Cath Staincliffe - Desperate Measures

The Wilson Crew were notorious, one of several Manchester gangs who made money primarily from drug pushing and robberies and maintained their power by intimidating anyone who they perceived to be a threat. Gangs were responsible for the majority of shootings in the city. The police operation Xcalibre had been set up to try and purge them from the city streets.

‘No-one was convicted for the previous break-in,’ Janine said.

‘But everyone knew it was them, and stuff like this: shooting, the state of my house, who else could it be?’ His voice was high with fear.

Janine couldn’t make sense of what he was saying. ‘Dr McKee,’ she said, ‘if we accept for a moment that Don Halliwell was shot because he interrupted an attempted break-in, I don’t see why these same people would then set out to vandalise your property and threaten your life.’

He looked incredulous. ‘Because they can, because that’s how they work isn’t it? They intimidate people.’ As an explanation it didn’t hold water.

Richard shifted in his seat. Janine could tell he wasn’t convinced either.

‘What can you tell us about the vehicle that ran you off the road?’ Richard said.

‘It was dark, some sort of 4x4, with those blacked-out windows,’ McKee said.

‘Could you see how many people were in it?’ Richard said.

McKee shook his head.

‘Was there any actual impact? It might help us with forensics,’ Richard said.

‘I’m not sure. I was just trying to get away, it all happened so fast.’ McKee swallowed, rubbed at his nose again.

‘Was the road busy?’ Richard said. He was wondering about witnesses, Janine thought.

‘No,’ McKee said.

‘And the other car didn’t stop?’ Richard said.

‘I don’t know. I think I was unconscious but I don’t know how long for,’ McKee said.

Janine leant forward, ‘Have there been any threats made in the past to you or to other staff by these people?’ she said.

‘No,’ said McKee.

‘And they’re not personally known to you?’ Janine said.

‘No,’ McKee said, his eyes darting away.

Janine asked him if he’d be happy to wait as they made further inquiries and would want to talk to him again.

‘I can stay here?’ he said.

‘Yes,’ she said and he gave a nod.

‘What do you think?’ Janine said to Richard as they travelled up in the lift.

‘His story’s a bit of a dog’s dinner,’ Richard said.

‘Yes. I’m not sure he was being straight with us,’ she said.

‘In fear for his life,’ Richard said.

‘Yes, I believe that but he seemed paranoid. All that stuff about the Wilson Crew targeting him just because they can. I don’t buy that.’

‘Do you think he knows something about the murder?’ Richard said.

‘I can’t tell but he’s holding something back, something that scares him enough to bring him here,’ Janine said.

Once the reference to the Wilson Crew had been entered into the inquiry log and before she could brief the team, Janine was contacted by DCS Roper from Xcalibre, the gun crime operation. Roper wanted to know where her interest in the Wilsons stemmed from. After she’d explained, he invited himself over to the briefing. Her inquiry had blundered into Xcalibre territory and Roper sounded hell-bent on making it clear where they could and couldn’t tread. ‘Sounds like it does involve the gang,’ Janine said to Richard, ‘at least something’s becoming clearer.’

Janine waited for Roper to arrive and took him into the incident room where the team were assembled. The boards contained significant information so far on all lines of inquiry: a picture of Halliwell and his details in the centre with a section on the crime scene, including a note about the missing briefcase and weapon, and a section on Norma Halliwell and the vandalised car, and a map of the area near the surgery. To the left, the team had compiled details of the practice, a list of colleagues and a section on McKee with pictures of his house and the crashed Peugeot. To the right, the new line of inquiry into the gangs, the Wilson Crew and the previous robbery.

‘Some of you may know DCS Roper, from Xcalibre, our gun crime operation,’ Janine said, ‘he has an interest in our current case as you’ll hear.’

Roper nodded and took the floor. ‘Good morning. I’m here because the Wilson Crew were flagged up to us as of interest to your investigation and what I can tell you is that at present we have the inner-circle, the half-dozen people at the top, under close surveillance. We do know there was talk of another burglary but no immediate plans to carry it out. We can confirm that members of the gang were party to the property damage to Fraser McKee’s house yesterday but we can also confirm that the murder of Dr Halliwell was not instigated or carried out by those we are monitoring.’

Janine saw the ripple of surprise travel round the room. Shared it herself. The proximity of the incidents, the connection between Halliwell and McKee had persuaded her, persuaded all of them, that the crimes were linked by the same perpetrators but Roper was saying that categorically was not the case.

‘What about the attack on Halliwell’s car?’ Shap said.

‘And McKee’s?’ Butchers said.

‘No, neither of those incidents are linked to the Wilson Crew,’ said DCS Roper.

‘Do you know why they ransacked McKee’s place?’ Richard said.

‘Not yet. What I should make clear is that just because we rule out the top-dogs for commissioning or carrying out the shooting, it could still be a gang member. The gang structure is pretty fluid, there might be eighty people or more loosely affiliated at any one time. Some are related to the big boys, others just live in the area, run the odd errand.’

‘It could be the work of a splinter group,’ Janine said.

‘Possibly. They tend to be the younger ones, who can often be more reckless, more violent,’ Roper said. ‘But we haven’t had any intelligence through on that. It’s just speculation. All I can say is this killing was not sanctioned by the gang leadership.’

‘It’s an unusual target, Janine said, ‘middle-aged GP.’

‘I’ll grant you that,’ Roper said, ‘gang violence tends to arise from gang activity, rival groups vying for control, fallings out within the gang. Sometimes it spills over to friends and relatives, then of course we get mistaken identity, that sort of shooting. But this…’ He shook his head. ‘If I were putting money on it I’d say this was not a gang related killing.’

‘Not even some rogue scrote on the edge of the action?’ Shap said.

Roper shrugged. He paused for a minute then said, ‘Obviously we don’t want to blow our obs…’

‘You don’t want us pulling in your suspects,’ Richard said.

‘And there’s no need,’ DCS Roper said, ‘the leaders are clear for the murder, and no-one wants to see eighteen months of work go down the drain picking them up for criminal damage to the McKee property. If your continuing inquiries lead you to conclude any involvement from any wider associates I’d appreciate being kept up to speed.’

‘Understood,’ Janine said.

Once Roper had left, Janine led the discussion, ‘So the Wilson Crew trashed McKee’s house but someone else drove him off the road. He’s a popular guy.’

‘Like Lancelot said,’ Shap chipped in, ‘could be an offshoot gang.’

‘The last burglary,’ Butchers said, ‘the intruders got away with a load of computers and prescription pads. The alarm went off but by the time an area car responded they’d legged it.’

‘And was there any evidence to link it to the Wilson Crew at the time?’ Janine said.