Chapter 35

“How friendly are the two of you?”

During her hour-long meeting with Will and Amy, Sally Clapton asked countless questions about Amy’s relationship with John and took several photographs of her injuries. As she was leaving, she assured Will that she’d have no trouble getting a court order by the end of the day and promised she’d call him so he could be there when the papers were served. Will then called Lizzie and asked her if it was safe for her to come over and sit with Amy while he went into the office.

“Why wouldn’t it be?”

“He tried to follow me home last night. I managed to shake him off, but I thought he might sit and wait for you to visit then follow you.”

“Let me see if he’s outside.” After a pause, she said, “The street’s deserted. Should be fine.”

“Then I’d guess he’ll be sitting outside my office waiting for me to show up there. Which, actually, will make things a lot easier. How quickly can you get here?”

“Half an hour?”

“Good. See you then.”

Will arrived at the office an hour later. Nugent’s BMW was parked opposite the entrance to the car park. Will stopped alongside it and rolled down his window.

“Want to wait inside? I know it’s a nice day and all, but if you’d rather...”

“I’m fine,” Nugent barked. “Where’s my wife?”

“Safe from you. Shall I have a cup of tea brought out to you? Some biscuits perhaps?”

Nugent frowned and Will swung the car into the car park, took his briefcase from the boot and went inside. Maurice was waiting for him in the foyer.

“Will! It’s about damn time. A word please.” He gestured to an empty meeting room off the foyer. Once inside he snapped, “Care to tell me why I have three officers from SOCA waiting in my boardroom?”

“They’re already here?” He looked at his watch. “Yeah, I’m a little late. Did you put them in the boardroom?”

“Of course I bloody well did. Do you think I want them hanging about in the waiting room?”

“Have you offered them coffee?”

“Will, why the hell are they here?”

“Why do you think? I have a meeting with them under the Money Laundering Regulations.”

“And why didn’t you tell me?”

“I haven’t had a chance. The meeting was only arranged this morning.”

“It’s bad enough we have to do these damn checks on our clients—last week I had to ask a friend of thirty years for ID. I had to photocopy his damn driving licence for god’s sake. And I know you’re the reporting officer, cause I was damned if I was going to do it, but I’d have like to have been told if we had a dodgy client.”

“Potentially dodgy client,” Will corrected with a smile. He knew how to handle Maurice—he’d been doing it for years. “Maurice, you know I couldn’t say anything because it’s against firm policy. At least, I’d hope you know that since you helped write that policy. Tipping Off is a very real danger and punishable under the regulations. So, as few people as possible need to know SOCA has been notified.”

“Ah. Yes. I forgot that. Okay. Well, you best go and see them then. Get them off the premises as soon as we can. Go on then, what are you waiting for?”

“You’re standing in front of the door.”

“Oh. Right. Yes.”

The boardroom was the largest of the building’s five meeting rooms and dominated by a vast oblong mahogany table. On the wall at one end of the table hung a large, flat-screen monitor that was used for online conferences and training videos. The officers from SOCA sat together along one side of the table, facing the door. Will approached the desk and extended his hand. The offices stood and the man in the centre reached for Will’s hand.

“Gentlemen. Miss,” Will said. “I’m Will Brown.”

“Yes, we know,” said the officer in the centre, a greying man in a dark suit, white shirt and sombre tie. “DCI Duncan Martin. Head of the Criminal Gangs team at SOCA.”

“Head?” said Will. This must be more serious than I thought.

DCI Martin nodded. He let go of Will’s hand and indicated the younger man to his right. “This is DI Jack Hamilton.” Will shook his hand. “And DS Jessica Dell.” Will shook her hand and she offered him a smile. Like the men, she wore a dark suit, but with a cream open-neck blouse instead of a shirt and tie.

DCI Martin sat and shuffled some of the papers in front of him. The other officers took their seats too.

“I see you’ve finished your coffee,” Will said. “Can I get you another?”

“We’re fine, thank you.”

Will shrugged and sat opposite DCI Martin.

“Tell us what you know about John Nugent,” said DI Hamilton leaning forward and forming his hands into a steeple in front of him.