Are you taking the piss? None of those fucking cowards were man enough to show their faces. He pointed a finger at Warren. I tell you what you lot need to do, you need to arrest anybody that turns up at these things with their face hidden. What have they got to hide? He turned the finger back towards himself. Im fucking proud of what I am. You wont ever catch me wearing a mask.
Its like those burqas. We dont let people wear helmets when they go into the garage or the bank, we should make them take off their masks. Who in their right mind lets someone dressed like a fucking ninja go into a shop? He suddenly giggled. Maybe we should get Bruce Lee to sort them out. The laughter disappeared as quickly as it had appeared.
If their women want to dress like that at home, thats their business, but they shouldnt be allowed on the public streets. He blinked and paused as if hed forgotten his train of thought, before brightening again.
Anyhow, the same should go for those fucking terrorist-lovers at the march, with their ski masks. Traitors to their race they are. They should show some pride in their white skin. He looked towards the CCTV camera in the corner of the room. Fucking White Pride, he shouted.
Warren paused for a beat. It was clear that Meegan was a regular drug abuser and it was taking its toll on his mental stability. He wondered what hed get out of the man.
Finally, Meegans face took on the sullen tone of a teenager. As exasperating as it was, Warren forced himself to remember that the man had just lost his older brother.
Look, Jimmy, help me put together a timeline here. Lets figure out your brothers last moves and then we can work out what happened and bring whoever killed him to justice. He locked eyes with Meegan. I know you dont believe me but I promise you I do want to find your brothers killer. Im a CID officer, working the murder squad. Your brother was a victim and I will find justice for him.
The silence stretched between them. Would the rhetoric persuade Meegan to cooperate or would it push him further away?
Eventually, he nodded.
Take me through the day as it happened.
The story was essentially the same as that told before, with the BAP scattering after the police line was breached, Jimmy Meegan and Goldie Davenport going one direction and Tommy Meegan and Bellies Brandon the other, before they too split.
Warren was suddenly struck with the thought that perhaps if Tommy hadnt abandoned his friend, he wouldnt have been in the alleyway on his own karma?
So you and Mr Davenport must have emerged onto Ackers Street at about the same time as Tommy?
No, we had a bit of a head start.
And you didnt see Tommy come out?
For the first time since the interview had started, Warren saw something other than anger and contempt in his eyes.
Yeah. I never saw him again. He put his head in his hands, hiding his face. Warren waited patiently. He knew better than to offer the man tissues or even acknowledge his distress.
Finally, with a loud sniff, Meegan straightened.
Did you see any other possible witnesses along the way?
Meegan started to shake his head, before suddenly pausing. Hang on, we wasnt the only ones in Stafford Road.
Warren raised an eyebrow.
Yeah, I remember now. There was some bloke hanging around the back of the shop next to the key-cutters.
The Starbucks?
Yeah, must have been.
Warren made a note to prioritise any CCTV from the rear of the coffee shop and other businesses along Stafford Road.
Can you describe this person.
Skinny, Asian, wearing a black turban. Meegans eyes flashed dangerously. Theres your suspect, DCI Jones. Round up all the Pakis, youll solve it before sundown.
Warren ignored the mans language.
Can you remember anything else about him?
Meegan thought for a moment, before shaking his head.
OK, lets go back to The Feathers, just so I have the complete timeline sorted. When did you arrive?
Meegan shrugged. Dunno, I didnt check the time.
Was the pub empty or were there others already present?
We were pretty much first.
And did the rest of your friends arrive soon after?
Yeah, most of them. He grinned. A few got a bit lost on the way, but they made it there eventually with the help of a few friendly natives.
According to the switchboard at least a half-dozen callers had complained about intimidation and foul language as the BAP supporters made their way to their rendezvous point. However, that had been the least of the polices worries by that time, with riot control officers still arresting those protestors who had yet to disperse peacefully and, on the other side of town, uniformed officers hastily dismantling roadblocks to make way for fire engines rushing towards the Islamic Centre.
