The list of crimes of which he was suspected filled three pages. Drug dealing, living off immoral earnings, assault and attempted murder. In almost all cases, charges either werent filed or were dropped.
As Sheehy had explained, it was the shooting of Frankie Cruise in 1984 that was his undoing and the search warrant obtained after the handgun was found at the scene of a drugs bust in Coventry had led to his trial on a dozen further charges, including two counts of conspiracy to murder, money laundering and possession with intent to supply. As in the past, he was cleared of many of the charges when witnesses failed to attend or his lawyers successfully had them thrown out on a technicality. Nevertheless he received life with a minimum sentence of twenty-two years and eight months for the murder of Frankie Cruise.
He was released on 6 September 2010.
The final page contained a list of Delmarnos known associates. Most were either behind bars themselves or dead, either of natural causes or murdered. It also listed his wife, Jocelyn, and his son, born five years before his fathers incarceration.
If Warren had expected some remarkable insight into the events of the past week or even twenty-four years previously, he was to be disappointed.
Anything you want me to do before I go home, Boss?
The question was as much a peace offering as anything else and so Warren felt even more guilty as he dismissed Tony Sutton for the evening. The older man had looked at him for a few, long seconds before nodding and saying good evening. Sutton was no fool; he knew that Warren was hiding something from him. The two men had barely spoken over the last few hours; for want of a better word, Sutton seemed to have been sulking.
That suited Warren fine. He hadnt yet decided how much to share with Tony Sutton. The man had been investigated immediately after Sheehys arrest and cleared of any wrongdoing, but Warren couldnt dismiss the possibility that he was helping his former DCI and friend to play him, manipulating him to help clear the mans name. Warren hoped that wasnt the case. Hed come to value Suttons counseland friendship, he realised. Until he could be sure, though, he was on his own.
Chapter 12
It was late by the time that Warren arrived back home. Susans expression suggested that he was in for another earbashingit was definitely todays theme.
You did what?
I already knew who he was. I was certain that I wasnt in any danger. Besides, I had my stab vest on.
Covers your neck does it? Even when angry, his wife could be logical to a fault. So what did this Gavin Sheehy want? Did he actually have any evidence to help you work out who murdered that poor man?
Im not sure. The folder he gave me was just the write-up of a fatal collision over the New Year. Nothing jumped out at me.
The two of them had moved into the lounge and the red wine Susan had poured herself seemed to cool her temper somewhat. Nevertheless, Warren was reminded that Susans temperament probably owed more to her fiery mother than her decidedly docile father.
Warren had been thinking about what to tell his wife ever since hed left the office. The fact was, he needed a sounding board; his decision not to tell Tony Sutton the full details of his conversation with Sheehy had left Warren feeling isolated and he valued his wifes insights. And he needed her support. He closed his eyes.
They had been dating for more than two years before Warren had told Susan the full story of his fathers suicide. Theyd been on holiday in Prague, lying in bed after a romantic meal down by the Charles Bridge. Warren had never shared his true feelings about his fathers death and how it had affected him.
Hed been scared that people would see him differentlyand he was ashamed. He knew he shouldnt bethat his fathers sins were not his own, but he couldnt help it.
Susan had listened without saying anything, her tight embrace easing his halting speech until it was flowing like a tapyears of hurt and resentment finally getting its release. When he was eventually finished, shed whispered into his ear, Thank you.
The next day, standing on top of Petřín Hill, Warren had asked her to marry him.
The touch of Susans hand brought Warren back to the present.
For most of my life, Ive thought my father abandoned me and my mum and brother, that he was corrupt and a thief. Today I found out that I may have been wrong all of these years.
Warren felt Susan stiffen. She said nothing. And it was as if hed been transported back in time to that evening in Prague as he again unburdened himself to the woman he loved so much.
What are you going to do? asked Susan when he finally finished.
I dont know. Gavin Sheehy has admitted that he and my father helped secure an unsafe conviction all of those years ago, hes not an honest man. But what if he is telling the truth?
You cant ignore it.
