He had been observing Kevin and his son Tyson for a week. So far he had only followed them during the daytime when they seemed to go out and undertake work such as gardening and laying driveways at various houses. The reporter had indicated they were involved in a lot more.
From what Roger had observed a few days earlier, the canal boat could be involved. And he now had all the equipment to watch the back of the property from across the river. He needed to find out more.
Then, he wanted need to find out what they got up to at night as well. The illegal drugs trade they were rumoured to be involved in. If he could find evidence then he could report it to the police. That would put them away in prison for a very long time.
So far he had collected evidence of their daytime activities and put together a file of what he had observed. But it wasn’t enough. He would need to go deeper into the murky lives of these people.
With all this undercover work, Roger was beginning to understand what the police had to do to catch criminals. It certainly wasn’t like you see on TV. So far he’d spent a week watching the O’Connor’s, and he was only just beginning to get an idea of all the things they were involved in.
He hoped he could find some more incriminating evidence over the next two or three of weeks. He had an important trip coming up that he didn’t want to miss. He would only be away for a week, so it might take another couple of months before he could move on to stage two of his plan. But if he could find enough evidence to present to the police then it would be worth it.
He never imagined he would ever be in this position. He wasn’t sure if what he was doing was for revenge or justice but the more he discovered about the O’Connor family, the more determined he was to see them behind bars.
Chapter Twenty-One
PHIL JONES
Roger Maynard was starting to see things in a different light. The more he looked in to it, the more he realised there was far more to this man than he had ever imagined.
And another thought occurred to him. Maybe if Kevin O’Connor was cunning and nasty enough to be involved in all these things then maybe, just maybe he could have bribed or threatened the witness in his daughter’s hit and run to change his story. After all, the police had originally told him the witness was rock solid and highly reputable. It might be worth Roger going to speak with him. Maybe he could get a retrial and some sort of justice and closure.
But how do you go about tracking down a witness? The police would almost certainly discourage you from speaking with him. They wouldn’t simply hand over his details.
One of the first things Roger needed to find out was what evidence the police would need. He didn’t want to go to the police at this stage as he didn’t feel he had enough information and he didn’t want to play his hand too quickly. But he needed advice.
His understanding, from what he’d seen on TV shows, was that private investigators were usually ex-police officers. Maybe if he could find someone with that sort of background they could advise him on the best route to take.
Roger decided to take the easy way. He opened his iPad and searched Google for Private Investigators in Trentbridge. The first name to come up was Phil Jones Investigations.
According to the website, Phil Jones had been a high ranking police detective for thirty years before he took early retirement and started his business. Then, the previous year, he had been joined in the operation by another ex-detective James Sheldon.
Roger recalled reading about James Sheldon in the newspapers. It seems he had been a rising star in the police force until his family were killed in a hit and run. His wife and two kids had died instantly, and he had turned to drink and made homeless after pouring the mortgage payments down his throat.
So this man would understand the anguish Roger was going through.
After becoming homeless, he had found shelter behind a local hotel. Then, in a bizarre twist of fate, he had won £168 million on the Lotto. The hotel had been threatened with closure to make way for a development of luxury flats, so he had bought it to save the jobs of the people who had looked after him.
He had also invested £75 million in buying an out of town derelict council estate with 880 houses and brought it back to life and then rented the houses to local families at a knockdown price. The area had been separated from the main town being on the opposite side of the River, so he had got planning permission for a bridge to connect it with the town. He had also paid for a school and doctors surgery and allowed local industry to rent units at affordable rents to help bring jobs to the area. He had set up a charity to oversee the project and named it MJA Housing Trust, after his family: wife Miriam and kids, Jack and Abigail.
Then he had gone into a partnership of the investigation agency with his old colleague.
Yes. Maybe this could be the man who would be able to help. It was worth a phone call. But before asking for advice, it might be worth finding out just how good they are at finding people.
“Hello. Phil Jones Investigations. Phil Jones speaking. How can I help you today?”
“Oh hello, Mr Jones. My name is Roger Maynard. I’m wondering if you can
