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  “Let’s follow him inside,” she said, releasing Caleb’s arm. “The last time he saw me I was just a kid, so he won’t recognise me. You go in and head straight to the beer. Make a purchase. I’ll try and get close enough to confirm it’s him. The shop’s brightly lit so it should be easy to see in there.”

  They entered the off licence, Caleb making a beeline straight for the lager. The man they thought was McGinnis was already clutching a six pack and was now browsing the spirits section, particularly the vodka.

  Faith remained further down the aisle and glanced sideways at him but she still couldn’t tell for sure. Jules had mentioned he was a ladies’ man, so she unzipped her jacket and unfastened the top three buttons of her shirt, revealing a significant amount of cleavage.

  Casually she wandered down the aisle, making a show of scanning the bottles.

  “Excuse me,” she said.

  “Oh sorry,” replied the figure, moving aside for her.

  “Thank you,” she said, leaning past him to reach for a bottle of vodka. As she moved she glanced sideways at him and smiled but she still couldn’t tell with the hat pulled down so low. As she straightened up she tilted her body towards his, giving him an eyeful of her exposed chest. His eyes bulged and he lifted his head enough for her to see his face in full.

  It was him.

  “Oy, my face is here you know,” she snapped.

  Ray, who had been without female company for so long had to drag his attention from her chest. “Oh I’m sorry,” he replied.

  “You got a problem?” she demanded.

  “No, no problem. Please, allow me to buy you that bottle as an apology.”

  She tilted her nose in the air, huffed with indignation and stalked up to the till. After purchasing the vodka she left, joining Caleb outside on the pavement.

  “It’s him,” she said as they continued to walk.

  “Nice one. What now?”

  “We let Jules know.”

  CHAPTER 39

  Ray meandered back to the house with his lager, vodka and a bottle of Bacardi. It had been a brief but satisfying foray into the outside world. He’d got some good booze and an eyeful of tit at the same time. By Christ they’d been impressive. He would go back to the safe house and have a good hard think about those beauties. He’d stuck his neck out but it had been worth it.

  Jacko sat down the street, smiling. He knew Ray McGinnis of old. One of the men he’d double-crossed and who was currently serving fifteen years in prison had been a good friend of his. Miller had failed to realise how keen he’d been to find McGinnis simply for some revenge. He’d worked out the only reason she was doing it was so she could feed information back to the Maguires. Funny, he’d thought she was too squeaky clean to be in the pockets of gangsters but he’d recognised the burning ambition in the woman’s eyes. That sort of ambition was dangerous, it made you do things you may later regret.

  He’d not found McGinnis by following the copper hiding him. Even though Jacko was nicknamed ‘The Ghost’ he’d known there was a risk a man like Dwyer would spot him. Instead he’d found his location by sticking to the old adage follow the money. That was the real way to find someone. Namely Dwyer’s money. He was paying regular rent to a landlord in Blackpool. Now why would a man like Dwyer need to pay for a house in Blackpool that he didn’t live in?

  He watched McGinnis walk up to the door of the house Dwyer had rented and let himself in.

  He took out his phone and called Miller. “I’ve found him.”

  “Babes you’re an absolute star,” Jules said into her phone. “You’re in for a bloody good treat. No, ensuring Vance stayed in Manchester was no bother. You’ve saved this family’s bacon.” She hung up and beamed at Ryan and Carter.

  “Good news I take it?” said Ryan.

  “Faith Chambers in Blackpool has found McGinnis. She’s given me the address of the safe house he’s staying at. His shaved off his moustache but it’s impossible to hide that ugly mug.”

  “She’s certain it’s him? Has she sent you a photo?”

  “She couldn’t get one without alerting him to the fact that he’d been rumbled but she’s positive. She knows McGinnis of old, he used to do business with her father. We need to move on this immediately.”

  “How do you want to handle it?”

