Mortal Men (The Lakeland Murders Book 7) (26 page)

‘Sorry, love, I was having a bit of a lie down.’

‘I’m sorry to have troubled you, Mrs. Moore. I was looking for your daughter, Tiffany.’

‘Oh, aye?’

‘Don’t worry, I’m not from the Police.’

‘Who are you from, then?’

‘Well not Jez Taylor, let’s just say that.’

‘He’s not a mate of yours?’

‘He certainly is not.’

‘An enemy then?’

‘How much do you owe him?’

‘I’m not sure. About £500, I think. Tiffany takes care of that. She’s a good girl.’

Winder reached for his breast pocket and the woman flinched.

‘Here’ he said, counting out ten fifty pound notes.

She held out her hand, so thin he thought that he could almost see right through it, then pulled it back at the last minute, as if the notes were marked.

‘You’d better come in. Tiffany won’t be long.’

They sat, uncomfortably, side by side on the sofa. After a few minutes Mrs. Moore seemed to drift off to sleep and Winder sat quite still, not wanting to wake her. It was another ten minutes before he heard Tiffany’s key in the lock.

‘Who the fuck are you?’

‘My name’s John Winder. I’ve come to talk to you about Jez Taylor.’

‘Jez who?’

‘I’m not from the Police, don’t worry. But I know about you and Jez. Look, is there somewhere we can talk?’

‘Here will be fine. You won’t wake mum. It’s the drugs, see.’

‘Prescription?’

‘Aye.’

Winder nodded.

‘I sympathise.’

Something in his tone struck Tiffany.

‘You too?’

‘Aye.’

‘How long?’

‘Three months, maybe a bit more.’

‘Sorry.’

‘Don’t be. Your mum seems peaceful enough.’

‘She is now. So what’s this about Jez Taylor?’

‘You owe him money.’

‘Aye. He says so, anyway.’

‘Is this enough?’ He spread the fifties out across his hand, then held them out.

‘No.’

‘But your mum said…’

‘I know. It’s more than we owe him, right enough, but it’s still not enough.’

‘He wants you to do another robbery? Anthony Williams, isn’t it?’

‘Aye. How the fuck did you know that?’

‘It doesn’t matter. When is it?’

‘Tomorrow. Can you stop it? Make Jez go away, I mean.’

Winder paused for a moment. ‘No. I don’t think I can do that. The cops are watching Taylor, and me too, come to that.’ He saw the look of fear on Tiffany’s face. ‘Not now, like. I lost them. Got the feeling they sort of wanted to be lost, actually.’

‘Why are they following you, mate?’ She was a bright kid, he could see that, and he watched the realisation dawn on her face, like the sun slipping out from behind clouds. ‘I know who you are now. That John Winder. Aye, Frankie used to talk about you. You were inside with him, and made all that money after.’

‘Aye, that’s right.’

She nodded her head.

‘Did you kill him then?’

‘Aye, I did.’

‘But you’re not going to kill Jez Taylor?’

‘No, I’m not going to do that. Would you kill him though, if you had the chance?’

‘I imagine him dead, sometimes. And I didn’t touch that old woman, if that’s what you want to know. She fell. It was an accident. I’m no killer.’

‘I believe you.’

‘Thousands wouldn’t.’

‘It’s the judge and jury that counts, lass.’

‘You think it’ll come to that?’

‘Don’t you?’

Tiffany looked across at her mum.

‘Aye, I dare say it will.’

They sat in silence for a few moments.

‘So why have you come, then? To give me that cash?’

‘Partly, aye. Will you take it? I’ve got plenty more, if you need it. More than I can spend in my lifetime, anyway.’

‘No, ta. Like I said, it’d make no difference. He’d only want more, if he thought I had a source of income, like.’

Winder nodded. She was a bright girl. And a good judge of character, or the lack of it.

‘So you go to college, is that right?’

Tiffany smiled. ‘Aye, I do. Waste of time if I do get nicked, like. I’ll never be an accountant. No-one would trust me.’

‘No one trusts accountants, love. How about criminology?’

This time she laughed, quietly. ‘Are you taking the piss?’

‘No, of course not. You deserve an education, and more than most, I’d say.’

‘I expect it’s a popular course in prison, is that.’

‘Not as popular as pharmacology.’

‘They don’t do that, do they?’

‘No, I’m kidding. When I was inside I did a course on the computer job, though. Very handy it was, too.’

‘What was it like? Being inside?’

‘You don’t want to know. What I did was my fault, no-one made me do any of it.’

‘Me too.’

‘You really think that?’

‘Aye, of course. People make too many excuses, don’t they? People from bad backgrounds come good in life, and the other way round. We’re not predestined, are we?’

