The Body in the River (26 page)

Rose said,
‘
Do you really think the Jamaicans will attack the police station, sir?
’

Brookes scoffed.
‘
They certainly didn
’
t come all this way just to get a tan, Jacqui. Once Fleming
’
s banged up in Paddington Green, Silver and his gang have got no chance of getting at him. They
’
ll either have to hit him here or somewhere on the way to London.

‘
OK, he
’
s our problem, although strictly speaking not yet our prisoner. We can
’
t leave the local police to take all the risks. I
’
ve got some phone calls to make, so I
’
ll leave you to take the day shift, Fred. I
’
ll take over this evening.

Middlemiss frowned.
‘
I
’
d be happier with a gun in my hand, boss.
’

‘
Yes, I
’
m sure you would. That
’
s one of the things I
’
ve got to sort out; exactly what our legal position is as far as carrying firearms is concerned. Remember, technically we have no jurisdiction here. Let
’
s go inside and get Fleming booked in first.
’

He led the way through the front entrance, into the public part of the station. A long counter running its whole length divided the room into two. To the left, on the public side of the counter, a flight of stone steps led up to the floor above. There was a flap at that end of the counter giving access to the rear of the room. In the centre of the room was an old battered desk at which the station sergeant sat. Old-fashioned revolving fans hanging from the ceiling above gently stirred the warm air, providing little more than an illusion of coolness.

At the rear of the room was a blank wall with a heavy wooden door at one end, leading to the charge room. The sergeant smiled at them and pointed to the door. Going through it, they found themselves in the charge office, a windowless room with a stairway in the far corner leading down into the basement and cells. The door to the outside yard was in the wall on the right. The room had the familiar smell, a combination of alcohol, vomit, and disinfectant, common to police charge rooms everywhere.

The only furniture in the room was another battered desk with a single chair, in which Chester Holmes sat, and a wooden bench secured to the wall by brackets. Painful experience had taught police to have no loose items of furniture available that prisoners could use to attack their captors.

Fleming stood at the desk, facing the inspector. His handcuffs had been removed and he stood dejectedly, with his eyes downcast. His hands were clasped in front of him as if protecting his groin. Unshaven face, slumped shoulders, and grubby clothes made him a pathetic figure, far removed from the arrogant, smartly dressed businessman Brookes remembered from their first meeting.

He looked up as they came into the room; his face showed only fear and resignation.
‘
What will happen to me?
’

Brookes snapped,
‘
What do you think will happen to you? You
’
ll be escorted back to London, where you
’
ll be tried for the murder of Alison MacPherson.
’

Fleming licked his lips.
‘
She didn
’
t leave me any choice; once she found out what we were doing, Silver would have killed us both.
’

‘
And what exactly were you doing, Mr Fleming?
’

Fleming gave him a discerning look.
‘
If I tell you, will that help me?
’

Brookes laughed.
‘
If it was up to me, I
’
d throw you to the wolves. But I expect the lawyers might at least find you a safe prison if you co-operate fully. What exactly did Alison find out?
’

There was a long pause whilst Fleming considered his prospects. Then he licked his dry lips again.

‘
The payments for the holiday bookings: they weren
’
t all from members of the public, most of them were Silver
’
s profits from his business. And Silver owned all the properties so he was actually paying himself.
’

‘
When you say Silver
’
s
‘
business
’
, what exactly do you mean?
’

‘
You know what I mean, his criminal empire. Sale of stolen goods, protection, prostitutes, and pornography.
’

‘
Yes, I do indeed know, but needed you to say that. So we are talking about money laundering
–
and how did Alison find this out?
’

‘
She noticed that one villa was booked twice for the same period and queried it. I told her to leave it to me but she insisted on looking into it and found out the clients didn
’
t actually exist. She left me no choice and threatened to go to the police.
’

Brookes held on to his temper; this was the information Aitcheson desperately needed. In a calm voice, he asked,

‘
Exactly how much money was involved?
’

‘
At least sixty million, and it was increasing all the time. I knew months ago that someone would eventually find out, and I wanted to quit. But nobody walks out on Raymond Silver; he
’
s a terrifying man.
’

‘
So you prepared your hideaway months ago; somewhere in Texas?
’

Fleming looked surprised.
‘
How did you find out?
’

Brookes ignored the question.
‘
Why didn
’
t you just run when Alison found out your secret?
’

‘
I needed to settle my affairs in London; I
’
ve got a lot of investments there. If I just ran I knew I
’
d lose all that.
’

Brookes
’
temper finally got the better of him.
‘
You
’
re a pathetic little man and you make me sick. You
’
ve already got millions in the bank here yet you kill an innocent young woman so you can get your grubby little hands on more.
’
Turning to Holmes he said,
‘
Put him in a cell, Chester, before I throw up.
’

Holmes nodded and completed the custody record. Fleming was led down the stairs and put into a cell. Perhaps his only consolation was that he would be cool; the heat of the sun did not penetrate down here in the bowels of the earth.

