Web of Lies by Sally Rigby (classic novels for teens txt) 📗

had to be done quickly and take both the driver and Andrea by surprise.

He’d wait for that split second when he thought the lights would go from green to red. He’d watch the lights for cars crossing in front of them, and wait for those cars to stop which would give him a couple of seconds to make his move.

The cars coming across them came to a halt, and he made a show of looking at his watch.

‘Crap. I’m meant to be somewhere. Got to go.’ He opened the door and jumped out just as the lights went to green and the driver drove forward.

‘What?’ he heard Andrea say.

He tried to land on his feet, but his legs gave way from under him, and he fell forward, doing a roll on the pavement. He grimaced as every movement sent pain rocketing through his already battered body. But he couldn’t dwell on it. He needed to get moving and with great determination he pulled himself up and took off down the street, in the opposite direction from where the car was heading, to give him as much time as possible before they could turn around and come after him. If Andrea was in on it as she wouldn’t want him getting away.

He half-ran, half-jogged down the street, looking for somewhere safe to stop, so he could call Rob and ask him to get in touch with his contact at the TV studio to find out what he could about Andrea’s driver.

Chapter 34

19 May

Seb stopped at the entrance to a Tube station and dragged in some raspy breaths. There wasn’t a part of him which didn’t hurt. He wasn’t unfit, but having to run after rolling out of the car, on top of his other injuries, was pushing him to the limit. But he’d had no choice other than to escape from the car. If Andrea Wood and her driver were in it together, his life could’ve been in danger.

He pulled out his phone from his pocket and gave Rob a call.

‘Clifford, what the hell are you doing phoning again? You disappear without a trace for ages and then, all of a sudden, I’m being inundated with calls,’ Rob said, giving a deep belly laugh.

‘I urgently need your help.’

‘What is it?’ Rob’s voice immediately became serious.

‘The investigation I’m undertaking, the one I told you about concerning Donald Witherspoon, has turned nasty and I thought you could help me. I need to know the full name and address of Andrea Wood’s driver. He also does other work for her, security, I think. All I know is his first name is Aaron, and he’s around six foot tall, well built, shaved head, with a tattoo of a bird on his left hand.’

‘What do you mean by turned nasty?’

‘Briefly, I got badly beaten up on Saturday night in Market Harborough, and I believe that one of my attackers was her driver. I only just discovered it was him when I was in Andrea’s car a moment ago and saw his hand, showing the tattoo, on the steering wheel.’

‘What were you doing in her car?’

‘I’d waited outside the studio for her, so I could ask more questions about Witherspoon, because we suspect he might have been blackmailing her. She’d only talk to me in her car. What I don’t know is whether her intention had been to get me in the car so she could get rid of me, or whether or it was genuine that she wanted to talk. As soon as I spotted the driver was my attacker, I jumped out at some traffic lights and made a run for it.’

‘What the fuck, Clifford? Why are you still handling this? Turn it over to the police, for God’s sake, before it anything else happens to you. You should know better.’

He was right but Seb still wanted to make absolutely sure the evidence stacked up before he gave up the case. It was now a matter of principle.

‘I will do, but first I want to find out who he is and where he lives. Will you do that for me?’

‘I suppose so. But I’m not happy about it.’

‘Noted. Your help is appreciated.’

‘Leave it with me and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can. Don’t hold your breath, though. I might not be able to get anything.’

Seb ended the call and headed down the street in search of a café so he could wait for Rob to get back to him. He stopped at the first one he came to and ordered a triple shot espresso. He sat at the back facing the door so he could see who was coming in and out, as he wasn’t going to take any further risks. Though he doubted they’d find him.

He took out his phone and called Birdie.

‘DC Bird,’ she answered, sounding very formal.

‘It’s me.’

‘I know. I’m at work, so this conversation might be a little bit one-sided if anyone gets too close to me and can overhear. How did the meeting with Andrea go?’

He’d have to play it down, or she’d start getting onto him and her colleagues would soon realise that she wasn’t on normal police business.

‘First of all, you’re not to react to what I’m going to tell you. However much you want to shout and scream in my ear, unless you don’t mind everyone in the office realising that there’s something wrong.’

‘What?’ she hissed.

‘I wanted to warn you, so you weren’t taken by surprise.’

‘For fuck’s sake just tell me.’

Clearly his plan to calm her first wasn’t working.

‘Okay. One of the men who beat me up was Andrea Wood’s driver, Aaron, I saw his tattoo. Do you remember him, he stood by the window staring at us when we interviewed her, until she sent him away.’

She gasped. ‘Him? How do you know?’

‘I was in her car and spotted the tattoo on his hand. He saw me looking, but I’m not sure if he realised I’d identified him. I couldn’t take the