Catch as Catch Can (The Merseyside Crime Series Book 1) by Malcolm Hollingdrake (any book recommendations .txt) 📗

‘Technology, Jane, helps fight the bad people. Thank you for those.’

‘Happy to help. Data protection prevents the sending of the whole recording but if you need it, Skeeter, you know the process.’

Skeeter waited for the file to come through. Although the body cam image was grainy, it was adequate. Tony entered the room carrying a coffee.

‘Tony, a minute.’

He ambled over, dragging a chair towards her workstation before resting his mug on the mat on her desk.

‘Look at this!’ She handed him the printed image.

‘Malik. EvoFit. That’s good. Did you know the system was first used by the Lancashire force? Learned that in training.’

Skeeter raised her eyebrows. ‘You’re happy with that?’

He nodded and collected his mug. ‘Bloody good likeness from what I recall.’

‘There’s this too.’ She handed him the second photofit image.

‘It’s the one you love to hate, it’s Flam or to give him his full title, Flamur. Did you know the name Flamur means flag in Albanian?’

‘Tony, the walking, talking encyclopædia. No, I didn’t but I do now, thanks for sharing that. Before you go, I want you to look at these. They’re the shots taken in the kebab shop when I was with Environmental Health. Look at the clock, your clock, after all you discovered its secret.’

She paused and went to the computer bringing up the forensic images of the scene of the fire. She turned it so they could both see the screen before flicking through the images until she found one that nearly matched that sent from Jane’s bodycam.

‘There’s nothing, no melted plastic, no metal parts and no sign of batteries exploding against the wall. The nail is still in the blackened wall. I forwarded images of the place when I last visited and Forensics did a specific search. Their report suggests that the clock wasn’t on site during the fire hence the blackened wall. They assure me that we’d have seen a different scenario if it had been in situ. They also checked for residue but there’s none. It wasn’t left anywhere in the building.’

‘So, what else do they say?’

‘Arson is a firm favourite. Pathology are still working on the burned remnants but they’ve confirmed it’s Malik’s body. DNA shows that our plain and simple Malik was anything but. Mixed history. It’s all on file and will be added for the next briefing. It’ll be another twenty-four hours before they have a definite cause of death, but for me I’m convinced, Tony, that he didn’t fall down the steps carrying a candle in his cap and gown.’

‘Briefing in ten. Incident Room!’ April shouted from the far door.

Skeeter looked at Tony. ‘Shit’s hit the fan if I know that tone of voice.’

Chapter 21

The Incident Room was full. Officers leaned against the desks whilst some quickly checked the boards trying to see what the fuss was about. Brad was the last in and it did not go unnoticed.

‘Thanks for dropping everything. This is DCI Bob Lawn, some of you may have met before. National Crime Agency. One or two of you have had your antennae ruffled with things going quiet in this area of Merseyside, apart from the one knifing and the possible arson. We believe these are linked to the same group, the ones moving drugs and possibly fuelling the motorcycle crime that’s been growing over the last eighteen months.’ April stepped aside.

‘Afternoon. If we’ve not met before let me just say I’ve heard all the quips about my name, and no, the grass doesn’t grow under my feet, size eleven too.’ He held up a large and shiny brogue. ‘I neither have an affinity for weeding grass out of criminals, nor do I smoke it and I know I’m not on my home turf … But saying that, I’m always willing to hear a fresh pun.’ He smiled noticing the team before him relax; it had broken the ice.

‘We have firm evidence that a large shipment of cocaine is either due to arrive in Liverpool or has just arrived. We’re talking a million quid plus but that’s merely an estimation. We also know it’s coming in by sea, but from where and to where is the million-dollar question. Things either heat up or cool down before a big shipment and looking at the statistics we see for this area it shows that pattern quite clearly. The container port is a likely area and that’s being checked thoroughly by Her Majesty’s Customs and Excise and Border Force is doubling its activities. This stuff could also come in on fishing boats, ferries, yachts. Everything is being tracked.’

‘Liners?’ Lucy asked. ‘There was one in a couple of days ago and there’s one due in I think Thursday.’

‘Routine checks were carried out on …’ he looked at his notes. ‘The Dawn Lady. From the Caribbean. We have the next one marked for a more detailed search when she docks. To come back to your point, though, the crew list and the passenger list are being checked against the different ports at which the liner stopped. We’ll be doing a full check on all passengers listed on that vessel, obviously starting with those who make regular trips to the same places. I’d be grateful if you can keep everything you find uploaded so that all intelligence is shared. If the shipment is already here, then we’re probably too late. We know from experience that it will soon be distributed; they’ll not keep all of their eggs in one basket. I’ll be functioning from Liver Street for the next week or so. Staying at the Ibis so any tips on pubs and restaurants would be a great help. I’ll give the galleries and museums a pass on this occasion, maybe next time.’

For the first time in a while, and after only ten minutes in the library, Kelly felt herself relax. She had £127.59, some toiletries, three changes of clean underwear and the clothes she stood