“Bloody hell, how the other half live, eh?” Katy shuddered at the thought of spending that much on a piece of metal that gets someone from point A to point B on a map.
“Sickening, isn’t it? Apart from that, I can’t see anything that strikes me as odd. I’ll keep digging, go back six months or so, shall I? If I can stand it,” she added, disgruntled.
“Yep, if you would. Great work so far as it kind of puts her in the clear, if there are no large sums paid out to a possible hitman, for now. It’s always good when we can say that.”
Katy drifted back to Steve’s desk. “Have you got the next one lined up yet?”
“I have.”
“Interesting. Let’s run it through, frame by frame and see what we can ascertain from it.”
“The two goons in suits boarded the boat here. Looks like one of them had a gun, which matches up with the police report. According to the river police, the reason their guys boarded the boat was because a member of the public reported shots being fired.”
“Bugger. Okay, can we see where and how the gun was used?” Katy peered closer at the grainy image. “Why is it we never get a decent image from these bloody cameras? Wait, was that a spark?”
“Yep, the goon fired his gun.” Steve zoomed in closer.
Katy pointed. “The girl, is that her on the deck?”
“It is. Bloody hell, they tried to keep control over him by hurting her.”
“Bloody figures. Sodding cowards. Personal views aside. One of the goons is now manhandling her, taking her downstairs.”
“Makes sense, she’d be less of a distraction then.”
“Wait. There’s a scuffle broken out. Another gunshot?”
“Looks like it. Ray’s gone down as if he’s been hit.”
Katy nodded. “Patti took a bullet out of his side. Shit, who are these men? Can we run their faces through the system or is it too much to hope for, that we get a hit from these shoddy images? It should be compulsory for these places to have decent cameras installed.”
“I agree. Okay, the police boat is coming alongside. Ray ties the rope over the rail there to anchor them. Two officers climb on board. There’s a discussion, and then the officer reaches for his Taser. Another two shots from the gun. Fuck, both officers go down.”
Katy closed her eyes for an instant and said a silent prayer for the two brave officers. “What the actual? One’s not moving. Bugger, the other one appears to be pleading for his life, that’s what it seems like to me.”
Two more shots lit up the screen. “They refused to listen to him and shot him at point blank.”
Katy shook her head. “Killed in the line of duty with just a bloody Taser gun at their disposal.”
“It’s nonsensical and beyond me,” Steve replied.
“Ray seems irate. It would appear he’s struggling, possibly asking to seek medical help for himself and the girl.”
“He asked but he didn’t receive any. The boat starts up. The goons untied the police boat to set it free.”
“I’m going to need to source another disc. Hold on a sec, boss.”
Katy smiled. The adrenaline pumping through her system made her throat dry up. She bought the team a coffee, and by the time she and Charlie had distributed the cups, Steve had the next instalment ready to view.
“The boat’s travelling at excessive speed, not sure I’ll be able to keep up with the action for long,” Steve said. “This is the final source of footage from the pubs along that stretch of the river.”
“It is what it is, Steve, nothing we can do about it.”
They watched the boat speed down the river, being chased by a second police cruiser and round the next bend. That’s when the footage ended.
“Okay, at least it’s given us an insight into what went down. A useful account for when we haul these guys in for questioning.”
“Will the footage stand up in court?” Charlie asked then took a sip from her coffee.
“In my opinion, it’ll be hard to discount. Who knows what the CPS will say, though, or the defence for that matter? Let’s cross that bridge when we come to it.”
4
In a warehouse in the East End, Robert Anderton paced the floor, seething. “I told you to get the frigging boat off him. I wasn’t bothered about the drugs. I needed that boat, and now it’s gone up in bloody smoke. I’m holding you fuckers responsible for screwing up my plans. That boat would have come in handy over the coming month for what I have in mind. But no, you two knobheads had to do things your way.”
“We’re sorry, boss. We got flustered when the cops showed up.”
“They’re bound to show up if you fire a fucking weapon in the heart of London. Jesus, have your brains packed up and gone on holiday or something?”
“Yeah, I mean, no, boss,” Caves replied.
Anderton threw him a warning glance which forced him to shut his trap. “Now, when people screw my plans up there’s only one punishment I can think of. You’re aware of how I work and what you got yourselves into. Which one of you is going to volunteer to pay the penalty?”
Stitch and Caves glanced at one another, their eyes wide with fear. Each of them pointed at the other and said in unison, “Him.”
“What the fuck? You guys are really starting to tick me off now. Grow some balls and pick one between you. Go over there and discuss it and then come back here and tell me what you’ve decided.”
Stitch and Caves ambled across to the other side of the room and, amidst the pile of high-stacked crates, they held a conversation which ebbed and flowed between calm and irate tones.
“Well? I’m waiting,” Anderton bellowed.
The men returned, and each of them shrugged.
“And what the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“Er, we can’t decide, boss,” Caves mumbled in his deep voice.
Anderton glanced over at the other
