The Murder Exchange (29 page)

'Well, go that route for the moment, John,' said
Knox, not sounding too confident that anything
would come from it, 'and keep me and Phil posted
on what turns up.'

'I'm not sure, guv/ said Capper. 'It looks like it
could be another red herring. Maybe it'd be better
if John and Dave went to see Jean Tanner, as it was
their lead. We've got quite a lot of other things that
need doing.'

267
But Knox wasn't keen on that idea. 'No, it'd be
better if you and Paul did it, Phil. Much better.'

Capper nodded, but didn't look too pleased. I
wondered again if he really had been a customer at
Heavenly Girls, and couldn't help but think how
amusing it would be if Jean Tanner had been one of
the women whose services he'd used. It would
make for an interesting meeting even if it didn't
help us too much. I was pretty certain Jean knew a
lot more than she was letting on. The thing was,
nothing about her story smelled right. No-one had
said anything about her being a smack addict, and 1
there'd been absolutely nothing in McBride's i
demeanour or appearance when we'd questioned 'I him to suggest that he was one either. And if he'd
OD'd, why hadn't she? I could have done with
questioning her, but instead I'd have to make do I
with getting hold of interview transcripts and pushing
Knox to find out what he could from Burley.

The meeting broke up shortly afterwards and I
brought Berrin further up to date with my extracurricular
enquiries as we sat at our desks. He also
looked vaguely sceptical and said something about
it all sounding 'a bit obscure', but, in the absence of
anything else, I was determined to press ahead
with what I had. The important thing initially was
for us to track down Martin Leppel, the man who
could tell us more about Contracts International. I
got Berrin to check police records and liaise with
Special Branch and the NCIS to see if they had anything
on him, while I phoned round journalist
contacts to see if any of them could dig up an
address.

268

It didn't take long to strike gold. Roy Shelley, a
local scribe who was well known to the station's
CID, had taken barely half an hour to come up with
the goods. Now a leading reporter on one of the
nationals, he told me that Contracts International
had been disbanded in 1997 after some financial
irregularities and an unwelcome TV investigation
into alleged illegal arms shipments to Liberia, but
tiuii Leppel was now running an outfit called
Secure Consultants from an office in Moorgate. I
wrote down the address and telephone number.

'Apparently it deals with much the same thing as
Contracts did/ Roy told me. 'Supplying ex-soldiers
abroad to provide training for the natives, and also
hostage negotiators for kidnappings and the like. Ifs
much smaller than Contracts was, and I think
it's probably a lot more above board as well. Leppel
got his fingers burnt last time. He hasn't got a record
as such, but he came close to it.'

'Any information on what he's like?' I asked. 'Is
he a crook?'

Shelley chuckled. 'Now if I answer that, I might
be done for slander. How come you want to know
anyway?'

'I might have a story for you.'

'A good one?'

'I'm not sure. But I promise if anything comes of
it you'll be the first to know.'

That's what I like to hear. To answer your
question, he's not a hundred per cent kosher, but
from what I understand he's not an out-and-out
villain either. He's like a lot of people, Mr Gallan.
Tries to stay on the right side of the law because it's

269

easier that way, but doesn't let it stand in the way of
a money-making opportunity.'

I thanked him and, after promising once again to
inform him immediately if a story presented itself,
rang off.

'All right, Dave, we've got him,' I said, and rang
the number Shelley had given me.

It was answered on the third ring by a well
spoken male voice, stating the company's name. I
asked to speak to Martin Leppel. 'Speaking,' came
the crisp reply.

I introduced myself and explained why I was
phoning. Td like to have a chat with you with
regard to one of your former employees at
Contracts International.'

'Contracts was wound up years ago,' he
answered brusquely, clearly not wanting to waste
time speaking to the police.

Tm aware of that, sir, but you may have information
that would be of use to us. It'll only take
up ten minutes of your time.'

