Dangerous Lady (54 page)

‘Yes, thank you.’

She looked concerned about him. ‘You look terrible.’

Terry stood up and threw three pound coins on to the

‘It’s nothing. Just a bit of bad news, that’s all.’ H He walked out into the freezing air, putting the file that Sarah had given him under his arm. He would read it later At the moment all he wanted to do was walk and think. Maura and William had gone back to bed. They were

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snuggled up together. Maura smiled at him, her first real smile for days. At last she had found someone to care for her. And he did care for her, she knew that. She would put all the bad behind her and just concentrate on the good.

She was still quite young and Michael’s letter had shown her that time could run out quickly. She thought fleetingly of Terry Petherick, as she always did when she was feeling solemn. Terry Petherick was standing in Regent’s Park thinking about her at the same moment.

Both began to make plans. And although Maura did not know it, both her plans and his would one day merge with explosive consequences… Terry was in a quandary. A week had passed since Sarah had given him the papers. He had no doubt that what Geoffrey had recorded was true. The names and dates coincided perfectly. What was worrying him was that not only were most of his colleagues on Maura’s payroll, but a few of the higher ups too. His Chief Inspector for one. Armed with all this information, he was not sure who to confide in. This wasn’t a case of a few bent coppers. This was more a case of a few honest men against a veritable army of policemen on the take! Whatever happened, it would burst wide open not only his friends but the whole of London’s police force.

He now had documented evidence that Maura and Michael Ryan were behind the bullion robbery of ‘85. Geoffrey Ryan had even procured the route map that had been used. Terry was in no doubt that it was probably full °f prints. He even knew who was warehousing the gold. AH well and good, except how in all honesty could he break this news without letting on that the police were also involved right up to their shitty little necks?

He could have cried. In the last seven days he had

looked at his friends with new eyes. Had listened to their

accounts of arrests made and known deep in his heart that

they were deliberately looking the other way where the

Ryans were concerned. No wonder Mickey and Maura had

got away with so much. They owned not only Vine Street

but West End Central as well. He couldn’t believe it. They

had ‘tags’ in Brixton, Kilburn, Barking. In fact, there was

not one station where they didn’t have an ‘ear’ on the

payroll.

Now he, Terry Petherick, had all the information he

needed to put them away. Even the full co-operation of

their mother. And his hands were tied because when the

Ryan ship finally went down it would take the police force

with it. It was bloody laughable! As for this Templeton …

he was up to his neck in skulduggery of one sort or

another and his family connections had kept him out of jail

for years! Terry wasn’t up against a few big villains, he was

up against the whole bloody establishment.

He picked up the phone on his desk and dialled the number of the Special Investigations team. He would give the lot over to them. Let them have the honour of sorting it all out. He was sick to the stomach with the lot of it.

While the phone rang he doodled on his pad. It wasn’t till later in the day he saw that he had drawn a heart with a dagger in it.

- , . ”’-“5 ”’”

Superintendent Marsh was sitting staring out at the city skyline. It was dark and the lights were shining the beacons across the Thames. He had been sitting like that for nearly three hours. The information that the young DC had brought in had completely destroyed his equilibrium He had been waiting for something like this for ten year8 Now it was dropped, literally, into his lap he wasn’t sure exactly what to do with it. He was waiting for his superior

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492 ‘?’.

who thankfully was not on the bent list, to come and talk with him. If all this information was true, and he had a sneaking suspicion that it was, all hell would be let loose and the West End police would be running on a skeleton crew. He shook his head at the enormity of what he was about to unleash, the sad part being that DI Petherick had unwittingly dug his own grave. If this hit the tabloids, no one would work with him ever again. Policemen were like doctors. They never shit on their own, no matter who the patients might be. Terry was called at home at midnight. He was told to get dressed and meet Marsh at twelve-forty-five. As he got in his car he realised that he had started something that would have repercussions for years to come. Maura Ryan would finally be put away, but he wasn’t sure it was a fair price to pay for all the trouble it was going to cause. He was even less sure an hour later when he found out exactly what was to happen.

He was sitting in a small back room in a terraced house in Wimbledon. Superintendent Marsh had been talking steadily for nearly an hour, While Marsh paused to light his cigar, Terry jumped in.

