Three Steps to Hell (19 page)

He was a little late getting away for lunch and arrived at Colmar Grounds at 12.45. Jackie had prepared a lunch of soup, roll and tuna salad. Because of Jackie’s presence Maria greeted Tom very formally but they were like teenage lovers when she left the room to attend to Jasper in the garden. They groped and kissed in the corner out of sight. Tom had no intention of that happening today but couldn’t help himself. This was truly the woman of his dreams. He just hoped and prayed it would all work out. He had always been so proud of his morals and self-control but seemed to melt and lose direction when in the company of this gorgeous sexy, sensuous, intelligent woman. When he was close to her he even found her perfume completely intoxicating. Both heard Jackie coming in again through the utility door and quickly sat back down at the table just in time before she re-entered the kitchen with Jasper by her side.

“Is the lunch okay Mrs P?” Jackie asked.

“Yes lovely Jackie, why?”

“It just didn’t look as if either of you have touched it while I’ve been in the garden.”

Tom felt himself blushing like a guilty child, averted his gaze away from Jackie and quickly replied,

“It’s lovely Jackie, we’ve just been deep in conversation.”

With that they both smiled at each other and got on with their lunch.

After lunch Maria invited Tom into Colin’s office, sat him down and said,

“Now Tom, I have to go back to my office in a minute, what was it that you wanted to talk to me about?”

“A couple of things that are troubling me Maria.”

“Fire away.”

“The day Colin went missing you said that he left in the early hours of the morning in his Aston Martin.”

“That’s correct Tom.”

“Did anyone stay here that night other than you and Colin?”

“No most definitely not.”

Tom explained about the existence of the CCTV at East Point Farm and the images discovered showing two people in the car.

“Well perhaps someone got dropped off here early in the morning to meet him Tom, but I certainly was not aware of any such activity. I would have been asleep. Look I told you he’s fine, I have spoken to him, do you really need to keep investigating this, why did you need to try and find some CCTV?” Maria seemed to become agitated.

“One of my lads made an enquiry when you first spoke to us and he’s only just got the result that’s all.”

“I see,” she replied in a calmer voice, “Is that it Tom?”

“No there’s more, I’ve been trying to trace a couple of Scottish bikers, rough aggressive lads, they have been causing us a few problems of late. When one of my lads examined the CCTV tapes he saw the bikers heading here and leaving here, who are they Maria?”

“Haven’t got a clue Tom. Look, this is a busy place, we run businesses from here, we have reps visit, workmen visit, drivers visit, agency drivers, all sorts Tom. I don’t recall any bikers though, I will ask my transport manager Rashid to see if he has any idea who they could have been.”

“I can pop over to your offices and speak to him now Maria.”

“No point Tom, he’s off today. I will ask him, you can see him tomorrow if you still need to.”

Again she seemed unsettled and agitated and had an angry look in her eyes. He decided not to push anymore at this stage.

“If Rashid can identify these bikers can you call me in the office Maria?”

“Of course Tom, now I really need to get back because I have a meeting later this afternoon and I have phone calls to make.”

“Okay Maria, thanks for lunch, lovely to see you and sorry I still have to ask all these questions.”

“It’s your job Tom but I prefer you when you’re off duty and naked in my bedroom.”

Tom smiled, “Mmm that brings back lovely memories.”

“Off you go sexy Detective and stop being so suspicious, it’ll be the death of you,” she said tongue in cheek.

“Oh, I just remembered. Do you know if a lad called Wayne Evans has been working for you driving one of your lorries?”

“No idea Tom, again Rashid would be the man to ask. Come and see him tomorrow, but call me first to make sure he’s here.”

They kissed goodbye and Tom left immediately. Once away from the gates he stopped to make a call on his mobile. Sometime ago when he was doing initial enquiries at Colmar Grounds regarding Maria’s husband, Sweetface had taken a few of the business cards from Colin’s office, one of which was for their transport business. Tom called the office phone number from the card. A slightly foreign sounding voice answered.

“Hello.”

“Who’s that?” Tom asked.

“It’s Rashid, how can I help?”

“I’m sorry I’ve obviously got the wrong number,” Tom replied quickly and ended the call.

Day off eh! Tom thought. Why is she being so cagey? What is she hiding? Oh shit, looks like there might be more to Maria than meets the eye!

