CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

 

Several people stood at the yellow tape cordoning off a large section of the manicured gardens behind the embassy. Cooper lifted it enough to duck under and walk towards another group gathered outside a small shed.

She saw Semyon among uniformed guards, police and plainclothes personnel. He saw her approach and ambled towards her.

“Senior Detective Cooper,” he smiled sadly. “I didn’t believe we would be seeing each other so soon and under such dreadful circumstances.”

“What can you tell me about it?”

“The gardener found him in the shed, a few hours ago. The shock and distress of such a sight has since claimed another victim. The poor man suffered a fatal heart attack, soon after he had informed us.”

Cooper gaped at him. “The gardener died?”

“Yes,” Semyon nodded. “He was quite frail, but the strongest of us have not been unaffected by what we’ve seen. It is truly hideous and I caution you before you venture on.”

“I’ll take that on board,” she said.

Continuing on, she was met by Tobias. His face was white and he was shaking his head.

“You’re going to need a strong stomach for this one, Lizzie.”

“So I’ve been told. You want to give me a summary?”

“Yep. We got a Caucasian male, at a rough guess of about thirty years, but could possibly be any age. His head has been beaten to a pulp, the face caved right in and no sign of any teeth left behind. His hands have been cut off and most of the skin of his torso has been burnt off, most likely with a gas axe.”

“Fuck.”

“Yeah, the smell in there is pretty bad, so get your wits about you.”

Cooper frowned. “So the mutilation was carried out in the shed?”

“Yeah. Hopefully, it was post mortem, but the burning definitely took place in the shed. One whiff will tell you that.”

“So is there anything left to identify him?”

“A DNA match, maybe, but I think we’ll be clutching at straws.”

“Any embassy personnel missing?”

“All present and accounted for, except for the poor bastard that found him.”

“Yeah, I heard he keeled over.”

“Yeah, cardiac arrest. The Colonel saw him come into the embassy early this morning, barely able to speak and just pointing out to the shed. He went out, saw the body, came back and took the old boy into his office. Not long after that he collapsed. One of the staff rushed him to the hospital but he was dead on arrival.”

“Witnesses?”

“Only the Colonel. Others came running when he started yelling out for someone to help him. Fuck, Lizzie, we got one vicious thug on our hands. If he’s the one who’s got Adele Easton, I’d fucking hate to be in her shoes.”

“Yeah.” A chill went through her. “The crime scene at Tyler’s address was pretty bad too. That poor old man didn’t have the luxury of dying from a heart attack straight away. Garrotted and near decapitated with wire and there were severe burns to his genitals, most likely inflicted by a Taser.”

“Christ. What type of fucking psychopath are we dealing with?”

“The worst kind. The kind of man who could torture an old man that he obviously knew well. If he wanted to start cleaning up his tracks, why fucking torture him? Why not just kill him? What possible harm could this man have done to him to suffer like he did?”

“Easy, Lizzie.” Collins patted her shoulder. “I think we’re all going to need counselling after this. Right now, let’s just concentrate on catching the fucking prick.”

Cooper nodded. “Right, let’s look at this body.”

Collin’s warning had been accurate. The acrid scent of burnt flesh violently invaded Cooper’s nostrils before she had stepped into the shed. Thankfully, the forensic team had much of it cordoned off and she could only stand at the door to inspect the gruesome scene. A lifeless, charred form was lying naked on the concrete floor in the far corner. A small, dark red halo had soaked into the concrete around what was left of a head and the steel walls were speckled with blood and flesh.

A fully suited and masked pathologist approached and began to explain the scene.

“You’ve got a pipe wrench over there with blood and bone fragments and a gas axe that’s responsible for the lovely aroma.” He pointed to another object nearby. “The hatchet was used to remove the hands, which are missing.”

Cooper moved her hand away from her face enough to speak. “I expected a lot more blood.”

“Yeah, but it appears the guy was killed elsewhere, at a rough guess around nine pm. The mutilations took place here and appears to have been done in the last four hours.”

“That doesn’t make sense,” Cooper frowned. “Our perp kills the man, brings his body to the embassy and then waits for several hours, before he decides to mangle the rest of him?”

“Yeah, it’s weird. At one stage it appears the body was propped up. There are deep marks around the neck.” He pointed to some wire hanging open around a steel post of the exposed frame. “That’s what did the damage, but the wire was cut. It’s as if the killer put him on display and then changed his mind. Must have had an afterthought that we could link the victim to him through his identity. The guy had tattoos, but nothing that’s distinguishable now.”

“So how much time between the mutilations and discovery?”

“Couldn’t have been much more than a couple of hours.”

“So the gardener must have just about tripped over the killer. Maybe he heard him disfiguring the body or even saw him.”

