A fatal move, p.19
A Fatal Move, page 19
Guerra unlocked the door and threw it open.
Dani had done as Kelso told him and was standing by the boarded-up window at the other end of the room. He looked wide-eyed at the gun in Kelso’s hand as the two men entered.
Kelso saw no threat from Dani and tucked the gun into his waistband. ‘Don’t worry. We’ve brought you some breakfast and a morning paper to read.’
Guerra walked over and put a tray holding some cereal and a mug of tea on the bed.
‘We’ll leave you in peace to have some breakfast, but we need to take a photo of you first,’ Kelso said.
Dani looked confused.
‘For your dad,’ Kelso explained. ‘When we call, he needs to see we have you and that you’re okay.’
Dani nodded his understanding.
‘Hold the newspaper in front of your chest so I can see the headline and the date.’
‘Why do you want me to hold a newspaper?’
‘So your father knows we took the photo of you today.’
Dani shrugged and did as Kelso told him.
Guerra took the photograph.
‘You’ll speak to my father today?’ Dani asked.
‘That’s the plan,’ Kelso said.
Three minutes later, Guerra sent the photo with a text message to Zimmerman who had gone back to London the night before.
Zimmerman was in the office of his London club tapping his chin with the burner phone he was using. He’d received the photo of Dani holding that day’s newspaper and was now pondering over how to play this.
Having decided, he held the phone in front of him, and tapped in the numbers he’d copied from Dani’s phone.
Jane Canning asked Al Jameel if he wanted tea. He shook his head and glanced at the clock again.
Fleming had advised Al Jameel to record any incoming call from the kidnappers, if possible. Al Jameel didn’t have the facility on his mobile, but Canning remembered having an old voice recorder. He’d fished it out and got it ready.
Al Jameel paced up and down the living room.
‘Try to relax,’ Canning advised. ‘They’re sure to call soon.’
‘What if they haven’t kidnapped him for money? What if whoever it is just wants to kill him?’
‘He’s been abducted. No doubt about it. If they wanted to kill him, they’d have done it there and then. They had guns.’
Al Jameel saw that Canning was right and continued pacing.
Canning poured himself a brandy, despite the fact it was still morning.
The clock in the corner chimed. Al Jameel drew in a deep breath and blew out through his lips.
Two minutes later, his mobile rang. Al Jameel looked at the screen: unknown caller. He waved at Canning who grabbed the voice recorder, switched it on and brought it over to the phone.
Al Jameel held the device close to his ear and took the call. ‘Hello?’
‘Am I speaking to Isa Al Jameel?’ The voice was low and hoarse.
‘You are.’
‘I have your son. Two million pounds will secure his release.’
Al Jameel gasped. ‘Who are you? How do I know you have Dani?’
‘I’ll send you a photograph taken this morning. Two million if you want him back.’
‘I can’t get that sort of money quickly. It’s tied up in business accounts and investments.’
‘I’m sure a man of your means will find a way. I’ll give you three days and call you back. You’ll get details on how to pay the money then.’
‘And if I can’t pay?’
‘You’ll find a way if I send you one of Dani’s fingers. If you need extra persuasion, more will follow. A word of warning, no police. I’ll call you back.’ The man rang off.
Al Jameel slumped into a chair. ‘He wants two million,’ he whispered.
‘Christ!’ Canning took a large gulp of his brandy. ‘I’d best get in touch with Fleming.’
53
‘One of the kidnappers has been in touch,’ Fleming told Temple. ‘He phoned Al Jameel this morning. They want two million for his son’s release.’
‘That’s a big ask. I take it you’re going down to Canning’s place to see him now?’
‘I am. I’ll go and see DI Oliver, the local CID officer, while I’m down there. He was first on the scene after they abducted Dani. See if he’s made any progress with his enquiries.’
‘This is all we need on top of Slater’s murder. Right when the new chief constable has started.’