Walking back up the stairs, Brookes said,
‘
Any news of the Jamaicans, Chester?
’

Holmes shook his head.
‘
No, I don
’
t think they
’
ll try anything now we have him in custody.
’

Brookes gave him a hard look.
‘
You may want to give that a bit more thought, Chester. You
’
ve heard the kind of sums of money involved, and that
’
s to say nothing of prison sentences the gang might be facing if we get Fleming to give evidence. I
’
m convinced they will try something before we get to London.
’

Holmes had the look of a worried man, but he said, determinedly,
‘
My men will remain on duty throughout the day and I
’
ll keep two armed men in the cell passage at all times. Tonight I
’
ll lock the station up tight. We
’
ll protect your prisoner whilst he is in our custody.
’

‘
Good; one of us will be here at all times. I
’
ve got some urgent phone calls to make; may I use your office?
’

‘
Yes, it
’
s on the first floor, I
’
ll show you.
’

He led the way through the station office and up the stone stairs to the first floor.
‘
How soon can you have the paperwork here?
’

‘
A lawyer is only awaiting confirmation that we have arrested him; he
’
ll be on the next plane. That
’
s one of the calls I must make.
’

‘
That
’
s good. I
’
ll contact the attorney general and see if the extradition proceedings can be arranged for tomorrow morning.
’

From the privacy of Inspector Holmes
’
office, Brookes phoned London. He spent five minutes talking to Aitcheson, who had spent the night in his office, awaiting news of the arrest. Brookes finished by telling him of the conversation he
’
d had with the prisoner.

Aitcheson said,
‘
You
’
ve done a good job, John. Richard Mann will have a field day now, with Fleming
’
s company accounts. I
’
ll get a barrister on the first plane out with the extradition request. Just make sure you get him back here safely.
’

‘
That
’
s my big concern at the moment. The police station we
’
ve got him in is an old colonial-style one with large windows and is not designed to resist an armed attack. But I
’
ve got a number to ring at Government House where I should get some help. The Caymans are still a colony, although they don
’
t call it that anymore, and we
’
ve got a garrison here.
’

Aitcheson wished him good luck and put the phone down.

Next Brookes dialled the number Clarke had given him.

When the man answered, Brookes said,
‘
OK, we have Fleming in custody, but I think our troubles are just beginning. It
’
ll take at least twenty-four hours for the extradition proceedings to be sorted out. In the meantime, the police station we
’
ve got him in you could take with bows and arrows. And we know there
’
s a gang of Jamaican thugs here in Georgetown who will have a bit more than that. I also need authority for my sergeant and I to be armed; I
’
d hate to be caught in the middle of a gunfight with nothing to protect myself with. What
’
s our position on that?
’

‘
Let us deal with one thing at a time, Mr Brookes. We have a perfectly safe garrison here full of British troops, why don
’
t you bring him here for safekeeping?
’

‘
Because technically he
’
s not my prisoner; he
’
s the responsibility of the Royal Cayman Island Constabulary until the extradition papers are signed. I don
’
t know what the Islands
’
constitution says on the subject; if we don
’
t stick strictly to procedure, Mr Clarke, some smart-arse lawyer back in the UK will argue about irregularities and possibly invalidate the arrest. And I want this bastard screwed down very tight at court.
’

‘
Hmm, I see your point. I
’
ll give the matter some thought; I
’
m sure we can come up with something.
’

‘
Today would be nice, Mr Clarke; I think this could be a long twenty-four hours. Now, what about my request that we be armed?
’

‘
I think we can get round that, Mr Brookes. Let me set you a scenario: if the police station were to be under attack by armed men and there happened to be a firearm lying around somewhere in the station, I
’
m sure a local court would not frown on you picking it up and defending yourself with it. Don
’
t you agree?
’

‘
Message received, Mr Clarke, message received. Thank you for your help.
’