‘The drug smuggling.’
‘How?’
‘It was the money. There was just too much, and Griffiths had asked for some financial records on a previous occasion.’
‘Did he receive them?’
‘No.’
‘Why did you assume it was drug smuggling?’
‘What else could have generated that sort of money?’
‘One million pounds?’
‘Yes, that’s it,’ Fortescue said, fully aware of another thirty million offshore.
‘Mr Fortescue, where are you hiding all your money? We will find out in time.’
‘I’ve already told you I will supply you with my bank records.’
Both police officers realised that pursuing Fortescue over hidden financial assets was futile.
‘Let’s come back to the meeting,’ Isaac said. ‘Why was Lord Allerton killed later that day?’
‘Allerton had told Codrington he wanted out,’ Fortescue said.
‘What did Codrington say?’
‘He made it very clear that if he went down, so would we, that’s all.’
‘That’s all!’ Donaldson exclaimed.
‘The meeting ended badly.’
‘Are you aware that Lord Allerton had phoned me before your meeting?’ Isaac said.
‘No, but he said he was ready to confess.’
‘What did Codrington say?’
‘He just repeated what he had said previously. All four of us were guilty and if he went down, then so would we.’
‘My client has been open here today. I would suggest that you focus on the guilt of others, not my client,’ Cameron said.
Isaac ignored the lawyer. ‘You’ve admitted to a later meeting in London.’
‘Jacob Griffiths and I met up with Codrington.’
‘Why?’
‘What do you think? Allerton’s dead, we’re implicated, and we don’t know what to do.’
‘What was said at the meeting?’
‘We confronted him over the death of Allerton. He said nothing about it other than he was leaving and we’d never see him again. That’s the honest truth.’
‘Why didn’t you tell us this before?’
‘How? Whatever I say, I’m guilty. It’s the same with Griffiths. We’re respected members of the community without a criminal offence to our names. What were we to do?’
‘Are you planning to leave the country?’ Isaac asked.
‘I will stay and defend myself.’
‘We haven’t charged you.’
‘My political peers will. I’m guilty without a trial.’
***
Back in the office, everyone was delighted. At last they had a connection to Codrington, but no Codrington. It was evident the man was no longer in the country. Bridget had managed to trace where he had been living. He had used the name of Dennis Hennessey when leasing the penthouse flat, subsequently paying cash to purchase it through an offshore company.
Miles Fortescue had left Challis Street Police Station by the back door and in the back of Archie Cameron’s car to avoid the reporters out the front. Even though the police had made no mention of Codrington and the drug trafficking, somehow the press knew something.
It was suspicious, Isaac knew, but it was not their primary issue.
Steve Walters was back in London and ready to be interviewed again, but it was clear that he would not add much to the current investigation. Both he and O’Shaughnessy were in the same prison awaiting trial. Bail had been applied for O’Shaughnessy, but denied.
‘Any ideas on Codrington?’ Isaac asked.
‘We’ve alerted Interpol,’ Bridget said. ‘Also, we’re checking with the airports.’
‘What’s next?’ Len Donaldson asked.
‘Jacob Griffiths,’ Isaac replied. ‘Larry, any idea where he is?’
‘In London. I’ve checked just in case.’
‘Okay, you know what to do.’
Seventy-five minutes later, a late model Mercedes pulled into the car park behind Challis Street Police Station. Jacob Griffiths got out of the car, not with the smiling face that was seen on the television constantly but with the look of a man worried about life.
Isaac watched as he walked across the car park and into the building. Larry walked at his side.
‘Thank you for coming,’ Isaac said as Griffiths walked into the interview room.
‘I didn’t have many options, did I?’
Andrew Rushton, Griffiths’ lawyer, arrived soon after. Isaac had not liked the man the first time; his opinion did not change on their second meeting.
‘If this is a waste of time…’ Rushton said.
‘It is not,’ Isaac’s curt reply.
With the formalities dealt with, the interview commenced, following the same procedure as with Fortescue.
‘Mr Griffiths, we have proof that you received substantial payments as a result of a criminal act,’ Isaac said.
‘Can you prove it?’ Rushton asked.
‘We have interviewed Miles Fortescue. He has admitted that you knew that Keith Codrington was importing large quantities of illegal drugs into this country.’
‘Not at first,’ Griffiths said.
‘When?’
‘When we met with Codrington at Fortescue’s house.’
‘The day of Allerton’s death?’
‘Yes.’
Len Donaldson and Isaac knew immediately that Griffiths had been contacted by Miles Fortescue after he had left the police station. They knew further questioning would only give them parrot responses, with each of the two men aiming to corroborate the other’s story, and to prove their ignorance about how Codrington had been able to pay them so well.
‘And yet both you and Fortescue chose not to contact the police. It’s hardly the action of innocent men.’
‘We were not sure what to do.’
‘Are you telling me that Allerton’s been murdered, and you could not come to the police?’
‘Keith Codrington was a vicious man. If he could murder Tim Allerton, he could murder us.’
‘And what about all those drugs you sold? Did you ever worry about them?’
‘We didn’t know.’
‘Rubbish. We have records of conversations between you and Codrington. We are aware that you knew of the murder of Alex Hughenden, even reluctantly agreed to its necessity.’
‘How?’
‘We found a printout of a phone bill with a mobile number at Codrington’s flat. We were able to obtain records of conversations. It’s only a matter of time before you and Fortescue are fully implicated in the murders of five men,
