“This may seem a strange question dad. Is my name really Hunter Kerr?”
His father looked shocked. “Of course it is. Only I changed my name. It was done by deed poll. Your mum was already a Kerr so she reverted back to her maiden name. You were christened Hunter and your birth certificate says that.”
Hunter dropped his head into his hands and rubbed them around his face. He could feel a migraine coming on. He hadn’t suffered one for ages. He knew in another hour or so the pressure would be so great that he would see flashing stars and be physically sick.
CHAPTER TWENTY TWO
DAY THIRTY THREE: 25th September.
Sheffield:
Hunter adjusted the rear view mirror — turned it towards his face. He stared at his reflection and noted the dark rings, which circled his eyes. He stroked his jaw-line — he was in need of a shave.
Overall, you look like shit Hunter Kerr.
“You look crap,” said Grace.
It was as if she had heard the voice inside his head. He glimpsed across at her relaxing in the passenger seat.
“I feel it. I’ve had very little sleep the past couple of days.”
“Your dad?”
Hunter nodded. “He and my mum are staying with us after what’s gone on.”
“They’ll catch this Billy Wallace and his mate soon and then you can all put it behind you. It sounds to me as though they’ve got them bang to rights and they’ll be going back inside and die in prison.” Grace examined her fingernails, which she had done the previous evening. The pearlescent polish glinted in the sunlight.
“We won’t be able to put it behind us though will we? It’s always going to be there isn’t it?”
She turned sharply and fixed him a glare. “Oh for goodness sake Hunter, stop feeling sorry for yourself. How will it affect you in the future? It’s your dad this has happened to.”
“Grace he’s not the man I thought I knew. All these years he’s lied to me.”
“Listen to me Hunter. This is me talking to you not only as a friend and colleague but one wearing an impartial hat. Your father has not lied to you and never has done. Yes he’s held back the truth but that is not lying. And the way I see it he did it with all best intentions, especially with the job you’ve got. How could he have told his son — a cop — that he was involved with gangsters in his past? Think about it for a second — would you tell your sons?”
He held her stare. He had no response. He hadn’t looked at it like that.
“And from what you told me it seemed to me as though he had little choice. He was only twenty two at the time with all kinds of problems to deal with — mainly how to make a living for him and your mother after a promising boxing career was in tatters. I’m sorry but I don’t agree with you on this one. I feel for your dad. It must have been a living nightmare for him the last couple of months. Can you not imagine what must have been going on inside his head? He was trying to protect your mum and you from this. You need to take a long hard look at yourself Hunter. You’ve only got one set of parents. You know how much they’ve been there for you and how much you’ve got in common with your dad. He’s your friend as well as your father. If you carry on like this you’ll be in great danger of destroying your relationship. Anyway what’s Beth say about all this?”
He faltered with his reply. He’d already had a similar hushed conversation with his wife. Finally he said, “practically the same as you.” He felt a lump emerge in his throat.
“Well there you are then. Listen to her. I don’t know what you men would do without us women. For god’s sake take him out for a beer and clear the air.”
Suddenly static over their radios broke into their conversation.
He, Grace, and the majority of the MIT team had been on plot since seven am that morning, their unmarked cars at various locations dotted around Parkhill Flats in Sheffield lying in wait for Ari and Pervez Arshad.
Excitedly, they pushed themselves up from their lounging positions.
Grace yanked across her seatbelt.
Hunter started the car and strained his ears to listen to the report coming over the police radio net.
The information he was listening to spirited his thoughts away from the problems of his father and conjured up fresh images, specifically the ones he had seen in the office the previous afternoon, after Superintendent Robshaw had bounded into the office, excitedly announcing to the squad that they had found the hiding place of Samia’s killers. Drug Squad had contacted him, he had lauded. One of their informants had given an approximate location of Ari and Pervez. They had a flat somewhere in the huge complex, which the team were currently staking out. He added that the pair had acquired false passports and were making plans to leave the country in the next few days. Hunter had watched the whole squads faces light up with looks of jubilation.
“They should be coming into view in the next minute or so,” Grace exclaimed out loud, ear close to her personal radio.
Hunter was listening to the same transmission. DS Mark Gamble and DC Paula Clarke were on foot and had Ari and Pervez in their sights. They were passing out the targets’ descriptions and present location.
He had parked on an elevated section of road overlooking the concrete monoliths, which he had read somewhere were now an icon of sixties architecture. He could see for himself that many of the blocks were in the throes of refurbishment and their frontages had a vibrant colour scheme mix of red, blue and yellow in an attempt to hide the drab greyness of the structures.
Within thirty seconds Hunter had the targets in his vision.
He followed the two Asians’ movements. They appeared to be in no hurry. They were sauntering across a grassy slope a hundred and fifty metres below. The pair dressed identically in dark hoodies and baggy jeans and he could make out, thanks to the glint on gold from the bright mid-morning sunshine, that both of them had a number of lengthy chains hanging around their necks dangling to mid chest. They were huddled together and appeared in deep conversation.
Hunter hunched himself forward, to keep them in his sights.
Within seconds the pair made a surprise sharp movement. They stopped in mid-step and spun around to get a look behind.
Something had spooked them guessed Hunter.
He was right.
A split second later the brothers were off and running, and coming into view he spotted DS Mark Gamble scrambling after them. His voice was screaming over the airwaves letting everyone know that the foot surveillance had been compromised.
Hunter hung on to the two fleeing figures watching where they were heading before he made a move. He gripped the handbrake with his left hand and lightly touched the accelerator with his right foot. He felt the engine surge. He was ready for a quick getaway.
The pair dropped out of view, disappearing into a line of trees at the edge of the estate, but Hunter knew they were making for the road.
Hunter could hear that Mark Gamble was doing his best to keep the commentary going, his voice trailing off now and again breathlessly, as he tried to make ground. Within seconds his excited tone was alerting the team.
“They’re getting into a new shaped silver Astra!”
Hunter craned his neck scouring the road system beyond the line of trees. He heard the Vauxhall before he saw it as the rubber of the tyres screeched on the tarmac. Then it sped into his sightline, heading away from the estate in the general direction of the suburbs of Halfway. Hunter locked the steering wheel sharply and pulled away from the kerb. Whipping through the gears quickly he soon made the end of the road and he guessed he would be a fraction in front of the speeding Astra. He could hear over the radio that two other unmarked cars were in hot pursuit but trailing.