Out of Promises (30 page)
Authors: Simon Leigh
Bill stopped in an underground parking lot two miles from the accident. It was safe, for now, and they could take advantage of a comfort break. Valerie didn’t want a break. She was restless and wanted to leave. She needed to leave in fact. Almost as though being there in that car was the biggest sin she would ever commit and if she didn’t leave she’d be judged forever.
Help her or not, she couldn’t be near him anymore. She opened the door to leave when he grabbed her arm. ‘Valerie, please don’t go. Give me a chance to explain.’
She was almost out, almost free from the judges gavel she felt around her, but something, some part of her, made her get back inside, still clinging on to the hope that something good would happen. Against her better judgment, she sat back down.
‘One chance, then I’m gone.’
‘I’ll tell you anything you want to know.’
She closed the door.
God dammit.
She didn’t look at him, she looked everywhere else but at him. She said, ‘You’re a piece of work you know that?’
‘I’m sorry. I’m willing to put things right.’
‘I doubt you can. So tell me why you left the force.’
That was something he didn’t expect. Something he didn’t really want to talk about and she knew it.
He owed her this one at least. ‘It was a raid on a gang hideout. My partner and I, with other officers stormed a building. Things got complicated. An informant of mine, young and beautiful, had gotten herself caught up with the wrong crowd because of me. She’d feed me information and I’d toss her money now and then. When we reached to the hideout, she was out of her mind on the drugs the gang were trafficking through. Heroin. Cocaine. Weed. You name it they had it. I could smell the stale air. I remember it like it was yesterday and I can still taste it.
My partner went to search a room and I went in after him. That was when I found him with her. She had a weapon pointed right at his head. Man, the pressure these people go through, and mixed with heroin? That’s a cocktail I wouldn’t like to drink. She was a mess and extremely unstable, but had valuable intel on drug dealers in the city, which is why I didn’t shoot to kill. There was no time to negotiate so I aimed for her lower body. You have to understand, she was ready to shoot my partner and I couldn’t let her become a cop killer. The fact that I shot her had saved her from a lifetime of prison. This way I figured she would get help, get out of that life and live peacefully. I can see her clearly, the spray of blood flowing from her gut as she hit the floor. It was a mess.’
‘Was she your first kill?’
‘No. The paramedics and surgeons managed to save her life. It took hours and hours in there and it felt like forever waiting outside those hospital doors for news. It was only afterwards that I found out she was pregnant too. Pregnant and I couldn’t protect her. I didn’t shoot to kill and I killed an unborn child. She survived but the kid didn’t. She worked for me. I should have helped her. Instead I gave her money for information that she spent on shit. After that moment in my life my world fell apart. I cried even. They offered me counselling, but no amount of psychologists or therapy could help me. I was a broken man. A year or so after that I started my private detective business.’
‘Why don’t I believe you?’
‘Hey, believe whatever you like. It’s the truth.’
She sat watching the cars go by through the underground lot with people glancing over at their battered vehicle car now and then.
Bill’s cell went off, a text message. ‘It isn’t safe here,’ he said. ‘I know a safe house.’
‘No way, Bill.’
‘Please, Val. I can explain everything else there. After that you can go your own way. I promise.’
‘Who’s house?’
‘My gran’s. When she died she left it to me.’
She thought about it, weighing up the pros and cons. She didn’t trust him at all, but the cops would likely be combing the area, working their way to them. ‘Fine. Then I’m gone. And I’m keeping your gun.’
‘OK, fine. We need to leave this car and get another one.’
‘Stealing cars your specialty too?’
‘I’m not proud of what I’ve done. We need to wipe this one down.’
She looked at the car then looked at Bill. ‘Seriously? I think they’d notice this car.’
Back at the accident, the sun had broken through while the cold air still remained as an invisible winter veil smothering everything it touched. The wrecked sedan was being loaded onto a pickup and the damaged truck was being towed. The roads were closed in all directions with cops and paramedics coordinating with each other in a well-rehearsed ballet. People selfishly watched behind a barrier taking pictures with their cameras and cell phones, not caring if anyone was injured or not. Just another story to tell their friends and share online.
After being checked over, Baker stepped out of an ambulance and headed over to McGowan who was finishing up a phone call. The paramedics had already given him the once over and declared him fit. A bit of bruising for the both of them and possible whiplash was the extent of their injuries.
