‘I’m going to release him into your custody. How does that sound?’
‘Pretty shitty.’
‘I’ll take that as a nod.’
He led Janine to the custody office, and Freddy was brought back from the cells. When he saw his niece, his eyes widened with pleasure.
‘Hi, Freddy.’ She gave him a little wave.
His fat bottom lip began to tremble. ‘My darlin’,’ he said.
Henry leaned on the custody counter. ‘Freddy — I’m going to release you, but you have to go with Janine, OK?’ Freddy blinked at Henry. ‘You need to get a good kip and then I’ll come and speak to you about what’s happened. And you have to behave yourself and take your tablets, OK? Deal?’
‘OK,’ he whispered. ‘I know you, don’t I?’
‘We’ve met.’ Henry tugged at his collar, feeling the ghosts of Freddy’s thumbs on his windpipe, as well as their more recent incarnations. He glanced at Janine. ‘I’ll arrange for someone to drop you off.’
‘Not taking us in the Audi?’
‘No — I don’t want blood on the seats.’ His mobile rang. He stepped away and answered it. It was Rik Dean.
‘Couple of things come up I thought you should know about,’ Rik said.
‘Fire away.’
‘Speaking to the nursing staff on C10, it looks like Bill Grasson did all the shooting, no weapon seen in the hands of the guy with him. Grasson took out both of the Costains, it seems. It was chaos, as you know, but that seems to be the picture.’
‘OK — that simplifies things to an extent.’
‘Yeah. I’ve also been to the security office and checked some CCTV footage. I’ve ID’d the guy with Grasson, the guy who did a runner. You’ll like this, Henry.’
‘I’m champing at the bit.’
‘Terry Cromer.’
‘Yesss. . thought as much.’
‘We going for him?’
‘Oh yeah, strike while the blood’s still hot.’ He checked out Janine and Freddy, standing by the exit door. Freddy was hugging Janine, and she was patting his shoulders lovingly, speaking softly to him, whilst looking sideways at Henry. Henry frowned slightly as he watched them, but it was only a fleeting thought, gone in an instant. He jerked his head for her to come to him and she detached herself from Freddy. Henry laid it straight on the line. ‘It was your dad with Grasson.’
She swallowed and nodded numbly as though this was not unexpected. ‘Guessed so.’
‘I need to speak to him — on my turf. Here.’
‘Are you going for him now?’
‘Yes, I need to.’
‘Did he shoot either of those men?’
‘I don’t know yet,’ Henry lied a bit.
‘But it’s possible.’
‘You know it is.’
She sighed tiredly. ‘What’s your plan?’
‘To go and get him now.’
She laughed harshly. ‘That won’t be easy.’
‘Could be with your help. But if you’re not willing, I’ll go in with a bunch of cops wearing Doc Marten’s size elevens in front of me. This is a hot operation and I want to move with the momentum. Easy or hard.’ He didn’t tell her that the gang of size elevens he was referring to would take about eight hours to pull together. ‘What if I get Freddy taken home in a police van and I take you back in the Audi? That way I can exchange Terry for Freddy.’
‘Suppose I warn him you’re coming?’
‘You won’t. . me getting hold of him now will make his life much easier.’
‘Are you going up with armed officers?’
‘Should I? I’d rather keep it low key.’
‘OK — you drive me back. Take Uncle Freddy in a van — and I’ll see what I can do. I promise nothing. . cops coming for him are an occupational hazard.’
‘All right. . tell you what, though, we’ll all go in the van. I’ll commandeer one.’
Freddy was placed in the back of a section van, reassured by Janine. Henry and Janine sat up in front and Henry started the engine, a little shot of excitement zipping through him. It was a long time since he’d driven a marked police vehicle and there was always something good about it, no matter how crappy the vehicle itself. A million memories flooded back.
He reversed out of the car park and set off towards Belthorn. Alongside him, Janine sat pensively, fingers interlinked on her lap. Henry didn’t interrupt her thoughts, which he guessed were conflicted. He did look at her when he heard her chuckle. ‘What?’
‘Where do you get a phrase like “move with the momentum” from? Sounds like a line from a bad rap song.’
‘I’m just good with words. Got an O level in English. . grade C.’
She laughed, but then her face turned hard. ‘I don’t think this’ll be easy, you know. I may be his daughter, but I have no influence on him whatever. If he kicks off you’ll have more than a handful.’
‘I’ve got a chum with me.’ Henry jerked his thumb backwards.
They had travelled up Shadsworth Road, the hospital over to their right, and then turned onto Haslingden Road towards Belthorn, at which point a vehicle had taken up a following position behind them.
Janine peered into the side mirror, saw the headlights.
‘Just the one,’ Henry assured her. ‘If it does go all wrong, I’ll call for further assistance. Let’s hope it stays amicable.’
Janine shook her head, and Henry crossed his fingers. Getting more officers to back him up would be a bit of a conjuring trick, because there weren’t any. If Terry got upset, Henry would back off and return later with a mini army.
They drove in silence, up through Guide, across the motorway junction, then right towards Belthorn.
At the top of the hill Henry turned onto Tower View and stopped the van outside the Cromer residence. All the lights were on at the house.
Henry and Janine alighted, and he went to the back of the van, opened the back doors, then the inner cage, and let Freddy out.
Janine took Freddy’s arm and steered him to the gate, saying nothing to Henry, who turned and looked at the car that had followed him. It pulled up and Rik Dean got out. The two detectives watched the pair paused at the gates as Janine entered a key code, then pushed through and walked up to the house.
‘Beauty and the Beast,’ Rik commented.
Henry said nothing; he felt shattered. He was always amazed at his ability to keep going through exhaustion. Years of practice is what he put it down to, but lately he was starting to get more tired more quickly. He needed a real coffee boost. Either that or speed.
At the front door, Janine glanced over her shoulder before she entered, then was gone.
‘Have you ever thought how dangerous it would be to shag her?’ Rik pondered out loud. ‘Dangerous but exciting.’
Henry narrowed his eyes but didn’t want to admit his thoughts on that subject. He found it remarkable that, even at times of great stress or life-changing moments, where the most serious things were happening or being discussed, the indomitable spirit of cops meant that there was always time to think about humping — and not to be sexist, he was pretty sure that applied to female officers, too. Henry couldn’t actually remember being implanted with this chip when he joined the job, but it was definitely still functioning in him. He wondered if it would deactivate when he retired. He hoped not. It was one of life’s great comforts, just to know that when all about you was crumbling and going to rat shit, your thoughts gravitated to your penis. He grinned.
‘Think he’ll walk out and surrender?’ Rik asked.
‘Nope,’ Henry said absently. ‘Not in his nature.’
The two detectives stood side by side at the wrought-iron gates and waited.
The front door opened.
‘Here we go,’ Henry said.
It wasn’t Terry Cromer who emerged, hands held high. It was Janine — alone. She ran towards them and Henry could read from the body language that things weren’t great. She ran up to the gates and clung to the vertical ironwork.