“That shouldn’t be too difficult. May I enquire why you need to contact him?”
“It’s a little difficult.”
“Mr Maynard. I’m a private investigator. I deal with the difficult every day. However, I only get involved in things that are legal so to ensure I stay within the law, I need to know your reasons. And unless what you tell me involves something illegal then everything you tell me is confidential.”
“No, I can understand that. The reason I wish to contact this man is because he was a witness when my daughter was killed in a hit and run accident. Then when it went to court, he suddenly changed his mind. I merely want to speak with him and find out if any pressure was put on him by the person involved in the hit and run who I now read in the newspaper is not as innocent as I first thought.”
“Ah. I see. And what is the name of the person involved in the hit and run?”
“Kevin O’Connor.”
“Mmm. If it’s the person, I suspect it is he’s not a nice character to get involved with. I hope you are not thinking of confronting him.”
“No. I just want to talk to the witness and find out if he was made to change his statement in any way and if he was, I hope to get him to tell the police. All I want is justice.”
“Look, Mr Maynard. Let me be straight with you. You’re speaking to an ex-police detective with over thirty years of experience. If you really want justice then don’t go to the law. My best advice is to spend time grieving over your daughter and then move on with your life. The chances of you getting justice using the court system are slim to none. There’s a good reason most police officers nowadays refer to it as the criminal injustice system. And the CPS as the Criminal Protection Service. Take my advice. Walk away.”
“I’ve made up my mind. Can you help me or not?”
“Very well. My fees are £400 a day. For that I can supply the details you want by tomorrow. I would require payment in advance.”
“Great. Thank you. Do you accept payment by Amex or I can arrange a bank transfer from my company account Trentbridge Engineering.”
“Oh, you’re that Roger Maynard. You probably don’t recall, but about twenty years ago you came and repaired one of the cells at the police station when that circus strongman we arrested nearly broke the door down.”
“Josh, yes I remember now. One of the officers told me he was the strongest man they had ever seen. He said it took six of your biggest men and a dart full of tranquiliser to overpower him. Yes, we must have met back then. Anyway, Mr Jones, thank you for the details and I’ll send a payment through to you.
“Thank you, Mr Maynard. I’ll be in touch tomorrow, but please think about what I have said otherwise you’ll endure months of court procedure with no closure at the end. If Kevin O’Connor has been found not guilty, even if the witness lied it might not go back to court. The Crown Prosecution Service would prefer not to get involved in cases like this. In my experience, they will try to bury it in red tape. But it’s your money.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
SAVERLAND
The next day Roger Maynard received a phone call from Phil Jones.
“Good morning, Mr Maynard. I’ve just sent you a file with the details you requested plus a little more. In my experience, if you decide to approach Will Gleeson, then I would try to talk to him as he leaves work and invite him for a drink. He might not appreciate you turning up on his doorstep and he might just slam the door in your face. People can be very defensive if they are at home. It’s their familiar domain, and they feel stronger. After work, he might be in the mood for a drink and a chance to put across his side of things. If you do approach him my advice would be to smile, put out your hand to shake his as you introduce yourself and don’t raise your voice or look angry. Think of yourself as a priest taking confession. If you catch him right, he’ll open up to you. I hope that helps. The file I’ve sent over tells you where he works and what time he usually leaves. Good luck.”
Five minutes later, Roger Maynard checked his emails and found the one from Phil Jones and opened the attachment.
The file contained a lot more information than he expected.
The details saying Will Gleeson was a security guard at a wholesale warehouse called Saverland. It said he finished work at 9 p.m. The file also included a photo of him leaving work, obviously taken the previous evening, and the registration number of his blue Nissan Micra. A map showed where the staff member’s car park was and even the access code for the barrier. Phil had done a good job. There was also a note telling Roger that the wholesale warehouse was closing down at the end of the week and so he wasn’t sure where Will Gleeson would be working in the future. From what he could find out in the time, he was due to move out of the area. Better to see him as quickly as possible.
“Hello, Mr O’Connor. It’s Will Gleeson. I did a favour for you in court.”
O’Connor’s voice was harsh. “What are you calling me for? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“It’s not a trap. I’m not recording this. The thing is, the place where I work is closing down this week. I need some money to move down to Poole to be near my son. Look, £4,000 and I’ll be out of your hair once and for all.”
“When and where shall
