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‘You said that about the girl.’
‘If Davie hadnae cliped, they wouldnae have. They won’t find him. Not that it matters, he knows nothing. Hired help,’ he said, his mind whirring as he considered all the ramifications.
‘Right. I have to go. Get this sorted.’ The three beeps in his ear indicated that the call was over.
Droopy stared out of the window at the drab prison, thinking of Frankie Hardie tucked away out of reach just a few hundred metres away. His thoughts switched to the sniper, Ellis, whom he’d used a few times on other jobs he’d managed overseas. He’d always been efficient in the past, but he’d really made a pig’s ear of this one. He looked at his phone and composed a message.Have you left UK, yet?
The reply came back almost immediately.Tomorrow.
Droopy’s fingers flashed across the screen.Cops found your DNA at loch, they’re looking for you. Don’t travel on real passport.
There was a long pause before the reply flashed up.No problem. On different passport, and no one will recognise me.
Where are you flying from?
Not flying. Ferry from Newcastle. Keep tabs, yeah?
New name? I can monitor if you’re being searched for under alias?
The reply came back immediately.French ppt Davide Arbon. Benefit of speaking French. They’ll never find me.
Where are you staying?
Shite hotel by the ferry terminal. I’ll lay low.
Good. Be lucky.Droopy minimised the message screen, pulled out the SIM and slotted in a new one.
As always, he was one step ahead of the idiots. He had enoughcontacts to stay one step ahead of the law, and make sure he got the job done for The Ace, even if they did move Hardie to a secure location. The benefits of planning, contacts and experience. He’d been doing this kind of work a long time, and he knew how to roll with the punches.
He’d get the job done, of that he was certain.
41
‘WHAT GIVES?’ SAIDMax as he and Janie walked into the office at Tulliallan. Ross looked up from his screen, face red, tongue protruding with his two index fingers poised above his keyboard. Norma gave a little wave from behind her large screens.
‘I’m doing all the fucking work, as usual, that’s what. You tardy buggers swanning in here like prima donnas. You know how bloody weary it is trying to get a violent, major gangster out of jail and into secure and covert facilities. I’m bloody carrying this team.’ He scowled as he turned back to his screen, his fingers beating a steady rhythm on the keys.
‘Tea?’ said Janie, with a smile.
‘Aye, first sensible thing you’ve said for a week or two,’ said Ross, without looking up.
‘Anything on the sniper?’ Max asked.
‘No. Not a thing. No bugger has anything on him, so we’re leaving it to the MIT team. We’re better served concentrating on Frankie.’
‘How about the covert debrief venue for Frankie?’ said Janie.
‘In hand. PPU have reluctantly allowed us to deal with our own bloody witness, and have a covert premises for us in an old single officer station in a wee village in the far north. It still has an operational cell, so we can keep the bugger secure. I’m just negotiating now about transport and armed support. We also need a sign-off from the prison to agree to it all with a decent cover story about a hospital appointment for some tests or shite like that, so we can justify anovernighter, I’m waiting to hear now. Norma also has some news which, no doubt, she is about to smugly tell you about.’
‘It’s true. I’ve been remarkably brilliant on several fronts,’ said Norma, her ever-present smile widening.
‘Go on then, hit us with it,’ said Janie as she busied herself with the cups and a kettle.
‘Remember the fifteen grand payment to Galbraith’s mother from a brand-new internet bank account in the name of Hector MacFarlane?’
‘I didn’t know that was the name, but yes, what about it?’ said Max.
‘My pal at the NCA quickly managed to get a monitoring order on the account by adding it onto another bulk application, on the basis that they’re supporting the debrief of Frankie. It was opened very recently, and immediately received a deposit of fifty thousand from an overseas registered account. Straight after that it transferred a thousand pounds to an account in the name of Mairi Malone.’