‘You’ll let her know there’s been a ransom demand?’ Fleming asked.
‘Yes. By the way, you ought to know she’s been in touch with The National Crime Agency… AKEU.’
Fleming raised an eyebrow.
‘The Anti Kidnap and Extortion Unit.’
‘I know what it is, ma’am. Just surprised she took it upon herself to contact them without telling me.’
‘She told me and now I’m telling you. Is that a problem?’
‘No, ma’am.’
‘They can provide expert support and tactical advice.’
‘But we lead the investigation?’
‘You lead it. That’s what the chief constable said, isn’t it?’
‘Right, as long as we know where we stand. How does this work with AKEU? Will they contact me or do I contact them if I need advice?’
‘They’ll contact you. My guess is they’ll want one of their people in to handle any negotiations with the kidnappers.’
‘Fine.’
‘They have already advised that Al Jameel shouldn’t agree to the kidnappers’ demands. Although it’s not illegal to pay ransom money, it’s not recommended on the basis it would encourage further kidnaps.’
Fleming scratched his head. ‘If that’s the case, how come you think they’d want one of their people to handle negotiations? There won’t be any if Al Jameel refuses to pay.’
Temple paused for a second. ‘They may want to talk to them to see if they give anything away which identifies them. Might get a clue where they’re holding Dani. They could agree to pay, but insist on a method of payment which would allow officers to apprehend the kidnappers.’
‘They’ll be too smart for that.’
Temple sighed. ‘Let’s leave it to the experts.’
Fleming left Temple’s office to go and find Logan. Nice to have a vote of confidence.
Fleming and Logan were speeding to Canning’s place. Fleming had decided to use his Porsche as Canning had said the kidnapper had warned Al Jameel not to involve the police. The last thing they needed was to use a marked car in case the kidnappers had eyes on the house. On the way, Fleming took the opportunity to update Logan on Dani Al Jameel’s abduction, and his conversation with Temple.
It was late morning when Fleming and Logan arrived at Canning’s mansion. Jane let them in and took the two detectives to the living room where they found a worried-looking Al Jameel and Canning.
‘How are you bearing up?’ Fleming asked Al Jameel who rose to shake Fleming’s and Logan’s hands.
His reddened eyes told the story. ‘Not very well. It’s all so unreal. I can’t believe this is happening.’
‘We’ll do everything we can to get your son back,’ Fleming assured him. ‘The chief constable has been in touch with the National Crime Agency. They have a specialist unit which has experience in securing the safe release of hostages.’
Al Jameel frowned. ‘Will they be taking over from you then?’
‘No, I’m the officer in charge. They will provide support and advice.’
‘I see. What happens now? The kidnapper warned me not to contact the police.’
‘Don’t worry. We came in an unmarked car.’
‘You think they may be watching the house?’
‘It’s possible. Did you manage to record the call?’
‘Yes. The sound quality isn’t very good but you can hear what they’re saying.’
‘May I listen to it?’
Al Jameel produced Canning’s voice recorder and pushed the play button.
The voice was a bit muffled, but clear enough to understand.
Fleming listened to the conversation. ‘Has the security man who was with Dani when he was abducted heard this?’
Al Jameel looked perplexed. ‘No, why?’
‘Get him to listen to it. See if he recognises the voice as one of the two men who abducted Dani. Let me know.’
‘What good will that do?’ Canning demanded.
‘If he doesn’t recognise the voice, it means we’re dealing with at least three men, not two.’
Canning snorted. ‘And that gets us closer to finding Dani?’
Fleming shot him a glance. ‘It gives us a little more information. At this stage, we need as much as we can get.’
‘Did the caller send the photograph he promised?’ Logan asked Al Jameel.
Al Jameel took out his mobile, tapped on Messages and showed Fleming and Logan the photo of Dani holding that day’s newspaper. There was nothing in the background of the photograph which offered any clue where the kidnappers might have taken it. All that could be seen was a bare white wall and a boarded-up window.