Baker asked, ‘Who was that?’
‘Some officers are on their way to Matherson’s house as we speak. That son of a bitch has to be somewhere.’
‘We could go,’ said Baker.
‘They’re in the vicinity. Plus I want to search his office.’
‘Me too if I’m honest.’
McGowan peered along the road Bill and Valerie had escaped down. ‘They must be guilty. Innocent people don’t just flee like that. My guess is they’re working for Matherson.’
‘I don’t know about that.’
‘Why not?’
‘You’ve been a cop long enough not to be that naïve, right? Innocent people run all the time if there’s the slightest chance they’re involved. Plus they’re all over the TV. Wouldn’t you run? And they were the only two there in that office, not counting the other floors of course, that’s why not. Where was Matherson?’
‘Saw us coming obviously.’
‘The alarm sounded when the fire door opened. Why would Matherson run if he’s as careful as you say?’
‘Guilty of course.’
‘But it just doesn’t add up. It would take someone pretty athletic to run down those stairs that fast. I figure they went looking for Matherson and he wasn’t there. Anyway, we’ll find out soon enough. Plenty of people ran from that building who need questioning.’
‘Maybe your quiet mysterious undercover guy knows where he is.’
Baker ignored it, but McGowan was right, he had gone quiet.
A uniformed officer walked up to them and tossed Baker some car keys.
Baker said, ‘Come on, McGowan, let’s get back to Hellman’s.’
The drive to Bill’s gran’s home was a slow one. They were in a family saloon, not too old and not too new. It was easy for him to hotwire and it didn’t stand out against the surrounding population of cars.
Neither of them had spoken for a few miles until Valerie blurted out: ‘How did you really know Freddie?’
‘More questions?’
‘A lot more.’
Bill paused for a moment, thinking how to word it. ‘After I left the force and started up my agency I was hired by a man. A man you may well know. His name is Preston.’
‘Our Preston?’
‘The one and the same. He isn’t dead. He’s just pissed and wants Matherson out.’
‘No, you’re lying.’
‘No I’m not. He ordered Michael killed because Freddie crippled him and wanted to ruin his life.’
‘Uh huh.’
‘I did jobs for Preston. Gathered info for him and then he hired me to get close to Freddie. It was easier to get close to Freddie and gain intel on Matherson than it was to go right to the big guy. Plus using the Michael angle to help him made everything easier. I had no idea he would order Freddie murdered, I was just told to gather info, that’s all. Something must have happened for him to make a move like this.’
‘Do you know what happened to Harry Trent?’
‘Preston had him killed after he got me that Wong tape.’
‘So this whole time you’ve known everything and just gone along for the ride? Just like you did with Freddie? For info?’
‘And find out what people know, yes.’
‘So you’re just faking everything?’
‘Truthfully, Val, I was. But not now. I don’t like doing Preston’s dirty work and over the last day or so I’ve found myself questioning everything. Before, I’d just get on with it, although I didn’t like it. I lied before about Freddie’s apartment. It was me who planted the business card. I found the place a mess and left the card for you.’
‘The answer machine message too?’
He nodded. ‘Look I know it’s a cliché but I got too close to you. You have to believe me. I never meant to hurt you. I care for you deeply.’ He reached into his pocket and took out his cell. ‘Look.’
She took it. The screen showed a photograph of a blonde woman in her thirties washing dishes in her kitchen.
‘Who’s that?’
‘My sister, Maria. Preston sent me that picture earlier. He has her watched and if I don’t go along with what he says, she’s dead. That’s how he works, he doesn’t get you, he goes after your loved ones to torture you.’
She took it all in, accepted it and rejected it and now the weight on her shoulders had just got heavier with the realization that she was part of Maria’s fate.
‘Bill. Did Preston murder Michael?’
‘No he didn’t. Cyrus faked everything.’
‘How do you know?’
‘Because I was there. The body was some other kid. Michael is alive, Valerie, and I don’t know where he is. I hate myself and have done ever since for my part in that. But I can’t let him touch my sister.’
‘Every time you open your mouth something worse comes out. How could you know all of this and still do what you’ve been doing? Freddie tore his life apart looking for him.’
‘I know.’
And that was the end of that topic. They continued on through the city. He didn’t drive recklessly. Instead, he drove at the speed limit and indicated at every turn. The initial adrenaline buzz from the chase had fazed and it was just a matter of course now getting to their destination.
