Dead Of Winter (Willis/Carter #1)(61)

‘Let’s talk it through, Digger. Let me level with you. I wanted to talk to Sonny because I thought he could tell me about a case we’re working on. A woman and her baby have been murdered at a house on the outskirts of Totteridge.’

Digger looked suitably surprised. ‘Not the ones in the news?’

‘Yeah . . . those.’

‘You think Sonny had something to do with it?’

‘The baby was Sonny’s. Now we all know Sonny did a side-line in rape as well as trafficking. We also know that you and he were good friends, business partners. He was in here almost every night.’

‘Please, Sergeant, don’t waste your breath. I know nothing about any pregnant woman. All my women are happy to be here and working in my clubs.’

‘The murdered woman could have been one of your girls. She could have worked here.’

‘Or in any other place,’ Digger said calmly.

‘They cut her open, took out the baby and left both of them to die . . . nice people. You might be next on their list . . . first Sonny then you maybe? You better start talking, Digger, before it’s too late. Tell me about a man named Chichester . . . he bought the dead woman either from you or from Sonny a year ago.’

‘No comment.’

‘What’s the future for you without Sonny to supply you with girls?’ Digger shook his head, went to plead his innocence again. Carter held up a hand to stop him. ‘Now . . . just say you wanted more girls. Just suppose you were still in that sordid world? Who you gonna call now Sonny’s gone? Anyone come forward to offer you any deals? Deals that, of course, you refused?’

Digger didn’t answer straight away. He dabbed his mouth with his cloth napkin.

‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’

Carter smiled to himself as he turned on his heels and walked out of Cain’s. The pavement slush was turning into an ice rink as the temperatures began to plummet and it re-froze. Inside the car he turned on the ignition and waited for the windscreen to clear, gave up and wiped away the condensation with his sleeve.

He turned to wink at Ebony.

‘No harm in giving Carmichael a little help if he’s managed to set himself up as the new Sonny, need to make it look realistic’ Carter took his phone out and read an incoming text. ‘We need to head over to the Mansfield hospital. Justin de Lange has got the file I asked for on Martingale’s financial interests.’

Ebony was still preoccupied with her thoughts. ‘But Sarge, Carmichael said to me he knew Sonny was small fry; he may have just got rid of him to be able to take his place.’

‘Yes, maybe Ebb, but this is all supposition and we don’t need it right now. If we can keep up with Carmichael he may save us a lot of work. He was right, we don’t have a UC agent. We need him.’

‘We don’t need him to be murdering the suspects.’

‘Not technically murder,’ he said, pulling slowly away into the gritted part of the street. ‘It’s probably endangering life.’

‘He punched someone in the head and then left them to drown.’ Ebony looked about to keep arguing the point.

‘Either way, Ebb, it’s over, done. We’ll hear from him soon enough. I’m looking forward to meeting Justin de Lange,’ he said, changing the subject.





Chapter 39


They pulled into the car park. It was four in the afternoon and already dark. Orange lights flooded the area.

‘That could be Justin de Lange over there, Sarge.’ Ebony looked across at the entrance as they parked up. ‘He looks like he’s spotted us.’

Carter looked across to the hospital entrance; a man picked up a briefcase from the back seat of his black Audi before looking their way. He was striking-looking, in jeans and a denim shirt. He had on a sheepskin coat. Expensive but casual. Ebony thought how de Lange looked like an ageing footballer with his blue eyes and blond hair falling over his collar.

‘Blimey it’s the lion king, Ebb.’ Carter kept the engine running and sat for a minute watching him. ‘Yeah . . . I agree. He’s waiting for us. Should be interesting, Ebb. Wonder where wifey is.’ The man smiled at them as they walked across the gritted car park to meet him.

‘Justin de Lange?’ He nodded. Carter made the introductions as they reached him. ‘I am Detective Sergeant Dan Carter and this is Detective Constable Ebony Willis. Thanks for seeing us this afternoon.’

‘How do you do? I just came out to get my briefcase. Follow me and we’ll go inside to my office; it’s freezing out here.’

‘Absolutely . . . Lead the way.’

Ebony turned to look around the car park. She saw a car drawing in, parking in the corner; that made twelve cars in total. They walked up the ramp and through the swing doors, past reception. Carter smiled at Ivy. She beamed back. Justin led them up a flight of stairs and into his office.

‘Please sit down, I’ll order us coffee. How do you take it, Sergeant?’ Justin sat on the edge of the desk with one leg on the floor.

‘Milk and sugar please . . . Ebb?’

‘Not for me, thanks.’

‘Please . . . make yourselves comfortable. My wife will join us as soon as she can. She was helping Mr Martingale today.’

‘You’re from South Africa too?’ asked Ebony.