Authors: David Lowe
Sat on the edge of Shirley’s desk turning his back on David, who was sat down looking out of the window of the office across to the hotel, Steve said, ‘So what happened when you were chatting with Michael?’
Enjoying the attention Steve was paying her, she sat back in her chair pretending to be affronted by the question. ‘How well do you know him? I’m starting to tell you things of an intimate nature regarding one of your senior officers.’
‘I joined the police at the same time as Michael. We were at district training together where we shared a room and got into enough scrapes to last a life time. Salt of the earth is Michael and even though he’s full of that Irish blarney, he’s a really good friend. We’ve done a few jobs in the Branch together.’ Crossing his fingers, Steve showed them to Shirley and said, ‘we’re that close. Although he’s risen through the ranks, we’ve stayed good mates. When I came up to Chester to help out on this job, he told me he’d met someone and thought she could be the one. But he didn’t tell me it was you. And he certainly didn’t tell me how pretty you are.’
Blushing slightly and pretending to be coy, Shirley said, ‘You flatterer! When I first met him he asked me if I was doing anything that night. I thought to myself he seems nice and I could go out with him for at least one night. I told myself if it didn’t work out I wouldn’t have to see him again. As he was wonderful I did him see him again. So, he thinks I could be the one then?’
‘He’s certainly besotted with you and he looks like a man in love.’
‘What I like about him is his concern for me. It bothers him that the solicitors here take me for granted. He said they don’t appreciate the vital role I do running this office. On top of that he’s so sweet as he’s concerned for my safety with the current terrorist threat along with Prince William’s visit. He asked me who had the keys to the office and things like that.’
That last comment caught David’s attention. He stopped looking out of the window, glanced over to Steve giving a slight nod of his head to indicate he was paying attention to what was being said. ‘So who has the office keys?’ Steve asked Shirley.
‘Well apart from Mister Harvey and Mister Thomas, I do. The three of us are the registered key holders with the police.’
‘I take it you have your keys on you now?’ Steve asked.
‘Oh yes,’ she said reaching into her handbag. Taking them out of the bag, she held them up and said, ‘As I’m normally first here, I open up in the morning.’
‘But you’ve also got the keys to Michael’s heart too eh?’ Steve said winking at her.
Smiling broadly, she said, ‘From what you say, it sounds like it.’
‘Did you give Michael a set of these keys?’ Steve asked taking the keys out of her hand.
‘Why are you so interested in the keys?’
‘We’re supposed to check and I’m just making sure that Mike in being dumb struck by your good looks hasn’t overlooked anything,’ Steve said, looking at the keys in the palm of his hand, ‘Did he borrow your keys at all?’
She snatched the keys back off Steve. Putting them back into her handbag, she said, ‘No. I always keep them in my bag. Then when I get home I keep them in a box in my kitchen so I don’t lose them if I go out.’
‘Did you tell Mike that?’
‘Yes,’ she said with a look of approval for the DI, ‘and he said it was a very wise precaution.’
‘He’s right,’ Steve said thinking how this was an opportunity for McCullagh to find the keys, take an impression to get another set cut and put them back before she realised they had gone, ‘That’s good. Just between us, has he stayed the night at your place at all? I don’t want any intimate details, I just need to know if I need to keep some dates free in the near future, as I’m bound to be his best men if you get my meaning.’
‘You cheeky thing,’ she said, gently tapping Steve on the arm, ‘Yes, most of last week he stayed at my flat.’ Seeing the red engaged line extinguish on John Harvey’s line, she said, ‘It looks like Mister Harvey’s ready for you now.’
‘Thanks Shirley,’ Steve said. Picking up her hand, he gently kissed it and said, ‘I’m glad to meet the girl that’s finally melted my best friend’s heart. Come on David, let’s have a look round John Harvey’s office.’
As both the officers started to walk up the stairs leading to John Harvey’s office, David whispered to Steve, ‘Nice one. I reckon the Irish prick’s borrowed those keys, took an imprint, and then got a set cut and handed them over to either Maguire or Mahoney.’
As David and Steve approached the door to John Harvey’s office, he opened it and said, ‘Shirley buzzed me to say you were on your way up.’
‘Thanks Mister Harvey. We’ll be as quick as we can,’ David said walking over to the window overlooking the hotel.
‘Not a problem sergeant, I suppose we must all do our bit for Queen and country,’ then giving a false laugh, the solicitor said, ‘or in this case, I should say Prince and country.’
