The Body in the River (39 page)

The accountant was lost for words for a moment, then he stammered,
‘
This is preposterous, I am simply collecting these documents on behalf of a client.
’

Gerrard smiled as he wrote this in his notebook. Foreman handcuffed the prisoner and produced from a pocket a large clear plastic evidence bag. As she unfolded it, she said to the manageress,

‘
Please watch what I
’
m doing.
’

She then put the papers from the briefcase into the evidence bag and asked the woman to sign the label. She would later be asked to write a brief statement confirming that the contents of the evidence bag had been in a safe deposit box rented by Silver. The two detectives then marched McBride away.

*

When they arrived at the charge room at City Road Police Station, they found Brookes and DI Mann waiting for them. Foreman gave Brookes a smile and nodded towards the documents Gerrard carried. She then turned to the custody officer and handed him the arrest warrant.

She said,
‘
I
’
ve arrested Mr McBride on suspicion of handling goods that are the proceeds of crime. We need for him to be detained while we investigate further. This briefcase and the contents of the evidence bag were taken from him and need to be shown on the custody sheet as having been in his possession when arrested.
’

The four detectives waited impatiently whilst the custody sheet was completed, including a list of the contents of McBride
’
s pockets and, significantly, the briefcase and property deeds. This list was signed by the prisoner.

Once it was done, Brookes said to the custody officer,
‘
I want to examine the documents in the prisoner
’
s presence and note the contents, OK, Sergeant?

The custody officer nodded.
‘
He
’
s your prisoner, sir.
’

In a stern voice, Brookes said,
‘
He is indeed. But we will follow the correct procedure here, if you please, Sergeant.
’

Suitably chastened, the custody officer blushed and nodded.

McBride stood watching as Brookes and Mann examined the papers. Reading through the first sheath of papers, Mann pointed to a signature on the last page. It was clearly that of Raymond Silver.

Brookes said quietly to himself,
‘
Got you, you toerag.
’

*

‘
When storm clouds brood on the towering heights

Of the hills of the Chankly Bore.
’

Edward Lear

To say that Silver was furious when he got the news of Brookes
’
seizure of the property deeds would be an understatement. He vowed to kidnap Brookes, first torture him, then kill him slowly. But whilst he languished in prison, Brookes knew he was not in any danger and the listening devices planted at the club and the flat above should give warning of Silver
’
s intentions when he was released.

In the meantime, the detectives were busy. Brookes and Middlemiss were making their preparations to interview the accountant, Ian McBride. A CRO check had been done on the man and it was found that he had no criminal record. Indeed, apart from his association with Silver, his reputation as an accountant as well as a citizen was untarnished.

But a check with Richard Mann, who had obtained information from a contact at H.M. Dept. of Revenue & Taxes concerning accounts managed by McBride would be useful in the interview. The regulations regarding the detention of suspects were designed to ensure that people were not kept in police custody longer than necessary. The maximum period allowed without court appearance was twenty-four hours. And then only with the sanction of a police superintendent. Being of that rank, Brookes was able to sanction this himself.

In the meantime, a Detective Superintendent Alan Chalmers of The Internal Affairs Unit at Scotland Yard, accompanied by Detective Sergeant William Robinson, arrived at City Road Police Station and went straight into private conference with Chief Superintendent Charles Leighton. They were there for an hour with the door closed and Leighton
’
s personal assistant guarding it. Then they interviewed Collins in Leighton
’
s office and a statement was taken from him.

By the time the meeting ended, Collins
’
police warrant card had been taken from him and he had been suspended from duty, pending the result of an investigation into his behaviour. An hour later, Haggard had suffered the same fate. Neither would ever return to duty. Both would later be charged with offences ranging from accepting bribes, obstructing police investigations, bringing the force into disrepute, and dereliction of duty. Both would eventually serve prison sentences for their crimes.

Back at Leman Street, at 10am the next morning, Brookes was finally ready to interview McBride. He knew the detention clock was ticking and he had until 4.30 that afternoon, when McBride must be released or charged. He was accompanied by DS Middlemiss, an experienced and accomplished interrogator. Derek Short, Richard Mann, and Jacqui Rose would watch a live video of the interview in the incident room on the floor above.

McBride was accompanied by a solicitor, a slim figure of a man, of fifty or so. He wore a pin-striped suit, white shirt, and old school tie. His name was Francis Banham-Cross. Brookes wasn
’
t sure which old school he
’
d attended but judging by the man
’
s affected speech and manner it was one of the more exclusive ones that, despite his lack of height, had taught him how to look down his nose at people.

