Chapter 35
Outside, the late morning clouds looked ominous. In the ‘quiet room’, Spud and Gandalph were discussing possible acquisitions and prospects for the coming Premiership season. Thurstan sat reading a text from Degsy. Lizzie, flustered, entered apologetically.
“I’m sorry I’m late. I had problems finding a parking space that allowed me to get out of the bloody car.” She dropped her bag on the floor and placed the folder she was carrying on the table.
Thurstan looked up. “Oh, we hadn’t started, we were waiting for you.” He smiled. “Right, Derek can’t make it. He and Sammy are too busy out in St Helens. Who’s first? Stephen? What about his computers and phone?”
“Some emails buried away he’d thought he’d deleted seem to be referring to what I think are drugs jobs last year. He’s using subtle coded language but if we compare it with the Matrix’s intel we might crack it and be able to convince the CPS of his involvement in a conspiracy, at least. Who knows? There was also some other stuff concerning financials which means nothing to me so I’ll give that to Lizzie. Nothing of interest on his phone, mainly texts from his wife and stuff from people about going for beers. I’ll get it put on the intel system as associates. I suspect he may have another laptop or phone stashed somewhere.”
“Thank you, Stephen. Lizzie?”
She opened her folder and handed out several sheets. “The results of the financial checks on Brannan and Fenton. The short story is that Brannan was living way beyond his means. His legitimate list of clients paid well but I think he overstretched himself on the house. At one point he’s struggling to pay the mortgage, the next year he’s making extra payments. The current position is the house is his, well, his wife’s now. His new found income seems to come mainly from an offshore bank account in the Channel Islands. There are also transfers out from this account to a company in Switzerland, nothing so’s to attract immediate attention. On the surface, he’s no connection to that company and the transfers are shown as payments. The details are all there but we’re still trying to prise that one open.”
She handed out more A4. “Mickey Fenton, however, is living within his means, which are considerable. The sheets include his businesses as we know them.
“Various accounts, offshore: Cayman Islands, Channel Islands, etcetera, Switzerland as well. We’ve still work to do on that but there’s numerous company activities going on. We think he’s utilising them as a cover for his drugs payments then using businesses he owns here to launder the money back into his accounts. Now, we know Brannan was ripping him off and I think it was probably from the Cayman Islands accounts via a Channel Islands one set up under similar but subtly different details to Mickey’s own there. The money’s then transferred out via Switzerland, a lot re-appearing in Brannan’s account in the Channel Islands but the bulk of it, we’re just not certain and we’re going to have to get a forensic accountant on it to be sure. So, where the money’s gone and how much exactly we don’t know but, at present, it looks like over five million.”
Thurstan blew air out of his mouth as he leaned back in his chair and dropped his pen on the desk. “And they say crime doesn’t pay! Alison?”
“Darius McAvoy. He’s been charged with possession of the cocaine we found at his girl’s place. He threw his hand in and did the honourable thing once we put it to him that we were going to charge her. The prints on the roof of the barge match the trainers found at her place. He’d already coughed they were his before we mentioned there was an issue. No forensic on the gloves recovered or his clothing and the lads from under the bridge, as we know, don’t think they could recognise him or the others again. Despite us blowing his alibi away, after discussion with the CPS, we’ve had to bail him ‘forty-seven three’ but we’ve managed to get surveillance on him. It’s scaled-down and we’ve only got it for four days but he might just make contact with someone interesting during that time. It’s better than nothing.
“Now, Mickey Fenton, the same thing. CPS don’t think there’s enough at present to charge him. We can’t get surveillance on him. No spares.” Her phoned buzzed. She glanced down. “That’s a message from a bobby in Southport, Boss. They’ve found Brannan’s car. Parked up in Breeze Road, Hillside, so I don’t think the Fenton surveillance issue matters for us anymore.”
The DCI nodded. “Thank you, Alison.” He saw the questioning looks of the others. “Just for you two, Alison, Degsy and I have already discussed this. Mickey Fenton wanted a quiet word with me off the record. Basically, he told me it wasn’t him. He was quite frank, intimated he’d been planning it but someone beat him to it. The thing is. I believe him. And this news convinces me even more.” A pause before he continued.
“It’s not on your stuff, Liz, but we know, from Matrix, he owns a reclamation business out on the old Burtonwood airfield. It’s fronted by someone else. Mickey collects cash payments every now and then. Anyway, the business has a large reclamation machine which reduces anything you put in it to small pieces and I mean anything.
“Matrix made enquiries with the manufacturer and were sent a promotional film. I’ve seen it and it’s incredible. Whole fridges, washing machines, cars, small trucks. Everything comes out the other end in little bits. As Mickey said, if it had been him we wouldn’t find a body and I’m quite sure we wouldn’t find a car either.”
Another pause whilst they digested the information. “So, the question is, who else could have wanted to kill our mister Brannan and why?”
There was silence then Gandalph spoke up. “What about Fenton’s missus?”
They looked at him inquisitively. “What I mean is, she was having an affair with him, maybe she got tired. Maybe he was threatening her somehow. Maybe she wanted to get to the money.”
“And maybe she also wanted to get rid of Mickey?” Thurstan interjected. “It has its merits. Lizzie? Can you take a look at Sharon as well?” She nodded.
“Ok, what can we do about her? It would be nice if we had surveillance to put on her but there’s no chance at present, they’re fully committed.”
“We could do it.” It was Gandalph again.
Thurstan was intrigued. “How? It needs to be professionally done, Stephen. It doesn’t work like it does on the telly, as we all know.”
“Well, I’ve done the course, Boss, Trigger was posted to the SB surveillance unit, Margie, off DI White’s syndicate, and Soapy spent some time at the DSU, Sergeant Patterson’s just come from there and the Foetus used to do drug buys. Should be enough and I don’t think she’ll be terribly surveillance conscious. Anyway, it’s all we have. It’s worth a shot, surely.”
The Boss smiled. “Well, the things you find out. Ok. Let’s give it a go. I’ll speak to Chalkie, arrange the loan of his people and phone Vehicle Fleet to see if they have anything suitable to give us.”
A mobile buzzed. It was Thurstan’s. “Have something might interest you. Will be in Liverpool next week. Will confirm later. Roger.” He put it back in his pocket.
“Ok. Anything else?” Three heads were shaken.
“Right, thanks very much and let’s get back to work.”
Left alone, she smiled at him and touched his arm. He smiled back. “A cup of tea in the canteen, Detective Sergeant Johnson? Or am I being presumptuous?”
“Detective Chief Inspector Baddeley! When did you get so bold?”