Maria returned to her office. She did have a meeting that afternoon, a meeting with Carlos back from his travels. During that meeting she explained about Tom’s visit and the CCTV discovered at East Point Farm and the sighting of the bikers.

“Oh fuck,” said Carlos.

“Why were there two of you in the car that morning Carlos?”

“Rashid wanted a lift to pick up a vehicle about 20 miles away that morning and it was on my route to the airport. I had no idea there was CCTV there, it must be very well hidden, you know how I normally notice those sorts of things.”

“And the bikers, they are a big problem.”

“As you know one has been dispensed with, the bike destroyed and the other, I will be keeping an eye on him like a hawk now. I have arranged accommodation for him and he has changed his appearance as I instructed.”

“If he in any way jeopardises our operation here, get rid of him too Carlos.”

“Of course, doesn’t even need saying. I don’t know what Rashid is thinking of employing the likes of them.”

“It is quite difficult for him Carlos, finding the right people for that sort of thing is a very difficult task but he does seem to find the wrong type.”

“I know but I don’t altogether trust him either.”

“He’s okay Carlos, let me worry about him.”

Maria also explained about Tom’s enquiry relating to the driver, Wayne Evans. Carlos briefed her about what he had overhead and discovered on that issue. Maria was not a happy lady.

“Is this Lancaster guy becoming a problem Maria?”

Maria was quiet for a few seconds.

“You know you told me to have some fun with him Carlos, well I have been doing just that.”

Carlos laughed out loud, “Good for you Maria, have some fun but don’t get too attached ‘cos it sounds like he may have to become a thing of the past, rather literally!”

“I hope not, I’m quite fond of him, he’s so inquisitive though.”

“Beware Maria, that’s all I can say. The only trouble with your fun is it’s likely to bring him to Colmar a little too often for comfort. If I find him snooping the wrong side of the fence so to speak, I finish him okay. Can you live with that Maria?”

“Of course Carlos but secretly I hope that doesn’t happen. I like him and he knows how to please in the bedroom.”

“Just be careful Maria. I hope they don’t examine the CCTV tapes from that farm too deeply. I’m worried they might get a glimpse of PL’s visits.”

“Mmm, I had already wondered that myself. I will warn him to stay away for a while.”

“I think it might be an idea if I stayed here for a while Maria, just to be on the safe side. Here close by in case you need me.”

“Not a bad idea Carlos but a very very low profile please.”

“You know me. No one will know I am here, quiet as a mouse. No one will see me other than Jackie.”

“That’s no problem, I will tell her I have a relative staying for a while, you can be my Spanish cousin if you like. She won’t pay any attention anyway. But…” Maria hesitated.

“But what Maria?”

“…If I have Tom over I want you well out of the way, completely unheard and unseen and would appreciate total privacy.”

“I bet you would,” he said sarcastically.

“It’s okay Maria, you won’t know I’m here. I will park the car by the old cottages, I can put a few things in the one next door to Rashid and use that. There won’t be any sign of me and I’ll only come to the house when I need to. Even if Lancaster did snoop around the car isn’t registered to me anyway.”

Now back in his office, the level of concern in Tom’s mind was rising by the hour. Sweetface explained that digital enhancement of the tapes had been partly successful. He showed him enhanced stills produced by the Technical Support Unit.

“You have been busy Dave, how did you get these done so quickly?”

“I put it all in under the heading of the McDonald murder incident room and they weren’t that busy so they did them straight away this morning Sarge.”

“Great, so we can see it’s almost definitely two men in the car but facial detail isn’t good is it Dave?”

“No, I agree but neither seem to vaguely look like Peterson, both seem to have darkish skin and darker hair, but you’re right it is difficult.”

“Thanks Dave, it doesn’t take us a lot further but it’s all looking a bit odd isn’t it?”

“Yes, what about your visit to Colmar Grounds Sarge?”

Tom then related what had occurred.

“Anything else come up today with the Alpington fellas Dave?”

“Nothing much yet Sarge, one thing though, I had another call from that farmer at East Point Farm. He said after speaking to me he became more intrigued and looked through some more of the tapes from his CCTV. He said there are, on occasions, quite a lot of comings and goings towards and away from Colmar Grounds late at night. I told him I would go over and collect some more tapes when I have time so that I can have a look through them. Probably won’t get a chance for a couple of days though.”

