Seductive Truths (Seductive Trilogy) (36 page)

    
‘
Why?
’

    
‘
Derek Peters does not play by the rules.  He is always getting a back hander to look the other way.  The percentage of criminals on the street has gone up because of him.  Peters is a
right weasel.  How he made it into the police force to begin with is anyone’s guess.  Very few colleagues actually like him.  I bet you anything West despises the man, hence coming down on him strong.  Those that are his so-called
“
friends
”
are no doubt just like him.
’

    
‘
And how have you come to know him?
’

    
‘
Two years ago he tried setting up a mate of mine for possession
and creating crystal meth
.  My mate was innocent, he didn’t go anywhere near the stuff, or any drugs for that matter, not since his brother died from an overdose.  Anyway, Peters kept on harassing him constantly for the next couple of weeks, demanding a hefty payment to keep his silence or he’d organise a raid…
’

    
‘
But if your mate had nothing to hide why didn’t he just allow Peters to go ahead with his threat?
’

    
‘
My mate may not have been dabbling in the stuff, but it doesn’t mean it couldn’t be planted.
’

    
‘
And of course Peters threatened to do such if your mate didn’t cooperate.
’

    
‘
Exactly.  Like I was saying, Peters continuously harassed, but it became too much for my mate to bear.  He was a nervous character to begin with, but Peters drove him over the edge and one day my mate topped himself.  Cut his wrist
s
and bled to death in his bath.
’

    
‘
Christ!
’
I gasp, and then quickly look around the ward to make sure I haven’t attracted attention. 
Phew, safe
.

    
‘
I was due to meet him the next day at his place, but when I got there his body was covered and being taken away in an ambulance.  His sister was the one who called them. She found his cold body floating in the bathtub.  Since then, I vowed to myself to make Peters’ life a living hell somehow and fortunately for me, a
week later that “somehow”
landed straight into my lap.
’

    
‘
Is this the somehow you were going on about at your safe house?  Is this the thing you have hold over him?
’

    
‘
Yes.  You see, after my mate’s death I was doing a bit of digging on Peters.  Finding out bits of information from the local criminals, most have had dealings with him at some point or other.  Everyone had a story to tell but nothing I could use, not until I met up with good old Dougie.
’

    
Dougie.  The number.

     While Gareth carries on talking I search my pockets for the slip of paper.

    
‘
Normally he would have been my first port of call seeing as he’s the one that tends to know everything that goes on in that area of London, but he was nowhere to be seen.  If that is the case then it only means one thing; he has gone into hiding.  Anyway, I finally managed to get hold of him and that is when he told me the juicy story.
’

    
Got it
.

     With the slip of paper securely in my hand I learn forwards on my chair, teetering on the edge, eager to hear what Gareth has to say.

     Dropping his voice pitch to a slight whisper as not to be overheard, causing me to le
a
n even further in to hear, he carries on,
‘
During that week I was gathering information, Peters decided to be a naughty little boy again.  I don’t know all the particulars but enough to have a hold over him and the rest I bluff.  He helped cover up a murder to save his own skin.
’
 
Flipping heck!
 
‘
Peters didn’t do it, but he was there when it happened.
’

    
‘
Why was he there in the first place?
’

    
‘
I think he was up to his old tricks again, demanding money to stay stum, but unlucky for him, lucky for me, he had bitten off more than he could chew and ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time.  I think Dougie said it involved a drugs deal or something of the sort.  At any rate, the ringleader somehow managed to get shot, died instantly.  The next in charge took control of the situation and literally forced Peters to dig a grave then and there to dispose
of the body.  He had an ultimatum, either get rid of the deceased ringleader or be prepared to go in a grave himself.  With no other outcome, he had to do what he was told.
’

    
‘
This is your hold over him?
’

    
‘
That, plus my bluff.
’

    
‘
And what’s that?
’

     Here, a cheeky smile widens his face as he says,
‘
I am personally acquainted with the men he tried to blackmail.  The first time I had words I told him all I knew and that if he ever tried to fit them up, or even myself for that matter, they would simply kill him.  The expression on his face was priceless.
’

     I raise my eyebrows and my lips are being tugged into a smile. 
I must not laugh, I must not laugh
. 

