Tags:
Fiction,
General,
Thrillers,
Mystery & Detective,
Mystery Fiction,
Police,
England,
London,
Police Procedural,
London (England),
Murder for hire,
organized crime,
Gangsters,
Police - England - London,
Thorne; Tom (Fictitious character)
laid them careful y into a Rizla and rol ed it pin-thin. "Nothing like as often as that.. ."
In fact, it had been just over a week since Thorne had first encountered Gordon Rooker. And seven days since Carol Chamberlain had stared down from her bedroom window at the man who was claiming Gordon Rooker's crime as his own.
Rooker lit his rol -up. He picked a piece of tobacco from his tongue and looked across at Chamberlain. "I thought you'd retired," he said.
"That's right."
"Living out in the sticks with a houseful of cats, listening to The Archers .. ."
"What do you know about where I live?"
Rooker turned to Thorne. "If she's not on the job any more, what are we doing here?"
By 'here', Rooker meant the Legal Visits Room. It was normal y reserved for confidential interviews, for meetings with police officers or solicitors, for official business. Thorne was content to keep things unofficial.. . for now. He had seen no real reason to go to Brigstocke and certainly not to Tughan. The connection between Rooker and Bil y Ryan was twenty years old and tenuous at best to the SO7 inquiry, and he'd promised Carol Chamberlain that he'd try to sort things out on his own time. He'd discreetly pul ed a few strings and cal ed in a favour or two to ensure that he, Chamberlain and Gordon Rooker could discuss one or two things in private.
"What we talked about a week ago," Thorne said, 'it's escalated."
Rooker looked, or tried to look, serious. "That's a shame."
"Yes, it is."
"I told you last time .. ."
"I'l forget the rubbish you told me last time and pretend we're starting from scratch, OK? This has to be down to some fuck wit you've done time with, or somebody who's written to you.
You told me al about some of the letters you get, right?"
"Right."
"So, any bright ideas, Gordon?"
Rooker took three quick drags. He held the smoke in and let it out very slowly on a sigh. "I've got to have some sort of protection," he said.
Thorne laughed. "What?
"Word got around after you were here last time .. ."
Thorne shrugged. He'd obviously opted for privacy a little too late. "You've not exactly been popular for quite a while now, Gordon. Talking to a copper isn't going to make much difference."
"You'd be surprised .. ."
Chamberlain's voice was quieter than when she'd spoken before, but the edge had sharpened. "If you've got something to say, Rooker, you'd best say it."
Another drag. "I want this parole. I real y need it to go my way this time."
"And?" Thorne stared blankly across the table at Rooker. "Not a lot we can do about that'
"Bol ocks. It's down to the Home Office. You can get it done if you want to."
"Why would we want to?"
"I need a guarantee that I'm getting out.. ."
"Don't want much, do you?"
"It'l be worth it."
"Unless you're tel ing us who Jack the Ripper was and where Lord Lucan and Shergar are holed up, I doubt we'd be interested."
Rooker didn't seem to find that funny.
"What about these letters?" asked Chamberlain. "The phone cal s. That's what we're here to talk about."
Rooker stared down at the ashtray.
"Whoever's doing this has been to my house .. ."
"I want protection." Rooker looked up at Thorne. "After I'm out."
"Protection from who?" Chamberlain said.
"New identity, national insurance number, the lot.. ."
"Bil y Ryan," Thorne said.
"Maybe .. ."
"Is Bil y Ryan going to come after you?"
"Not for the reason you think."
"So why should we give a toss?"
"I can give him to you."
Thorne blinked. This was interesting. This was far from tenuous. He avoided eye contact with Chamberlain, refused to show Rooker anything, kept his voice casual. "You're going to grass up Bil y Ryan?"
Rooker nodded.
"Grass up the Ryans," Chamberlain said, 'and you real y wil be a target."
"That's why I want protection."
It was a straightforward piece of gangland logic, and Thorne could see the sense of it. "Get Ryan before he gets you. That it?"
"Don't make out like you wouldn't like to put him away. He's a piece of