Simon Kernick - The Murder Exchange

‘Do you think he knows what’s happened to Fowler, then?’

He nodded, thinking about it. ‘I got the impression he does. What about you?’

‘What I’m thinking is that every time we talk to someone about this case we seem to come up against a brick wall, with no one willing or able to help and not enough evidence to break the thing apart. I think it’s time we tried a new approach.’

‘What kind of new approach?’

‘I’m not sure,’ I told him, but I was beginning to get an idea.

Iversson

I was in bed with Elaine when the phone rang. It was five past two in the afternoon and we were taking a short break from one of those sex marathons you sometimes have when you’ve met a girl you’re really into and you’ve still got the sex drive to do something about it. To be honest with you, it had been like that all week. Great fun, yes, but parts of me were beginning to feel the strain. I was absolutely fucking cream crackered, and still only just past the panting stage from the last bout when Elaine picked up on the fourth ring and handed me the receiver. ‘Joe,’ she said.

‘All right, Joe, where are you calling from?’

‘A phone box in Tufnell Park, no trace possible. I’ve got two interested parties for our arrangement, men I think we can trust.’

‘That was quick.’

‘I had a good idea where I was going to look.’

‘Oh yeah?’

‘Yeah. You see plenty of people owe our man big time, which is what happens when you spend your days throwing your weight about and upsetting people.’

‘So, who are they?’

‘You know I told you about that jeweller, Kalinski, and his business arrangement with our man? The one who ended up at the maggot farm with his girlfriend? His brother Mike’s an ex-armed robber and someone with a grudge.’

‘Are you sure it’s a good idea to use someone we don’t know?’

‘I’ve got it from decent sources that he’s reliable. Plus, he’s greedy. Plus, they chopped up his brother, and they’re a close family. That’s enough pluses, as far as I can see.’

‘Fair enough. Who’s the other one?’

‘Iain Lewis, remember him?’

‘Christ, yeah. I didn’t think he was still alive.’

‘Alive, well, and short of money.’

Iain Lewis, Tugger to his mates for a reason best not gone into, was a Geordie ex-marine and mercenary who’d served with me and Joe on some of our more exotic overseas tours, and who’d been wounded in Bosnia fighting against Serb forces back in the early nineties. He’d be useful on this sort of job because the potential calibre of the opposition wouldn’t faze him.

‘Where’s he living now?’

‘Down in Swansea of all places, but he’ll be up here tomorrow. How are you getting on with your end of things? Have you talked to your mate Johnny yet?’

‘I saw him last night. He’s in already. I’ve dropped him five hundred in expenses and he’s going to sort out the vehicles. He’s meant to be calling me back later.’

‘But he doesn’t know anything about the targets?’

‘Not a thing.’

‘Good. Have you taken a look at any possible locations for storage?’

‘I drove out to Essex yesterday and visited a couple of letting agents.’

‘What cover did you use?’

‘I said I was a writer looking for a short let somewhere nice and isolated so I could complete my first novel in the peace and tranquillity I needed. It’s a thriller apparently.’

I heard Joe sigh down the phone. ‘Look, we’ve got a problem. The police have traced the stain on the seat of your car back to Fowler.’

This was bad news. ‘So?’ I said all casually, keen not to worry Elaine.

‘So now they’re really after you, although they still don’t have a clue about what’s happened. The thing is, if anyone who rents you out a place sees a picture of you anywhere, it could put the whole thing in jeopardy.’

‘Don’t worry, I wore specs, and I’ve got a bit of a beard now, so I don’t know how easy it’d be to make the connection.’

‘It’s still too risky, Max. You’re not exactly a master of disguise.’

‘I thought I looked quite good.’

‘I’m sure you did, but I’d better take over on that side from now on. Did they show you any suitable properties?’

‘There were two I liked the look of. One’ll be empty next week, the other’s empty now. Both farmhouses. I said I’d get back to them but I wanted to run the details past you first. See if there was one you preferred.’

‘All right, I’ll come over and get the stuff off you, and then I’d better do the booking. I’ll need some of that money back.’

‘No problem. Come over now.’ Elaine pulled a face. It looked like she wasn’t finished with me yet. Much more of this and I was going to have to find some bromide to stick in her tea.

‘I’ll be there in an hour,’ he said.

‘One last thing,’ I said, ‘before you go. The tools we’re going to need for the job …’

‘I’ve got enough. Don’t worry about that.’

‘I’ll see you in an hour, then.’

I rang off and forced myself to smile at Elaine. I was trying to take in the news that I was now a suspect for a murder. One more reason, I reckoned, to make sure everything went to plan with the Holtz snatch.

She sat up in the bed and lit a cigarette. ‘So, things moving along then, are they?’ she asked.

‘Everything’s going peachy,’ I said, but there must have been something in my tone.

‘But?’

What is it about women? They can always see through your lies. I gave her a quick rundown of our conversation, mentioning about the police being on to me.

‘What are you going to do about it?’

I shrugged. ‘Not a lot I can do, really. It’s a pain having them on my back, but if I keep my wits about me, then that’s all it’ll be. Not enough to mess up any of the plans.’

‘It’s suspicion of murder, Max, not unpaid parking tickets, so they’re going to be making an effort to find you.’

I nodded. She was right. ‘I’ll be careful, don’t worry.’

She took a drag on her cigarette and blew the smoke up towards the ceiling. ‘What are you going to do when this is all over?’

‘I’m going to get out of the country for a while. I know a bloke who puts together perfect-quality fake passports, and I’ll have money as well, so I’ll be able to survive. Anyway, everything’ll die down in a few months. I mean, they haven’t got any other evidence against me on the Fowler thing, and they’re never going to find the body, not if the Holtzes have done their bit, so it’ll end up gathering dust in the unsolveds. I’ll just come back in a while and tell them it was nothing to do with me.’

‘What about me, though?’ she asked.

I thought about that one for a moment. ‘Do you want to come with me? We’ll both have cash, and there’s nothing keeping you here any more.’ I might have only known Elaine for a few days but sometimes you can just tell when they’re right for you. My mum and dad had got engaged after only two weeks, so whirlwind romances obviously ran in the family. They’d lasted close to five years, too. Not that I fancied getting hitched just yet.

‘Do you want me to?’ she asked, her expression serious. I knew then that she felt the same way. Sometimes, with her, it had been difficult to tell. She could be a bit distant on occasion, to be honest with you, and it had made me wonder more than once whether I was maybe outstaying my welcome.

I nodded. ‘Yeah. I do.’

‘Have you got anywhere in mind?’

‘As long as it’s not Sierra Leone, I don’t much care.’

She smiled. ‘How about Bermuda? I’ve always fancied going there.’