Page 230
Stahl said nothing.
‘And, based on this, Chief Superintendent Mathers was last night able to get a warrant to search your house.’
Stahl scrambled to his feet.
‘Don’t bother, Henning; it was executed this morning.’
Stahl sat down, defeated.
‘And what Chief Superintendent Mathers found was very interesting,’ Poe continued. ‘Lots of photographs you shouldn’t have had. A memory stick full of information you had no way of knowing. Drawings, plans, additional insight into Beck’s victims.’
A noise at the back of the bookshop caused Poe to turn. It was Flynn, DCI Tai-young Lee and a bunch of uniformed cops. Poe winked at them then turned back to Stahl.
‘Here’s what I think happened, Henning,’ he said. ‘Beck chose you because, not only were you morally bankrupt, you’d also played a major part in his downfall.’
‘I told you, I had very little to do with that story!’
‘But that’s not true, is it? You weren’t on background research at all, you were actually the lead investigator. The only reason it wasn’t your name on the story was the phone-hacking scandal had just cracked and the paper were limiting your exposure.’
‘So what?’ Stahl shrugged. ‘I downplayed my role in the story. I was downplaying my role in everything by then.’
‘You were,’ Poe agreed. ‘But then we come to Chance’s Park.Two things have never been explained from that day: what you and Beck discussed when his radio frequency jammer destroyed our comms, and why none of the park runners saw a man in a mask.’
‘You have a theory, I take it?’ Stahl said.
‘Of course. I think no one saw a man in a mask because Beck wasn’t wearing one. When he sat opposite you he was wearing a hat but you could see his face clearly. And you recognised him. I have no doubt you expressed surprise, but we couldn’t hear it as our comms were down. I think it was then that Beck made you an offer. Report his story the way he wanted it, and get a scoop like no journalist in history. You wouldn’t just be inside the police investigation, you would be inside the campaign of a serial killer as well. He told you where his flat was and what you would find there. An unfiltered crime scene for you to write about and a memory stick full of information you could use. A book for you, a legacy for him – a win–win for you both. So, you took your photograph, which included the dehydrator, not realising we would be removing it before we let you up a few days later. We thought it was the first time you had been there, but it was actually the second.’
‘But it was me who found Beck’s name on the lists of people who’d purchased acetone,’ Stahl said.
‘A cynical man might suggest you knew what you were looking for,’ Poe said. ‘That you needed to push the investigation along. I imagine it’s what Beck wanted too.’
Stahl glowered at him.
‘It’ll be weeks before the true impact of your collusion is known, Henning,’ Poe continued, ‘but I know this: if you’d told us who Beck was the moment you got out of Chance’s Park, instead of reverting to type and keeping the story to yourself, we might have been able to catch him sooner than we did.’
‘You don’t know that,’ Stahl said.
‘No, I don’t. But neither do you.’
DCI Lee and a uniformed sergeant approached the pulpit. Stahl was read his rights and handcuffed. The sergeant led him through the astonished crowd.
Before they reached the exit, Poe called out, ‘Oh, Henning,Douglas Salt had a life-altering operation and he’s now looking for someone to blame. I’d keep hold of all the money you got from those book deals, if I were you. He’ll soon be coming for everything you have.’
Stahl struggled against the cuffs but the sergeant was big and burly and he didn’t budge an inch.
Stahl spat on the floor. ‘This isn’t over, Poe!’
‘Goodbye, Henning,’ Poe replied.
After the bookshop had emptied and Poe had finished with Lee, Bradshaw said, ‘What now, Poe?’
‘I don’t know about you, Tilly,’ he said, ‘but I could use a drink. There’s a microbrewery opposite the bookshop and I’m buying. That sound like a plan?’
Doyle put her arm through his and mischievously pecked him on the cheek. Bradshaw and Flynn looked at each other and smiled.
‘I fancy getting drunk,’ Doyle said. ‘We can grab something to eat before we head home. What does everyone fancy?’
No one spoke.
‘Does anywhere around here do goat?’ Poe said eventually.
Bradshaw blinked.
‘You’re disgusting, Poe,’ she said.
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51
- Page 52
- Page 53
- Page 54
- Page 55
- Page 56
- Page 57
- Page 58
- Page 59
- Page 60
- Page 61
- Page 62
- Page 63
- Page 64
- Page 65
- Page 66
- Page 67
- Page 68
- Page 69
- Page 70
- Page 71
- Page 72
- Page 73
- Page 74
- Page 75
- Page 76
- Page 77
- Page 78
- Page 79
- Page 80
- Page 81
- Page 82
- Page 83
- Page 84
- Page 85
- Page 86
- Page 87
- Page 88
- Page 89
- Page 90
- Page 91
- Page 92
- Page 93
- Page 94
- Page 95
- Page 96
- Page 97
- Page 98
- Page 99
- Page 100
- Page 101
- Page 102
- Page 103
- Page 104
- Page 105
- Page 106
- Page 107
- Page 108
- Page 109
- Page 110
- Page 111
- Page 112
- Page 113
- Page 114
- Page 115
- Page 116
- Page 117
- Page 118
- Page 119
- Page 120
- Page 121
- Page 122
- Page 123
- Page 124
- Page 125
- Page 126
- Page 127
- Page 128
- Page 129
- Page 130
- Page 131
- Page 132
- Page 133
- Page 134
- Page 135
- Page 136
- Page 137
- Page 138
- Page 139
- Page 140
- Page 141
- Page 142
- Page 143
- Page 144
- Page 145
- Page 146
- Page 147
- Page 148
- Page 149
- Page 150
- Page 151
- Page 152
- Page 153
- Page 154
- Page 155
- Page 156
- Page 157
- Page 158
- Page 159
- Page 160
- Page 161
- Page 162
- Page 163
- Page 164
- Page 165
- Page 166
- Page 167
- Page 168
- Page 169
- Page 170
- Page 171
- Page 172
- Page 173
- Page 174
- Page 175
- Page 176
- Page 177
- Page 178
- Page 179
- Page 180
- Page 181
- Page 182
- Page 183
- Page 184
- Page 185
- Page 186
- Page 187
- Page 188
- Page 189
- Page 190
- Page 191
- Page 192
- Page 193
- Page 194
- Page 195
- Page 196
- Page 197
- Page 198
- Page 199
- Page 200
- Page 201
- Page 202
- Page 203
- Page 204
- Page 205
- Page 206
- Page 207
- Page 208
- Page 209
- Page 210
- Page 211
- Page 212
- Page 213
- Page 214
- Page 215
- Page 216
- Page 217
- Page 218
- Page 219
- Page 220
- Page 221
- Page 222
- Page 223
- Page 224
- Page 225
- Page 226
- Page 227
- Page 228
- Page 229
- Page 230 (Reading here)
- Page 231