Blazing Obsession (14 page)

I wanted to be the proactive driver in our plan. Instead, RP and Alisha were still the leading players. This didn't sit comfortably with me.

I couldn't get involved with Johnson; he'd have recognised me instantly as the person staring at him incessantly when he sat in the dock at Winchester Crown Court. And my outburst had been particularly dramatic and memorable.

Two days later, Alisha called me at home. Breathless with excitement, she said she'd got a break-though. I pressed her to tell me what she meant but said it would be better if we met at RP's office as soon as possible.

Within the hour, I walked into his office in St James's Street.

Alisha beat me there by a few minutes. RP's glamorous PA ushered me into his office. RP poured me a cup of tea as I entered and waved a hand in the direction of a chair opposite Alisha, who smiled up at me.

As I sat, he said, “You've some news for us, Alisha?”

She placed the torch tape recorder on RP's desk.

“Well, I hope so. The recording's a bit indistinct in places and you'll hear Johnson talking fast. We're in his flat. Look, parts of this are a bit embarrassing… he's drunk and excited. I worked hard to get him in a good mood; you know what I mean …”

I didn't want to think about it.

RP glanced at me and said, “We're both big boys, aren't we, James?” I nodded, concerned about what I was about to hear.

Alisha pushed the switch and fast-forwarded to a pre-determined point. I could only guess at other parts of the conversation she'd concealed from us.

RP and Alisha looked to me for a reaction. I stared at the torch, my hatred of Johnson intensifying. Is that all my family's lives were worth? Ten grand.

Alisha leant over the desk and turned off the recorder. “I don't think you'll want to hear the rest.”

We sat quietly for a few seconds, considering the implications.

RP broke the silence. “If I've heard correctly, Burrows isn't behind this.” Even the great RP sounded incredulous. “Johnson clearly said he meets whoever it is once a month to pick up his insurance money. It has to be somebody else, unless Burrows got another guy to do his dirty work, which, I suppose, isn't out of the question.”

“That's what I felt. I couldn't believe what he said.” Alisha sounded excited.

I finally found my voice. “If it is someone else, who the hell is this guy? Why would he want to do this?”

RP stroked his chin with his right hand several times, his usual affectation, whilst his mind processed various scenarios.

Eventually, he said, “At least now, we've got a direct line on whoever it is. Alisha, if you can find out when Johnson next goes to meet Mr Mystery Man, we can get a look at him – shake him down, find out the connection.”

“I'll try, but as you heard on the tape, I need to be careful. Johnson's getting a bit wary of me asking too many questions.”

I asked RP, “What about getting to Colin Greenland? He's the one who set up the meeting to discuss the job, according to Johnson. He'll know who it is, won't he?”

“Good point, James,” RP replied. “What do you think, Alisha? Can you work a little magic there?”

“Well, Greenland's definitely keen on me. Johnson hates me talking to him. I'll have to choose my moment carefully.”

RP said, “A list of Greenland's contacts would be useful. Do you think you could repeat the mobile phone trick you pulled on Johnson?”

“I'll try.”

RP said, “OK. Well, we can't go much further forward until we know who this mystery man is.”

I nodded in agreement, despite being conscious that Alisha remained in the driving seat.

RP considered putting Johnson under surveillance 24/7 but decided against it. Apart from the cost, although I didn't give a toss about that, he decided it wasn't going to be particularly effective. It would be a chance in a million that one of us would recognise the mystery man.

This proved not to be one of RP's better decisions.

*

Three days later, in the early hours of Saturday, my mobile's shrill ring tone jarred me awake. I peered at my luminous alarm clock. It read 1.10am.

“Oh, James! Can you pick me up? Now? I'm in a late-night cafe,
The Hide Bar
in Bermondsey Road. I'm in a bit of a state!” I heard Alisha snivel into the phone.

“Of course! What's happened? You sound upset.”

“I can't tell you now. Just get here quickly, can you?”

“I'm on my way.”

I tore through light traffic on the A2 and The Old Kent Road, aware of speed cameras and traffic lights, and worried about Alisha's anguished call. Less than twenty-five minutes later, I spotted her in the window of the cafe.

Heavy eye make-up streaked down her face; she had a cut lip and a bruised swelling under her left eye.

Her dyed-blonde hair was a mess and one of the heels of her shoes had snapped off. Dabbing her eyes with a tissue she'd taken from her handbag, she looked a million miles away from the ballsy woman I knew.

As I approached her she fell into my arms with relief. I hugged her tightly for an age, before saying, “What the hell happened?”

“I… I suppose it's my own fault. We were drinking in the
Apollo club
near
The Rat's Castle
pub. Me, Leroy and a few of his mates. Colin Greenland was there too. Leroy went outside to do a bit of dealing. That's when I took the chance to chat up Greenland – ”

“And …”

“Maybe I went a bit too far. Leroy returned and caught us snogging. He went mental. Dragged me out of the club and into an alleyway. He punched me in the face. Then he kept slapping me, called me a prick teaser and tried to rape me.”

