The Visitor (#3 - The Craig Modern Thriller Series) (18 page)

Ditto with the two earlier deaths. Were the women or their families connected with anything that could provide a motive for murdering them or Evie? Look for any links they had with Tommy, however tenuous. Go back as far back as the 80s’ murders. And get Reggie Boyd’s team to give you daily updates - they’re keeping an eye on Tommy locally on the Demesne. Tommy’s been pretty clear that he would happily do our job for us. He’s impatient, and remember, he believes in capital punishment without trial.”

Craig paused and rubbed his eyes tiredly. Nicky glanced at him sympathetically, realising the pressure he was under. She’d brew him some of her best coffee when they got back upstairs.

“OK, Martin. Go back to the Trust and liaise with the medical records office, the C.E.O. has assured their complete co-operation. Find out if there were any other deaths before January on that Unit. Women giving birth, any and all deaths where the female baby survived. Caesareans in particular.

Go back twenty years if there are records, our killer could be a surviving child, or a sibling whose mother died on the ward. They would be adults now and capable of killing. Check Murdock’s cases particularly. Bring the data summary directly to me, and copy it to Dr Winter please. If you’ve any queries, check with Liam and Annette. And there
has
to be a data file for the swipe-cards somewhere in the hospital system. Go straight to the C.E.O.’s office if the I.T. staff aren’t cooperating with you.”

“Hospitals are obsessive about information now, sir. They horde everything in case there’s a negligence case.” Annette nodded in agreement.

“Davy, chase that hit on Beth Walker in Australia - it’s probably nothing but we need it cleared. OK, I have my last interviews tomorrow morning, and then I’m in court on Warwick all afternoon. Let’s have the briefing tomorrow at twelve please. I want to make as much progress on this as we can before the weekend. John, Des, anything more you would like to say before we close?”

Des shook his head but John spoke, his mellifluous baritone echoing around the hard-walled room.

“I’ve started to go back over the three known deaths. Looking at the notes and P.M.s, and any inquests where they happened. Also any reports to the General Medical or Nursing Councils, defence unions, insurance claims etc. I’ll do the same for any other similar deaths that Martin can find, although I hope that there aren’t any. We know that Evie didn’t die from her drug levels, but we’re waiting for the stomach content analysis to rule out other forms of poisoning. There’s one other idea I want to check out, so I haven’t quite finished the P.M. But I should have a definitive cause of death for you by tomorrow, Marc. Then there’s the D.N.A. to check of course.”

“We’ve quite a bit of the G.M.C. and medical defence stuff already, Dr Winter. I’ll get it over to you.”

“Thanks Nicky, that’s helpful. Just one question - can anyone tell me how old Dr Lewes is? Doctors usually marry people they meet during training, so he’s probably in his thirties like his wife. But that’s young for a consultant.”

“I’ve got that one, Doc. He’s forty–three.” Older than John had expected.

“Right, then that means he
would
have learned to ‘piggy-back’ medication, Marc. As he’s a paediatrician, he’ll be up-to-date with injecting techniques, so it’s unlikely that he’d ever do it. But it’s not impossible that he could have made a slip and ‘piggy-backed’ if he was under pressure.”

Craig nodded. Pressure. Like when he was killing someone.

“OK, that’s great everyone. Look, it’s been hard week and it’s nearly six now. Anyone who doesn’t have to rush home, let’s head over to The James for a quick one.”

“Aye, that’ll do, boss. Danni can simmer for an hour. It’s never good for women to get passion as soon as they demand it.”

Joe laughed so loudly that he spat out his coffee. Nicky rolled her eyes and Davy stifled a laugh. Liam used the natural break to push his luck.

“Here, Doc, like I was saying, we met that doctor you brought to the Christmas party. Natalie something...”

Craig couldn’t work out whether John didn’t hear Liam, or he was actually ignoring him. Either way he was out of the door before any of them could ask.

Chapter Fifteen

Thursday. 8pm.

