‘You need to stop stumbling over bodies,’ Penrith said as Caelan and Ewan sat down. ‘I’m getting tired of debriefing you about it. Here you are again, littering up my office, drinking my coffee.’
‘I’d rather not make a habit of it,’ Caelan said. Penrith was trying his best to appear blasé, but she could see he was rattled. He was twisting a pen in his fingers, his hands never still. ‘How is he?’
‘Critical but stable. You know how hospitals are, never a straight answer. They reckon whoever did it used a baseball bat. Enough to disable him, not quite enough to kill him.’ Penrith looked at her as he leant back in his chair. ‘Yet. It still might.’
She winced. ‘Stefan Harris has to be a suspect.’
‘Because of the money Mulligan owes him? But you’d already said you’d pay. Why would he attack Mulligan now?’
‘To warn me to keep my promise?’
‘Doubtful,’ Penrith said. ‘Isn’t it more likely it’s linked to the attack on his house and the disappearance of his sister? He can’t inform on anyone from intensive care, can he? Anyway, they probably meant to kill him.’
‘I don’t know.’ Caelan rubbed her eyes. ‘It doesn’t make sense.’
‘Unless Mulligan’s been lying to us. He might know more than he’s ever let on. He was beaten up in Belmarsh, more than once. How do we know they weren’t warnings to keep his mouth closed too?’
‘But no one knew he was going to be released then, not even him,’ Caelan pointed out.
‘Wouldn’t matter. He’d be as likely to grass in prison as on the outside – probably more likely, once he’d had a taste of life inside,’ Penrith said.
‘If what you’re saying is right, it means someone knows he was in prison, not hospital. Meaning they could also guess that us suddenly appearing is a set-up.’
Penrith was sceptical. ‘There’s no reason why they should.’
‘Come on, Ian. Mulligan was banged up for murder and a string of other offences, then suddenly he’s free?’
‘It happens.’
‘No one was supposed to know he’d been inside.’ Caelan remembered Mulligan’s mobile phone, the one he’d had in Belmarsh. He’d said there had been no threats, no contact while he was in prison, but he might have lied. The phone was being examined to see who he had contacted apart from the call he’d tried to make to his sister the night he was released, but Caelan knew it would take time. Any texts and call logs had been deleted, and there were no contacts saved other than his sister’s name and number.
‘What if this ties into what I said before, about someone leaking information?’ she said.
Penrith pressed his lips together. ‘Very few people knew about the deal with Mulligan. Three of us are sitting in this room now.’
Caelan thought about it. Herself, Ewan, Penrith; Assistant Commissioner Beckett, Adele Brady, Tim Achebe and Jen Somerville.
Somerville…
Newly single, having to manage on her own wages? Maybe she’d been tempted. Caelan hated herself for the direction her thoughts were taking, but she had to consider it.
Then again, she could be guilty of paranoia and listening to a man desperate to keep himself out of prison.
‘What if one of the other prisoners in Belmarsh recognised him?’ Ewan said.
‘And word got back to the people he was working for? It’s a possibility.’ Grateful for the suggestion, Caelan was thankful she hadn’t voiced her thoughts about Somerville. She looked at Penrith. ‘Worth following up?’
He was already nodding. ‘I’ll mention it to Tim Achebe.’
Caelan thought of something else. ‘Mulligan was supposed to have two of Brady’s team with him,’ she said. ‘Where were they when he was attacked?’
Penrith scowled. ‘They dropped him off at the kerb, didn’t bother to wait to see if he did a runner or got inside the house safely. Their arses are being kicked as we speak.’
‘Someone must have been watching the house,’ said Ewan. ‘They probably followed him in as he unlocked the front door.’
Penrith folded his hands across his belly. ‘It’s possible.’
‘Are Scenes of Crime at the house?’ Caelan blinked, exhaustion threatening to overtake her. Discovering Mulligan lying there had shaken her more than she wanted to admit.
‘Yes. After an ambulance turned up and carted Mulligan away, I didn’t see any point in being discreet,’ said Penrith.
‘Shouldn’t we be at the hospital? Should have followed the ambulance really. His real cousin would have done.’ Caelan had made the emergency call as Victoria Smith, the panic in her voice genuine. What did the attack on Mulligan mean?
‘No point worrying about that now,’ Penrith said. ‘Victoria’s supposed to be only recently arrived from Scotland anyway, and she and Mulligan have never really been close. Mulligan’s mother is in a secure unit near Edinburgh, so she won’t be popping down to visit, and no one knows who his father is. There’s no other close family apart from his sister, and we’re all aware of the problem there.’
‘I’ll go and see him later,’ Caelan said.
‘Why?’ Penrith looked unimpressed. ‘You don’t need to feel guilty, or concerned, or whatever it is that’s bothering you. Mulligan has made his own choices in life.’