  “I’d like to charge in there and take my time with the grassing bastard but Dwyer could return at any time.” She chewed her lip.

  “Can this Faith kill him?”

  “She could but I don’t want to put that on her. It doesn’t come as easy to her as it does to us and thanks to her things are running like clockwork in Blackpool.” She broke into a smile. “But Faith is good at organising chaos.”

  “I think I see where you’re going with this,” replied Ryan.

  Carter looked from one to the other, as usual feeling two steps behind.

  Her phone beeped and Jules laughed out loud with delight. “I don’t believe it. My little mole in the police has found McGinnis too. It’s the same address Faith gave me.” She beamed at the two men. “It seems the planets are aligning in our favour gentlemen. Plus I’ve managed to get hold of the ACC, or to be more precise, Mark has. He cornered him in the brothel where he goes to get pissed on and told him to get his finger out and get Dwyer under control if he doesn’t want all his nasty little secrets revealed to the world. The soft sack nearly fainted,” she said, ending this statement with a bark of laughter. “Finally everything is coming together for us. The boys will soon be home.”

  Dwyer was hugely pissed off that he’d missed his chance to get Mikey and Jez sent to the other end of the country, into enemy territory and away from the power of their family. His coalition friends could have ensured they’d been put in Brixton where there were members of rival London gangs who would have taken great pleasure in wiping out the competition. London had been left wide open after Katia and Hayden Brody’s disappearance, they’d been top dog down there but a couple of pretty strong families were emerging and taking over their old territories. All these gangs and crime families put him in mind of wild animals scrapping over bits of turf.

  “Messages?” he demanded of DS Miller. It pleased him when her eyes flashed with defiance.

  “On your desk,” she retorted.

  “Excellent. I’ll have a coffee black with two sugars.”

  “No can do Sir,” she said, getting to her feet.

  “Are you disobeying a direct order from your superior officer?”

  “No Sir. I’m obeying one.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “The ACC wants to talk to me.”

  “The ACC wants to talk to you? Why?”

  “No idea Sir but he outranks you, so I have to obey.”

  With that she stalked out of the office, the cloud of smugness surrounding her nearly driving him demented. “I’ll be ACC one day,” he muttered as she left. “And when that day comes your career will be over.” He thought it a shame she was female because she did have so much potential but he’d always firmly believed that women had no place on a police force. They should stick to being secretaries or air stewardesses.

  He strode into his office and slammed the door shut. The first message he read had him cursing under his breath. That nosy Scouse git was coming back, no doubt to stick his oar into his investigation.

  Miller rapped on the ACC’s door. She had expected to be beckoned in with an imperious command when in fact she was greeted by a timid, enter.

  Everyone thought the ACC was a bit of a pompous tosser. He had a public school background and his father was a Tory MP, which immediately placed him in the wanker bracket for most of the officers working beneath him. He was one of those executive officers more concerned with statistics and portraying a good press image than real police work, he would have been much more suited to the life of a politician. She’d never had much to do with him before, which was why she’d been surprised by this summons.

  “Ah DS Miller
, thank you for coming,” he said with none of his usual condescension. “Please take a seat.”

  “Thank you Sir,” she said, sitting opposite him at his ornate desk. Framed photographs adorned the walls of him posing with well known members of the local community as well as a few celebrities. She did think he should take down the one of him with Jimmy Saville.

  He cleared his throat several times before beginning. Either he had a cough or he was nervous about something. But why would he be nervous about meeting a humble detective sergeant?

  “DS Miller,” he began. “I’ve followed your career closely and you’ve always come across as a very conscientious police officer.”

  “Thank you Sir,” she said, growing increasingly puzzled.

  “You have an excellent arrest record and your work is of an exemplary standard.”

  She responded with another polite thank you.

  “However it seems things have rather stagnated for you since DCI Dwyer took over from the unfortunate DCI Taylor.”