“Oh, Alisha!”

I held her tightly again.

“I tried to stop him. I caught him in the bollocks once with my knee but it only made him angrier. I couldn't match his strength. I didn't have time to use the Mace in my handbag. Then somebody from the club loomed from the darkness and shouted at him. He stopped and stormed back into the club in a strop.”

“This is crazy. That's it. You've done enough.” I shepherded her to my car.

“I'll take you back to my house. Don't even
think
about arguing with me.”

In a barely audible voice, she said, “OK.”

She laid her head against the headrest and sighed in relief. As I sat beside her on the driver's side, she opened her handbag and produced a mobile phone. I thought she wanted to call someone but she sat there staring at it.

“At least I didn't leave empty-handed,” she said, a hint of a smile crossing her face.

“Is that …?”

“Yes. It's Colin Greenland's mobile. He was so out of his head, he won't miss it for a while.”

“Alisha!”

“What? That was the idea wasn't it? Let's hope RP can find out who our mystery man is.”

When we got home, I made some coffee. Bathing her swollen eye with tepid water, I said, “Alisha, I'm proud of you. But look, this really is the end for you, OK?”

“Maybe. Let's see what happens next?” There seemed no point in discussing it further. I showed her to the spare bedroom, hugged her once more and kissed her tenderly on the cheek.

“Try to get some sleep. We'll talk about it in the morning.”

I returned to my bedroom.

*

Next morning, over a late breakfast of boiled eggs and strong coffee, Alisha, looking as if she'd gone three rounds with Mike Tyson, passed over the mobile RP had supplied. It showed half-a-dozen text messages from Johnson, all expressing how sorry he felt about last night and urging her to get in touch.

“What should I do about these?” Alisha said.

“Nothing. You're not going back, Alisha. It's over. Does he know where you live?”

“No, I was careful not to tell him. I just gave him a general area.”

She handed me Greenland's mobile.

“Good. I'll discuss this with RP on Monday. He'll have a few ideas.”

We spent the rest of Saturday and Sunday together. I bought food from the market and we shared a lunch of cold chicken and baked potatoes washed down with a bottle of
Sancerre.

Late on Sunday evening, I drove her back to her flat. By the time we arrived, Johnson had texted a further four times, and left countless messages imploring her to forgive him.

“Don't reply, will you? Let's agree what to do next tomorrow, promise me?”

“I promise.”

*

RP made a few changes to his diary appointments to accommodate my visit first thing Monday morning, after I'd stressed the urgency. He was so into this case now, like a terrier with a slipper.

He expressed great pleasure about Alisha getting hold of Greenland's mobile, although he was concerned about the violence used.

“I knew she had balls, that girl. I'll give her that.”

“Is it worth Alisha reporting this attempted rape to the police?”

“She could. But can't see where it would get us. She'd have needed to go to the police straight after it happened to preserve any DNA evidence. As it is, it'll be her word against his. Even then, say the police believe her; he'll get put away for a while. Then what?”

“I suppose you're right.”

“I'm more interested in this.” RP had Greenland's mobile in his hand. He acted like a kid with a new toy, tapping away and scrolling through the content and list of contacts. “These messages and texts look interesting. My techies next door can get access to deleted stuff too. This is Pandora's Box!”

I explained my uneasiness about Alisha getting back in touch with Johnson. He agreed, but as usual, his brain had assessed the likely pros and cons.

“I know you don't like it, but if Alisha's up for it, I think she should get back with Johnson one more time.”

“No Roger. Enough is enough.”

“But look at this way; if I can get closer to our mystery man from Greenland's mobile, I've got an idea that'll flush him out.” He shook the mobile under my nose. “The fact that Johnson's keen to make it up to Alisha will play into our hands.”

RP was never more persuasive than when he had a plan in mind.

“No, I don't like it Roger. It's not fair on Alisha. Christ, Johnson nearly raped her!”

I stared out of the window at the drab, late autumn day.

To my back, he said, “Why don't we ask her to see him just one more time?”

I turned and said, “I'll advise her not to.”

Putting his hands up in mock surrender, he said, “OK. I understand. Anyway, I'll see if I can get somewhere with this mobile later today. Why don't we have a chat then?”

*

RP called later that afternoon and suggested Alisha and I meet up with him as soon as possible, said he had interesting information to share. We arranged to meet at his now familiar office later that evening.

She arrived at the office still wearing sunglasses. I asked her to take them off so I could see her face. She obliged. The swelling had gone down slightly, but there remained a deep purple bruise under her left eye. Her split lip had crusted over.