‘Not this time, though. This time it was down to us.’
He glared at her. ‘He knew the risks. He only agreed because he’d be getting something out of it. His conscience was clear despite everything he’d been involved in, and yours should be too.’
Caelan didn’t argue, but also didn’t agree. ‘The officers who took Mulligan back to the house – were they in uniform? Driving a marked car?’
‘I doubt it, since they were Adele Brady’s team. Why do you ask?’ Penrith narrowed his eyes, thinking about it. ‘You’re wondering if we’ve been rumbled? Whether someone was watching, realised Mulligan had been speaking to the police?’
‘He was a witness to what happened at the club last night, and he was one of the people who found the body. It’s understandable the police would need to talk to him,’ Ewan pointed out.
‘Maybe they didn’t want to take the chance. Then again, if they wanted him out of the picture permanently, there are more reliable ways of doing it,’ Caelan said.
‘The hospital said his pockets were empty. No wallet, no phone. Either whoever attacked him wanted it to look like a mugging, or…’ Penrith paused. ‘Or they wanted to see who he’d been speaking to.’
‘Shit.’ Caelan considered what this might mean. ‘Then they’ll have contact numbers for us?’
‘Under the names you’ve been using, yes.’ Penrith drummed his fingers on his desk. ‘It might not be a bad thing. Of course, I wouldn’t have wanted Mulligan to be hurt,’ he bared his teeth, ‘but it might mean your phone number is now in the hands of the person or people we’re trying to catch.’
‘Reassuring.’ Caelan spoke lightly, but she knew he was right. ‘What do you want us to do?’
‘Exactly what you were planning to do before Mulligan was taken out of the equation. Brady’s agreed to you speaking to Reuben Nash, Stefan Harris and the rest.’ Penrith’s mobile began to ring. ‘Stay in touch and try not to get smacked over the head. I can do without the paperwork.’ He answered the call, and Caelan turned to Ewan.
‘Seems we’re dismissed.’
‘I’m knackered,’ Ewan said as they headed down the steps to the Underground.
‘They’ll have to get us hotel rooms for tonight,’ said Caelan. ‘Mulligan’s house is a crime scene.’
They dodged around a crowd of tourists, all enthusing about the Houses of Parliament. Ewan hesitated, glancing around.
‘Where are we heading? Ealing Broadway?’
‘No, we’re going back to Camden,’ Caelan told him.
‘You want to see Jolene Townsend again?’ Ewan took Caelan’s arm as they made their way through the crowds, and she glanced down at his hand, surprised. She had taken his hand, put her arm through his lots of times, but he had never initiated contact before. Hopefully it was a sign he was becoming more comfortable with them posing as a couple.
‘I want to know what she’s selling to some of the people who come into the shop,’ Caelan told him. ‘I don’t know what the bloke we saw in there earlier was after, but I doubt he wanted to pay his newspaper bill.’
Ewan grinned. ‘Maybe he wanted some pick and mix?’
‘Is that what they’re calling spice and crack these days?’ Caelan gave a mock shake of her head. ‘I can’t keep up.’
They managed to board the next train and squeezed into a corner.
‘Why do you want to see Jolene?’ Ewan asked.
‘She was shifty earlier when I asked her if she knew who Lucy’s housemates were. I want to know why.’
‘Maybe she sold… whatever she’s selling to some of them.’
‘Could be. Also, when we met her in Stand, she told Mulligan she’d been there with Reuben, but he’d gone home,’ Caelan said. ‘I’m hoping she can tell us more about him.’
‘Maybe she can give us his address?’
‘She probably could, but I think I’ll call Reuben and invite myself over to the club instead. I don’t want to go to his house, not yet.’
He glanced down at her. ‘I wouldn’t be going with you?’
She smiled. ‘No, I’m planning on cheating on you. Sorry.’
Ewan laughed. ‘I don’t think even you would go that far for your job.’
Caelan didn’t reply.
Jolene looked no happier to see Caelan than she had before, though she managed a smile for Ewan as they walked through the door. She was talking to an older man by the counter. He appeared agitated, pointing to the shelves as he spoke. He ignored Caelan and Ewan as he stalked away, heading for the back of the shop, running his hand over his balding head and then smoothing his moustache. Jolene moved to sit at the till, sipping from an energy drink.
‘You’re back,’ she said. ‘Did you find Lucy’s housemates?’
Caelan ignored the question, not speaking until she was standing beside the other woman.
‘Have you heard from Reuben?’ she said. Jolene’s eyes narrowed.
‘What’s it got to do with you?’
‘I wondered how he was doing, that’s all. He must be devastated.’
Jolene curled her lip. ‘You think so, when his brother was killed last night? Amazing really.’