Sharp echoes traced Tommy’s steps around the draughty hall, until he reached a side window and stood completely still. He peered through the dirt and cracks at the ‘70s housing estate outside. The graffiti on the walls had all changed. It had said ‘Fuck the Pigs’ when he was a lad, now it was ‘Banksy is a Wanker’. But even the hopeful fairy-lights winding around a balcony opposite couldn’t make the grey concrete sprawl look any more inviting.

It was one of the last of the architect’s mistakes that had once covered every city in the U.K. They were knocking them all down now, to build red-brick starter homes clustered in streets. The planners were finally realising that streets were communities, just like the ones they’d destroyed forty years before. Pity he hadn’t shot a few architects if he was going to do time anyway.

He’d grown up off the Springfield Road, playing in the streets outside, with his mother ever watchful at the window. His Da did piece-work at the Docks, out at five o’clock every morning to be ‘schooled’ for the boats. They were always broke, but it was a hell of a better childhood than hanging off a balcony twenty floors up. Mind you...he’d still turned out to be a bollocks, so the kids here had no hope.

Hill didn’t turn when the door opened, the heavy thump of a bag already identifying Gerdy. Instead he just threw, “what kept you?” and, “where’s McCrae and Coyler?” coldly over his shoulder.

“Comin’ now boss, they’re just lockin’ the car up. Don’t want to get it nicked. There’s all sorts of scum about nowadays.”

Tommy ignored him and walked towards the stage at the front of the hall. He sat down heavily, propping his feet up on an old Formica table. Then he dumped a wad of papers on top of it, and waited to be joined by the rest of his little gang. Gone were the days when his name could’ve mustered twenty men at an hour’s notice, but his best man, Robbo, had gone to Maghaberry after last year’s drugs bust. There was nothing else for it. He’d just have to make do with these Muppets now.

Rory McCrae and Ralph Coyle dandered casually into the hall, scanning its dark corners - old threats and learned behaviour. Hill lit a cigarette and jerked his fist at them, beckoning them down.

“Hurry up an’ come here. I’ve info for you. I want you al’ out there workin’ on Saturday night.”

“Aye right boss, keep yer hair on.” They all laughed at the old joke. Tommy had shaved his head years back.

“Very funny, like I niver heard that one before. Now shut up!”

His shout echoed around the hall and the men fell immediately silent, watching as he pulled the papers into three neat piles. He placed one in front of each of them. They were names and addresses, and as soon as he’d lifted his, Gerdy started moaning.

“Fuck! Why do I hav to fally Murray? Can’t I hav a girl?”

“For fuck’s sake Gerdy, you whine worse than any woman I’ve ever had. You’re gettin’ Murray ‘cos you’re the strongest, an’ he’s a big bastard.”

“Oh, aye. Right...”

“Coyler, you take the blonde Doc – ‘cos you’re not ruled by your dick like McCrae. McCrae, you get the lezzy nurse.”

“Thanks a bucket load, Tommy. And what’ll you be doin’ all this time?”

Hill snarled and leaned forward ominously, his voice rising in volume.

“An’ how’s that any of your fuckin’ business? Who the hell do you think you are, questionin’ me?”

The three men stiffened immediately. The legend of Tommy Hill was still enough to subdue them.

McCrae’s bravado evaporated rapidly. “Sarry. I didn’t mean nothin’ by it, Tommy, you know that. Sarry.”

Hill stared him out until McCrae dropped his gaze, then he leaned back and lit a fresh cigarette. He held the silence through three long drags before he spoke.

“What I’ll be doin’ is takin’ down the boss man. That stuck-up shite Murdock. He’s all mine. Now - have you all got the stuff?”

Gerdy leaned forward eagerly. “Aye. Lots of roofies an’ rope. An’ I’ve got a Colt, Coyler’s got a Taser, and McCrae’s a Stanley knife.”

Tommy lunged towards him and all three men leaned back in reflex.

“What the fuck do you think you’ll be doin’ with those? You’re not Dirty Harry for fuck’s sake! You’re only fallyin’ and reportin’, till I say to lift them. The only one that’ll die is the guilty fucker...An’ where the hell did you get a Taser from anyway, Coyle?”

“I bought it off a guy in the Elm one night. He wis a real nice guy too. Bought me a pint. He had a fair load o’ them.”