  Her heart sank. So this was where it was going. Dwyer had complained about her and she was going to be kicked off the team. She’d never get the DI’s job and Dwyer would ensure she’d never rise above the rank of sergeant.

  The ACC sipped from the tumbler of water on his desk and cleared his throat again. Why was he so bloody nervous? She was the one who was about to get the boot.

  “It has also come to my attention,” he continued. “That DCI Dwyer has several times contravened our standards of practice.”

  She blinked at him. Where was he headed now?

  “I want this investigated thoroughly. We can risk no charges of corruption labelled against this force.”

  “You mean corruption on DCI Dwyer’s part, just to be clear Sir?”

  “Absolutely. As I said, your record is exemplary. I’m not insinuating you’re a part of it.”

  She breathed a sigh of relief. “Are you bringing in Counter Corruption Sir?”

  “No, not yet. I want to be sure there’s something for them to investigate first. In short, I want you to handle it.”

  Miller just stared at him. Surely this should be handled by an officer equal to or above Dwyer’s rank? Something funny was going on and why was he sweating so much? It dawned on her and she wanted to laugh out loud. He was acting on behalf of Jules Maguire. She found the thought hilarious, although she was careful to keep her face serious and stern. “Me Sir? I’ve had no experience in Counter Corruption.”

  “These things are usually investigated internally first and as part of Dwyer’s unit you’re perfectly placed to look into the matter. It’s ironic that the previous and possibly the present DCI of our Organised Crime Unit are corrupt. If you find any evidence then we’ll bring in Counter Corruption. They may even hand it over to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.”

  “May I ask Sir, what initially brought this to your attention?”

  Beads of sweat were now trickling down the side of his face. “I’ve had tip-offs of evidence planting on DCI Dwyer’s part. I’m sorry, I can’t reveal my sources. Have you noticed anything in that regard during the time working for Dwyer? That includes before he was made DCI.”

  “Well, lately I have become suspicious.”

  “Really?” he said, resting his elbows on the desk. “Why?”

  “It was the Maguire-Law case.” She now understood the game perfectly well. The ACC had no idea she had been in contact with Jules Maguire. Neither did he suspect she knew that he was under that family’s thumb. Jules had set up this game knowing she’d be able to follow the rules without being told. “Everything was just so circumstantial but somehow he managed to get them both remanded to prison.”

  “There was DNA evidence.”

  “About that Sir,” she said, taking out her phone. She played the recording of what poor Sheldon had told her. She felt bad about dropping him in it, after all he was pretty harmless but if she had to choose between her career and him her career would win every time.

  The ACC’s eyes practically lit up. “Well this is a wonderful start. I must congratulate you DS Miller on your ingenuity, you’re a valuable asset to the Greater Manchester Police Force.”

  “Thank you Sir,” she said, beaming with pride.

  “The DI’s position is still open in your unit, isn’t it?”

  “Yes Sir.”

  “If you run this covert investigation successfully you will be a prime candidate for the job.”

  “I really feel I’m ready for a step up the ladder Sir.”

  “It would seem you are. Now DS Miller, you are to mention this to no one and report only to myself. Do you understand?”

  She wiped the smile off her face and nodded seriously. “Yes Sir.”

  “Excellent. You may go and thank you for your time.”

  “Thank you Sir,” she said before striding from the office, full of purpose. Dwyer was going down.

  The man himself sprung out at her as she returned to her desk.

  “DS Miller,” he called from the door of his office.

  “Shouldn’t you be taking him a brew?” sniggered the other DS.

  For once the comments didn’t bother her. She was way past the opinions of these useless arseholes. When she was DI they were all out on their arses, except for Stevie.

  “What did the ACC want with you?” he demanded as soon as she entered his office.

  “He’s considering seconding me to another unit Sir.”

  “What unit?”

  “I’m afraid I can’t say. ACC’s orders.”

  “Is it the tea and doilies investigation unit?” he sniggered.