‘If you mean that it’s not written in the stars then aye, you’re right. But then we could all do with a helping hand occasionally, couldn’t we?’

For the first time Tiffany looked guarded.

‘What did you have in mind? What do you want in return?’

‘No, nothing like that. I was just thinking. Having something to look forward to, through the dark times, that would always be a help.’

‘Aye. I suppose it would. So they’ll nick us both, you reckon?’

‘Aye, I do. So why not take this cash, and maybe a couple of grand more? I won’t miss it, I promise you. Leave it somewhere for your mum, OK? Give me your bank account details and I’ll make sure she gets a bit more, for as long as she needs it, like.’

‘Why would you do that for me? You don’t know me, so let me tell you. I’m nothing but a thief, and I rob helpless old folk. I’m not worth helping.’

Winder smiled. ‘You’re not bad, Tiffany. But you’re not good either, mind. None of us are. But Jez Taylor is a disease, and you’ve just been trying to help your mum get through it. And after this is all over you’ve still got your whole life ahead of you. Don’t you ever forget that, love.’

Thursday, 31st July

Keith Iredale left his phone off again, and hoped that no-one would call. He was supposed to be working his way through the list of re-interviews that Ian mann had given him the previous evening, and he felt bad that he wasn’t. Not because he thought he’d make any progress, but because he knew how it would play out. The boss would find out that he was behind with his work, and Ian would take the blame. He’d just say that it was all his fault. It was a reaction that was as instinctive for Mann as reaching for a glass if it fell. But that knowledge didn’t change anything. He was going to see this through. He hoped that Ian would understand; but if he didn’t then he didn’t. Some things - but not many - trumped even friendship.

He was parked outside the house on Kendal Green at half-seven, and he listened to the birdsong with the window cracked open an inch or two. The previous robberies had all been committed between nine and eleven am, and on days when Tiffany Moore didn’t have any lectures. But college had broken up for the summer now, so that was no guide this time. But he was convinced that she’d go for the morning again. And at just after nine he saw her, walking confidently towards the house. She knocked, and a few seconds later Iredale watched her go in. He gave it a minute or two, and then he followed her to the door.

The old man answered, and Iredale showed his Warrant Card. He heard rapid footsteps, and a door opening at the back of the house. He thanked the old man, asked him to lock his doors, front and back, and he strolled to the end of the back lane behind the houses. Tiffany ran right into his arms. She was wide-eyed with fear and surprise.

‘I’d already checked where the lane came out’ he said. ‘Did you?’

‘No.’

‘Come on, Tiffany. You’re nicked, obviously.’

They sat in Iredale’s car, both looking out at the green. Iredale watched the odd leaf fall, much too soon, from the tree opposite them.

‘You know how this goes from here, don’t you, Tiffany?’

‘You take a statement from that old bloke, and then you charge me with all the robberies.’

‘Aye, that’s it. And what would you say your chances are of getting off?’

‘Slim to nil?’

‘Nil to nil, more like. So I want to make you an offer. How about we wind the clock back twenty minutes, and instead of you knocking on Mr. Williams’ door this morning you knocked on mine instead?’

‘Eh? How do you mean, knocked on yours?’

‘We spoke on the phone, and then we meet. You confess to the robberies, and then I take you in. Right now, in fact.’

‘And that would be good for me, would it?’

‘Definitely. But one thing I have to ask, and this is just between you and me. I could never repeat whatever you say now in court, because I’ve got no corroboration. In fact, we’re not even having this conversation, are we? But tell me, what happened with Mrs. Pearson? Truly, what happened?’

‘She fell. I never touched her. I could see she was dead right away, her head was almost snapped off, and I almost ran into that other old woman in the street, so I knew she’d call an ambulance. But it was still all my fault, I do know that.’

‘Why? I thought you said you didn’t touch her?’

‘I didn’t. But if I hadn’t been there she’d never have fallen, would she?’

‘I see what you mean, but lucky for you the law doesn’t work like that. If it did we’d all be guilty of something, wouldn’t we? At worst you’re looking at aggravated burglary. That’s bad, I won’t pretend it’s not, but it could be much worse. And one other thing. You’ll need to tell us about Jez Taylor. Everything, I mean.’

‘I can’t.’

‘Because of your mum?’

‘Aye.’

‘Don’t worry about that. I promise you that Jez Taylor will understand exactly what will happen to him if he ever tries anything on with you, or your mum.’

‘Why should he care? He’s going down anyway. And he could just put the word out, like. Pay someone to hurt mum, when he’s inside.’

‘This wouldn’t be an official warning, like. This would be man to man. You understand what I’m saying? Any harm comes to you or your mum, it comes back on him. No matter what, like.’

