‘Mr Fortescue, we have his phone records. We know that you spoke by phone with Lord Allerton on the day of his death. Do you deny this?’
‘Yes, no…’
‘Which is it?’
‘My position here…’ Fortescue mumbled.
‘Sir, your position as a member of parliament is not of interest to us. The murder of Lord Allerton is.’
‘And mine. He was a friend. I had known him for nearly thirty years. Of course I’m interested in who killed him, but I need to protect my position from any hint of scandal.’
‘We are only interested in the death of Lord Allerton. And what do you mean by scandal?’
‘Figuratively speaking, you realise. Proven or otherwise, my friendship with a murdered man will raise concerns, questions about my suitability.’
‘Are these more important than the death of your friend?’
‘No. What do you want to know?’
Wendy knew the man was feigning interest. It was evident to her that Fortescue was the worst kind of parasite, the type that pretends to be benevolent and caring while sucking its victim dry.
‘On the day he died, Lord Allerton was in London. Did you know this?’ Wendy asked.
‘He never mentioned it.’
‘You said that you spoke to him by phone. What did the two of you talk about?’
‘Nothing important. He seemed a little tense, but no more than normal.’
‘What do you mean by no more than normal?’
‘Allerton was a worrier, that’s all. He always was.’
‘Even at Eton?’ Wendy asked.
‘Even there.’
‘Let me come back to his time in London. Did you meet with him?’ Larry asked.
‘No.’
‘You have a place in Belgravia?’
‘That’s on the public record. Ebury Street.’
‘Lord Allerton’s Bentley was parked not more than a five-minute walk from your house.’
‘I didn’t know that. It’s possible. The man knew other people in London.’
Fortescue stood up from the chair he had been sitting in. He moved to the window, looked out at the River Thames. Wendy thought the man was trying to get rid of them. She knew that he felt disdain for them, but if he knew Allerton and had met him, it could mean guilt by association. Fortescue may have thought his rank gave him certain protections, but with her and Larry Hill it did not.
‘We have reason to believe that Lord Allerton was involved in the importation of illicit drugs into this country.’
‘Rubbish!’ Fortescue said. ‘He was the most honest man you’d ever meet. He wouldn’t last thirty minutes as a member of parliament.’
‘Do you need to be dishonest to be an MP?’ Wendy asked.
‘You know what I mean. Here, you need to play the game, bend with the wind, follow the party line. Not always so easy.’
‘Coming back to Lord Allerton’s confession,’ Larry said.
‘What confession?’
‘Lord Allerton phoned our DCI and stated that he was coming into the police station to confess and to name names. Was yours one of those names?’
Fortescue approached perilously close to Larry. ‘The next time we meet I will be with my lawyer. In the meantime, I will contact Commissioner Davies and make an official complaint. If you’re a police officer next week, it will be more by good luck than anything else. Your career is finished.’
‘Is that a threat, sir?’ Larry asked.
‘It’s a statement of fact. Now, I suggest you leave before I have you thrown out.’
Chapter 23
Detective Chief Superintendent Goddard reacted with alarm when Isaac informed him of his DI and sergeant’s meeting with Miles Fortescue. ‘How can I protect them, you?’ Goddard said. ‘Before it was always Davies trying to exert his influence, look after his own people, but now an official complaint from an MP, no less.’
‘He’s involved.’
‘Can you prove it?’
‘Not conclusively. We need him to break first.’
‘And how do you plan to do that?’
‘We keep the pressure on.’
‘I thought Serious and Organised Crime Command were dealing with the drug trafficking,’ Goddard said. He was stamping up and down his office on the third floor at Challis Street Police Station. Isaac Cook, his DCI, was standing still, allowing the man the opportunity to vent his spleen. Isaac knew the routine; the man would blow his top for a few minutes and then calm down. Only then could they talk seriously.
Isaac knew that if his DI and sergeant were suspended pending a full enquiry, then he was threatened, as well as his DCS.
‘Give me the facts,’ Goddard said. He had sat down behind his desk.
‘Len Donaldson of Serious and Organised Crime Command is working on the drug trafficking. We’re working on the murders. We know who the murderers are: Devlin O’Shaughnessy and Steve Walters.’
‘Isn’t that the end of your work? Just wrap that up, and our side of the case is complete.’
‘O’Shaughnessy’s under lock and key; Walters is still at large.’
‘Walters killed Allerton?’
‘We found prints on the Land Rover. It’s him alright, and we can prove he killed Hughenden. So far, there is no one that we can prove for the murder of Rodrigo Fuentes.’
‘Then catch Walters.’
‘Not so easy. We’ve not been able to find him yet.’
‘Unless you can prove Fortescue’s direct involvement in the murders, you’ll not win on this one.’
‘He’s not our primary suspect.’
‘Who is?’
‘Keith Codrington, Lord Allerton’s cousin.’
‘And where is he?’
‘His whereabouts have always been unclear. We haven’t located him yet.’
‘What do you want me to do?’ Goddard asked. ‘Every time you put me on the spot. Have I got to take on the commissioner again to save your skin?’
‘Yes, sir. I’m afraid you must. We need the person or persons who ordered the deaths of five people that we know of. They, or he, are more dangerous than those who carried out the crimes. There’s one
