would he have it at home? He kept his work at the office.’
I spread my hands in a helpless gesture. ‘You know what he was like. He wanted to get on. I wouldn’t put it past him to be working on something he’d kept up his sleeve, so he could surprise me with it. It wouldn’t be the first time.’ It was the truth, though now I saw it through different eyes.
‘Plus, we’re all a bit paranoid on our squad,’ I added. ‘The kind of villains we turn over can afford to buy a copper or two. Not on our team, naturally – that goes without saying. But from time to time, the odd spy tries to sneak under our radar. So we all tend to be a bit careful with anything that’s really sensitive.’ I gave her my best ‘trust me’ look. ‘The only thing I care about is nailing the bastard who did this.’
She was still keeping her distance, but shelooked less upset. I felt like a complete bastard, laying on the bullshit like that. But I had to know. Karen held her face in her hands and shook her head. ‘I’m sorry, Andy. I’m not thinking straight. I know you’re not going to rest till you’ve got him. Go on through.’ She nodded towards the hall.
I leaned forward and gave her an awkward hug, then got up and headed for the boxroom out by the garage. It was a nice little space, about ten feet by eight, with a shallow frosted window that ran along the top of the outside wall. Andy had it kitted out with a black wooden desk, a leather chair, a state-of-the-art computer, a TV and a PlayStation. The desk drawers were all unlocked. They shouted, Look, I’m a man with nothing to hide .
It seemed like they were telling the truth. I went through every scrap of paper and there was nothing there that wasn’t blameless. Stuff to do with the house, the car, the top-of-the-range goodies the house was crammed with. Bank statements that looked exactly as they should.
I was getting brassed off. I knew there had to be more somewhere. All my instincts were onred alert now. The study was like a stage set. It was too perfect, too blameless. I could feel Ben thumbing his nose at me.
The bottom drawer held all the personal stuff. Passport, birth certificate, national health card, his will. More out of frustration than anything else, I pulled it out and unfolded it. I started reading, not expecting any surprises. About halfway through came a short sentence that stopped me in my tracks. My heart sank and soared in the same moment.
Bingo.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
K AREN’S FROWN BECAME DEEPER as she read the will. ‘What does that mean?’ she said, her red-rimmed eyes looking puzzled.
‘You inherit the lot,’ I said. ‘The will lists the main things. But it also says that you get anything else Ben owned, even if it isn’t laid out in so many words.’
‘Yeah, I got that,’ Karen said. ‘But why are the contents of his health club locker listed? Ben didn’t belong to a health club. He worked out at the police gym. He said health clubs were for wankers who wanted to pretend they were fit.’
‘That’s what I wondered.’ Because I also knew Ben’s views about health clubs. And this wasn’t just any health club. It was Smithson’s. The place where Jack Farrell had gone every morning with Danny Chu and Fancy Riley. And where, apparently, Ben Wilson had had a locker. I sighed. ‘I need to check this out, Karen.’
She frowned again. ‘You think that was where he put the things he wanted to keep secure?’
‘It’s possible. I’m going to need a note from you saying it’s OK for me to look in the locker, though.’ I hoped she was so dazed she’d agree. I knew I didn’t have enough for a search warrant.
I was in luck. ‘Anything I can do to help.’ Karen got to her feet and cast around for something to write on. In the end, I knocked something out on Ben’s computer and got her to sign it.
Just over an hour later, I was in the manager’s office at Smithson’s. It was better furnished than the living rooms of most of
I spread my hands in a helpless gesture. ‘You know what he was like. He wanted to get on. I wouldn’t put it past him to be working on something he’d kept up his sleeve, so he could surprise me with it. It wouldn’t be the first time.’ It was the truth, though now I saw it through different eyes.
‘Plus, we’re all a bit paranoid on our squad,’ I added. ‘The kind of villains we turn over can afford to buy a copper or two. Not on our team, naturally – that goes without saying. But from time to time, the odd spy tries to sneak under our radar. So we all tend to be a bit careful with anything that’s really sensitive.’ I gave her my best ‘trust me’ look. ‘The only thing I care about is nailing the bastard who did this.’
She was still keeping her distance, but shelooked less upset. I felt like a complete bastard, laying on the bullshit like that. But I had to know. Karen held her face in her hands and shook her head. ‘I’m sorry, Andy. I’m not thinking straight. I know you’re not going to rest till you’ve got him. Go on through.’ She nodded towards the hall.
I leaned forward and gave her an awkward hug, then got up and headed for the boxroom out by the garage. It was a nice little space, about ten feet by eight, with a shallow frosted window that ran along the top of the outside wall. Andy had it kitted out with a black wooden desk, a leather chair, a state-of-the-art computer, a TV and a PlayStation. The desk drawers were all unlocked. They shouted, Look, I’m a man with nothing to hide .
It seemed like they were telling the truth. I went through every scrap of paper and there was nothing there that wasn’t blameless. Stuff to do with the house, the car, the top-of-the-range goodies the house was crammed with. Bank statements that looked exactly as they should.
I was getting brassed off. I knew there had to be more somewhere. All my instincts were onred alert now. The study was like a stage set. It was too perfect, too blameless. I could feel Ben thumbing his nose at me.
The bottom drawer held all the personal stuff. Passport, birth certificate, national health card, his will. More out of frustration than anything else, I pulled it out and unfolded it. I started reading, not expecting any surprises. About halfway through came a short sentence that stopped me in my tracks. My heart sank and soared in the same moment.
Bingo.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
K AREN’S FROWN BECAME DEEPER as she read the will. ‘What does that mean?’ she said, her red-rimmed eyes looking puzzled.
‘You inherit the lot,’ I said. ‘The will lists the main things. But it also says that you get anything else Ben owned, even if it isn’t laid out in so many words.’
‘Yeah, I got that,’ Karen said. ‘But why are the contents of his health club locker listed? Ben didn’t belong to a health club. He worked out at the police gym. He said health clubs were for wankers who wanted to pretend they were fit.’
‘That’s what I wondered.’ Because I also knew Ben’s views about health clubs. And this wasn’t just any health club. It was Smithson’s. The place where Jack Farrell had gone every morning with Danny Chu and Fancy Riley. And where, apparently, Ben Wilson had had a locker. I sighed. ‘I need to check this out, Karen.’
She frowned again. ‘You think that was where he put the things he wanted to keep secure?’
‘It’s possible. I’m going to need a note from you saying it’s OK for me to look in the locker, though.’ I hoped she was so dazed she’d agree. I knew I didn’t have enough for a search warrant.
I was in luck. ‘Anything I can do to help.’ Karen got to her feet and cast around for something to write on. In the end, I knocked something out on Ben’s computer and got her to sign it.
Just over an hour later, I was in the manager’s office at Smithson’s. It was better furnished than the living rooms of most of
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