‘I love my sister,’ he said. ‘But one wrong move and she’s gone and she doesn’t even have a clue.’
Valerie was chilly and restless. She turned the heater on, but it didn’t work.
Story of my life.
Bill said, ‘It was Preston who wanted to take Lucy. I risked my sister’s life to save the both of you.’
‘Why did he want Lucy?’
‘I have no idea.’
She sank into her seat and looked outside. ‘I just can’t believe Preston is alive. Freddie thought he was dead all this time. If he had only finished the job he started at Amber Heights and killed Preston, this mess would never have happened.’
Bill shut up now. What was left to say? He cruised through the city passing endless rows of shops and shoppers.
Valerie watched them all going about their lives as she had done earlier.
‘Bill?’
‘What now?’
‘Do you know Cyrus well?’
‘Yes.’
‘You son if a bitch, who the hell is he?’
‘Preston rescued him from Northbrook.’
‘Do you realize that we could have saved Jackson’s life? You know Freddie’s murderer, you knew all along and just strung me along. You really are a bastard.’
‘Hey!’ he snapped. ‘It was either do my job or lose Maria.’
‘Can we just do this when we get to the house?’ he said, turning into the street.
‘Fine, but this isn’t over.’
Bill nodded as he pulled the car into a driveway. The house was set back from the road with a good amount of land around it.
‘Here we are.’
Police littered Matherson’s office with uniformed officers, plain clothed officers, and crime scene guys going about their work as they had many times before.
‘Would you look at that view,’ said McGowan, looking through the window.
Baker wasn’t interested and walked into the meeting room, knowing the contents of Matherson’s desk was in evidence bags and anything of interest would have been brought to his attention.
‘Bit old school isn’t it? Cabinets?’ said McGowan, looking around the room.
‘He’s a man of tradition from what I gather. He does have a computer in the reception but these don’t leave a digital trail.’
‘I’ve been wondering where Jackson Matherson is. He’s usually buzzing around his father like flies and shit.’
‘I’m sure he’s around somewhere.’
‘Maybe he’s made a run for it. Or maybe that was him over there,’ McGowan said, pointing to the blood mark on the floor. ‘He’s got a ton of cash, that guy. He could be anywhere. We searched Matherson’s house many a time in the past and nothing came up, not even a hundred dollar bill. They always dealt with cash though, so it must be somewhere. We used to think it was in Jackson’s apartment only we couldn’t get a warrant to search it. He kept moving too, which made finding him more difficult.’
‘Let me guess, crooked judges too?’
McGowan nodded. ‘Matherson had most of the city in his pocket. I think he only let us search his house because there was nothing to find.’
Putting on gloves, Baker opened the cabinets. Inside were files of Matherson’s businesses and finances. Flicking through it, nothing caught his eye until he grabbed a file with ‘LENKA’ written on it. He knew who Lenka was and knew her well. She was there in Bridgewater when he was undercover. It was her that led him to Southbrook in the first place. He didn’t want to get into that with McGowan so left the file where it was and moved on to the next one, which contained more of the same. He was getting impatient.
Give me something for God’s sake.
He slammed the cabinet door, knocking something loose behind it. ‘You hear that?’
Reaching behind, he picked up a ledger. How it got there he didn’t know, or care.
Most of the pages were torn or missing.
McGowan looked over his shoulder. ‘What is it?’
‘Looks like some of Matherson’s payoffs were in here.’ He pointed to a page that said $20,000 and the beginning of someone’s name on a partly torn page. ‘This could be the key to finding any cops on Matherson’s payroll. Look for the other pages.’
McGowan did just that, pulling each cabinet out and searching behind, under, and inside, not finding any missing pages but something else instead: a file.
‘Looks like the missing file on the Michael murder,’ he said. ‘Wong too. And Northbrook, we hit the jackpot.’
Baker grabbed an evidence bag, placing them inside. ‘Well at least we’re getting somewhere. Now we need to find out who took it.’ He handed it to an officer along with the torn ledger and said, ‘Get this back to the office and get someone to try and figure out what else was written in it.’
The officer nodded and left.
Baker’s cell rang and he answered. It was the guy at the station regarding the signing in sheets.
‘Sir, a whole bulk of login sheets are missing. Someone’s taken them.’
Baker closed his phone before the guy could finish. He’d heard enough.
Another damn obstacle.