'I don't see why I should help, DS Gallan, since
the police have never done anything to help me.
Most of the time I'm being harassed by members of
Scotland Yard who appear to have bugger all better
to do than try to ruin the reputations and livelihoods
of perfectly respectable businessmen.'

I remembered Neil Vamen saying much the same
thing. It made me wonder sometimes whether they
did in fact actually believe it. 'Any cooperation
you give will be favourably viewed, sir, and, as I
said, it'll only take up a very small amount of your
time.'

270

'What type of investigation is it?'

'Murder.'

'All right. I've got a meeting in the West End this
afternoon but I'm free after that. Come to my office
at five o'clock and I'll see you then. I presume you
know where to come?'

'We do indeed, sir. Thank you very much.'

Leppel grunted something and hung up.

The offices of Secure Consultants were on the sixth
floor of a grand-looking City building on a road off
London Wall. I rang the bell next to a polished brass
plaque with the company name and logo on it and
Berrin and I were buzzed through the door without
preamble. A lift opposite took us up to the sixth
floor where we were met by Martin Leppel, a short
b^t fit-looking individual with an aquiline nose
and piercing blue eyes. He was dressed in a short
sleeved shirt and what looked like a regimental tie,
and his thin, slightly weathered face was deeply
suntanned. He nodded in greeting and we shook
hands all round.

He led us through a glass door emblazoned with
the company name, then through a small reception
area which was unmanned (Leppel explained that
his secretary had the day off) and into his spacious
office that looked out on to the street. Photographs
of various men in military uniforms, including
a large one of Leppel in officer's garb holding a
regimental sword, adorned the walls. It set off the
right image of a man with a very strong army
background.

Leppel took a seat behind his imposing and

271

spotless desk and motioned for the two of us to sit
in chairs opposite. He didn't offer us a drink. 'So,
what can I do for you, gentlemen?' he asked,
getting straight to the point.

'We're after some information regarding
Contracts International's involvement in the
Bosnian conflict.'

'Can I ask why you need this information?'

'We're investigating a murder and it might be
that an employee or employees of the company
working in Bosnia at that time could throw some
light on an area we're still a bit hazy on.'

'Which is?'

'I can't tell you that, sir. Not at this time.'

'Well, I'm afraid I wasn't in Bosnia. I've never
been to any of the Yugoslav republics in my life.'

I could tell this wasn't going to be easy. 'But you
managed the company, which is why we're here
today. Now, as I said to you on the phone, this
shouldn't take long.'

'What is it you want to know?'

'How long were Contracts International involved
in Bosnia?'

'We got our first contract in October 1993 when it
became obvious that the West was going to stand by
and watch the Muslim population suffer. It was to
train regulars of the Armija BiH.'

The who?' asked Benin.

The Bosnian Muslim army. The contract was
successful and we were awarded a number of
others. We remained in situ until the Dayton Peace
Agreement in December 1995.'

'I heard suggestions that some of your operatives

272

on the ground remained after this time/

'You heard wrong, then/ said Leppel icily. "There
were, aside from our employees, freelancers in the
area providing a similar if somewhat inferior
service to ours. They were the ones who stayed on
after the ceasefire. As soon as Dayton came about,
our contracts were terminated and we left.'

'Could you tell me who funded the work your
company did in Bosnia?'

'Plenty of people have written that we were
funded by all kinds of fanatics, but they're wrong.
However, I'm afraid I have always treated my client
list, both at Contracts and at Secure Consultants, as
confidential, so I'm not going to comment on that.'

The nodded. 'Fair enough. Can you recall how
many employees you had in Bosnia in total during
tilt- Iwo or so years you were there?'

Leppel thought about it for a moment. It looked
like he was making calculations. 'I would say something
like forty altogether, though it's possible it
could have been more. Bosnia was one of our
biggest operations at Contracts.'

'Now I know you weren't there, Mr Leppel, but
were you aware that any of your men had contacts
with the so-called mujahidin, the Islamic fundamentalist
fighters who were also in the region at the
time?'