“Well he isn’t about to tell us anything.”

Cooper nodded soberly. “So have we got any evidence that might tell us something?”

“Not yet. We had some boot marks on the gravel out there, but they match that Russian officer’s boots. There were signs that the gravel had been raked over. We have a very careful killer.”

“Yeah,” Cooper smirked. “One who knew enough not to leave any evidence, but only had a last minute afterthought that maybe he should hide this guy’s identity?”

The pathologist chuckled. “That’s why you’re the cop. We give you the clues and you try to make sense of it.”

Cooper stared at the body. None of it made sense.

 

* * * * *

 

With the curtains drawn, Mairead returned and set a glass of water down in front of Dylan. He mumbled his thanks as she took her seat next to James and rested her hand in the crook of his arm. She could feel the tension in him, and knew he was still wired and assessing the situation, not taking his eyes from Dylan for a moment. She had a feeling his compliance was due to his uncertainty about their safety.

His first question was quietly hostile. “How the fuck did you get in?”

Dylan smirked. “I installed your security system and locks don’t often keep me out. I’m sorry I had to invade your privacy, but I could hardly knock on your door.”

“So what do you want?”

“You want answers and I’m here to give you what I can.” He looked at Mairead and then shifted his gaze to James. “After what you’ve been through, I don’t blame you for not trusting me.”

“I suppose if you wanted us dead, we would be.”

“The only threat I am to you, is with the one that’s coming after me.”

Mairead quickly spoke up. “Do you know what has happened to Adele and her parents?”

“Yes, and no, I didn’t kill them.”

“Then who did?” James demanded. “What the hell are we caught up in?”

“My past. It seems Adele has been digging around in it. Unfortunately, she dug a little too deep and opened a hellhole.”

James breathed out slowly. “So how do we close it again or is that not possible?”

“For you, yes. For me, no. My only concern now is for Tammy and Esther, and that you and Mairead are not embroiled any further. The wrongs done to you will be corrected within a few days. Once the girls are safe, I plan to turn myself in.”

“No.” Mairead shook her head. “You haven’t done anything, and if Barry Underhill can be killed in prison, then you aren’t even safe there.”

“Dylan,” James interrupted. “Who are these people after you?”

“Bratva.”

James eyes widened and he sat back. Mairead looked at both of them. “What’s Bratva?”

“Brotherhood,” James replied. “Russian mafia.”

“In New Zealand?” She almost laughed, but stopped as she saw the seriousness in their faces. She frowned at Dylan. “Are you Russian?”

No,” he replied. “I’m Ukrainian born, raised in Thailand and then spent my adolescence in the Soviet Union and what is now the Russian Federation.”

Mairead was beginning to regret not paying more attention to history and geography. “So were you in the mafia?”

Dylan became tight-lipped, until he breathed heavily. “Yes, for a while.”

James was staring down at the floor, but returned his gaze to Dylan. “Before we go on, I can’t promise that the house isn’t undergoing surveillance, though I’m assuming you’ve already taken that into consideration.”

Dylan nodded. “I’m aware of the police being here, and I’ve a done a cautionary sweep to ensure they didn’t leave anything behind. Not that I was too concerned. I’ve had your house under surveillance since Mairead rang with the news of your arrest. I’m aware of who’s come and gone.”

“How certain are you that Bratva are behind this?”

“Very certain. It cost the brutal death of a good friend to learn that. He called out my former name before they killed him. He could have only known it through them. Now I know who I’m up against, enough to know that there is nothing I can do without more people dying.”

“So you’re just giving yourself up?” Mairead stared at him. “You’re going to let these people get hold of you?”

“If I’m in prison, they’ll know where to find me and that should bring this to an end.”

“But they’ll kill you.” Mairead gasped.

Dylan looked at James. “I need to get Tammy and Esther out of the country. Once they’re gone, I’ll take on the charges they’ve laid against you concerning Brendan North, and will tell them I set you up. That should be it for you.”

“They’ve questioned me extensively about you,” James told him. “I’ve said nothing, but sitting in that jail cell did have me questioning myself, especially when I learned of Adele’s parents.”

“And are you still having doubts?” Dylan asked.

“No.” James frowned at Mairead. “Not since my wife made me see reason.”

Mairead gripped his hand and looked at Dylan. “I was having my own doubts when I couldn’t get hold of you.”

He shook his head. “No. You may have been scared, but you still trusted me and I’m deeply grateful for that.”

“And all that means nothing if you’re in prison or dead,” Mairead told him angrily. “You have to tell the cops who’s after you.”