What you’re trying to say is that the people in authority be getting off scot free?’

Marsh inhaled smoke into his lungs and coughed, folding his hand across his mouth, he tried to explain.

Look, son, I know how it must seem. The thing is, °nie of these men have been with the force for twenty years. They will retire quietly

And get their pensions and their early retirement bonuses!’ Terry’s voice was disgusted. ‘I can’t believe my

so Marsh. I bring you evidence of corruption on a scale than anyone could ever dream of and you have the gall to sit there and tell me that the majority will be walking away completely exonerated.’

Marsh nodded.

‘I know how you feel, son.’ ;

‘No, you don’t! You have no idea what I am feeling at this moment. I am bitter and disgusted. These people have been collecting money from known criminals for years and they are not going to be brought to account. Whereas the little fish like Dobin will be crucified for them.’

‘Listen, son …’

‘Stop calling me fucking SON!’ Terry smashed his fist on to the table in front of him. ‘We’re creeping around in the middle of the night like burglars. I can’t believe this is happening. You tell me that bent coppers are going to walk out of their jobs without even a slap on the wrist. We are carrying on like guilty criminals, meeting in dingy little houses in the middle of the night, and the actual scumbags that we’re here on account of are walking away from it all It’s not bloody on, mate.’

‘Listen, Petherick. If this hits the streets we’re fucked. If you want it plain then I’ll give it to you plain. Can you imagine the outrage this would cause if it ever hit the tabloids? Have you thought? Our street credibility would be lower than a fucking gas meter bandit’s! Think about it. We’d never live this thing down. The only way we can . even begin to sort this out is internally.

‘They know that they’ve been collared. They’re leaving the force. That’s all that we can do! When you get older , you’ll realise the sense in what I’m saying. Else all the toe rags they’ve put away, the rapists, muggers, murderers, would be screaming for retrials as soon as their arresting officers were nicked. We’re talking too many people to let this ever get out. I know that what they’re getting seems a small price to pay for their misdeeds, but believe me the

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other way would cost us more.’

Terry was stunned.

‘What about Maura Ryan? Or is she to walk away too?’

‘Don’t you worry about her, we have her bang to rights.’

‘Of course, let’s get our priorities right, shall we? Get the real villains. Well, let me tell you something, Marsh, I think that Maura Ryan, as bad as she and her family are, is as nothing compared to the filth you’re letting off so lightly.- In my book a bent copper is worse than any villain.’

Marsh walked around the table and put his hand on Terry’s shoulder.

‘I know … I feel the same. I’m following orders the same as you. But the sheer magnitude of what you found out is what’s stopping us making this public. Can’t you see that? The force would be crucified in hours. Top men hi key jobs on the take? Come on, son. It’s too much.’

Terry listened to Marsh and had to agree with what he was saying. It just seemed unfair to him that so many people would walk away without so much as a stain on their character when, by rights, they should have been made to take the consequences of their actions.

‘I’m still not happy. Even if this does cause trouble, surely it would be worth it? Joe Public isn’t as stupid as you seem to think. I for one would much rather see justice being done than take part in something that I know is wrong.’

Marsh puffed on his cigar. His shiny bald head had a fine layer of perspiration over it. This young man was beginning to get on his nerves. The last thing the force needed at this time was a cop as honest as this one. Terry Petherick wanted to stir up a hornets’ nest, and there was no way he would ever be allowed to get away with it. ‘Look, go home. Sleep on it. Once you’ve had a chance to think about this logically you’ll see it from our perspective.’

Terry got up slowly from his chair and looked into Marsh’s eyes. M

‘Now I know why we’re nicknamed the “filth”.’ ‘

When Terry had left, Marsh sat back down at the table. If only everything was as easy as Petherick seemed to think it was. The nice policeman gets the naughty villains. Only in this world, most of the police were villains! Marsh let out a long drawn-out sigh. It was his job to keep Petherick’s mouth shut. And that was just what he intended to do. Terry drove home in a temper. The streets were deserted and he had an urge to drive to Fleet Street and shout his mouth off about the lot of it. He knew he wouldn’t, though. He hadn’t come this far in his career to blow it now. He realised that for the second time in his life he’d had to make an important decision between the force and Maura Ryan. And that for the second time the force had won.

