Chapter 14

I had just arrived back in the flat, feeling dazed and wondering whether I should have been driving at all, when the phone rang. I cursed under my breath. I wanted sleep. It was Keith.

"Allan, I know you're jet lagged, so I won't keep you. While you've been away I've found that bloke on the CCTV in York. I took Colin along and met him in a pub. I recorded our conversation, such as it was. We all need to meet and listen to it, can you make it to the pub tomorrow night as usual?"

"Yes. Fine. I can't concentrate at the moment. Better tomorrow."

"Good. What the man said was quite an eye-opener. Brings a whole new dimension to the case."

Ten minutes later, it rang again. David this time.

"Sorry, old chum," he began. "I'll be brief. House completion on Friday. Have you a partner for the dinner-dance on Thursday?"

I assured him I'd work on it the next day, and he too rang off.

I fell into bed. I think I was asleep before my head was on the pillow. The next morning, again I had a headache to end all headaches and a faint feeling of nausea. I made tea and downed a couple of pain-killers with it. Then some bland cereal. I blessed the fact that I wasn't going into work today.

An hour later I felt a good deal better. I reviewed the past days.

Sex with Jenny.

OK, so it wasn't really a good idea but seemed right at the time, particularly in view of her history. Wasn't she good in bed! I decided to invite her to the Chamber of Commerce dinner-dance.

I really ought to get in touch with Ann, I thought, and get all these misunderstandings out in the open. Then thought again and decided to wait until after the dinner dance. I still hadn't sorted out my feelings for her. I loved the memories. I thought she was a beautiful woman and there was the usual male desire for her. However there was all the other baggage and her new relationship. From what everyone told me it seemed she was a faithful soul; once she gave her promise she stuck by it through thick and thin. She had promised herself to Derek. Best to concentrate on getting access to the children and let her get on with her life.

The thought hurt but it was right. Ann and I were history, in the past. Now we needed to get on with our own lives, but unbidden that surge of regret and resentment returned. This whole situation should never have happened. Talking of getting on with one's own life, I now had two women on the go!

To that end I phoned Jenny. She was awake and sounded bright. I asked her outright without pre-amble.

"Like to come to a dinner-dance tomorrow? Chamber of Commerce? Geoff and Susan are going and David Lombard and his wife Vivienne. It's a formal thing, black tie; long dresses etc."

She almost squealed with delight.

"Love to, Allan! Shall I pick you up? You'll be drinking."

"I think we can run to taxis, don't you?"

She agreed happily and after getting a time of departure, rang off.

Mid afternoon I rang Trish and filled her in on the events of the Canada trip. She was quiet at that. Then I told her of the house completion and she wished me luck. She said she would be able to get time off over the Easter weekend, Thursday to Monday at least and looked forward to seeing the house, if I wanted her.

"Trish," I said, hoping I sounded reassuring, "Jenny and I had sex. It was good. We are not an item. There is a history. She needs me at the moment. I want you here please. I'll tell you all when you come. I think you should meet her."

She sounded happier and promised to come on Thursday if I phoned her on Wednesday to confirm. I told her again to come.

That evening we were all assembled in the Cross Keys for our Wednesday meeting of 'the four.' Colin and Keith looked sombre. The recorder was on the table. Once we had our pints in front of us. Keith began.

"This isn't good news, Allan, but better to know. That's what we all want, isn't it?" He looked round the table; we all nodded. He continued. "I'll play the tape as it is, and we'll talk after."

Keith Ted O'Malley?

O'Malley Yeah, who wants him?

Keith We think you can help us with an enquiry after a missing person.

O'Malley You the police?.

Keith I'm a Private Investigator.

O'Malley Well, my memory isn't all that good.

Keith Let me get you a drink.

O'Malley Now that's more like it. Might loosen up the memory.

Keith There may be other, shall we say, incentives, as well.

O'Malley Fire away then.

Keith Three years ago last August, you were in York.

O'Malley Was I?

Keith Here's a photo of you at a hotel.

O'Malley Ah, yes. It was York races. Always go to York races.

Keith This was a couple of years ago. Look at the photo. See the man and woman? It's the man we're interested in. Here's another, this time at York station. Same man and woman, and there's you in the foreground. Now this one: you're leaving the station with him.

(A pause)

Keith So?

O'Malley What do you want to know?

Keith Well, first of all, do you know the man?

O'Malley I might.

Keith The information could be valuable, if you see what we mean.

Colin You seem to be watching them in both photo's.

O'Malley OK, the man is a bloke called Johnson. Runs a computer firm or something like that.

Keith So why were you watching him?

O'Malley I got paid to.

Colin By?

O'Malley Can't tell you that. More than my life's worth.

Keith A business rival.

O'Malley You could say that.

Keith So what were you paid to do?

O'Malley This bloke, name of Johnson or something; Swedish name. He went to York to do a business deal, and I was sent after him. I was going to the races anyway.

Keith How did you manage to follow him? By car?

O'Malley He went by train. So it was easy to keep an eye on him. I was asked because I always go to York in August for the races.

Colin What were you following him for? I don't get it.

O'Malley I was to keep him in sight and when he checked out of his hotel I was to tell these three laddos who were staying in York. Then I was to wait until he got to the station and tell him that his customer had come back and wanted to see him again.

Colin Customer?

O'Malley I was told he was in York to meet a customer for his company.