“Mairead, listen to me.” Dylan gave her a hard stare. “These men are not just a bunch of thugs like Underhill. They’re a highly sophisticated organisation with political, judicial, military and constabulary power, and with a fucking lot of money behind them. The fact that they’re in this country, means they’re here legitimately. They won’t be walking around as tattooed criminals, announcing their presence. They will be businessmen, tourists and anyone else with a right to be here. There are plenty of Russians in New Zealand, the majority of them are just innocent people, and until I have some clue of the minority, I’m running blind. If I can’t find them, then I have to allow them to find me and take my chances.”

“So can I ask what you did to piss them off?”

“Plenty.”

James was shaking his head. “So why haven’t they come for us?”

“They’re probably waiting to see if you’ll turn me in. For all I know, they’ve got an insider to the investigation, ready to pass on any further information. You’ve just done a night in prison, and they’ll know that both of you will be feeling vulnerable, worried for your future and looking at me as a threat to it.”

“One of us was,” James sighed.

“Don’t fret it. Most people would have felt the same.” He looked at Mairead. “They just didn’t know how stubborn Mairead could be.”

“They obviously didn’t know me at all,” she said angrily.

“You’re definitely unpredictable,” Dylan grinned. “Even I wasn’t counting on you staying quiet after they killed Adele’s parents.”

Mairead shrugged. “Maybe because I know what it’s like to be accused of a crime you didn’t commit.”

She stopped short of saying anything further, but James put his arm around her anyway, kissed her and quietly apologised.

“I only meant… This has got all the hallmarks of Adele, but to allow her parents to be killed…”

Dylan shook his head. “Adele might have got this started, but now she’s just another unwitting victim, who’s paid one hell of a price for trying to worm her way out of a prison sentence.”

Mairead stared at him anxiously. “Do you think these men have taken Adele? Do you think she’s alive?”

“I don’t know.”

“So I suppose they haven’t come after me because they think I’m selling you out,” Mairead surmised. “But now James is out of prison…”

“We’re both in danger,” James stated. “And Mairead was alone last night.”

“Yes,” Dylan replied. “And now there’s a body at the bottom of Lake Wairarapa, and the other has probably been found now at the Russian Embassy.”

They stared at him, unable to speak until Mairead gasped. “You killed them?”

“Only when they got too close to the house. Both of them were armed and I couldn’t be certain if they wanted to abduct you or shoot you. I wasn’t waiting to find out.”

“But they could have been anyone.”

“Mairead, I know what I was doing, and if it helps, yes, they had certain insignia on their bodies that confirmed who they were.”

She frowned. “It’s just hard to get my head around. You’ve just told us that you’ve killed two men.”

“Because you both deserve to know who you’re protecting. These people are after me for a reason. Thirty years ago, I killed every male member of the Ivanchenko Bratva, except one who got out of Russia. They had become too powerful and were seeking an alliance with another mob, which would have seen more innocent people killed. The KGB had made several attempts but failed to contain them, until I made an offer to do it for them.”

Mairead huffed a laugh. “So you worked with the KGB as well?”

“I’d rather not go through my entire history. You just need to be aware of who you’re protecting. I’ve killed many men and tortured others to get information.”

“Why?” she asked.

“Does it matter?”

“Yes, because if you’re as evil as you make out, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. James and I would be dead and you wouldn’t be turning yourself in.”

Dylan grinned. “Does it count the number of times I’ve wanted to wring your neck?”

“No,” she stated firmly. “That just puts you on a long list of others who have felt the same, including James.”

James frowned at her. “I’ve never wanted to wring your neck. Tan your arse, yes, but definitely nothing fatal.”

“And the amount of times Dylan could have left me to die, including last night, suggests he doesn’t want to kill me either.” She turned back to Dylan. “Whatever you were, or are, I’ll stick to what I know about you, that you’re the man who has saved my life too many times for me to give up on now.”

James nodded sombrely. “Yes. I think I’ll have to concur with Mairead.”

Dylan stared at them and nodded. “Thank you.”

“So why leave a body at the embassy?” James asked.

“Because they need to be reminded of who they’re up against. I have no doubt there will be people there who will pass my message on to those who need to know. It should make them a little wary for a time.”

“Isn’t it more likely to up their efforts?” James asked.

“Not now they know I’m on to them. They’ll have to be careful that they don’t reveal their own presence at this time. That wouldn’t make for a healthy relationship between Moscow and Wellington.”

“And yet they murder a prominent MP and abduct his daughter,” James said. “Isn’t that drawing too much attention?”

“They can’t take a chance on me skipping the country. An assassination of this magnitude gives weight to Adele’s research, along with Brendan North’s assault. This has all escalated since those men followed Esther and Mairead. From what Mairead told me, I believe they saw an opportunity in abducting the girls and didn’t expect it to go wrong. The last thing they wanted was to alert me of their presence.”

“How did they even know we would be there?” Mairead asked. “We were the only ones who knew what was happening that day.”