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Chapter Thirty-two Janine put Roy’s breakfast in front of him. He began to eat. She poured herself a cup of coffee, walked out of the kitchen into the lounge and laced it with vodka. As she turned from the drinks cabinet she jumped. Standing in the doorway watching her was Roy.

‘I thought you were eating your breakfast.’

He finished chewing his mouthful of food and pointed to the cup Janine had in her hand.

‘Bit early even for you, ain’t it?’

Janine dropped her eyes. She felt herself blushing. ‘It’s my life, Roy …’

‘Well, in future, if I ain’t here, you get Benny a cab to school. I don’t want you wrapping your car round a lamp post with my son in it. Pissed out of your nut!’

Janine’s voice rose. ‘I’m not pissed!’

Roy sniffed and wiped his nose with the back of his hand. ‘Not yet. You just do what I tell you. Get it?’

Janine stared at him, her face twisted with anger.

Roy bellowed at her: ‘I SAID … GET IT?’

‘Yes. I get it. I’m not deaf, you know.’

‘No, darlin’, not deaf. Just half pissed as usual.’

B,

eriny.

Roy walked back to the kitchen to finish his breakfast. Standing on the bottom stair in the hall watching him was

49T ‘You dropping me off at school, Dad?’

Roy nodded.

‘Great. Mum’s driving is getting worse.’ ‘In future, son, you do not get in any car with your mother, right?’

Benny shrugged his shoulders.

‘Suits me, Dad.’

Janine, listening to all they said, swallowed her coffee and vodka down in two gulps and refilled her cup. Sitting on the settee she sipped the neat spirit. Slowly the tears came. Roy had taken everything away from her over the years, her self-respect and now her child. The tears came, tears of self-pity. A little while later she heard them leave the house. Benny had not even bothered to say goodbye to her. Roy and Maura were driving out to Essex. She had an appointment with a goldsmith, Lenny Isaacs. Roy pulled up at. some traffic lights and looked across at her. ‘You’re in a good mood today, Maws.’ She smiled at him. ‘Yeah, I am actually’ ” -if

‘What’s brought all this fun and laughter on? ‘Nothing, you cheeky bugger. You better go, the lights have changed!’

‘Oh, shit!’ A van behind started blowing its horn. i

‘All right. All right, I’m going. So what’s the secret then, Maws. A bloke?’

‘Maybe.’ Maura thought of William Templeton. ‘It is a bloke!’ Roy’s voice showed his surprise. ‘Listen, dickhead, I’m in a good mood because I just am. That’s all.’

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‘Women’s bloody logic amazes me!’ Maura laughed at him. ‘Talking of women, what’s the score with Janine?’ Roy scowled. ‘I thought we were talking about women. Not the monster from the black lagoon.’ ‘Nasty, nasty.’ Maura grinned. ‘Listen, Maws, Janine is getting on my nerves. She drinks like a fish.’ ‘Janine? She was always a teetotaller.’ Maura sounded sceptical. ‘Not any more. The marriage is going down the pan. Correction, is down the pan. We haven’t slept together for over four years. If it wasn’t for Benny I’d have had it on me toes ages ago.’ ‘How long has she been drinking?’ ‘The last year or so, I think. But the last few months she’s been drinking quite heavily.’ ‘She always was a funny bird. I never liked her, I admit that. But all the same, she is your wife.’ ‘I tell you now, Maws, if it wasn’t for Mother I’d dump the bitch. But Mother thinks the sun shines out of her arse.’ ‘That’s a fact. Well, Roy, you know your own mind. Myself, though, I’d get shot of her, whatever the old woman thinks. Let’s face it, you’re the one who’s got to live with her, not Mother.’ Roy nodded.’What’s the score with this Isaacs bloke?’ ‘Apparently he knows the big boys in Jersey. Reckons he Can get rid of the gold over there, and gradually it will be Put on the market again. That means that the market will be flooded and the price of gold will drop, but by then we’ll have made a mint, if you’ll excuse the pun, and some Prat will be running all over Europe counting the gold reserves. Eventually some bright spark will suss out that the missing bullion is being sold legally and it will all be hushed up. As usual. So if you want to buy any gold in the next few years, stick to South African Krugerrands!’