Kay’s thoughts echoed the shocked hiss that escaped from Gavin at the sight of Adrian Whitely.
The teenager’s eye socket was purple and yellow from an angry welt that bruised all the way over his left cheek and caused his eyelid to droop as he tried to glare at them through a gap in the front door.
‘Where’s your dad?’ said Kay, craning to see past the scrawny teenager and along a brightly lit hallway. ‘Not in?’
‘Down the pub.’ Adrian scowled. ‘He’ll be back soon, though so…’
‘Don’t worry – we’ll make this quick.’ Kay placed her hand against the door so he couldn’t close it. ‘Let’s get inside before the neighbours wonder what’s going on.’
‘Okay.’
The seventeen-year-old scuffed his socks along the carpet as he showed them into a sparsely decorated living room that stank of nicotine.
Even the ceiling held a yellow tinge to it, and, as Kay cast her gaze around the latest models of a television and matching sound system equipment against one wall, she could see where his father’s priorities lay.
Adrian slumped into a threadbare armchair that sagged under his weight and jutted out his chin, feigning indifference.
‘What d’you want, then?’
Kay recited the formal caution, reminding Adrian of his rights and frowned. ‘Who hit you?’
‘What do you care?’
‘Did your dad do that?’
‘He were livid after I spoke with you. Told me I was stupid to get involved. Said he won’t pay for a solicitor to help me either, so I don’t know what I’m going to do now.’ Adrian shrugged, turning his head away. ‘All I wanted to do was earn some money so I could get out of here. Away from him.’
‘Tell me about Barry Clements and Alan Trentithe,’ said Kay as Gavin reached for his notebook. ‘What’s really going on at that dark kitchen of theirs?’
‘I can’t tell you. They’ll kill me if they find out I’ve talked to you as it is.’
‘Both of them are currently in custody. I’m investigating their involvement in the murder of two men. What you tell me now could help me put them away for a very long time.’
She watched as the teenager scowled then dropped his gaze to the ugly carpet, his Adam’s apple bobbing in his throat.
His shoulders heaved as he exhaled, and she held her breath in the hope he wanted to offload everything he must have been bottling up for months.
She needed his help more than he could ever imagine.
‘It started with the catering business about three years ago,’ Adrian said, shuffling forward in his seat and resting his elbows on his knees. ‘I heard from a mate that they needed waiters and stuff to help serve food at events. They provided the uniforms and everything. All I had to do was turn up, and we was paid in cash. I used to get a lift off of one of the others who worked for them back then.’
‘How were the events organised?’ said Kay. ‘Do you know how they found clients?’
‘Word of mouth, I reckon. Especially once people knew what was really going on at them.’
‘Explain.’
Adrian lifted his eyes to hers. ‘All them posh people with the big houses around here who can’t be arsed to cook for themselves when they have a party. They get in caterers, right? I reckon Alan saw an opportunity, like. All that money, all them people living it up. I don’t know when it started but by the time I started working for him he was getting regular jobs. Repeat work. Once people knew the catering offered a few… optional extras, it really took off for him.’
‘Are you saying he was using the catering business to deal drugs?’
‘Yeah.’
Kay blinked. ‘Do you know Mike and Ann O’Connor?’
‘Yeah, but I ain’t seen them in over a year or more. I think they sold the place. I worked a couple of catering events they were doing in the village. Ann didn’t want to do all the cooking herself so they contracted out the work to Alan.’ A sly smile crossed his lips. ‘I don’t think they ever worked out why they were so popular, even when they won that award.’
‘When did the takeaway business start up?’
‘Just after the catering side of things, I think. Alan asked me to switch to that about eighteen months ago. Said he reckoned they were about to lose a big catering contract so he wanted to concentrate on that side of the business. He said it was going to take off and he needed all the help he could get.’
She sighed, unable to contain her frustration and paced the carpet. ‘Why didn’t you tell us this when you were interviewed about following Helen Taylor?’
Adrian paled, his bravado fading. ‘I-I couldn’t. More than me job’s worth.’
‘Adrian, if we charge Barry Clements and Alan Trentithe with the murders of Carl Taylor and Will Nivens, there is no job. Do you understand?’ Kay stopped in front of him, glaring. ‘Are you dealing drugs when you deliver the takeaway meals?’
He nodded, his mouth downturned.
‘Look, all I wanted to do was make enough money so’s I could leave here, all right?’ He sniffed, angrily wiped at his eye and grimaced at the subsequent pain. ‘I ain’t got no qualifications so it’s not like I’m going to uni any time soon. I just want to get away.’
Kay’s jaw dropped open as Adrian began to cry.
He held his arm across his face, his cheeks red with embarrassment as sobs wracked his skinny frame.
‘I’m fucking scared, all right? I can’t leave. They’ll come after me. They said they would. Once you’re in, you’re in. And me dad’ll kill me when he finds out.’
Kay heard a car pull up outside as blue flashing lights reflected against the closed curtains. ‘We’re going to need you to come back to the station with us to give a formal statement, Adrian. Let’s go.’
She took a step back as Gavin helped the teenager to his feet and led him to the front door.
Adrian locked it with a shaking hand, his head bowed as he was then shown towards the waiting patrol car.
‘Oi! What the fuck d’you think you’re doing?’
Kay spun on her heel at the sound of the voice to see Adrian’s father stumbling towards them, his fist raised in the air as he picked up speed.
She took a step back as he drew closer. ‘He looks three sheets to the wind.’
‘He’s going to kill me.’
‘Have you got somewhere else you can stay after all this?’ Kay said, turning to Adrian.
‘Me grandad lives over at Paddock Wood. He might let me stay, I don’t know. I’ve never asked him.’
Kay turned and watched as one of the uniformed officers raised his hand and moved to block Adrian’s father from getting any nearer, then gave the teenager a gentle shove towards the house.
‘I’ll ask the lads to take you over there when they’ve finished with you and ask him to help for a while. Go and grab some clothes while I have a chat with your dad. Go on.’