Ignoring Harvey’s feeble attempt at humour, David said, ‘I only want to check out the view from the windows in your office. Are you intending to open for business tomorrow?’ Looking out of the window, it confirmed his gut feeling this was an ideal location to carry out an assassination.
‘Only in the morning,’ John Harvey said, ‘I’m still not sure whether it’s worth my while coming in tomorrow. I’ll most probably take some files and work from home. Shirley’s opening up as usual in the morning and we’ve been told to shut up shop around twelve thirty in the afternoon. DI McCullagh said all of the premises in the vicinity of the hotel open to the public must close in the early afternoon as a security measure. He said something about it preventing any possible terrorists from entering the shops and offices and hiding in them before we lock up. Well, it does seem to make sense.’
‘David beckoned Steve to join him at the window and said, ‘We can’t be too careful. There’ll be all sorts of dignitaries and VIP’s attending.’
‘I just want to clarify one point with you if I may?’ Steve said.
‘Fire away constable, fire away.’
‘Is Shirley going to be on her own when she locks up tomorrow lunchtime?
‘She’s normally the last to leave. She’s first in and last to go. Shirley’s an absolute diamond. Do you think she could be in danger?’
Looking across to the hotel entrance Steve said, ‘I wouldn’t say that, but of all the premises that overlook the hotel entrance this window here in your office affords the best view of the dignitaries and the prince as they arrive. We thought that when we stood outside your offices didn’t we David?’
‘I agree,’ David said, ‘and now I’ve studied the view from the window it’s only confirmed my original thoughts when we were outside.’
‘In that case,’ John Harvey said, ‘do you think I should be here tomorrow or hire security or something?’
‘No. Follow DI McCullagh’s advice and you should be fine.’ David said.
John Harvey stood up from his desk and walked over to the officers. Shaking hands with them he said, ‘Thank you so much for the care you’ve both taken this morning and for the courteous way you’ve gone about your business. I shall tell both DI McCullagh and Julia, the chief constable.’
David smiled and said, ‘Thank you. I think we’ve taken up enough of your time, so we’ll be on our way, goodbye Mister Harvey.’
Both officers left the office and slowly descended the stairs leading back to the reception area. ‘Before we go,’ Steve said, ‘I want to see what arrangements McCullagh’s made with Shirley. Then we can discuss this back at the hut with George. There’s no doubt, this is the best spot for Maguire and Mahoney to do some damage tomorrow night.’
As the officers descended the last step, Shirley Beckwith smiled at the officers and said, ‘Are you all done gentlemen?’
Steve walked up to her and said, ‘Not quite Shirley. I just want to clarify one point. Mister Harvey says that you’ll be locking up the office on your own tomorrow around twelve thirty in the afternoon. Is that right or has Michael made any other arrangements with you?’
‘Only to let him know when I’ve locked up.’
It was a tense atmosphere in Liverpool City Magistrates number one court, as the stipendiary magistrate considered the arguments from both the Crown Prosecutor and the defence solicitors representing Pickup and McElvaney in their bail application. On the wall behind him was a large colourful painted plaster cast of the Royal coat of arms with the French motto, ‘Dieu et mon Droit’, which means ‘God and my law’. With half-moon spectacles perched at the end of his nose, the stipendiary magistrate looked over at the two defendants standing in the dock opposite him and began delivering his decision. ‘Michael John Pickup and Daniel Patrick McElvaney, I’ve considered the arguments from Mister Harris and Mister Daley regarding your bail applications and the objection from the Crown prosecutor. Michael Pickup, I am granting you bail on the condition you reside at flat five, forty-seven Ullet Road, Liverpool eight. You are not to approach any members of the Hurst family in Liverpool, that you submit your passport to the court officer and that you do not leave the Liverpool city boundary. Also, a surety of ten thousand pounds will have to be deposited before you are bailed. Daniel McElvaney, I am denying you bail. You will be remanded in custody and both of you are to reappear before this court on Monday the twenty-ninth of July,’ the stipendiary magistrate said in a solemn tone.
Two court security officers took hold of McElvaney and Pickup and led them towards the steps leading to the holding cells beneath the imposing Victorian built courtroom. Descending the stairs McElvaney said, ‘How the fuck did you get bail?’
Pickup looked behind him and said, ‘My brief was better than yours, at least mine put up a fight.’
‘That’s bollocks and you know it,’ said an irate McElvaney, ‘mine gave just as good an argument as yours.’