‘You’d do that for us?’

‘I want Jez Taylor, Tiffany. The man’s a maggot.’

‘But what about the old boy? I just gave him the usual story. Won’t he report what happened, when he sees the stuff in the papers about all this?’

‘Don’t worry. I’ll talk to him, and explain the situation. He won’t report anything. So do we have a deal? I won’t lie to you, Tiffany. You’re going to jail, as sure as bloody eggs, but I’ll do all I can to help you. And don’t think it’s because I like you, or anything like that. You’ll just make a much more convincing witness against Taylor because of what you’ve just done, or rather because of what what you’re about to do. So what do you say?’

‘OK. But not because I like you, either.’

Iredale grinned, and started the engine.

But Ian Mann hadn’t tried to call Keith Iredale. He hadn’t thought about him for a single second that morning, in fact. But then he hadn’t had the chance. Because he’d met Andy Hall on the way in to the station, and people had turned round in the corridor when Hall had shouted, ‘that’s it.’ No-one in the place could remember the last time that Hall had so much as raised his voice. And now they were both in with Jane, all standing round her meeting table.

‘Why didn’t we know that Winder is so ill?’ asked Jane.

‘There’s nothing obvious in his appearance’ said Hall. ‘I certainly didn’t have any idea.’

‘Are we sure it’s true?’

‘Absolutely,’ said Hall, before Mann could reply. ‘It all makes sense, finally. Of course he knew who Ian was. It was as good as a confession.’

‘But why wait so long to do it? He could have told you days ago, couldn’t he?’

‘No, he was waiting for today. He wants to see his son at the Sports. He’s got it all worked out. He always has had.’

‘Well bugger that’ said Jane. ‘I don’t give a shit. Let’s get him picked up now. Armed response, the bloody lot.’

‘There’s no need, honestly. All we need to do is rock up at the Sports later on, and he’ll come quietly. I’m absolutely sure of it.’

‘Sorry, Andy, but we’re talking about a bloke who killed in cold blood, not Raffles the bloody amateur cracksman. I’m not having you just strolling up to him and asking him to do the gentlemanly thing. Not with thousands of fell runners and tourists and Christ knows who milling about. It’s far too risky.’

‘You’re right, Jane’ said Mann, and Hall glanced quickly across at him. ‘We need armed response on hand. But I think Andy’s right about one thing. He’s planned this all along, and he’s not the type for the grand gesture, is he? He’s proper northern, for Christ’s sake. I never saw my dad cry once, after me mum died, though it would have been better for everyone if he had.’

‘What is it with you blokes? You’re all emotional cripples, aren’t you? Look, I tell you what I’ll do. If we don’t pick him up between now and whatever time you reckon he’ll be at the Sports watching his lad compete then you can do it your way. But until then we do it the right way. The chopper, dog teams, the bloody lot.’

‘But we’ll pick him up in no time and that will be that’ said Hall.

‘Not if you’re right, Andy, and he’s planned this all along. Because if that is the case, and he knew full well that Ian was a cop, then he’ll know we’re looking for him now, won’t he? So he’ll have taken steps to keep out of our way. I don’t think he’s got a snowball’s chance of doing it, but maybe he does. He strikes me as the arrogant type, does John Winder.’

Hall got up quickly. Jane was absolutely right, he could see that now. Not that it would take armed response and all their hardware to detain John Winder, because that was just bollocks. A tap on the shoulder would get the job done. But she was right about what Winder had done since the previous evening. Of course he’d have expected Ian to have reported what had been said and for a man-hunt to kick-off immediately. As to why Mann had waited over twelve hours before reporting the conversation; well, Hall had his suspicions about why that was. But he was suddenly absolutely certain that he knew exactly where John Winder was, right at that second, and he had no intention of telling Jane. Because if he was right the arrest would soon be made that afternoon at the Sports, with no fuss or risk to the public. It would still be Jane’s collar, Jane’s result. And Hall couldn’t be happier at the prospect.

Jane was briefing the team when Keith Iredale walked in to the open office. He’d been wondering if anyone, and especially the DI, would believe his claim that Tiffany Moore had just walked in and confessed, and he didn’t have to think about it for long. There was absolutely no way that they would, not if they thought about it properly. But now he didn’t have to worry about that, because Jez Taylor was well and truly out of the frame for the Frankie Foster killing - which in turn meant that he was fair game when it came to other offences. The timing couldn’t have been better. He almost shouted ‘yes, boss’ when Jane gave him a couple of paper-pushing tasks to undertake in advance of the Winder arrest, and he made a bee-line for Mann as soon as the briefing was over.

