‘How long to Manchester?’
‘Three hours. Where to?’ Larry asked.
‘The airport. Bridget will give you the contact once you’re on your way. By the way, what do you have on Fortescue?’
‘We’ve proved that Griffiths was at Fortescue’s house in Belgravia.’
‘At the same time as Allerton?’
‘Yes. The times match.’
It was a sorry looking man who confronted Wendy and Larry on their arrival at Manchester Airport. The police cells had been strengthened for terrorists after the attacks on the city in the past. As it turned out, Walters was their inaugural client since the work had completed.
‘That bastard,’
‘Which bastard?’ Wendy asked later when the formalities had been dealt with.
‘The bastard who sold me the passport. If ever I get my hands on him…’
‘It depends whether he ends up in the same prison as you.’
‘O’Shaughnessy’s the one you want,’ Walters said. Larry recognised the signs: blame someone else, blame life, blame anyone and anything.
‘We’ve already got him, you know that.’
‘He killed Stewart.’
‘What about Pinto, Fuentes?’
‘I know he killed Fuentes. You can’t pin that on me.’
‘Are you saying that you were involved in the death of Pinto?’ Larry knew the truth, but if Walters would give details about Fuentes, it may wrap up that murder as well.
‘I didn’t kill him,’ Walters said, but that was already known by the team at Challis Street. The garage where Pinto had been hidden showed only proof of O’Shaughnessy, although the victim had probably been murdered elsewhere.
The holding cells at Manchester Airport were not the ideal location to conduct an interrogation, but if the apprehended villain wanted to talk, then neither Wendy nor Larry were going to stop him. A local DI was also present to corroborate that all was in accordance with regulations.
‘Tell us about Dougal Stewart,’ Wendy asked.
‘That was Devlin’s idea.’
‘Devlin?’ Larry preferred full names to save any confusion later on.
‘Devlin O’Shaughnessy. I thought we were going to rough him up, frighten him. We knew he was stealing, but that’s hardly a reason to kill the man.’
‘But you were willing to tie him up to a beam with a rope?’
‘I’m a hard case, violence comes easily to me. I had no issue with giving him and Pinto a good thrashing.’
‘That’s been your life, hasn’t it?’ Larry said.
Walters sat calmly on his side of the cell. Wendy could see that the man had made an attempt at altering his appearance. They had been looking for a smallish, well-muscled man with tattooed arms and straggly hair. The man they were interviewing was certainly on the short side, even shorter than Wendy. She estimated his height at five feet seven inches. He wore a suit with a tie, and his hair had been cut short. He also sported a pair of glasses. They looked prescription, but Wendy thought they were the style that you could buy in any pharmacy.
‘I’ve always looked out for myself.’
‘We have your prison record. We know of your convictions for crimes of violence.’
‘I’ve not killed anyone, at least not in this country.’
‘Fuentes. What can you tell us about him?’
‘I knew what O’Shaughnessy was planning to do. Fuentes had been undercutting us.’
‘Why are you telling us?’ Wendy asked. ‘You’re admitting to your involvement in the importation and distribution of Class A drugs.’
‘What’s the sentence for that? Ten years, out in seven for good behaviour.’
‘It’s more than that, but you’ll get out at some stage.’
‘That’s how I see it.’
‘With sufficient money in your pocket,’ Larry added.
‘If you say so. I didn’t kill anyone. I’m not going to jail for that.’
‘We need details about Fuentes. Unless we can prove that you were not involved in any murders, you’ll be convicted for the killings of Stewart and Fuentes.’
‘And Pinto?’
‘We’ve charged O’Shaughnessy with that murder. However, if you want to confess to your involvement…’
‘Not a chance.’
Wendy looked over at Larry. He shook his head imperceptibly. He knew that she wanted to tell him that he had forgotten about the death of Alex Hughenden. He had not.
‘O’Shaughnessy told me he needed me to deal with Rodrigo Fuentes,’ Walters said.
‘Will you testify to that?’ Wendy asked.
‘If I get a reduction in my sentence.’
‘That will depend on the judge.’
‘He’ll go for it; they always do.’
‘You’re very confident.’
‘I’ve been there before.’
‘They don’t like people who grass, on the inside,’ Wendy reminded Walters.
‘I can handle myself.’
‘Coming back to Fuentes,’ Larry said. ‘What happened?’
‘O’Shaughnessy had received instruction that Fuentes had to disappear; give a warning to anyone else who fancied their chances.’
‘Where were you the night of his murder?’
‘I was shacked up with a woman.’
‘Will she give you an alibi?’
‘It’s hardly likely.’
‘Why?’
‘I don’t know her name. We met down the pub. By the time we got back to her place, we were both drunk. I can’t even remember if I screwed her, although she said I did and she was demanding money.’
‘What happened?’
‘I told her to shut up and gave her a couple of hundred pounds.’
‘And O’Shaughnessy killed Fuentes. Did he tell you afterwards?’
‘After a few beers.’
‘What did he say?’
‘He told me that he took him down the river for a few miles, tied chains around his ankles and tossed him over the side. O’Shaughnessy said the man cried like a baby.’
‘What was your reaction?’
‘Nothing. I just ordered another pint.’
‘No sorrow for the man O’Shaughnessy had murdered?’
‘I’m a violent person. Maybe I’ll end up one day dead in a ditch. I’ve got no strong views either way on Fuentes or anyone else. I’ve killed plenty of men in my time.’
‘Your time in the army?’
‘Then I received a medal, and most of those that I killed in the name
