Chapter 1: Dealing With the Dealers

‘I know, I believe you,’ Brian told him as he refitted the gag, ‘You did well, relax.’ He put the large syringe up on a shelf. ‘I’m going to check out some of the information,’ he told him. ‘If you’re leading me on, I’ll be back to inject you.’

‘If you’ve told the truth as I think you have, I’ll be back to release you.’ As he spoke, he turned the little tap on the canula on and watched the blood start running down the tube he had attached earlier. Whilst he was away, Lorizo would just get weak, fade away and die. A far better end than he deserved.

Brian went home and typed out a copy of Lorizo’s statement, then made a new recording onto a disc which he had only handled whilst wearing gloves. That would be kept ready for sending to the Italian authorities once the UK end had been tied up.

The next morning early, Brian went to the garage where he found Lorizo well and truly dead. He put the body in a body bag, then sent the text ‘Item Ready for Collection’ The can of blood went in his boot to add to his compost heap later.

Because he had been warned to expect a rush, Paul collected the item later that morning to clear the garage for its next occupant.

Brian sent his two men back to Centre Parcs with instructions to wait outside until he contacted them. Once he received word that Paul had sent the text ‘Item Sold’ he instructed them to go in and arrest Father Donata. At the same time, he contacted the WPC he had previously sent to Centre Parcs to keep a discrete eye on the children and told her to move in with the kids and look after them for the rest of their holiday.

Father Donata came quietly when told he was being arrested for importing illegal drugs, expecting that if he didn’t get away with it, he’d spend time in a nice cushy English goal. Once in the car and on the way, he was told that they had his bus, that Lorizo had spilt all the beans so there was nothing left for him to bargain with, so he’d likely get twenty years.

That shut him up for the rest of the journey. When the car reached the last services, they pulled into the car park to get a coffee. As they had their coffees in the car, Donata said, ‘I know the name of the Mr Big in Italy’s drug cartel.’

‘Might help you, might not,’ the officers told him, ‘We’ve no idea just what Lorizo said although I gather it was a lot.’ Getting out to put the cups in the rubbish bin, as he opened the door to take Donata’s cup off him, he stuck the needle in his arm.

Taking him to the garage he was strapped to the bench and left unconscious. In the meantime, Brian had been in touch with Centre Parcs. He told them that the children were now being supervised by a WPC because they had been abused by their previous minders, two drug runners who had now been arrested.

‘Although some of the abuse happened at Centre Parcs, I know it is in no way any fault of yours,’ he told them, ‘I’m sure it’s not something you would want publicised. What I would like to do,’ he said, ‘Is have the police pay for a second week for the children to stay on with you whilst we arrange alternative transport home for them.

In return I will make sure Centre Parcs is not mentioned in any way in connection with this case.’ The manager jumped at the opportunity. ‘They can stay another week as our guests,’ he told them. ‘Thank you,’ Brian told him, ‘Our WPC will stay with them to look after them and you can forget anything ever happened.’

Brian contacted the WPC and told her to get parental details and arrange for the children to let their parents know they had been given a second week. ‘I’ll arrange transport at the end of it,’ he told her, ‘Then I want you to travel back with them to see them safely home.’

Then Brian went back to the garage. ‘So, Father,’ he said, ‘You’ve been a naughty boy again haven’t you. Here’s what’s going to happen,’ he told him. ‘As you are so keen on drugs, I’m going to inject you with some of your own heroin.

Then if and when you recover from that experience, I’m going to give you another injection many times greater which will probably kill you. Before I do that final injection, I’ll give you chance to save yourself by giving me information.’

He cut through the front of his trousers and shorts and checked his groin. ‘I see you have already sampled your wares before,’ he said, ‘So your first dose will be ten times the normal dose. As you suffer, remember all the thousands of lives you have wrecked peddling your filth.’ Brian inserted the canula and drew a little blood to check it was in correctly.

Showing him the syringe, he said, ‘This is for all the suffering you’ve caused.’ He connected it to the canula and injected it. Donata’s body went stiff and started jerking, his eyelids were closed, his teeth bared, and some froth squeezed through. Brian sat back and waited. Twenty minutes later Donata started to relax, then ten minutes later his eyes opened. There was still white froth around the outside of his mouth.

‘Can you hear and understand me?’ Brian asked looking down at him. He blinked rapidly. Brian went through the routine with him, then set his tape to record before removing the strap over his mouth.

As soon as he pulled the gag out, Donata gave his name and went into full flow. As he came to an end twenty-five minutes later, he said, ‘And finally, the man who is the head of all drug trading in the whole of Italy is Mario Acierno, a government minister.’

He came to a stop. Brian picked up the big syringe he had shown him earlier and put it up on a shelf out of the way. ‘I’m going to leave you now,’ he said, ‘And go and check some of the details as well as compare what you have told me to what Lorizo told us. If you have been honest with me, I’ll be back to release you. If you haven’t, I’ll be back to give you the final dose.’ He turned the tap on the canula on and left him to it.

Again, he went home, typed out a verbatim report of what Donata had said, then made a recording on disc. Comparing the two recordings, he found many of the names and details matched but only Donata had given the ministers name.

The following morning, he went back to the garage, put the body in a body bag, another can of blood in his boot and sent the text ‘Item Ready for Collection’ Paul had just finished the concrete block holding Lorizo so he went and collected it right away.

Brian had met up with Len Davis to get his report and photo’s. Returning to the incident room, he made an announcement. ‘Right team,’ he called out, ‘Thanks to Len’s efforts, we’ve stopped the drugs coming into the UK, at least to the northwest for the time being. The two couriers are being dealt with by the Italian police so we can forget all about them.’

‘Now we can attack our own distributors. I’ve applied for a warrant for the Dunstan’s house and for Jenkins the courier’s house. Also, for Wilson, Triggs and Frenches houses, plus all three shops. I’ll have details of when and how we act hopefully later in the day.’

For the rest of the day Reg helped Aiden Walters co-ordinate all the up-to-date information they had on the whereabouts and movements of the Dunstan’s, Jenkins and the three suppliers Wilson, Triggs and French.

After Lorizo had delivered the boxes to the Dunstan’s house, nothing had happened for several days, then Jenkins had spent several days running back and forward between Wilson, Triggs, French and the three shops with regular calls at the Dunstan’s.

The following day, the warrants came though. Immediately a raid was planned on all three shops at once. Later that afternoon, uniform raided each shop, storming in and cutting off all communications.

Large quantities of cash and heroin were found in each shop, so every person working in the shop was arrested then held in custody to await interview. The shops were stripped of everything remotely connected to drug dealing, then closed down and boarded up.

On Brians instructions, Reg had spent the day with the team raiding the shop in Aigburth that he had checked out previously.

Meanwhile, Brian and a small team made up of the Supers group raided the Dunstan’s house. Whilst the team searched the house, Brian sent Mrs Dunstan off to the garage. The two taking her injected her when they pulled up outside the garage then strapped her to the bench.