‘Tiffany Moore’s being booked in downstairs. She’s confessed to the lot, and she’s grassed up Jez Taylor into the bargain.’

‘I bloody told you, didn’t I? You can’t jack the job in now, lad. That’s fantastic news, is that. Wait a minute, though. She just walked in and confessed, just like that?’

‘Aye, she did. Just couldn’t live with herself, she said.’

Mann was grinning now. ‘Is that so, Keith? That’s how it happened? Well bugger me. That’s a bloody turn up, I must say. In all the years I’ve been in the job I could count on the finger of one finger the times a con has turned themselves in, just because of their conscience, like. And Tiffany would be that one. There was that time that Andy Hall confessed to nicking my last biscuit, but I already had him in the frame for that one, like.’

‘How come?’

‘I just followed the trail of crumbs.’

Iredale smiled. ‘So are you going to come down while I take her statement and get her charged?’

‘Aye, if the boss OK’s it. With a bit of luck she’ll let us go and nick friend Taylor while the death or glory boys are looking for John Winder. Andy Hall reckons that they’ll never find him, but he said that about Lord Lucan, didn’t he?’

‘But they never found Lucan.’

‘Exactly. So Andy’s usually right. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s not harbouring the bloke himself, just so he can be proved right. He’s bloody determined that it should be him who brings Winder in, anyway.’

‘So what kind of mood is she in then, the boss?’

‘Not too bad, considering. She’s so bloody relieved that we’ve finally caught a break that she’ll even forgive Andy going in to his full-on psychic routine. She should be used to that by now, mind.’

By the time that Mann and Iredale were in the car, on their way to Taylor’s place, Mann was also in a good mood. He even let Iredale turn the radio on, although he turned the volume down and complained loudly about each tune in turn.

‘So what would you prefer to listen to then, Ian?’

‘Right now? A bit of Zepp. Kashmir, probably.’

‘Man’s music, is it?’

‘You won’t wind me up, Keith. Not today. It’s a beautiful day, and we’re being paid to go and fuck up Jez Taylor’s whole day, and a good few years to come too, I hope. It doesn’t get much better than that, now does it?’

And, much as he wanted to disagree, Iredale found that he couldn’t.

‘He’s your collar, lad’ said Mann, as they parked outside Taylor’s house. ‘You enjoy it. I’ll go round the back, in case he makes a run for it. And remember what I showed you, if he tries it on, like. Is he left or right handed?’

‘Right, I think.’

‘Thinking’s not good enough, Keith. But aye, he is. If he goes for you get him on the ground quick, OK? I bet he’s a kicker, not a puncher. But whatever happens I don’t want to find you with a broken nose on the deck, and then have to chase him down the bloody road myself.’

‘That won’t happen.’

‘All right. Let’s get this done. Give me thirty seconds to get round the back. It’s the best bit of the job, is this, so you enjoy it. Especially if he resists, like.’

‘He won’t.’

But DC Iredale was still very much on his guard when he knocked at the door, and he dropped his Warrant Card, just as Mann had showed him, in the fraction of a second before Taylor lunged at him. After that, it went like clockwork. Iredale moved his weight back and to his left, tripped Taylor with his right foot and got him an arm lock as they both fell, with Iredale landing on top.

‘He bloody tripped me’ gasped Taylor, when Mann jogged in to view. ‘That’s not bloody fair. I’ll have you for that.’

‘I’m shitting myself’ said Iredale, grinning at Mann.

‘You could have made a bit more a fight of it’ Mann said to Taylor, when he was on his feet and cuffed, ‘but you’re just a big jessie, aren’t you? Couldn’t pull the skin off a rice pudding, you. Has he asked why you’ve nicked him, Keith?’

‘No, funny enough, he hasn’t.’

‘Great. I’m going to enjoy seeing the look on his face as it sinks in how long he’s looking at. Better than a pension, it’ll be.’

‘I’ve just been lending a bit of money. Helping the community, like.’

‘So you’re admitting to illegal money lending?’

‘Aye, I suppose so.’

‘Well that’s just the beginning. You’re looking at a bloody long list, son, from conspiracy all the way through to manslaughter. Oh aye, that old woman’s death is down to you. No doubt about it.’

‘I’ll kill that little bitch. She’ll never give evidence against me, you watch.’

Iredale spun Taylor round, let go off the cuffs and pinned him against the closed door, his forearm hard on Taylor’s neck.

‘Now listen to me, you stupid sack of shit. If you go near that girl, or her mother, or anyone she so much as fucking says ‘hello’ to on the way to the shops, then I will kill you. Is that clear?’ Iredale pulled his forearm off Taylor’s windpipe, and he made a noise like a toilet flushing.