Ruthless (29 page)

‘We know he went to the George Inn for the EBA meeting and that the Perry twins were there,’ said Janet.

‘And he met with Neil Perry at Bobbins on Tuesday,’ said Rachel, ‘possibly to supply the weapon. He gets chucked out by his missus on Friday when he’s cheering about the first shooting. He takes his gear, the firearms, clothes, the gloves and stuff, to Keane’s.’

‘At some point he gets the gun back from the Perrys,’ Janet said, ‘he acquires a can of barbecue lighter fuel and he goes to the warehouse, shoots the victims, sets the fire. Returns to Keane’s.’

‘What then?’ said Gill. ‘Where is the gun now? And where did he get the lighter fuel? It’s a plausible narrative as far as it goes but at the moment it’s a fairy story. We need much more.’ The lack of CCTV in the area was another obstacle, no record of who was going to and from the warehouse or on the approach roads.

‘We have no motive—’ Janet said.

‘Unless Tandy wanted to make a name for himself with the Bulldogs. Bit of ethnic cleansing,’ said Mitch.

‘Or there’s some drugs war simmering, something we’ve not uncovered,’ said Lee.

‘However,’ Gill held up her hands, ‘motive is the least of our concerns. Janet and Rachel, you carry on checking for any sightings of Tandy with the neighbours and then at Keane’s. Mitch and Lee, pay a visit to Williams, we get a search warrant.’

Her phone rang. ‘DCI Murray.’

‘Alan here, from ballistics.’

‘Go on,’ she said.

‘Bullets recovered from the Manton Road address, we’ve run a comparison and they match those used in all three murder cases.’

Gill felt dizzy. ‘All of them?’

‘Yes, one weapon, six bullets, all fired from the same gun. The one you’re looking for,’ he said, emphasizing the point.

‘Thanks, Alan. The missing gun,’ she told the team, ‘it was used in last night’s attack at Tandy’s house.’

‘Could that be Keane?’ said Rachel. ‘Sending a warning to Tandy to keep his gob shut?’

‘It could be bloody Batman for all we know,’ Gill said, ‘but it tells us that if Tandy did the warehouse murders, he got rid of the gun between Friday night and Monday when we brought him in. We may never get that gun.’ In organized crime, weapons were passed from hand to hand, hired, sold, borrowed, hidden, looked after. The same weapon used by different people in the commission of diverse offences, as appeared to be the case now.

‘Maybe Tandy just went apeshit, lost the plot,’ Rachel said. ‘He’s out and back home but it’s the same shitty little life. His wife is on at him, she actually tells him to do one. So what’s it all for? He pulls a Terminator, picks on someone to hurt, someone who won’t stand a chance. Justifies it to himself ’cos he’s a racist dickhead.’

‘Why copy the Kavanagh killing?’ Gill said.

‘He’d been bigging it up,’ Rachel said. ‘That’s why Gloria chucked him out – well, partly. He gets the idea then.’

‘How did he know to go after the victims?’ Janet asked. ‘Victor and Lydia? He’s not a user.’

‘No,’ Gill agreed, ‘nothing on his medical.’

‘Stuff in the house, though,’ Kevin said, ‘Keane’s house.’

‘But not in the room Tandy was occupying.’ This from Lee.

‘His missus said he never touched drugs,’ said Rachel.

‘What if the twins told him about them? Could it be a challenge? We’ll do the wino, you do the black kids,’ Rachel said, ‘we can tell you where they’ll be.’

Gill sighed. ‘Greg Tandy is a career criminal, a gun man. I can’t see him entering some pact with a pair of lowlife scumbags like the Perry twins.’

‘If it was Tandy, he’d know to get rid of evidence,’ Rachel said, ‘so why hang on to the gloves then?’

‘Could Keane have been involved and then fitted Tandy up?’ Gill said.

No one answered.

‘Enough,’ Gill said. ‘Bring me something solid, quick as you like.’

They got bugger all from Tandy’s neighbours, apart from a lot of nosy questions about where the wife and boy had gone and rumours that Greg had shot at his own family. Given he was in custody at the time, that didn’t hold water. As for anyone seeing him any time on the Friday evening going to or from the warehouse, they drew a big fat blank.

Over in Werneth, where Stanley Keane lived, there were no fences at the front of the properties so it would be easy for the residents to see people coming and going. The neighbours to the left of Keane were out, no cars in the drive, no one home. At the other side, Janet and Rachel were greeted by a young woman in a yellow onesie, her eyes furred with fake lashes and her fingernails individually designed.

She’d not really paid attention to next door until all the police showed up. Stan Keane was a nice man, friendly enough. No, she didn’t know him well. Hadn’t seen him for a few days.