She was righthe had to check the truth of what Sheehy was saying for himself. But how? Events had been successfully concealed for nearly a quarter of a century.
Sheehy claimed to have more information. You have to get it from him. Whatever it takes.
But how can I know if I can trust him?
Does it matter?
What do you mean?
Look at what Sheehys asking you to do. Hes basically asking you to investigate the allegations made against him. Furthermore, hes given you potential clues that could help you solve one confirmed murder and another possible killing. Treat it like any other case. Take what hes given you and add it into the mix. As for the allegations against himsurely it cant hurt to do a bit of digging around, to see if he really is being framed?
Grayson has banned me from looking into Sheehys case.
So when has that stopped you before? She placed her hand on his chest and kissed him lightly on the forehead. Follow your gut, Warren. You need to see this through. If there is any truth at all to what Sheehy is saying, then you need to know.
She kissed him again. We need to know. You cant let it lie; you know that.
Warren nodded, wearily. He was exhausted. Not just from the long hours hed worked, but also the constant adrenaline.
Youre right, he admitted. Ill get Mags Richardson to look over the report into Dr Liebigs accident. She worked Traffic before joining CID. Shell spot any inconsistencies. If it looks as though there are suspicious circumstances, Ill go back to Sheehy and see what else he has.
What about Tony Sutton?
Not yet. He was investigated alongside Sheehy when he was first arrested. I need to satisfy myself that he is completely clean before I bring him in on this.
Susan squeezed his hand again. Well do it quickly. You cant work this alone. You need help.
Susan was right as usual. The logical science teacher had cut through the confusion and suggested a course of action. Marrying her was still the best decision he had ever made.
Chapter 13
Hes walking down the garden path again, the coffee cups balanced in his hands. He tries to stop, the feeling of dread mounting in him, but its useless. His legs, ignoring his desperate commands, carry him relentlessly towards the garage door. Towards what he knows lies on the other side.
Chapter 13
Hes walking down the garden path again, the coffee cups balanced in his hands. He tries to stop, the feeling of dread mounting in him, but its useless. His legs, ignoring his desperate commands, carry him relentlessly towards the garage door. Towards what he knows lies on the other side.
No, not again, he cries out silently. He knows its a dream of course; the same dream that visited him every night for years. Almost a quarter of a century on, the dream comes less often now. But when it does, its lost none of its power.
The rusty hasp needs a tug, and the spilled coffee scalds him. As always, he tries to turn back, but try as he might, hes committed, the same story playing out again and again. His ears are filled with the chugging of the cars engine. His nose is clogged with exhaust fumes.
And then hes at the car door, swinging the hammer with all of his strength. Please let it be different this time, he pleads, just this once.
But its not. The whisky bottle clatters to the floor as he reaches in to turn off the engine. But hes too late again. The last thing he sees before he jerks awake, sobbing, is his fathers white, bloodless face
Warren, its OK. Warren, Im here. Susans voice was soothing, the warmth of her arms around his chest. Gradually his heart rate slowed, calmed by her gentle caresses.
The dream?
Nothing more was required. Theyve been together for eight years and she recognised its symptomsthe crying and the tears, the way he cradled his hand as if scalded by hot coffee. The dream comes to him just a few times a year now, usually around the anniversary or his fathers birthday. It doesnt take a genius to work out why its chosen to come back tonight.
Warren nodded. Reached out for the glass of water on the bedside table and took a long swig.
Im OK now. It only ever comes once. Despite the fluid his voice was croaky.
The bedside clock read three-thirty.
Go back to sleep. He kissed her on the forehead.
Its true, the dream does only come once in a night and afterwards, Warren would sleep a deep and dreamless sleep and would awake in the morning fully refreshed. Its as if its been purged from his system and wont need to return again for at least a few more nights.
But tonight was different. In a few minutes, Susans breathing changed as she drifted back to sleep. But sleep didnt come to Warren. Try as he might he couldnt stop thinking about that night, reliving it again. Why? Why wouldnt his subconscious let it go?
He started to obsess about small details. The way the hasp squeaked as he forced it open. The clatter of the whisky bottle as it hit the floor. His fathers pale, bloodless lips.