Dylan frowned. “Yes, I wondered about that myself. I assume they were staking out Esther’s mother’s house. Adele’s given them plenty of leads to get to me.”

“She was working with them?”

“No. They gained access to her father’s laptop. Adele wasn’t stupid enough to have any files on there, but that laptop became their eyes and ears to everything that was discussed.”

“How is that possible?”

“Easily,” Dylan grinned. “I accessed it myself recently. I only wish I’d done it earlier.”

“And what about our laptops?”

“They’re safe. You have my software installed on them to make certain of it, the same with your phones.”

Mairead looked at James. “Did you know that?”

He nodded, grinning. “Dylan sold me on the benefits, when he showed me what he could do.”

Dylan averted his gaze with his own slight grin. Mairead frowned at both of them. “Why, what did you see?”

“In my defence,” James replied. “I had no idea you would come out of the bathroom at that very moment, when your laptop was on the bed.”

She was horrified. “Oh, my god.”

“We shut it down immediately,” James assured her. “Hardly saw anything.”

“I don’t want to know,” she scowled, blushing. “Can we get back to what we were talking about? For starters, there’s a meeting in Parliament today over all this. Did you know that?”

“Yes. I suspect the SIS are seeking greater control of this situation. In the last twenty-four hours the word ‘terrorism’ has been flying about like confetti, which is another reason you two need to be careful.”

“You should know,” James said. “They’re looking to amend the Terrorism Suppression act. Sean gave me a heads up on his way out.”

“What does that mean?” Mairead asked, looking between them both.

“It means,” James replied. “That if legislation is made, the stipulations of law and human rights has the potential to be overruled by a handful of people supposedly seeking national security. With what’s occurred in the last week, you and I could be seen as a threat to this country.”

Mairead gasped. “You mean they could arrest us for nothing?”

“Yes, and hold us indefinitely without access to representation.”

“But all that takes time,” she insisted. “I’ve heard Dad enough to know that any amendments have to go through all these readings and the Select Committee and…”

“Not when the terrorist is on the doorstep,” James told her.

“I figured as much,” Dylan said. “My passport is already cancelled and a border alert has been set up for me. Whatever Adele told them has been taken seriously. I do have a backup plan, should these laws gain any ground and you’re both arrested. They will need to see that I’m as big a threat to you as to anyone.”

“And how would you do that?” Mairead asked.

Dylan smiled thinly. “By kidnapping you and giving your husband a hiding.”

Again, they stared at him, speechless, until James grinned. “Couldn’t you kidnap me and give Mairead the hiding?”

Mairead punched him lightly on the arm. “It’s not funny. I don’t want Dylan beating you up. You’ve already been hurt.”

“It wouldn’t be anything too damaging, but I would have to make it look convincing, then hold Mairead hostage for a few days and negotiate a ransom, which would go wrong, of course, and I’d be captured in the process. That way, you garner public and media sympathy and your testimony seals my conviction.”

“If you’re not shot in the process,” Mairead stated angrily. “The whole thing is ridiculous. There has to be a way where you don’t land in prison or worse.”

Dylan stared at her. “Mairead, there is no other way.”

“Yes, there is,” she stared back. “You could just forget about us and disappear.”

“I could,” he replied. “But I’m not a total prick. This isn’t just about you and James. My friend died violently trying to save me, and he’s not the first friend I’ve lost doing the same, but he will be the last. Nobody is going to suffer for me.”

“And how are Esther and Tammy coping with all this?” Mairead asked.

“Tammy knows none of it. I’ve explained the situation to Esther. She’s not happy, but she’ll do everything I ask of her. I want to get them out of the country, but that takes time.” He looked at James. “And that’s where I need your help, but I understand it might be asking too much.”

James shook his head. “Just ask.”

“I can’t be available to them at the moment and Tammy is too much for Esther to care for alone. She trusts you both, and might benefit from staying here a few days until I can make other arrangements.”

“And what if the police decide to raid our house?” James asked.

“I’ll know about it,” Dylan replied. “The same way I’ll know if these terrorist laws come into being, or if they issue any warrants for your arrest.”

“If you can know all this,” Mairead said. “Then how come you can’t find these bastards?”

“Give me the name they’re using and I’ll find them. Let one of them send an email about me, make an internet post, anything and I’ll find them, but they won’t because they know I’ll be on to them. I have to go out to them…”

“And get yourself killed,” Mairead added.

“Mairead, enough,” James told her sternly. “Dylan is doing everything he can, and we’ll do everything we can to help him, and that starts by co-operating instead of arguing.”

“Alright,” she snapped sourly, getting to her feet. “I’ll co-operate, but don’t ask me to like a plan where Dylan ends up in prison or dead, because that’s no fucking plan with any sense to me.”