Janet showed her a photograph of Greg Tandy. ‘What about this man?’

‘The one you arrested Monday. Saw him then. You were there.’ She nodded at Rachel.

‘That’s right.’

‘Before that, can you remember when you first saw him?’ Janet said.

The woman narrowed her eyes. ‘Today is Wednesday?’

‘Yes.’

She sucked her teeth, dazzling white, Janet noticed, set off by vivid-pink lipstick. ‘Friday. ’Cos I was heading out. Girls’ night.’ She seemed pleased that she could remember.

‘What time was this?’

‘Half seven,’ she said.

‘And where was this man?’ said Janet.

‘He was going out too, just ahead of me.’

Heading for the warehouse, wondered Janet? ‘Was he carrying anything?’

‘Not that I remember.’

‘Did you see him after that?’

‘Well, I didn’t surface until the Saturday afternoon. Serious hangover, well trollied,’ she laughed. ‘Saw him coming in. He’d a bag then,’ she smiled, ‘probably been to the gym. No way was I going to make it, I tell you. I usually go Saturday.’

‘A gym bag?’ Janet’s heart gave a kick in her chest.

‘Well, holdall.’

‘What colour?’

‘Blue.’ The girl laughed. ‘The things you remember!’

‘And after that?’

‘Didn’t see him until the police came.’ She lowered her voice, leaned closer. ‘What’s he done?’ Janet caught a whiff of fake tan.

‘That’s what we’re trying to find out,’ Janet said. ‘Thanks for your help.’

‘The bag he had his gloves in,’ Rachel said as they crossed the road.

‘Sounds the same.’

‘But she reckons it was the Saturday and he didn’t have the bag on the Friday.’

‘That would have been too perfect,’ Janet said.

‘Maybe he left the bag somewhere on the Friday after the murders and went to fetch it on the Saturday.’

‘Why? Where?’

‘His house? Though I don’t know that Gloria would have let him over the threshold.’

At the house opposite Stanley Keane’s, a Polish man answered. He explained his nationality when he spelled out his name, which consisted mainly of consonants. His English was excellent and barely accented. He too had noticed Tandy, the new resident, but found it harder to recall dates and times. He worked twelve-hour shifts in a call centre and when he was home he was usually in bed or half asleep.

He thought some more and then said, ‘I did see him going into Wetherspoon’s. That would have been about eight o’clock, on my way home from the bus.’

‘Which day?’

‘Thursday or Friday.’

‘It would be a great help if you could remember which,’ Janet said.

‘Sorry,’ he apologized. ‘I’d done twenty days in a row. Saturday was a day off so I know it wasn’t Saturday but before that.’

‘If you remember,’ Janet said, ‘please get in touch.’ She gave him her card.

The man knew Stanley Keane by sight but they had never spoken. He’d last seen him on Sunday evening, putting the bins out.

The manager at Wetherspoon’s didn’t recall Greg Tandy but the girl who was chalking up meals on the blackboard did. ‘Friday,’ she said, ‘it’s the only night I work here. He reminded me of Jimmy Carr, the comedian, but an older version. You know, the black hair and the big eyes. He sat over there, by the slot machines, on his own at first.’

‘Someone joined him?’ Janet said.

‘Yes, about half nine. Bigger bloke, beard and biker’s jacket, comes in here sometimes.’

Stanley Keane.

‘How long did they stay?’

‘Till closing,’ she said.

Janet felt her heart sink. The girl seemed to be on the ball and if her sighting was accurate then there was no way Greg Tandy could have been ten miles away shooting Victor and Lydia.

29

Rachel and Janet followed Gill into the meeting room.

‘The Wetherspoon’s sighting gives Tandy an alibi but Keane could have done it,’ said Rachel. ‘Keane didn’t get to the pub till later and the gloves were at his house.’

‘He fitted Tandy up for the murder?’ Gill said. ‘Wouldn’t Tandy shop him? The man’s only just been released. And why would Keane want to kill the Nigerians?’

‘Why would anyone?’ Janet said.

‘It doesn’t work,’ Gill shook her head, ‘because if Keane was behind it we’d have his DNA on those gloves and we’ve not. And we’ve nothing at his house that points to him bar the gloves.’

‘We could find out if he bought lighter fuel?’ Rachel suggested.

‘Doesn’t get us very far,’ Gill said. ‘You can buy it anywhere: petrol stations, supermarkets, DIY stores. People have it at home, everyone’s got a barbecue.’

‘I’ve not,’ Rachel said.

‘Sean will soon see to that, I bet you,’ Janet said.