'Yes, I know who they were, but as far as I'm
aware, no, none of them did. You must remember
that these fundamentalists hated all Westerners,
whom they regarded and regard as infidels. Some
of them have even been linked to Osama bin Laden,
so they would never have socialized with our people,

273

even if they were nominally on the same side. Might
I ask where we're going with these questions?'

'We're trying to build up a picture, sir, that's all.'
I fished in my jacket pocket for the photo of
Merriweather and the soldier. When I'd got it out, I
unfolded it, stood up, and showed it to Leppel. 'Do
you recognize the man on the left?' I asked.

He nodded slowly without looking at me. Tes, I
recognize him. His name's Tony Franks.'

The name, like the face, had an immediate ring of
familiarity, but still I was unable to pinpoint from
where. 'Do you recognize the man standing next to
him?'

Again, he nodded. 'His name's Merriweather. I
can't remember the first name.'

'Jack/ said Benin.

That's right/ he said. 'Jack.'

This photograph came from an article in Der
Spiegel.'

1 know.'

The article was in German, and we're waiting to
have it translated. Could you tell me what it was
about?'

'It was libellous. I almost sued them over it.'

'What did it say?'

'It suggested that Contracts International consultants,
they called them mercenaries, were
involved in drug smuggling through Bosnia and
into western Europe. They never produced any
hard evidence other than that photo yet it helped to
ruin the reputation of an organization that
employed a lot of people and, whatever anyone
likes to think, provided a service that was needed.

274

Ever since that article came out, I've had problems.
Scotland Yard were round like a shot, asking all
sorts of questions, and our client base simply dried
up. That's why I'm perhaps not as co-operative as I
might otherwise have been.'

'I understand that, sir, but I can assure you I'm
not interested in having a go at your company or
you, I'm simply interested in solving this murder.'

Leppel observed me for a few moments as if trying
to gauge how genuine I was. I gave him my
standard I-won't-piss-you-about look back, thinking
that I might just be winning this sanctimonious
bastard over. 'As I've said, they never actually
named names but said that our consultants were in
partnership with organized crime figures in Britain
and vvt'ie using UN aid convoys to transport the
contraband into western Europe. But they had no
proof, nothing.'

'Do you think, Mr Leppel, in all honesty, that one
or two of your employees might have had some
contact with these organized crime figures?'

That photograph was taken close to two years
after we ceased operations in Bosnia. Yes, it's clear
from the picture that Tony Franks had at least some
dealings with them, and others might have done so
too, but it was entirely off their own bats. Until that
article was written, I knew nothing about it.'

I nodded, trying to work out whether Leppel was
telling the truth or not. He was certainly exhibiting
the right level of indignation, but it was difficult to
say for sure. 'And Tony Franks? Do you know
where he is now?'

The last I heard he was doing some work for a

275

company called Tiger Solutions run by two of J
Contracts' ex-employees/

Tiger Solutions. Things kept coming back to^
them. 'Can you give me the names of these two ex
employees?' I asked, wanting to get it confirmed.

7oe Riggs was one of them; the other was Max
Iversson.'

'Do you know if they had anything to do with
Jack Merriweather or any of his associates?'

'No, as far as I know, they didn't.'

'Have you got a list anywhere of the employees
of Contracts who served in Bosnia?'

He sighed. The thought you might ask that. I
haven't, no.'

'But presumably you could dig up the
information?'

He sighed again. 'It means going back over
the old accounts for the company, but yes, the information
can be dug up, as you put it. Though it
would probably take a bit of time.'

'I would greatly appreciate it, sir, if you could
provide us with a complete list. It may well be very
useful to our inquiry.'

'I'll see what I can come up with.'

I stood up, and Benin followed suit. Thank you
very much for that, Mr Leppel,' I said, putting out
my hand, 'and for your time.'

Leppel stepped forward and gave it a brief shake.
'You're certainly a lot less difficult to deal with than
the last lot who paid me a visit.'