Fleming threw a sympathetic look at Al Jameel. ‘I believe the NCA have advised you not to agree to the kidnappers’ demands.’
‘You heard what the kidnapper said,’ Canning butted in. ‘If Isa doesn’t pay up, he’ll cut off Dani’s fingers one by one until he does.’
Fleming looked at Al Jameel. ‘The Anti Kidnap and Extortion Unit in the NCA are the experts in dealing with kidnap demands. They’ll want to have someone here when the kidnapper calls you back.’
‘What about the phone call? I thought the police could trace who sent calls,’ Canning said.
‘Not easy if he used a burner phone, which he is certain to have done.’
‘Great. And in the meantime?’ Canning asked.
‘I speak to the AKEU and the local CID chap, Oliver. I’ll be in touch if we find anything to go on.’
‘Otherwise?’ Canning pressed.
‘We wait. Let me know if there are any more developments here. I’ll let you know what the AKEU intend to do.’
‘Don’t think Canning was too impressed,’ Logan said as they made their way to see DI Oliver.
‘I get the impression he’s more worried about losing his potential investment than Dani’s welfare,’ Fleming said.
‘Think the AKEU will stand any chance of getting Dani back in one piece, boss?’
‘Let’s hope so. In the meantime, we’ll see what DI Oliver has to say.’
Fleming had phoned to say they were coming and Oliver was waiting in his office. ‘They’ve made contact then?’ he asked Fleming.
‘This morning. They want two million.’
Oliver sucked in air. ‘Bloody hell!’
‘The kidnapper gave him three days to get the money together. He’s going to call back with details on how to pay the ransom.’
Oliver sighed. ‘Afraid I haven’t made much progress with local enquiries. One witness said he saw a black car parked in the woods a few days ago. It was in a small clearing off the road opposite Canning’s grounds. Unfortunately, there’s no CCTV covering the area.’
‘They get the registration number?’
‘No. They didn’t think anything about it. Thought it was someone who’d parked there to take a dog for a walk.’
‘Anything else?’
‘A cyclist came forward. A black car driving at speed almost knocked him off his bike.’
‘Don’t tell me,’ Fleming said. ‘He didn’t get the registration either.’
‘Afraid not, he fell off his bike, but did confirm it was a black car heading in a north-westerly direction on the A4130.’
‘Not got much to go on, have we?’ Logan said.
Fleming shrugged. ‘We have two men in a black Volvo… and we know what direction they were heading in.’
54
Zoe Dunbar pulled her car into the council office’s car park with minutes to spare. It was the final day of the public enquiry. She’d heard about Dani Al Jameel on the radio. No proof of bribery, but there is a murder and a kidnap, she thought as she got out of the car.
There were no protesters outside. They were all inside the meeting room. On the first day of the enquiry, the chairman had warned he would not tolerate any disruption. Were there to be any protests, he would clear the public from the room. There had been heated debates, but no trouble. Even Vic Quinn had remained silent.
Dunbar pushed her way through the large glass doors and crossed the atrium to the meeting room. She found a seat in the area set out for the public where about thirty villagers sat. Kim Ogilvie and her advisors were in front of them, facing the planning inspector’s desk at the front of the room.
Over to the right, Canning, Yamamura and their solicitor, Silas Revell QC, sat behind desks covered in folders. Ogilvie stared straight ahead looking pensive. She’d taken a verbal mauling from Revell over the last three days.
Richard Pitt, the planning inspector, waited for the room to fall quiet. ‘Can we have the door closed please?’ he asked an assistant. Once done, Pitt cleared his throat and spoke. ‘Over the last three days we’ve heard evidence from the parish council, the district council and Mr Canning’s solicitor. There has been some rigorous cross-examination.’ He gave a knowing glance in Revell’s direction before going on. ‘Some of it, I have to say, acrimonious. I do hope there will be less rancour today.’