Why The Feathers?
Why not? Its a free country. Besides, I have a thing for overcooked chicken Kiev.
Did anyone not make it to The Feathers on time?
Bellies, but he got there in the end.
Warren paused for a moment.
When did you realise your brother was missing?
I figured Bellies was late cos hed gone back to find him. When Bellies said he hadnt seen him, I tried to phone him, but he didnt pick up.
What time would you say that was?
Probably about four.
So what then? Werent you worried?
Meegan shrugged. Not really. Hes a big boy. I figured hed either decided to lie low somewhere or hed been nicked.
And so you kept on drinking?
Thirsty work. Meegan looked away. Was that a hint of shame?
Some of the lads kept on calling him, he continued, but it kept on going to voicemail. By about five-thirty we reckoned hed been nabbed and wed hear from him later.
When did you hear about your brothers death?
Meegan looked down at the table again, and Warren worried that he wasnt going to answer. Eventually, he started to speak, his voice soft.
About eight oclock, four coppers came into the bar. We assumed they were there to escort us out. He smiled humourlessly. Perhaps give us a bit more aggro before we left. Wed already given up on Tommy, the coach was waiting to take us home. Id left a message telling him to call me when the pigs let him go and that hed have to crash at Mums if they didnt keep him overnight.
He paused as he remembered.
They knew exactly who they were looking for. They came straight for me.
For the first time since the interview had begun, Meegan paused and reached for the polystyrene water cup.
They asked if I had seen Tommy. I said no, obviously.
Whether he meant that obviously he hadnt seen his brother, or that hed have denied seeing him even if he was sitting next to him, just because, Warren was unsure.
They asked for a private word and I said that anything they had to say to me, they could say in front of my esteemed colleagues.
He took another sip of water.
And then they told me.
Chapter 11
Chapter 11
Well, that was enlightening. Warren sat opposite Theo Garfield, whod been watching the interviews via CCTV. He felt exhausted. Hed had no idea how hard it would be to maintain his professional detachment, or to empathise with the victim. He said as much.
Garfield grimaced. Par for the course, Warren, Im afraid. Id offer to help, but none of them know me and I need to keep it that way. You get used to the language eventually. Theyre just words. He leant back against the wall. Its the hatred I struggle with. I really do think that there is something fundamentally wrong with these guys. They need that hate. There has to be something for them to direct their anger towards, its cathartic. If they didnt have a target, theyd explode.
Warren looked at him thoughtfully. So you think the racism and bigotry is secondary to their need to let out their frustrations?
Garfield shrugged. I really dont know. Im not a psychologist, but I reckon theyve some sort of innate tribalism. If you brought them up from birth in an environment where they never met others with different-coloured skin or from a different culture, theyd divide the world by eye colour. I dont think its a coincidence that these guys are fanatical football supporters. Often they dont even support their local team; they almost arbitrarily pick a team who they have no personal connection with and take part in the most extreme violence in the name of that club, literally risking life and limb. It makes no rational sense.
Warren sighed. These guys arent the biggest arseholes Ive ever interviewed, but theyre close. Still, I got a few leads and their stories pretty much match, so either they were in it all together or theyre telling the truth. What about you? Anything useful?
Garfield shrugged again. I think it was interesting that they largely only had a go at Muslims. These guys are full-spectrum far-right, they usually bring in Jews, blacks, Asians and homosexuals whilst theyre at it.
He scratched his chin. It confirms something Ive suspected for a while. Ever since Tommy Meegan took over the BAP, weve seen a ratchetting up of the anti-Muslim rhetoric, at the expense of some of the other crap. That might just be because of recent events; Islamic State, Boko Haram and Al Quaeda are stealing all the headlines lately. He shifted his stance. The thing is, forget idiots like Bellies Brandon and Goldie Davenport, theyre just foot soldiers who couldnt find their arse with both hands. The brains are people like Tommy Meegan. He definitely wasnt an idiot. He knew the way the wind was blowing.
