Free Death on Account (The Lakeland Murders) by J J Salkeld Page A

which I suggest we try to discuss when it’s just the two of us.’
    ‘You mean how the killer, and by extension Billy Cafferty, knew where Williams was?’
    ‘Exactly. I assume that’s part of the investigation?’
    ‘Absolutely it is. At the very least we’re looking at conspiracy to murder charges, ideally including one for Billy, for anyone who was involved in fingering Williams to our killer. Of course if the leak came from our side of the fence, or worse still from this station, then we’re looking at an outside Force having to become involved.’
    ‘But at present you’ve no evidence to suggest that this was an inside job as it were?’
    ‘Absolutely not, despite the entirely unjustified questioning of Ian Mann.’
    Robinson threw up his hands in a conciliatory gesture. ‘My hands are tied.’ They didn’t look tied to Hall. ‘You know I can’t discuss it anyway, Andy, so I suggest we just park it for now. But how are you planning to progress that line?’
    ‘Obviously our best approach is to catch our killer, and then try to work back from there. But if we don’t then we’re looking at whoever his contacts were in the UK. And of course we may find other evidence, perhaps from Williams’ own activity, that might point towards the person who informed on him.’
    ‘So you’re actively looking at Williams?’
    ‘You bet’ said Hall, though he knew for a fact that Robinson hadn’t even put in a quid for the station’s Grand National sweepstake. He was no fan of gambling himself, but that was the problem with zealots he thought, they have absolutely no sense of proportion. ‘SOCO have almost finished with Williams’ house and car, and we’ve got a couple of the Specials, under Jane Francis’ supervision, looking at his electronic trail.’
    ‘Really? Which Specials?’
    ‘Alison Thornton and Gill McGrath. They both have relevant experience.’
    ‘Oh yes, Alison comes from an accountancy background, doesn’t she?’
    ‘She does. How did you know that?’
    ‘She wrote to me, and I put her forward. She struck me as being a nice woman. Just right for us.’
    Hall suspected that was code for a fellow God-botherer, but he didn’t pursue the point. He was glad that Robinson hadn’t mentioned Gill, but perhaps he didn’t listen to the office gossip. It was probably against his religion.
     
     
    On his way back to his office Hall stopped at the office kitchen, which was already in a state despite the fact that the cleaners had only left a couple of hours before, and made a couple of teas. He put three sugars in Ray Dixon’s, and walked back into the open CID office. He held up a cup and called out to Ray, who looked up and waved back. When they were in his office Hall asked how the CCTV analysis was going.
    ‘I think we know exactly where the X5 was, and when, for all the time it was on our patch. We’re tracking it back when it left again through ANPR now, but what’s the betting it turns up at or near Liverpool airport on Tuesday evening? It was nicked on Monday night by the way, sometime after seven pm, from an address on the Wirral. Wasn’t reported until Tuesday morning.’
    ‘So our friends on Merseyside will try to pick it up from then on, and follow the trail back to where it was found burnt out?’
    ‘Aye. That’s what they’re saying.’
    ‘Good, that’s fine, so long as they’re giving it absolute priority. Are you happy to act as DI Sheridan’s liaison, keep the pressure on?’ Dixon nodded. ‘We’re interested in everything to do with that car, from the time it was nicked until the moment it was on fire, and of course we want to try to establish if our man was dropped off at the airport.’
    ‘I don’t think they’re making any progress on the airport side of it, boss. That’s the impression I get anyway. Tony Sheridan only has a couple of techies and a pair of DCs available, so they’re concentrating on the car. He reckons that they just don’t have enough to go