‘So you’ve spoken to him?’ Caelan glanced at Ewan. ‘We swapped numbers last night, and I wondered if I should give him a call.’
Beside her, Ewan folded his arms. Jolene looked at him and laughed. ‘Strictly business, of course,’ she said.
‘What else would it be?’ Ewan gave Caelan a hard stare, and she reached out to touch his arm.
‘Reuben just wants to discuss some opportunities,’ she said.
Jolene flicked her hair. ‘Yeah, opportunities for him to get into your knickers.’
Caelan lifted her chin. ‘Is that what happened to you?’
‘What are you talking about?’
‘The other night, at Stand. You said you were there with Reuben.’
A mocking laugh. ‘I was, for a while, then I left with someone else. Sometimes Reuben and I spend time together, sometimes we don’t. Both of us do whatever, and whoever, we like. Doesn’t that happen where you’re from?’
Shooting Ewan a wary glance, Caelan said, ‘Not to me.’
‘Yeah?’ Jolene sniffed. ‘Figures.’
There was a pause, Caelan wondering whether to pretend to take offence, Ewan scowling, and Jolene sipping her drink without a care.
‘Reuben will want something from you,’ Jolene said. Her eyes roamed Caelan’s body. ‘Wonder what that could be.’
‘I’ll rip his fucking head off,’ Ewan snarled.
Jolene scoffed at him. ‘Course you will. Reuben’s got more bouncers than Mulligan has inbred cousins. They’d batter you, chew you up and shit you out, but you keep telling yourself that.’ Her eyes widened as she realised what she’d said. ‘I didn’t mean they… They’d never have hurt Nathan. I was—’
‘Have you heard about James?’ Caelan cut across her bluster.
‘Mulligan?’ Jolene’s eyes strayed towards her phone. ‘I’ve not spoken to him today.’ She looked up, alert now. ‘Where is he?’
‘Intensive care,’ Caelan said, deliberately blunt. Jolene’s hand went to her chest.
‘What? What do you mean?’
‘Someone laid him out with a baseball bat earlier today.’ The wobble in Caelan’s voice wasn’t entirely faked. ‘He might not survive.’
Jolene snatched up her phone, stabbing at the screen. ‘Why didn’t you say before? Fuck.’
‘Who are you texting?’
A scowl. ‘None of your business. Mulligan has plenty of friends; they’ll all want to know what’s happened.’ She paused, staring at Caelan. ‘Why didn’t you say when you came in? All that crap about me and Reuben. Nice to see you give a shit about your cousin.’ She leant over the counter. ‘Maybe that’s it. Maybe you wanted Mulligan out of the way so you can take over his business yourself.’
Caelan snorted. ‘Yeah, you’re right. You figured it out.’
‘Why don’t we calm down, ladies?’ Ewan said. They both turned to glare at him, and he retreated, hands in the air.
‘Someone did this to my cousin, and I want to find out who. If anyone you know can help me with that, you need to tell me.’ Caelan leant over the counter, grabbing a pen from beside the till and a newspaper from the display stand next to her. She scrawled her mobile number on the paper and threw it at Jolene, who gaped at her. ‘You can tell your friends I’m looking for whoever’s behind this. You see now why I want to speak to Reuben?’
‘But why Mulligan? What’s he got to do with…’ Jolene closed her mouth as Caelan set her hands on the counter and leant forward, getting in the other woman’s face.
‘With?’
‘I mean, he’s been away for six weeks, and he’s… well, he’s a nobody.’
‘As I’m finding out.’ Caelan stepped back, hands on hips. ‘He told me he did decent business down here, but from what I’m seeing, no one takes him seriously.’
Jolene managed a smile. ‘He’s trying to trade in a busy area. It’ll take time.’
‘Which he might not have now,’ Caelan reminded her. ‘Listen, Jolene, if you hear anything… The police are looking into what happened, but you know what those bastards are like. James isn’t going to be a priority.’
Jolene’s face closed. ‘I don’t know anything about it. I didn’t even know he’d been hurt until you told me.’
‘I know, I’m just saying—’
‘I’ve got stock to put out.’ Jolene got up, grabbed her phone and disappeared into the darkened area behind her, leaving the newspaper with Caelan’s phone number on the counter. Caelan picked it up, scribbled Ealing Hospital, intensive care unit beside her phone number and threw it onto the chair Jolene had been sitting in.
‘Let’s go,’ she told Ewan.
He followed her outside. ‘Who do you think she’s going to phone?’
‘No idea. Reuben?’ Caelan took out her own mobile. ‘Let’s see.’ She found his number, made the call and listened. ‘Voicemail.’
‘Could be a coincidence.’
‘Or she and Reuben could be closer than she’d have us believe.’