“Jesus H. Christ! Luk, watch my lips.” Hill spoke with exaggerated slowness. “Yous-are-just-fuckin’-fallyin-them. An’ when I tell you, you’ll bring them here for me to talk to. WHEN I tell you.”

“Oh aye...aye. ’Course Tommy. That’s what we’re goin’ to do. Just fally an’ bring em here. ’Course, aye. Dead-on Tommy.”

Hill squinted at him, checking his sincerity before continuing.

“You’ll start on Saturday night. That’s when they’ll be out of the hospital for sure. Murdock will be in Belfast doing his stuck-up private patients, an’ the others’ll be off home. Their stuff’s in your notes there. An’ remember, no one gets hurt till I say so. An’ you’d better get ready till sleep in your cars. Ring me every three hours after six on Saturday night, till I give you the word to lift them. An’ mind me well - I want regalar reports from all of you.”

He waved his hand dismissively. “Now, piss off. I’ve important things to do.” Then he banged his fist down hard on the table to signal that the meeting was adjourned.

Hill rose and strolled slowly out of the hall, not looking back. No-one spoke until they heard his car revving.

“Fuck, I widn’t like to be the one who did for his Evie. There’ll be no day in court before they die.”

“He’ll cut their balls off.”

Gerdy and Coyler speculated wildly on the fate of Evie’s killer, while McCrae stood up to go. He was bored by the lack of entertainment now that Tommy had left. He feared his boss, but he always enjoyed the fireworks he created.

“Cheers lads, I’ll catch you later. I’m away to the Elm for a pint an’ some pussy. I’ve a real wee goer waitin’ for me the night. Happy Days.”

Chapter Sixteen

Craig’s Friday morning interview list had four doctor’s names on it, including Iain Lewes. He saw the others quickly, certain that they wouldn’t need to be seen again. None of them had the sang-froid required for murder. He was waiting the five minutes it would take for Annette to reach High Street, when his mobile suddenly vibrated.

“Hi Liam, what’s the news?”

Liam’s voice boomed through the ear-piece, so Craig put it on speaker and set it on the desk.

“Martin’s doing the cross-corridor stuff, and it’s all a bit tasty, boss. The M.P.E.’s cameras were due to for set-up and testing three weeks ago. CCTV’s already working 24/7 in most wards, basically anywhere where there are children. You remember that case where a woman stole a baby in London? Well, CCTV’s recommended for kids protection now.”

“So why wasn’t it set-up on Maternity? You’d think that would have been one of the first areas.”

“Why indeed. Well, like we knew, the building works are winding up and moving over to St Marys soon. And the last cameras are being fitted in the complex next week, including in Maternity. The Maternity corridor connections had been shut down to protect the sparks. Far too early in my opinion. But what’s really interesting is the lack of swipe-card data for Monday night. There’s none. Somehow
that
circuit mysteriously got broken as well.”

“Yet it was working fine on Tuesday morning when we arrived on the Unit. This is too convenient, Liam”

“Way too convenient. The cross-corridor pics should help, so I’m on a dig there. And I’ve another meeting with the project lead at eleven. He’s the guy Martin got the floor plans from – Ted Greenwood. I did his interview yesterday and he’s had a real charisma bypass.”

Craig laughed. It wasn’t a crime, although maybe it should be. “OK. Follow that up and get back to me. I’ve got Dr Lewes to interview before the briefing, so I’ll catch you back at the squad at twelve.”

“Oh aye, one last thing. I’ve Martin doing the cleaners’ interviews, so I’ll update you on those at twelve as well.”

“Don’t work the boy too hard, Liam.”

“Ah, sure he loves it. “ He smiled smugly. “He keeps calling me sir as well. Bye.”

Craig smiled and the phone clicked off. He called out through the door. “Sandi, any chance of two coffees and whatever Dr Lewes wants? And is Annette here yet?”

At that moment Annette rushed in, short of breath. “Sorry, sir, it took me longer than I’d thought. I had to bypass Custom House Square or get run over by skateboarders. There’s some practice session going on. I’ve no idea how they don’t kill themselves on those things.”

“Lucia can skateboard you know. She learned during the summer she nannied in Florida, if you ever fancy it?”