He held it out in front of me. ‘I needed to give you this. There’s no easy way of saying it, but I’ve changed my mind. It was a mistake. I don’t need your services.’

I didn’t understand. ‘Why not?’

‘I’ve changed my mind. Simple as that.’ He glanced at Sarah. ‘I had a word with Don after I’d spoken with you and he told me he’d sort it out.’

‘I was sorting it out for you,’ I said.

He opened the envelope and showed me the cheque inside it. It was made payable to me. ‘I shouldn’t have involved you with my problems. Split it how you see fit, but this the end of the matter. I need to spend my time at work, settling Rebecca into her new role.’

Sarah spoke. ‘Why don’t you tell us what’s going on?’

‘Nothing’s going on.’

‘Don’s in hospital,’ I said.

‘What happened?’

‘He was attacked.’

‘How is he?’

‘It’s a good job he hasn’t got any looks to lose.’

‘But he’ll be fine?’

I ignored the question. ‘Don’t take me for a fool,’ I told him. ‘You tell me you’d rather Don did the job and then he’s attacked. I’m not a fan of coincidences’

He didn’t break my stare. ‘Don’t go looking for something that’s not there. I’ve changed my mind. That’s all.’

I’d learned how to read people over the years. It was an essential skill to be able to look people in the eye and tell if they were lying or not. I knew Millfield wasn’t being straight with me. I was about to say something about Neil Farr, but stopped myself. I wondered if Don’s affair with Kath Millfield was relevant. Sarah didn’t know and now wasn’t the time.

‘I don’t want to talk to you about this again,’ he said as he started to walk back toward the main entrance. ‘Just do as you’re told, please.’