Keith So?

O'Malley Well, I was to tell him there was a car outside waiting to take him back to the hotel, and take him to the car. He got in and it drove off.

Colin How many in the car?

O'Malley Just the driver. He was one of the three blokes I told you about.

Keith Do you know these three men?

O'Malley Yes. Come from Wythenshaw.

Colin Names?

O'Malley No way. I value my life. I've been well paid to keep my mouth shut. I've already told you too much. You don't want to be asking too many questions about this. Could get you hurt. Things like drive-by shootings can happen. If I were you I'd forget the whole thing. Tell your client, is it his wife? It's best left alone.

Keith Thanks Ted.

O'Malley Oh, thank you sir!

Colin Oh, one thing. What colour was the car?

O'Malley Red Toyota.

Colin Registration?

O'Malley You must be joking!

Colin began the discussion.

"Well, gentlemen. We can establish a number of things from that conversation. The first is that your attempted murder was organised from here. It was organised; it was not random. We suspected that already. The second is that the three men O'Malley talked about are likely to be the murderers; they have a red car and there are three of them. That ties in with evidence from the Newcastle witness. That's progress."

"It's a step forward," said David, "but unless O'Malley can be persuaded to come up with the names how far forward have we come?"

"I think there is another possible lead," ventured Keith. "I know O'Malley is a jobbing builder, turns his hand to bricklaying, joinery, you name it. He works with a lad. I think it's his son. People subcontract building jobs to him, or he takes on jobs on short contracts. It should be possible to get an idea who he's been working for over the past few years. I think we'll find that among them will be the someone who's given him this contract to follow you Allan."

"Another intriguing question," said David, "is how did this person who employed O'Malley know you were going to York and to meet a client? Brings up the question of whether you've got a mole in your company working for someone else.

"Any other company doing roughly what you're doing, likely to try something like this? Bear in mind they might have only contracted for you to be injured, those Wythenshawe lads might have just lost it when they started kicking you. It's happened before."

I thought about that. From recent conversations with Geoff, I knew there were three or four small ventures competing in our field. I just couldn't see any of them doing something like that. Except Northern Moor Developments. Craig Wilkinson was not a nice man according to Geoff.

"The only one I could think capable of something like this is Northern Moor. They've fallen flat a couple of times undercutting us and then failing to deliver, We've then cleaned up. Craig Wilkinson might harbour a grudge, and he does hail from Wythenshawe like our three.

"But our workforce is fiercely loyal, we pay them over the odds and they have a vested interest in our success, the bonus scheme. Geoff might know if there are any he feels unsure about. Bear in mind it is nearly three years ago. The person may have left. He'd have to look up the records."

"I'll call by tomorrow," said Colin. "And you should know that I'm handing all this over to our lads. They should have enough to go on, and really it's a police matter now. Someone will know of three lads who go about in a Red Toyota. I'll keep you posted."

"I'll see what I can find out about who employs O'Malley most often," added Keith. "It may turn something up, or will your lads be doing that?" he asked Colin.

"Not immediately," Colin replied. "Eventually we're going to have O'Malley in for questioning. We'll see if fear of being an accessory to attempted murder is more frightening than his erstwhile employer, but you go ahead."

I bought the drinks all night. These men were unrelenting in their efforts; it was the least I could do.

Once again Vivienne drove us home. I was somewhat unsteady on my feet, and went straight to a bed that seemed to be pitching in a rough sea every time I closed my eyes. I staggered to the bathroom and wasted good beer retching into the lavatory bowl. Then I slept.

On Thursday morning I awoke feeling perfectly healthy. I breakfasted, showered and shaved, and drove to work, wondering idly in the rush hour traffic if I was still over the drink drive limit. Jenny and I sorted out a few problems with specifications on some orders.

Colin arrived and Geoff checked his records. There were two characters that Geoff had kept on for a short time, but they were not co-operative and didn't fit in. A cleaner had left shortly after I disappeared, but she had been with the firm for a couple of years. He gave their names, and their addresses at the time to Colin. The two were Wythenshawe addresses; the cleaner lived in Sale. Things seemed to be tying in. Geoff confirmed that everyone knew where I was going, it was no secret, in fact he said that people on the shop floor joked with me that I was only going for the races!

At lunchtime, along with Geoff, we went home to prepare for the evening. Jenny had been fussing over what to wear, until I rather testily told her to phone Geoff's wife Susan, which she did, putting her tongue out at me. She looked divine! I asked her to do it again but she wouldn't. My last words to her were to be ready at seven thirty.

At seven thirty-five, I rang her doorbell. The intercom buzzed and she told me to come up. I assured the taxi that we would pay, and went up the single flight of stairs to her door. It was open and I went in. There she was in the living area, in strapless bra and matching lacy high leg briefs stepping into the most striking dark crimson dress, It was strapless and she held it to her breasts.

"Zip me, please Allan," She said, and I did, as she held her hair off her exquisitely long sinuous neck, and she was ready. The dress was slightly pinched at the waist and with a hint of a flair from there to the ground, allowing her to move freely. The necklace she wore was gold in a lattice pattern and the earrings were of the same design. And the black gloves, three inch heels with the thinnest of straps, and the smallest black sequinned clutchbag completed the outfit. She was breathtaking.

"Jenny, you are looking absolutely wonderful," I gasped.