While Pickup and McElvaney were heading towards the holding cells, the stipendiary magistrate began attending to the next case. Wearily, Pickup’s mother got up from a bench at the back of the court and walked out onto the court landing. Head bowed in worry for her youngest son, she trudged her way through the landing bustling with lawyers, uniform police officers, bailed defendants along with their families and friends. Checking no one else got up to follow her out of the court, Martin Connell stood up from one of the public benches and discreetly left the court. As Pickup’s mother made her way out the building onto Dale Street, she slowly walked down the crowded street towards Liverpool Town Hall. Unbeknown to her Martin Connell was following her. A few yards from the court entrance she stopped and stood by a bakery shop doorway. Taking her mobile phone from out of her handbag she phoned her eldest son. On answering her call, she told him they had to raise ten thousand pounds surety before his younger brother could be bailed. ‘. . . How the hell are we going to get our hands on that sort of money?’ she asked as tears began to well in her eyes.
Convinced the police were not following her and overhearing the call, Connell approached Pickup’s mother. Lightly touching her arm he said, ‘Are you Elaine Pickup, Michael’s mother?’
Jolting at the surprise of someone touching her and knowing her name, she quickly turned round and said, ‘Who the hell are you?’
‘I’m not the police, if that’s what you’re thinking. Declan Murphy, Michael’s employer sent me. He instructed me to approach you and, if you’ve no objections, he’ll put up the bail money.’
Elaine Pickup put her phone back to her mouth, ‘Joey, I think our prayers have been answered. I’ll speak to you later.’ Looking at Connell, she said, ‘Why would he do something like that for our Michael?’
‘He instructed me to approach you with the offer. All I can assume is as he works for Mister Murphy, I know he likes to look after his own.’
‘That’s kind of him. You don’t give out that kind of money without wanting something in return?’
‘Do you want take up the offer or not? I’ve got the money with me,’ Connell said taking a folded brown envelope out of his trouser pocket. Opening it he took out a large wad of crumpled, used high-value banknotes and counted out ten thousand pounds. Just before he handed her the money he said, ‘I suppose you could say there is something he wants in return. There’s a condition that if you have to sign the bail form and stand bail for Michael in your name. Don’t tell anyone, especially the court or the police Declan Murphy gave you the money. If you’re happy to do that, he’ll pay for Michael’s bail.’
Grabbing the money out of Connell’s hand, she thrust it into her coat pocket saying, ‘If that’s all I’ve got to do, I’ll happily take it. This is very good of him. How can I thank him?’
‘I’ll pass on your thanks to him.’ Connell turned and quickly walked away, his diminutive figure soon being lost as he merged with the other pedestrians on the street.
* * *
Brought into a side room in the holding cell area, the court security officer announced Michael Pickup to DS Andy Curtis and a DC from his team who were waiting for him. ‘Sit down Michael,’ Andy said, ‘don’t worry about the surety, our department’s going to put up the money and you’ll be out of here within half an hour. We’ve already got your passport from when we searched your flat.’ Opening a small black box, Andy carefully took out its contents, placing them on the table in front of Pickup. ‘Of course, with us putting up the surety money it’s on the condition you wear this wire.’
Pickup looked at the small pieces of equipment laid out in front of him and said, ‘Where’s the wire? All I can see is tiny microphones and plastic sticky stuff.’
Andy smiled as he said, ‘Technology moves on Michael. I have to ask you, are you’re still willing to help us?’
‘Yes’
‘I have to tell you that if you do, and you give evidence against Murphy at any subsequent trial, the Crown Prosecution Service has agreed for you to enter into a witness protection programme. Before we proceed, I want you to fully understand the implications of this programme. It means that you can never see any member of your family or your friends ever again, and you will no longer be able to live in or visit Liverpool. Although you may be tempted, we strongly advise that you don’t return to the country.’ A puzzled look came across Pickup’s face as Andy Curtis explained, ‘As you’re involved with members of the Real IRA, the team are going to keep you as safe as possible. Once you’ve met up with Murphy, we’re going to go back to the court and get your bail conditions changed, because once it’s out your turning Queen’s evidence the Real IRA will do anything they can to stop you testifying. That means you’ll have to disappear until the trial and we’ve made arrangements to keep you under armed guard in one of our safe-houses. Once you’ve testified the witness protection programme team will send you to an address in Canada. There, you’ll be given a new identity, Canadian citizenship and a new job to set you up. Are you willing to still go ahead?’