Brookes first inserted fresh tapes into the twin tape recorder, switched the machine on, and stated the names of those present.

He then said,
‘
Mr McBride, first I must remind you that you are still under caution. You are not obliged to say anything. But it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something you later rely on in court. Anything you do say will be recorded and may be used against you in evidence. Do you understand that?
’

McBride cleared his throat loudly and said,
‘
Yes.
’

‘
Please state your profession.
’

‘
I am an accountant.
’

‘
What does that entail?
’

‘
I look after the business and tax accounts of my clients.
’

‘
So you are aware of their profits and losses?
’

‘
Yes, broadly speaking.
’

‘
What does that mean,
“
broadly speaking
”
?
’

‘
It means I am only aware of what they reveal to me.
’

‘
Are you suggesting that they don
’
t reveal all of their income to you?
’

‘
No, not at all.
’

‘
I see. Is Mr Raymond Silver one of your clients?
’

‘
Yes, he is.
’

‘
And how long has he been a client?
’

‘
For some years.
’

‘
How many: five, ten, twenty?
’

‘
About seven years.
’

‘
During that time has he acquired properties abroad?
’

For the first time, McBride looked uncomfortable. He scratched his head, then his nose.

Eventually he said,
‘
Yes, I believe so.
’

Brookes turned to Middlemiss, who had the pile of property deeds from the safe deposit box prominently displayed on the desk in front of him.

Middlemiss opened the top file, turned it around so that McBride could see it, and pointed to a signature.

He said,
‘
Is that your signature?
’

McBride nodded.
‘
Yes.
’

‘
So you were present at the purchase and signed as a witness to the sale?
’

‘
Yes.
’

‘
And the same with all the purchases?
’

‘
Yes.
’

‘
And you handle the holiday rental payments for these properties sent by Holidays Abroad?
’

‘
Yes.
’

Middlemiss turned back to Brookes, who nodded and said,
‘
So you are in this up to your eyebrows, Mr McBride?
’

McBride sighed and turned to his solicitor, who said,

‘
I want to confer with my client in private.
’

‘
Right,
’
Brookes said. Then into the tape recorder mike he added,
‘
Interview suspended at ten fifteen a.m. at the prisoner
’
s request.
’

He and Middlemiss got up and left the room, closing the door behind them.

Brookes said,
‘
So far so good, Fred.
’

Middlemiss nodded.
‘
I reckon he
’
s ready to break, boss.
’

Brookes looked doubtful.
‘
Maybe, Fred, maybe. But I
’
m not sure he
’
ll ever give evidence against Silver; he
’
s too frightened of him.
’

‘
Yea, but if he doesn
’
t he
’
ll get something like twenty years for laundering that sort of money. Sixty million; you could buy one of these Caribbean Islands for that.
’

Brookes smiled.
‘
Maybe even two or three.
’

There was a tap on the interview room door. Brookes opened it to see the solicitor standing there.
‘
My client wishes to talk to you informally before you put the tape back on.
’

Brookes led the way back to the table and sat down.
‘
OK, Mr McBride, what is it you want to tell me?
’

Banham-Cross said,
‘
He is anxious that you should realise that his job as an accountant is to manage his client
’
s finances. But it is not part of his brief to question where capital already acquired by the client came from. Mr Silver does have considerable assets but these were acquired prior to my client
’
s association with him.
’

‘
Really?
’

‘
Yes, really.
’

‘
OK, can we get on with the interview now?
’

Once they were all seated in the interview room again, Brookes started the tape again and said into the mike,

‘
Interview recommenced at ten twenty-five am.
’
Then to McBride he said,
‘
What income does Mr Silver get from The Venus Club?
’

‘
About a hundred and twenty thousand per year.
’

‘
And what other income does he have?
’

‘
The revenue from the property rentals.
’

‘
And what do they amount to each year?
’

This time McBride
’
s body turned towards the door and he sat forward in his seat before he replied. Brookes smiled to himself; the man wanted to run away but knew there was no escape.

Again he licked his lips before he replied,
‘
I don
’
t recall off-hand.
’

Middlemiss thumbed through the top file on the desk in front of him.
‘
What about this place on the island of Mustique. What does he make from that each year?
’

‘
I don
’
t remember exactly, as I
’
ve just said.
’
He paused than added,
‘
I need to confer with my solicitor again.
’