FB gave a weary clap. ‘I know that — what I don’t know is what you’re doing about it.’
‘ My best, that’s what.’
‘ Is that going to be good enough?’ FB was tough.
Henry’s mouth tightened. ‘Yes. I’ll catch the bastard or bastards. The link seems to be Tenerife — which is also the link to one of the security guards, a guy called Colin Hodge, who visited the place just a short time before the robbery. We think he was the inside man. The other link is Billy Crane, who has suddenly reappeared on the scene. Danny has had him positively identified as having stayed at the Imperial Hotel on the night of the triple murder in Blackpool, and leaving via Manchester Airport the day after, catching a flight to Lisbon, subsequently connecting to Tenerife. I saw him back in the country’ before the robbery in the company of Elphick, Thompson and Drozdov junior — three of the four dead men at the warehouse. The fourth dead man is Don Smith, of course, long-time associate of Crane’s. And today the fingerprint people have given me some partial idents lifted from a vehicle — not enough for court — putting Crane at the warehouse. There are also some partial prints of his on a pistol found there, which is the same gun that killed two security guards, Thompson, Elphick and Drozdov.
‘ Our next step must be to trace and arrest Billy Crane. He’s the key to all this and he’s got some nooky questions to answer. But the good bit is — if we don’t get to him first — and soon — he’s as dead as a dodo.’
Later, in the gents’ toilets, Rupert Davison was urinating at one of the stalls when Henry slotted in next to him.
‘ Henry, how are you doing? You’ve been avoiding me, haven’t you?’
‘ Like the plague,’ Henry admitted.
‘ I’ll tell you what — that Danny Furness has aged well, hasn’t she? I screwed her, you know?’
‘ Did you really?’ Henry bristled. He began to pee.
‘ Are you still serious about blowing me out over those interview tapes and the like?’
‘ Is that why you’ve come today, to ask me that?’
‘ I was invited by Mr Fanshaw-Bayley, actually, because I have a vested interest in this investigation. Two Manchester villains are dead, plus their Russian pal. You need to keep me sweet so I can ensure your enquiries around Greater Manchester go smoothly.’
‘ Are you saying you would obstruct my officers?’
Davison shrugged. ‘I could ensure they did not get the cooperation they require.’
Henry finished urinating and moved on to the wash-basin. He turned a tap on to a trickle and put his hands under it. ‘That sounds like obstructing the course of justice.’
‘ Does, doesn’t it?’ smirked the Superintendent. He finished and joined Henry by the sinks.
‘ That interview-tapes business — you know you’ll never get anywhere with it, don’t you? My word against a mere Custody Officer. I handed the master tapes over to him — which is actually documented in the custody records of Thompson and Elphick — so I don’t have a great problem there. As regards the working tapes of the interviews, losing them is unfortunate, but it won’t get as far as discipline. Happens all the time to other officers. I’ll probably get mildly rebuked. I can live with that.’
‘ But you did steal and destroy the masters, didn’t you?’ Henry said.
Davison placed his hands under the soap dispenser and then turned on a tap. Henry leaned across and turned it off, coming in close to Davison, eyeball to eyeball.
‘ You did, didn’t you?’ Henry pushed.
A smile crept over Davison’s face. ‘Of course I did.’
Henry took a step away. ‘Have you come here to gloat?’ He put his hands towards the hot air dryer, then changed his mind and went for the roller towel. ‘To tell me not to bother going for you, is that it?’
‘ Not to gloat, Henry — just to ensure that you don’t waste your breath and time on something where you’ll end up with egg on your face,’ he said confidently.,
‘ What happened to the master tapes?’
Wonderfully, Davison came alongside Henry by the towels and spoke in a hoarse, but clear whisper. ‘In a busy custody office, it’s very easy to make things go missing. I went back down a little later and while the Custody Sergeant was tied up booking in prisoners, I helped myself. The tapes are kept on a shelf under the desk until they are collected by the tape librarian, usually the day after. They are destroyed now.’
And so are you, mate, Henry wanted to tell him, but before he could make any sort of response, Davison said, ‘It’s a shame our operation against Thompson and Elphick came to nothing. Unfortunate they bubbled you as a cop, isn’t it?’
Henry’s eyebrows knitted together. Something in Davison’s tone of voice triggered off a warning bell in Henry’s head. ‘You sound like you know something about it?’
Davison uttered a short laugh and moved his wet hands underneath one of the hot air dryers. Henry stepped in and blocked his way before he had a chance to turn it on. ‘Did you tip them off about me?’ he demanded coldly.
Davison and Henry stood face to face for a few tense seconds. ‘What do you think, Henry?’ Davison said without admitting anything. He shouldered Henry out of the way to get to the machine. ‘I’ve got wet hands.’
Henry drew back, repulsed. He stormed out of the toilets and went back to the MIR where FB and Danny were waiting for him. He ripped the miniature tape-recorder out from the small of his back and shoved it into FB’s hands. ‘Here,’ he said, ‘hang the bastard out to dry.’
Their lovemaking took place on the deep pile rug in front of Danny’s living-room gas-fire. It lasted a long time and both experienced a prolonged, satisfying orgasm, leaving them feeling tired and mellow. Henry lay on his back, Danny tucked up on her side next to him, her fingertips tracing lazy circles around his nipples, chest and stomach.
‘ Before we were rudely interrupted by FB, you were going to say something to me — remember?’
He took a deep breath. ‘The only reason I took that under cover job was to get away from you.’
‘ Me — why?’
‘ All that stuff we went through with Jack Sands, all the time I spent with you… I was falling in love with you, Danny. It was doing my skull in. Life at home was getting unbearable because all I could think of was you and wanting to be with you — even though we hadn’t actually done anything like this.’ He indicated their nakedness. ‘I took the U/C job to get away from it all, take a break, get things into perspective. I thought I’d find it was just a silly infatuation, that I was just kidding myself. Wrong! All I could do was think about you — and when I got the chance to come home, what happens? Before going home to Kate, I go into Blackpool nick and see you instead.’
‘ And ask me how to win your wife back — and I suggested shagging her! I really wanted you to shag me.’
He laughed a little. ‘I needed to be sure how I felt about you. I’ve done some crackpot things in my life with other women, Danny, on the pretence of being in love, but I wasn’t. I was just having my ego fuelled. You are different.’ He paused. ‘I love you.’ He waited for a reply.
‘ This could get very complicated,’ Danny said cautiously, but feeling wonderful having heard Henry say the words.
‘ Don’t I know it.’
‘ And unpleasant.’
‘ Yep.’
‘ And costly.’
‘ Oh don’t, now you’re digging a knife into me.’
‘ And people will get hurt.’
‘ I know.’
‘ And we will suffer professionally.’
‘ Yeah.’ He pushed himself up on to one elbow and faced her. ‘You’re talking future tense.’
‘ Yes… all those things will happen. If you want to go for it, then so do I because I love you very much, Henry. I’ve fancied you for years and now I want you for ever, whatever it costs. I love you.’
Henry touched her cheek. They kissed tenderly.
‘ You will have a lot of difficult things to do, Henry, but I promise you I’ll be here for you, however tough it gets. I won’t let you down.’