    
‘
I bet.  And he hasn’t bothered them or you again?  Or anyone else?
’

    
‘
Haven’t a clue about them or others, but in regards to myself he hasn’t a clue what my name is or where to find me, though I bet he has a pretty good idea now.  Speaking of names, what did you tell the staff here?
’

    
‘
Oh, don’t worry about that.  You are Gareth Brown.  My husband,
’
I say the last shyly.

    
‘
Really?
  I like the sound of that.  Though, I have to admit, I prefer Mrs Hill.
’

    
‘
It is only a cover story,
’
I voice weakly and hold up my left hand to show a plain gold ring my mother gave to me, but he returns with a knowing demeanour. 

     Changing the subject quickly, I hold out the piece of paper.

    
‘
What’s this?
’

    
‘
It’s a number.  I bumped into Dougie when I went back home…
’

    
‘
Why did you go back home?
’

    
‘
I needed to clean up,
’
better not mention my little altercation with William.
 
‘
Clean clothes etc.  As I was saying, I bumped into Dougie and he handed me this.
’
  Gareth takes it from my hand, opens then reads. 
‘
Someone gave it to him.  He doesn’t know who and he was unwilling to forgo further information.  All he said is that the person who gave it to him wants you to have it and ring that number.  It’s important.
’

    
‘
How important?
’

    
‘
Well, put it this way, Dougie willingly came to my area to hand it to me in person.
’

    
‘
Dougie hardly ever ventures far from the back streets; it’s too risky for him.
’

    
‘
Exactly.
’

    
‘
Must be serious then.
’
 

    
‘
Ah, isn’t this cosy.
’

     Our attention snaps towards the intruder who has just walked into the ward.  DS Peters. 
Oh great.

    
‘
Mrs Brown, good to see you again.  Mr
Brown
, I’m glad you’re awake and looking on the road to recovery.  I’m DS Peters…
’

    
‘
Does that stand for Detective Sergeant or Dog Shit?
’
Gareth interrupts laying the boundaries immediately.

    
‘
You should talk, looks like you’ve been in a lot of it recently,
’
Peters retaliates. 

    
Great, exactly what I need.  Another ego bashing contest!

    
‘
At least I wash it off afterwards.  You appear to leave a trail wherever you go.
’

    
‘
Enough with the chit chat.  I’ve come here to ask you some questions now I’ve been alerted to the news of your awakening.
’

    
‘
Questions or demands,
Sergeant
?
’

    
‘
I haven’t a clue what you are referring to.
’

    
‘
Do you need help jogging your memory?  Remember a drug raid you tried to fit up?  No?  How about harassing someone to their death?  Nothing?  Surely you covering up a murder must ring some bells.
’

    
‘
Okay, okay, just keep your voice down will you.
’

    
‘
Why, you got
something to hide?  You’re the “
by the book
”
kind of copper, aren’t you Peters?  A stickler for sticking to the correct procedures.
’

    
‘
What are you getting at?
’

    
‘
I’m wise to your game,
Sergeant
.  Just because I’m lying in a hospital bed, defenceless, you think you can finally get at me.  Think again.  What you did to my friend is something I will never forget.
’

    
‘
I didn’t touch him,
’
Peter snarls. 
‘
If your friend couldn’t hack it then that was his problem.  It’s not my fault he was weak.
’

    
‘
You condemned an innocent man…
’

    
‘
Innocent my arse, he was
producing
that stuff.
’

    
‘
That’s bullshit.  He hadn’t been anywhere near
drugs
,
especially not crystal meth,
not for a good few years.  He was squeaky clean.
’

    
‘But he had
been and that’s my point.  He deserved to go down.
’

    
‘
And how did you come to that conclusion?
’

    
‘
Because it was his gear that killed my teenage sister.
’

    
‘
You what?
’

    
‘
You heard me.
’

    
‘
You got proof?  There are a number of dealers walking the streets, why not one of them?
’

    
‘
My gut feeling tells me…
’

    
‘
Your gut!  If you are not careful your gut will be feeling the force of my fist in a minute.
’

     Is everyone out to get each other?  All they ever seem to have is a personal vendetta against one another!  We just keep going round and round in circles and I am getting a horrible case of déjà vu.

    
‘
What I don’t understand is why, now my mate no longer exists, you are still out for revenge.  And also, why me?  I’ve technically done nothing to earn your wrath.
’
  

    
‘
I’ll always be after druggies, it’s the highlight of my career, and as for you it is nothing in particular.  I just hate you.
’

    
‘
Trust me, the feeling is mutual.
’