Cold Killers (45 page)
Authors: Lee Weeks
Carter waited for the team to settle.
‘Tony Butcher is now in custody.’
The room erupted into cheers.
‘But, it came at a price, a high one. We have two officers dead, three more injured. So this success is tinged with great sadness for their families and colleagues. They died bringing a
man in who was about to change the face of the UK drug market for ever, to flood this small island with enough cocaine to increase our addicts tenfold. They paid the price for the rest of us, and
we are eternally grateful.’
The room fell silent as each officer remembered the dead.
‘Now, we come to the celebration of what we achieved. Tony is right now shivering in a cell in King’s Cross. He will be interviewed later on today. Harold is cooperating with us; he
will also be interviewed later. Marco Zapata is in intensive care under heavy armed guard. We think he will live. When he comes to, he will be charged with the murder of Eddie Butcher and Melvin
Pratt. Another of the Colombians died at the scene, Justino Zapata. His death is going to cause a major upset in the Zapata cartel. We must expect there to be a period of bloodshed while the
cartels lick their wounds. Both the Mendez cartel and the Zapata will be looking for revenge. Sandra Butcher was shot and killed this morning on her way to a hairdresser’s appointment in
Puerto Banús, a ride-by motorbike shooting. This will be the start of a tense time.
‘Now we have the task of extracting information from Tony and Harold and making many more arrests around the country. We want to knock out the distribution networks, trace all the other
laboratories and close them down. But we have that rare thing in custody – we have the man himself, Tony Butcher. Well done.’
A cheer rang around the room. Carter left Ross and Willis to finish the briefing as he headed out to get into his car and drive to the airport.
‘Daddy!’
Archie ran full pelt into Carter’s arms and Carter was so grateful that with stitches, with black eyes, with a hole in his cheek from a cigarette burn, his son still loved him and
recognised him. He caught him one-handed and hoisted him up.
‘I prepped him.’ Cabrina kissed Carter on the good side of his face. She looked as if she were trying not to cry. ‘I told him Daddy was trying out a look for
Hallowe’en.’
‘Take the mask off now, Daddy,’ said Archie, frowning.
‘I will do, son, in a while.’
Archie stared at his dad and smiled nervously as he hugged his neck.
Ross and Willis went for a coffee after the meeting.
‘I hear you met my ex-wife,’ said Ross as they sat down at a table with their drinks.
‘Yes. I took the girls their dresses. You left them with me when you disappeared.’ Willis locked eyes with him before he looked away.
‘Yes, I’m sorry about that. I realised unless I stayed in Spain we would have no hope of catching Tony. The police were in his pay. I thought, if it looked like I was on the take
too, I could watch them closely and monitor, and affect the outcome of the operation.’
‘Was I drugged? I didn’t hear you come back into the flat.’
He nodded. ‘It was just meant to help you sleep – I couldn’t risk having to include you in the deal. I didn’t know how corrupt Garcia and Ramirez were until they offered
me bribes that evening.’
‘It’s an odd thing to do to your partner.’
He shrugged. ‘I did it with the best intentions. I did it because I cared about you. I had no idea it would make you ill.’
‘I don’t even take aspirin.’
‘I’m sorry.’ Willis sipped her coffee. ‘Can I make it up to you? Can I buy you dinner? The girls would love to meet you.’
‘Your ex-wife is expecting your baby?’
‘Yes. Strange but true. We can be friends, can’t we? I don’t have many of those and I felt we bonded in Spain.’
‘We bonded, until you slipped something in my drink.’
Ross went to speak and instead he shrugged.
‘It was done to protect you at the time. You were going back to do a crucial part of the operation. I felt I could be more use in Spain doing what I do best. It would never have worked if
I’d stayed to explain to you that night. Garcia and Ramirez would have known I was talking to you. It had to be convincing. I did it because I know you care about your job, you care about
getting it right and you would have struggled with my way of doing things.’
She nodded, deep in thought.
‘I care about you. I’m very fond of you.’
Willis stared into space as she thought things through, then she turned back to him.
‘Italian. My choice this time.’
Christmas Eve
At seven in the evening Della sat in the Aqua Bar in Hong Kong. It had 360-degree views and floor-to-ceiling glass. Below her the skyscrapers clustered around the harbour
mouth, lit up in brilliant colours, blazing like jewels in the dark. It made her feel alive. She’d forgotten how much she loved the bright lights of the city, and not just any city. Hong Kong
was a place that felt as if it had no time zone, no sleep. It had its own set of rules. Only money mattered and she had plenty of it. She could reinvent herself here. She touched her face. It felt
much better. The plastic surgeon had done wonders.
She ordered a second Bloody Mary and waited for the waitress to bring it, and then she raised her glass in a silent toast.
‘To Eddie. To diamonds and memories and men I have loved. To you, Dan. To the future.’
A tall man, mixed race, beautifully dressed, appeared beside her.
‘Is this seat taken?’ he asked.
She smiled and nodded.
‘It is now. Detective Inspector Johnny Mann. How lovely to see you again.’
Thanks for help with this book go to Dave Willis, invaluable as ever; and to John Jacobs, Frank Pearman, Katie Sarah Carew and Peter Selley for their expert knowledge. Thanks
to Becky Long at Visage and Della from True Colors for being great listeners and sounding boards.
Big thank you, and one I never take for granted, to all my friends and family who make time to help me with every part of the creative process. I’m thinking especially of: Norma, Noreen,
Traci and my sisters Clare and Sue, my Mum and my kids Ginny and Rob. Plus, there are so many others who show their support: fans and critics alike, both are much appreciated.
Marbella connections remain unnamed but much appreciated.
Big thanks to my agent Darley Anderson and everyone at the agency. Thank you to my editor Jo Dickinson and the team at Simon and Schuster.
Lastly, there are two special fans who helped me in naming this book
Cold Killers
and had characters named after them: Debbie Sturt and Sandra Church… I’ve had great fun with
your names, but sorry I couldn’t make Debbie and Sandra any nicer!
Lee Weeks was born in Devon. She left school at seventeen and, armed with a notebook and very little cash, spent seven years working her way around Europe and South East Asia.
She returned to settle in London, marry and raise two children. She has worked as an English teacher and personal fitness trainer. Her books have been
Sunday Times
bestsellers. She now lives
in Devon.
A
LSO BY
L
EE
W
EEKS
Dead of Winter
Cold as Ice
Frozen Grave
Cold Justice
First published in Great Britain by Simon & Schuster UK Ltd, 2016
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Copyright © Lee Weeks 2016
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