Murder Has No Guilt by Phillip Strang

Author:Phillip Strang [Strang, Phillip]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-11-04T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 16

Marcus Hearne never made the expected phone call about where the meeting was to be held. Larry was at the crime scene within forty minutes of receiving the notification.

‘It’s a messy killing,’ Gordon Windsor said. He was standing to one side of the ditch, looking down at two of his team in the water. The body was face down, although its wallet had floated to the surface, a driving licence providing identification. ‘What do you know about him?’

‘Marcus Hearne, gang leader, someone I used to meet with from time to time,’ Larry said.

‘You pick your friends well.’

‘We needed Hearne,’ Larry said.

‘That’s why he’s dead.’

‘It makes no sense.’

‘Is this to do with Briganti’s?’

‘Yes.’

Larry could see no more to be gained at the murder scene. He drove back to Challis Street. He was not in a good mood.

The first person he saw on his arrival at the police station, the obnoxious and unwelcome Superintendent Caddick. ‘Bad day,’ the man said.

‘Not the best. What are you doing here?’

‘What are you doing here, sir,’ Caddick replied. Larry could see that the man hadn’t changed: overly impressed with his own importance, incompetent without equal. The man was a walking disaster, and he was in Challis Street.

‘Are you coming back, sir?’ Larry said, adding emphasis on the ‘sir’. It was close to impertinence, but he didn’t care, and if Caddick wanted to write a report about his attitude, then that was fine. Larry walked away and left Caddick standing where he was.

In Homicide, the welcome face of Isaac in his office.

‘Caddick’s downstairs,’ Larry said.

‘He’s been in here. I gave him his marching orders. If the man wants to make something of it, that’s up to him. Marcus Hearne?’

‘Dead, one bullet.’

‘No idea where Cojocaru is?’

‘The general area, but it doesn’t help us.’

‘Stanislav Ivanov landed in his private jet ninety minutes ago,’ Isaac said.

‘To attend the meeting?’

‘We don’t think so. He’s at his house in Bayswater. We’ve got people staking it out.’

‘Is he on his own?’

‘A couple of women, they looked expensive. And then there are some bodyguards.’

‘Armed?’

‘Not on arrival.’

‘It’s all coming to us,’ Larry said. ‘And Caddick?’

‘He’s just sticking his nose in. The man’s come to gloat. He’ll wait until we’ve got the case almost solved. Then he’ll be back to take my seat or DCS Goddard’s.’

‘We’d better solve it sooner than later,’ Larry said.

‘Marcus Hearne, what did you expect him to tell you?’

‘If Cojocaru had offered him a sweetener, he might have told me nothing.’

***

The revelation, coming later in the day, was a shock. So much so that Larry had taken the first flight to Ireland. Upon landing, Annie O’Carroll had been there to welcome him. To see her there, a half-smile on her face, lifted the dark mood that he had carried all day.

‘You’ve cracked it?’ Larry said.

‘One of them. I’ve booked you into the same hotel as before.’

‘Not sure if I can stay. The situation in London is fluid. Ivanov’s in the country, and Cojocaru’s missing, as are three of the West Indian gang bosses.

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