  “I’m not aware of that one Sir,” she said dispassionately.

  Dwyer was immediately suspicious. One reason he kept this daft cow around was because he enjoyed it when he annoyed her but his comment had barely made a dent. Perhaps she just didn’t care because she was moving on. “Why would the ACC bother to speak to you directly? Surely he should have come to me first?”

  “It’s an undercover operation Sir. Highly sensitive.”

  “It’s to do with the Laws and Maguires, isn’t it?”

  Miller smiled inwardly. She would let him believe that, it would drive him demented. For once his obsession was proving useful. “I really can’t say Sir,” she said meaningfully.

  He stood nose to nose with her. “If your little investigation in any way compromises the one I’m running I will be very pissed off. Nothing can be allowed to get in the way of that pair finally being sent down for life.”

  “It doesn’t involve Mikey Maguire and Jez Law Sir.”

  “Then who? Jules?”

  “No Sir.”

  He stared right into her eyes. Miller refused to flinch from that intense, slightly manic gaze.

  “Rachel,” he breathed. “You’re investigating Rachel Law.”

  “I really can’t comment Sir.”

  “Yes you are. I can see it in your eyes. Well that bitch is mine. I’m already working on getting her to turn herself in.”

  “A woman like her would never do that.”

  “What do you know about it? I’ve studied that family for years, I know everything about them. You swan along, thinking you can handle it but you can’t. You’ve no idea what you’re walking into.”

  “Can I go now Sir? I have a lot to do.”

  “No you bloody well can’t.” He jabbed a digit in her face. “I’m bringing down that family, it’s the accumulation of my life’s work as well as my brother’s and you are not taking it from me. Do you hear me DS Miller? You’re not taking it from me,” he bellowed in her face.

  Miller heard the rest of the office go silent, everyone eagerly awaiting to hear what would happen next. “I really have no idea what you’re taking about Sir,” she coolly replied.

  He snorted with frustration. “Get the fuck out of my office. Now.”

  “Yes Sir,” she said before turning on her heel and casually strolling out.

  Dwyer slamm
ed the door shut so hard the windows rattled and turned to look at the photos on his wall, glaring particularly at Rachel’s.

  “You’re mine you fucking bitch,” he hissed.

  Through the tiny ear piece in her left ear, Miller could hear Dwyer ranting at his photographs, every word he said being recorded on an app on her phone thanks to the bug she’d placed in there while he’d been away. Thanks to the ACC her efforts against Dwyer were now legal.

  CHAPTER 40

  Ray McGinnis was reclining back in the armchair in front of the television, cheering on the hero in the action film he was watching, who was clinging from a skyscraper with one hand while firing at a hovering helicopter with a machine gun.

  “Go on son,” he cried, slopping lager all over himself from the open can he held. “Stick it to those bastards.”

  At first he thought the popping sound he heard was on the film, the result of more bullets leaving the barrel of the muscle-bound hero’s gun. It was only when he realised the popping noises were accompanied by cheers that he gathered it was happening outside.

  Switching off the lights, he stumbled towards the window, swearing loudly when he stubbed his toe on the armchair. Pulling back the curtain slightly he saw a parade marching down the street. From his vantage point it wasn’t clear what the parade was about but he gathered it was happy as everyone was smiling, their faces lit up by the torches they carried as well as the fireworks going off overhead, which were the source of the bangs. Some people were even dancing.

  Glancing at the clock he saw it was only nine o’clock. He’d thought it was later but time drifted by a lot slower in his isolation. Some of the neighbours were coming out onto the street, smiling and joining in the parade, dancing their way down the street. Ray was sorely tempted to join in too, it looked such fun. It would be good just to be among people again.

  Dwyer’s description of an angry Jules Maguire looming over him with her knives popped into his head, prompting him to yank the curtains shut, plunging the room into darkness, which was intermittently lit up by the colourful streaks of fireworks through the sky.