Murder Club - Mark Pearson [40]
‘I’m not a vigilante.’
‘No – what you are is a pain in the bloody arse.’
Delaney winked at her. ‘Nice arse, though!’
‘This one is out of my ability to control.’
‘What I figured.’
‘There’s going to be an investigation.’
Delaney shrugged. ‘I’m on holiday after Christmas anyway.’
‘Yeah, I know, Jack. Not really the point here.’
‘I guess not.’
‘You’re going to lose your job over this, if it isn’t sorted. Napier will see to that. The official interview is for Monday afternoon. So you have the weekend to get your facts straight.’
‘Maybe that’s not such a bad thing.’
‘What isn’t?’
‘Losing my job.’
‘Really? What would Kate think? What with a baby on the way and all?’
‘Kind of my point. This job is toxic, Diane. This whole city is toxic.’
‘No, it’s not. People are toxic, Jack. Some of them. That’s why we do the job we do.’
‘Sanitation engineers?’
‘About that.’
‘I can’t remember what happened that morning, Diane. But I am pretty sure Eddie Bonner covered for me. I didn’t get in until just before the line-up.’
‘Jesus, Delaney!’
‘I know.’
‘The CPS knew that, this would never even have made it to court.’
‘The man is guilty, boss.’
Diane Campbell shook her head, disgusted. ‘Eddie-fucking-Bonner!’
Sergeant Eddie Bonner had been Jack Delaney’s partner for a while. Up until the time he tried to kill him, that is. Bonner had been involved in serious and criminal corruption within the force, working with Kate Walker’s uncle, a senior police figure now in jail awaiting trial for murder, attempted murder and child-rape charges, amongst others. Delaney was getting close to exposing him, and Bonner, who wasn’t involved in the child crimes, changed horses mid-gallop. He was going to give Delaney information to help put Walker away. He didn’t get the chance to, for Bonner was killed in a hit arranged by Walker, and Delaney was nearly taken out too.
‘Bonner may well have shown her a photo – I wouldn’t put it past him, but I doubt it.’
‘Why?’
‘She could have said Bonner showed her the photo, if in fact he ever did. But she didn’t; she said I did.’
‘Why?’
‘I don’t know. But Michael Robinson called me this morning. He seemed very upbeat.’
‘Jesus, Jack! You didn’t think a little detail like that was important enough to mention it to me?’
‘I’m mentioning it now.’
Diane took a healthy glug of her vodka. ‘What the fuck was that sick flake calling you for?’
‘He mentioned Kate and Siobhan, Diane. And the baby on the way.’
Diane gestured to the barmaid. ‘Can we get some more drinks over here, and make mine a large one,’ she said and turned back to Delaney. ‘You want a whiskey with that?’
‘No. I’m okay with this, thanks,’ he gestured at his half-finished glass of Guinness.
‘You reckon he was making some kind of threat?’
‘That was my understanding. Plus he seemed confident about the court case. Almost as if he knew Stephanie Hewson was going to recant on her testimony.’
‘What did he actually say?’
‘Just that. He knew he was getting off.’
‘How?’
‘Somebody got to the woman. Someone has been in contact with him. Watching me. Intimidating her.’
‘He had a partner?’
‘He has a partner. Maybe not that night. But yeah. There’s two of them.’
‘He’s definitely guilty, Jack? He did rape and slice the woman?’
‘Stephanie picked him out, Diane. I saw her when she did it. She wasn’t faking it. And what would be the motive?’
‘So what do we do?’
‘We go over everything again.’
‘Something you might have missed?’ she asked, taking the glass from the barmaid and swallowing at least half the contents.
‘There’s two of them, Diane. Stephanie Hewson wasn’t the first. I’d bet my mortgage on it.’
‘They are going to turn over every stone in your career, Jack.’
‘Of course they will. But it’s bureaucracy, Diane. Red tape. We haven’t got time for that.’
‘Okay. You’ve got the weekend. I’ll try and stall things as best I can.’
‘Napier won’t like it.’
‘Napier can kiss my arse.’
‘He might enjoy that.’
Diane looked at him coolly for a moment or two and then nodded. ‘Just don’t fuck me over on this, Jack. Nail the sick