‘No, but we are still scrolling through hours of footage. There are big gaps, when the cameras were turned off or the footage deleted. Like I said before we are doing our best to find every second that was recorded.’
Jack had had enough. The missing footage was infuriating: not knowing exactly what had happened to Avril. He didn’t relish the idea of watching her murder on video, but he needed to watch it in order to get the men responsible.
When Jack and Mal returned to the small reception area, Josh was seated in the middle of a double sofa, legs spread wide, taking up the entire space. He had his beanie hat in his hands and was pulling at a small thread that had come loose. He noticed Jack looking at his cochlear implant. ‘Stops me doing field work. So, I consult and lecture and teach.’ Jack apologised for staring. ‘’S’OK. My nephew thinks I’m bionic. Every cloud, as they say.’
Jack thanked Mal for his time. ‘If you get to these three guys before we do, Mal, don’t let them take the easy route out of this by licking the inside of their wedding ring. They have to pay for what they did.’
‘Deal. The external footage shows that the three men arrived in a black Jaguar on this occasion, but we also have footage of them in a Range Rover. Unlike the Jag, we have that licence plate. It’s false, obviously, tracing back to a motorhome owned by a retired couple in Dorset. But we’ll get them, Jack. We’ll get them all. And we’ll save those three for you.’
‘It’s the driver of the Jaguar I want.’
‘We’ll find him. Alive and kicking,’ Josh added. He stood and asked if Jack needed anything further from them today. Jack explained that Terence Jenkins, Avril’s brother-in-law, was arriving from California shortly, so he was going to head back across town and hopefully fill in some more blanks. Josh offered to walk Jack down and swipe him through the key-card doors to get out of the building.
Once in the car park, Jack paused. ‘Avril had a connection to Leeds. What does your drug intel say about that part of the country?’
‘Same as any bigger city. There’s high-end and low-end supply and demand, sales and distribution. It makes me laugh how the middle-of-the-road-masses never see the drug dealing that goes on around them. I’ll dig out some specifics if you give me a lead.’
‘All I know is that Avril was connected to the place. I’ll see what I can find out from Terence and let you know.’ Jack paused. ‘They were wearing masks and gloves. Would that be because of the chemicals? You gave me a vented mask when I dropped down into the outbuildings in Avril’s back garden.’
‘They’d know that fentanyl can be absorbed through the airways and skin, sure. But the men who killed her, Jack, they’re small-fry. The guy in the Jag is the one we want to know more about. You know, compared to the US, this is all early days. They’ll be selling mostly at festivals, concerts, raves, you know. They’re using kids and druggies as runners. They got no idea of the shit they’re selling, nor do the dealers. But with junk like fentanyl and carfentanyl being mixed with boric acid, cocaine, heroin... it’s fucking Russian roulette out there. When this crap flooded the US, we were playing catch-up right from the start. People were dropping dead in the streets, literally. Like stones. Fentanyl certainly lived up to its name: the drop-dead drug. But here... here we can see what’s coming, we know how to stop it. I mean, we still got to get ahead of them instead of just about keeping up, but we will. Your lady’s house is such a good opportunity for us, being an active base.’
‘I want to know what you know, Josh. I need to know how they work.’ Jack knew that it was a huge request to ask Josh to share years of painstakingly acquired knowledge, but he also knew that it was impossible to chase a criminal whose behaviour you couldn’t predict. ‘How about dinner?’ The sudden and unexpected suggestion took Josh by surprise. ‘Penny’s food is addictive. It’s not imaginative, but if you want something heart-warming, she’s your woman.’
Josh looked puzzled. ‘Anik said your wife was called Maggie.’
‘She is. Well, she’ll be my wife soon. Penny’s my mum.’ Jack suddenly thought how lame Josh might think it was for a grown man to be living with his mum. He was just about to explain how she recently became a widower when Josh leapt in.
‘Mamma’s cooking! Oh my God, Jack, I miss my mamma’s cooking like you wouldn’t believe.’ Josh’s laugh boomed and his deep Alabama accent bubbled to the surface. ‘Heart-warming! I know that kinda food. And you guys really know how to make gravy. I’d love to come. Thank you. And, yes we can talk shop, but not at the table and not in front of your mamma.’
Chapter 14
Jack got back to the station shortly after 3 p.m. and headed straight to Ridley to relay the details of his morning and to see if he could sit in on the interview with Terence Jenkins.
Ridley was in his office with the door shut, something he only usually did when he was on the phone or in a meeting. Today, he was seated at his desk just staring at his mobile phone. Jack knocked, opened the door and asked if now was a good time. Ridley put his mobile in his jacket pocket and looked up. He took a moment to find the arms of his chair with his elbows and then said that he was eager to hear how Jack’s morning had gone. He didn’t look eager, but Jack took him at his word.
Jack explained about the three masked men, the nine hours of drugs production, the fact that they had tracked the number plate of the Range Rover but as yet they had nothing on the mysterious suited man who arrived in the Jag. ‘Mal’s sending all of the footage across later and then more daily as it’s sifted through.’ Ridley questioned whether Anik was the right man to be sitting across town with the Drug Squad. Was he capable of making sure that Steve’s team shared everything relevant? ‘No, sir, he’s not. But Mal is. And, from what I’ve seen, so is Josh. I trust them.’
‘Oh, well, if you trust them...’ Ridley stood and moved to the window. Jack didn’t like the sarcasm in his voice. But rather than be annoyed by it, he was simply concerned. Jack waited for Ridley to elaborate on how he was feeling, but he didn’t. Instead, he changed the subject. ‘Terence Jenkins is at his hotel, freshening up. There’s a police car waiting to bring him here by...’ Ridley checked his watch. ‘They should be here now, in fact.’ Ridley took his jacket from the back of his chair and slowly put it on. He looked tired. When he spoke again, his voice was apologetic. ‘Mal’s a good man, you’re right. And if you trust Josh, then so do I.’
Terence Jenkins was a tall, suntanned, elegant-looking man in his sixties. His full head of hair was suspiciously dark and the skin on his face was suspiciously taut compared to that on his neck. But he was from California, where every other building belonged to a plastic surgeon... or so Jack had heard.
Terence sat on a sofa in the soft interview room, opposite Ridley and Jack. They all nursed mugs of proper tea, made from the machine in Ridley’s office.
‘One doesn’t fully value people until one loses them.’ Terence had not picked up any American twang at all during his years in California. ‘Avril could be ghastly. Did you meet her?’ Jack confirmed that he had spoken to Avril on a number of occasions. ‘Then you know what I mean. I think I would have found her amusing if she had been some other poor sod’s sister-in-law.’
Terence was given time to speak freely about Avril, saying whatever came to mind. Eventually, Ridley began guiding the conversation by asking about their upbringing.
‘Freddie and I grew up in Surrey. We never wanted for anything but were taught the value of everything. That’s what happens when your father’s an investment banker. When he died, Freddie, being older, inherited, lock, stock and barrel. No reason other than tradition and yet it was the beginning of the end of us, I’m afraid. Freddie stepped into our father’s rather large shoes, and they were far too big. I told him as much and... money does cause such problems. Anyway, I moved to California. Within five years, I was married with my first child on the way and had a jolly good managerial position in real estate. From that moment on, dear Freddie was always rather angry with me for surviving without him. And he was a shit businessman as it turned out — I’m sure you know more about his investment crash than I do, so I doubt I’m betraying any confidences.’