Dunbar hid a smile. It was only a matter of time before Pitt saw fit to clamp down on Revell whose hostile probing of Ogilvie’s evidence had been, at times, offensive. He was a tough and ruthless man who showed no mercy.
Pitt looked over to where the public sat. ‘Today is the last day of the enquiry. This morning we will hear the closing statements. The parish council, the district council, and Silas Revell QC, acting on behalf of Mr Canning, will each make their case. After lunch, we will be going on a site visit. Any questions?’
Revell looked over his reading glasses at Pitt. ‘I take it we are at liberty to interrupt if someone says something which isn’t true? I say that because, over the last three days, we have heard some rather dubious claims from the parish council.’
‘You may not. If you feel someone is not representing the facts, you are free to mention it in your closing statement. You can also request I expunge certain words from the record if you feel they are offensive or untrue.’
‘Fine.’ Revell stared in Kim Ogilvie’s direction and failed to hide the smirk on his face.
Dunbar felt for Ogilvie. She’d done her best to present a strong case for the parish council and the villagers. But Revell had torn into her at every chance. The previous day, he’d cross-examined her for over an hour. She’d made some valid points about the adverse effect the development would have on the village. Canning was aware she would do this and had made sure Revell could tear apart any arguments against his application.
Pitt looked around. ‘If there are no more questions, can we have the parish council’s closing statement first please?’
Kim Ogilvie stood, looked at her notes and cleared her throat. ‘Thank you. During the course of this enquiry, I’ve tried to show how the plan we put forward is the best for Darmont. I know it does not have one hundred per cent approval within the village, but there is a majority in favour. Not one single person is in favour of Mr Canning’s planning application. In my closing statement, I’ll explain why.’
Ogilvie took over half an hour to argue a capable, convincing case. She explained in detail why the secretary of state should quash the application. She sat down to applause from the villagers.
Pitt allowed the applause to continue for a few seconds. ‘Can we please have quiet from the public?’ He looked at his watch. ‘Mr Blunt, are you ready to present the closing statement for the district council?’
‘I am,’ Blunt said, standing with notes shaking in his hand.
Canning gave him a nod and Revell smiled support. Blunt looked at his notes and began to read. He spent the next forty minutes explaining why the secretary of state should grant the application.
Pitt looked at his watch again. ‘We should have a comfort-and-coffee break at this point. Back here in fifteen minutes please.’
Dunbar managed to catch a quick word with Ogilvie in the canteen. ‘You’ve taken some stick over the past three days. Particularly from that rodent, Revell. He’s a nasty piece of work.’
‘You can say that again. Glad it’s now all over for me. I’ve done my best.’
Dunbar placed a reassuring hand on Ogilvie’s arm. ‘You did a good job in there. Made a good case.’
‘Thanks, but will it be good enough?’
‘What do you think?’
Ogilvie pursed her lips. ‘I get the feeling it’s already been decided.’
‘To grant?’
‘Yes.’
‘What makes you think that?’
‘It’s only a gut feeling. Best get back in there and hear what the rodent has to say.’
Back in the enquiry room, Pitt waited for everyone to settle down. As silence descended, there was an air of nervous anticipation in the room. Pitt looked across at the Canning desk. Revell was shuffling documents around, peering over the top of his glasses.
‘Are you ready to make your closing statement on behalf of Mr Canning’s planning application, Mr Revell?’
‘I am.’ Revell rose to his feet. He looked around the room for several seconds before he spoke. ‘We have heard over the last three days some feeble attempts to make a case for why my client’s application should not be approved. People have attempted to distort the truth and I have exposed the weaknesses in the parish council and villagers’ claims. I have made a robust and convincing case for this development. Today, I will set out why the secretary of state must grant this application.’
Revell went on for a full hour, using every means at his disposal to try to weaken the parish council case. Indeed, some of his remarks were defamatory and insulting towards Ogilvie. He sat down to uproar and turned to speak in Canning’s ear.
