Chapter 85
Chalkie left the conversation and walked briskly into the office; the constant ringing of the phone had started to annoy him.
“If you want DCI Baddeley he’s not here at the moment, you’ll have to phone back. About an hour should do it.”
“Hi there, yeah, I did want to speak to him. My name’s Axl McAndrew. I’m with the FBI. I’m phoning from Las Vegas.”
“Hello, Axl, my name’s Chalkie White. Thurstan’s mentioned you. Do you want to leave a message?” he grabbed a pencil from the holder and hovered over the blotter.
“Thanks, Chalkie, but no, it’s best if I speak to him personally. I need to update him on the guy we briefly discussed in the pub and to tell him I’m coming back over. I should be there tomorrow afternoon, your time. I’ve discovered my guy’s still in Liverpool. Are you sure he’ll be back in an hour?”
“Couldn’t say for definite. Hang on, I’ll see if I can find out where he is. Won’t be long.” He put the phone down.
Axl accepted the ice-cold coke handed him and leaned back in his chair, taking a mouthful as he listened to the distant conversation.
“Anyone know where Thurstan is?”
“Yeah. He went out on his own to see a witness. Some old Polish guy. Mister Kamwalski, I think, Boss,” a voice called back.
“Hello, Axl? He’s out visiting a witness - ”
“I heard.” Axl had sat bolt upright. “Are you sure about the name? Could it be Kamiński by any chance?”
“Hang on, I’ll find out.” He called back into the office. “Are you sure about the name? Could it be Kamiński?”
“It’ll be in the book, Boss. I’ll have a look.” The voice again.
Axl sipped his coke. He hoped he was wrong.
A far off call, “Yeah, sorry. It’s Kamiński. Hirek Kamiński. There’s an address here as well.”
“Axl? Yep, it’s a Hirek Kamiński. Why do you ask?”
He leaned forward, concern etched on his face. “Jesus Christ! I don’t believe it! Listen, the short version is you have to get hold of him and warn him that this guy is not what he seems. He might be old but he’s extremely dangerous. You need to get him to back off or get someone out there to back him up.”
“Stay on the line, Axl.” Chalkie put the receiver down and strode into the main room.
“You two, drop what you’re doing, grab a job’s motor and get your arses up to that address in the book your DCI’s booked out to. There’s an old guy there the FBI reckons is extremely dangerous and they think he could be in serious trouble.”
As one scurried to the signing out book and the other for the keys, he called, “And make sure you take radios.”
Picking up his mobile, he called Thurstan. It was ringing out. Shit!
He waved at the next people he saw. ”Taffy! Grab that phone in his office and start getting some details, it’s the FBI. Sandeep! Get that address and call the Control Room, I want a patrol up there, now! ”