“Okay Dave, no immediate hurry on that one but Colmar Grounds sounds a little more interesting than we thought.”

Sweetface left the office.

“Shit,” Tom said under his breath. This is going to end in tears I fear, mine probably, he thought. “Fuck.”

Evans and Dorsey had been deep in conversation in The Bull in a quiet isolated corner of the pub for some two hours.

“I’m really not happy about this!” Paul exclaimed.

“Shut the fuck up, we’re doing it and that’s it Paul. Are you a fucking man or a mouse, there’s something there and we are having some of it.”

“But that guy has already been killed Wayne, we don’t need to get involved, this is too heavy.”

“So there must be big money involved and that’s what we want Paul. I reckon this is our chance to hit the big time. We could end up loaded or do you want to carry on working on the Market for years?”

“I can’t Wayne I’m sorry, I just haven’t got the balls.”

“Oh fuck you then, I’ll go on my own.”

Evans had been trying to persuade Dorsey to go with him to Colmar Grounds in the early hours one morning. To climb fences and explore the path down towards the caves and sea, to determine if they could somehow find out what was going on. He felt sure that something down there held his passport to great wealth in some sort of criminally obtained commodity. What though, he didn’t know. One thing he did know for sure though was that it was very risky.

“What if they catch you snooping again Wayne?” Paul asked worryingly.

“Then they will get a little surprise won’t they,” Wayne replied.

As he said this he unzipped a small rucksack that he had next to him on the seat, looked around the pub furtively and seeing no-one was looking in their direction started to remove something very slowly.

Dorsey immediately recognised it as the butt end of a pistol. Evans quickly pushed it back into the rucksack.

“Fuck Wayne, where did you get that?”

“I know people, only cost me fifty quid as well and with ammo.”

“You’re totally off your head this time Wayne.”

“One thing I know is big time means big money and I’m going for gold mate and it looks like I’ve got to do it on my fucking own doesn’t it?”

“Too right you have, I ain’t having any of that,” Dorsey said casting his eyes to the rucksack.

“I need a car though Paul.”

“You can borrow my car but if anything goes wrong I’ll say you nicked it. But where could you leave it, it’s all windy narrow lanes down that way isn’t it?”

“There’s a little lay-by just before Colmar Grounds where people pull over to look at the views out to sea. I’ll just leave it there and go the last bit on foot. I haven’t worked out how to get past the main gate and fence yet but should be easy enough. You know me, a good climber!”

“God help you if you get caught Wayne!” exclaimed Dorsey.

They carried on discussing Evan’s foolhardy plans, Dorsey still refusing to have anything to do with it.

After leaving the pub both went their separate ways, Evans’ head still full of plans and thoughts of illicit wealth. Dorsey went home and worried himself to death over what Wayne had told him. He was tempted to tell Tom Lancaster about Wayne’s plan and his possession of a gun, not because he wished to drop his mate in it, but in order that he would be stopped, because he feared Wayne might end up dead like McDonald.

Evans was of course oblivious to the fact that Dorsey had already told Tom many things which he probably shouldn’t have. He had always trusted Paul Dorsey as his closest mate and hadn’t realised how weak he could be whilst in police custody. He desperately wanted Dorsey to do this with him, two sets of eyes and ears were better than one in his mind. He would try again to convince him but felt it may be a waste of time. He had already discovered where he could get over the fence near the offices so it was feasible that he could do it alone. He favoured breaking into the office first to see if he could find useful keys but knew that the offices were too well alarmed even for him. His final decision was torch, boltcroppers, hacksaw and hope for good luck. And the pistol of course just in case, a bit of life insurance. He spent a good hour playing around with the gun. He loved how it felt in his hand, he felt it gave him ultimate power. No one will argue with me when I have this in my hand he thought to himself. He smiled and imagined how satisfying it would have been to pull the trigger and blow those two bikers away. Only one left to blow away now, he thought to himself. He was puzzled as to why McDonald had been found dead. Bloody glad the bastard is dead though, justice for what he did to me, he mused. He looked at himself in the mirror holding the gun. The perceived power was already going to his head. Question is, where to hide it so Sue doesn’t find it!