“A big old crowbar that was lying against one of the crates. Cracked him on the back of his bonce.”
“How many times?”
“Oh, only once. He sort of went down a bit and staggered around, then he was on the floor.”
“He fell. Did he get back up?”
“I couldn’t let him do that, could I? I had to finish it, or he was going to finish me. I jumped on him, put my knee into his throat and pushed.”
“How long for?”
Derek shrugged like it didn’t matter. “Long enough,” he said, making it sound like a question.
“Long enough,” Ray parroted as Joseph noted it down. “You moved the body as well, didn’t you?”
“I did,” Derek looked at Joseph as he answered. “Down to the river.”
“Why?”
“I thought I might roll him into the river.”
“Why didn’t you?”
“The nightwatchman was coming around. Heard him whistling on his way, the bloody berk. How you meant to catch someone in the act if they know you’re coming? I left him, went back to the warehouse and did what I could to clean up there. Covered the blood I couldn’t and then left.”
“No one else saw you? No one else helped you?”
“No one,” again, a nervous glance went Joseph’s way. If Ray saw it, he didn’t mention it.
“One thing I need to ask,” Joseph said, moving the conversation away quickly. “Your boots. You told us that you didn’t like wearing your work boots for too long. That they hurt your feet. But the bloodstain we found was made by those boots. Did you go back to your hut to change before you found Gerald?”
“Guess I must have done?” Derek said.
“Why?”
“Didn’t want to get my shoes mucky, did I?”
“Mucky from an argument?” Joseph did his best not to sound like he didn’t believe him.
“Mucky from the yard. It’s a right mess around there. You’ve seen it, by the river. I didn’t want that all over me best shoes.”
“It wasn’t because you’d planned on killing Gerald Trainer before you got there was it?” Ray asked the question, leaving Joseph thankful he did, rather than him, in case it angered Derek and made him renege on their deal to keep Harry out.
“How was I meant to know he was going to go for me?” Derek snapped, still adamant he had been attacked first. “When he kicked off it was me or him. I won. It’s a shame for him. I do feel bad, I didn’t want him dead, but there you go.” Derek’s tone did little to convince anyone that was the case.
*
With the interview complete, they charged Derek. He would be held on remand at HMP Brixton. Joseph was relieved. Derek had been true to his word and left out Harry’s involvement. He had even downplayed the involvement of Sara Queen, claiming that he had asked her to cover for him as he had left early and gone to the pub and that he would lose his job if his bosses found out he was off site. Whether that was true or not, they hadn’t yet had a chance to verify.
“I was thinking about Ms Queen,” Ray had said as they walked back to the office having seen off Derek. “I think I might suggest we don’t press charges.”
“Why?” That surprised Joseph.
“It doesn’t feel right. She took the money not knowing what she was covering for. If anything, she feels like a victim in this.”
“Do you think Banks will like that?” Joseph didn’t ask Ray why he was more prepared to let Sara Queen off the hook and not Harry Jones. In truth, he could guess why. Ray had a very traditional mindset. The man was the protector, the woman his ward.
“I do,” Ray replied. “We’ve got the big fish. Best sometimes to throw the tiddlers back. Besides, she’ll owe us and who knows what she might hear or see in the future?”
Joseph did his best to ignore the sudden parallels between himself and Sara, seizing the opportunity that Ray had just given him to present his case for Harry.
“Funnily enough, I was thinking of something similar.”
“For Sara?”
“For Harry Jones.”
“Oh.”
“If we drop all the charges, make out he said nothing, then there’s every opportunity for him to return to working for Christopher Peters. It’s like Banks said. It pays sometimes to have eyes and ears with people like that. Harry could be ours.”
“I thought you were against using him as bait?” Ray said and for a moment Joseph worried that he had seen right through the lie.
“I was. I am. But I think it’s only fair he takes some sort of risk for us. Besides, this way he’s getting something for it. It’s better that we let him off with a flea in his ear, and then ask him to tell us what he knows, rather than punish him and do the same.”
“Makes sense,” Ray said as they reached the office. “Okay. You put it to him. It’s your idea. If he agrees, we’ll make sure the charges are dropped. I don’t think that will be an issue for Banks.”
“Thanks Ray,” Joseph was relieved. It was time to celebrate. “Cuppa?”