The hasp. It squeaked as he forced it open.
As he forced it open.
Suddenly Warren sat bolt upright in bed, realising that what Sheehy had told him must at least be partly true. If his father was inside the garage, who had closed the rusty hasp on the outside of the door?
Sunday 1st April
Chapter 14
Warren finished leafing through the report describing the road traffic collision that had killed the late coroner Dr Anton Liebig and his wife, Rosemary, three months before. Putting it down on his desk he turned to the inquest findings, skimming the legalese before skipping to the narrative verdict. Something wasnt right; he was sure of it. The deaths and their timing were too coincidental, but to his untrained eye everything seemed normal. Despite his reluctance to involve too many people at this stage, he needed help.
Leaning out of his office door, he summoned DS Margaret Richardson from her desk in the far corner. Richardson was a heavy-set woman in her mid forties. A mother of two, she had worked traffic for a number of years before switching to CID.
Warren pushed the printouts across the desk to her. I need your expertise. I want you to read these reports and tell me what you see.
Placing her ever-present bottle of mineral water down next to Warrens laptop, she fished out a pair of small reading glasses, picked up the pile of papers and started reading.
It took her barely five minutes to finish both of the documentsfive minutes that Warren spent trying to appear unconcerned and busy.
Well it seems fairly straightforward at first glance. I can see why the inquest drew their conclusions. She raised a hand, ticking off each point. Dr Liebig was driving late at night, on a narrow country road in poor weather with a blood alcohol level above the legal limit. The car was in good repair, but he was driving too fast for the conditions around a deceptively sharp bend with a reputation as an accident black spot. Best estimates put the cars speed at over fifty miles per hour prior to it leaving the road shortly after the bend.
And the conclusion from the inquest?
Pretty much what Id expect. The car plunged down a steep embankment and impacted a tree, which impaled Dr Liebig through the windshield, killing him instantly. His wife died from massive internal bleeding at the scene as the emergency services attempted to cut her out. Death by dangerous driving, namely excess speed and impairment by alcohol.
Warren nodded. Is there anything in the report that doesnt fit that explanation?
Richardsons tone was cagey. Well, sir, you have to realise that RTCs are complex, especially when there are no witnesses or survivors. There are always unanswered questions; the best we can do is come up with a sequence of events that fits the evidence and decide if an offence has been committed. In the case of a fatal accident, its up to the coroner presiding over the inquest to determine if there was anyone at fault, or if steps should be taken to reduce the likelihood of a similar accident. In this case she recommended safety barriers to prevent cars leaving the road, and improved signage.
Warren leant back in his chair. OK, I understand that, Mags, but I have reason to suspect that this accident might not be as clear-cut as the report suggests. Are there any inconsistencies here or unanswered questions?
Let me have another look. Picking up the papers again, she took a pen out of a coffee cup masquerading as a pencil pot and raised an eyebrow. Warren signalled his agreement. The originals were safely locked away.
This time, she took longer. Warren forced himself to turn back to his bulging inbox, resisting the urge to try and interpret the officers upside-down handwriting. However, he was rereading a missive about next years budget predictions for the third time, and still not comprehending it, when Richardson finally put down the papers and cleared her throat.
Anything?
Well, if you want to turn over every stone, there are a few discrepancies, I suppose. She sounded a little uncomfortable, clearly concerned that she might be overstating her observations.
Im all ears, responded Warren, trying not to sound too eager as he picked up his own pen and turned over a new page in the spiral-bound scribble pad next to the phone.
First off, his blood alcohol level was 85 milligrams per 100 millilitres. Thats only just above the legal limit. That doesnt mean he was safe to drive, but he wasnt pissed. Eyewitness reports state that he drank two small glasses of red wine with a three-course meal, about three hours prior to leaving the golf club. After the wine, witnesses say he switched to soft drinks. An analysis of his stomach contents is consistent with a large meal, traces of red wine and a substantial amount of what appears to be Coca Cola. The pathologist thought there might have been traces of spirits in there, but the blood alcohol results were back so he didnt pursue it further.