‘What is it with men and barbecues?’

‘Throwback,’ said Gill, ‘they like to imagine they’ve just caught the animal, killed it and dressed it. Proud hunters all. Bringing home the bacon.’

‘When it’s actually a value party pack of quarter pounders or sausages from the farm shop,’ Janet said.

Rachel pulled a face.

‘A shop, attached to a farm,’ Janet spelled out.

‘I know! Behave.’

‘We questioned Tandy about his movements on the Friday night,’ Gill said. ‘He told us nothing. Now we find he has an alibi? Strong?’ She looked at Janet.

‘An independent witness.’

‘So why didn’t he give us it?’ Gill said.

‘He’s frightened? Protecting someone?’ said Rachel.

Gill sighed. They had seemed to be getting closer but first they’d eliminated Noel Perry and now Tandy was in the clear. It felt like they were back at square one. ‘Charge Tandy with the firearms offences and ship him back to prison.’

The search at Marcus Williams’s house revealed nothing. No Keane, no gun, no drugs.

‘Teflon as per usual,’ said Mitch as Kevin handed out the sandwich orders. Not only did Williams keep well away from the merchandise and the illicit activities of his network, he also drove within the speed limit, paid his council tax on time and had obviously found a way to launder his money.

‘Think about it from Marcus Williams’s point of view,’ said Gill. ‘Suppose he wants to get rid of Victor and Lydia, motive unknown for now. How might that play out?’

‘Well, Williams won’t be anywhere near,’ said Mitch.

‘So he finds someone to do the deed,’ Lee said.

‘Stanley Keane,’ Rachel said, taking the baguette Kevin passed her. ‘Keane gets the gun off Tandy—’

‘Who must have got it back from the Perry brothers after the Kavanagh shooting,’ Gill said, ‘some time between Wednesday and Friday evening.’

‘Keane borrows or steals the gloves too,’ said Janet. ‘He gets lighter fuel and goes to the warehouse, shoots Victor and Lydia, torches the place. Then joins Greg Tandy for a couple of pints in his local.’

‘An attempt at an alibi?’ Gill said.

‘Keane gets rid of the gun,’ said Janet, ‘why keep the gloves? Why not dump them?’

‘Unless he’s trying to frame Tandy,’ Mitch said.

‘Boss,’ Pete had answered his phone and now interrupted. ‘We’ve found something on CCTV for Monday night. Shirelle Young and Stanley Keane.’

‘I want it here, now,’ Gill said.

The CCTV, in grainy black and white, was from the cameras at the green man crossing near the shopping parade. Shirelle, in her white jacket, could be seen walking briskly. Then she stops in her tracks. Gill peered, holding her breath. A man approaches, grabs her wrists and kicks her legs from under her. He picks her up and at that moment his bearded face is clearly visible, livid with anger.

‘Stanley Keane,’ said Mitch.

‘What’s he so mad about?’ Gill said.

‘She led us to his house earlier, we found Tandy, we found the drugs,’ Rachel said.

‘This is five past eight,’ Janet said.

‘And Shirelle was found fifteen minutes later,’ said Rachel.

‘So,’ Gill said, ‘he beats up Shirelle and then he targets the Tandy house. He’d know we are holding Tandy so either that is a warning to Tandy to keep quiet or a warning to the family.’

‘It could’ve been a lot more than a warning,’ Rachel said. ‘The curtains were closed, they could both have been in the line of fire.’

‘Reckless,’ Lee agreed.

‘Someone must be sheltering him, someone must know where he is. Lee, Mitch, dig out family, old connections. We can assume he is still armed,’ Gill said. ‘I’ll discuss it with the chief superintendent. Much of what we have is circumstantial but erring on the side of caution, as far as public safety is concerned, I think we should be plastering his pretty little face all over the shop.’

‘What’s she like, the wife, Gloria?’ Janet said. ‘Reckon she knows any more than she’s saying?’ She examined her teeth in the washroom mirror, checking there were no stray bits of food stuck in them.

Rachel shrugged. ‘Don’t know. I think she’s had enough of him – the way she tells it. Glad to be shot. Ha ha!’

‘Funny,’ Janet said.

‘Well, she probably does better on her own. Tandy comes home and all hell’s let loose. Tossers, the lot of ’em.’ Rachel sounded angry.

‘You all right?’

‘Fine,’ Rachel said crossly, ‘pig in shit.’ She did that, hackles up like a dog at the slightest excuse. Particularly when she thought people were criticizing her or asking about personal stuff.

‘Bite my head off,’ Janet said.

‘I wasn’t. God, you’re so touchy.’

Janet gave her a look.