Old school racism against blacks or other minorities just because they look or speak differently hasnt completely died out, but its generally social suicide if you express it publicly. When was the last time you saw anyone admit to owning a Bernard Manning DVD? Overt homophobia is also a no-no. Plenty of prejudice still exists, but opponents of gay marriage are seen as out of touch and embarrassing in this country; if the thought of gay sex is icky to you, you keep it to yourself. You cant even criticise Israel without making it clear that you arent an anti-Semite first.
Weve seen it in the evolution of organisations like the BNP; out go the jackboots and the Combat 18 jackets, in come the sharp suits and the election manifestos. Until UKIP started stealing their thunder, they even had some success. Nick Griffin was invited on the BBCs Question Time, remember mind you, he got such a spanking, it probably did him more harm than good.
And you think the BAP are going that way?
Well, quite the opposite, we thought. The BAP were supposedly one of a number of ragtag groups formed out of the old guard who didnt want to go down the political route. They were proud of who they were. I have to confess, our intelligence on them was pretty slim until recently, much of the information we had on the key players came from their previous associations with more established groups, or through other sources such as criminal records.
So what changed?
The rhetoric on social media, primarily. We were already watching Islamophobic groups, such as Britain First, and when we saw the BAP starting to share followers and content, we started to pay attention.
At first, we saw them as a bit of a joke. The usual muddled neo-Nazi rhetoric, wrapped up with so-called British patriotism a ridiculous contradiction if you think about it too hard, citing Winston Churchill in one breath and praising everything he stood against in the next. Their philosophy varied depending on who was in charge of their Facebook page that day. But when Tommy Meegan became their de facto leader, that all changed.
Tommy recognised that Islam is fair game nowadays and he started playing on those fears, whilst also moderating their public image. He understood that its about far more than how many troglodytes you can pack in a coach and drive to a rally. Its about how many retweets or likes you get on social media.
Protests against so-called super mosques are just a bone to keep the hardcore onside and stop them pissing off to join somebody else. Tommy Meegan knew that hed never effect social change that way. But a leopard doesnt change its spots and he and his brother were nasty, violent pieces of work. Wherever the hell he is now, Ill bet Tommy Meegan is loving every minute of this; his death could lead to the sort of race war he could only dream of in his lifetime.
Warren needed to change the subject.
So how did you get into this game?
Garfield pointed to himself.
Well, when youre the colour I am, growing up in Liverpool in the Seventies and Eighties, racial politics is hardly something that passes you by. He held out his hand. This sexy brown is the result of a white mum and a black dad.
Now I know what youre thinking: I was brought up by a single mum on a housing estate in Toxteth with no opportunities and no job prospects until I decided to turn my back on a life of crime and either enlist in the army or join the police.
Warren said nothing; hed not really given it much thought, but it was obvious Garfield enjoyed telling the story.
Actually, it was far worse than that. I was born into a loving family in the Wirral thats the posh end of Liverpool you know, indoor toilets and electric lighting, Warren smiled; hed heard the exact same joke told about parts of Coventry many times. My father was second-generation Jamaican and only retired as a consultant gynaecologist last year. He was the most well-spoken man in the street. My mother is still an education officer for the council and Ive never heard them exchange an angry word. They sent me to the best school in the area and I went to university in Manchester and got a first in History.
Oh. Warren wasnt entirely sure where this was going.
Mum and Dad did their best to shield me from everything of course, but they couldnt be there in the playground at school, or on the bus on the way home. It got a bit better when I joined the local sixth-form college; I wasnt the only mixed-race kid anymore and most of the real racists never made it that far.
By the time I went to university, I figured the worst of it was over. He snorted. The first time somebody threw a stone at me and shouted at me to fuck off home, I pledged not to wear my Liverpool shirt in Manchester again. The second time I heard it, I wasnt wearing my shirt and the penny dropped.