Page 69 of The Scene of the Crime (Jessica Russell #1)

‘I don’t want to hear anymore,’ she said, holding her hand up.

‘I’ll be back in a minute,’ he said.

Chapman got in the back of the observation van where a sullen-looking Cole was waiting to be taken back to the station. ‘Do you know Johan De Klerk?’

‘I’m not saying anything until I speak with a solicitor.’

Chapman lifted a bench seat and removed an exhibit bag and crime scene shoe covers from the storage box.

‘I want your shoes. You can wear these covers until you get to the station, where you’ll be given some prisoner’s plimsolls.

’ Cole didn’t move. ‘I can get my colleagues to hold you down while I rip them off your feet, or you can do it yourself. The choice is yours.’ Cole sullenly complied, and Chapman put the shoes in the exhibit bag.

‘You’re in some deep shit, Cole, and you’d better hope your pal Bishop doesn’t drop you further in it.

I’ll be interviewing you later, so I’ll let you know what he says,’ Chapman added, enjoying the worried look on Cole’s face.

He gave the shoes to Taff, then went and spoke with Bishop and asked if he knew Johan De Klerk. ‘Never heard of him,’ Bishop replied.

‘I’ve just spoken to your friend Cole, who was very cooperative. We can now put you in Wheeler’s flat the night he was murdered, which means you could be going to prison for a long time, Christopher.’

‘I don’t believe you. Nat wouldn’t say anything like that because it’s not true.’

‘Tying Wheeler up, then putting tape across his mouth so he couldn’t scream when you tortured him with a cigar sickened me, so God knows what a jury will think.’

‘Nat’s lying to save his skin. I wasn’t there when he did that.’

‘So, you do know what I’m talking about?’ Chapman grinned, realising Bishop was not the sharpest tool in the box.

Bishop looked flustered. ‘I heard Nat talking to someone else about it . . .’

‘That’s crap. I also know about the warehouse you were going to take him to so you could get the diamonds,’ Chapman said.

‘He’s lying. He asked me to take him to a customer to deliver some jewellery.’

‘If I were you, I’d stop playing games and have a long hard think about what else Cole might tell me before I interview you.’ Chapman started to walk away.

Bishop looked as if he was hyperventilating. ‘Wait! Cole made me go to Wheeler’s with him as a bit of muscle. It was him that tortured the poor bloke, not me. I’m not a violent person . . .’

‘You were about to punch my colleague before she kicked you in the nuts.’

‘Come on! I just wanted her to back off so I could get in the cab,’ he replied, looking more freaked out.

‘Where’s the warehouse? Do you have a key for it?’

Bishop was struggling for breath. ‘I don’t know anything, honest, I just drive Cole around, I swear on my kids’ life.’

‘That’s exactly what you’ll be doing Bishop, twenty-five years with no parole. So I’d suggest you better start talking – now!’

Bishop looked desperate. ‘All right, all right, it’s 383 Wick Lane, next door to De Klerk’s. It’s a digital key entry lock. One zero six six.’

‘And what can I expect to find there?’

‘A machine for making diamonds. Cole’s also hidden some cash there.’

‘Is Johan De Klerk involved in the diamond lab?’

Bishop nodded. ‘They’re running some sort of scam where they swap real diamonds for lab-grown ones.’

‘What’s your part in it all?’

‘I’m not involved in it. I swear on my life, I’m just a driver, I drive Cole around and deliver jewellery to his customers.’

‘De Klerk has a couple of drivers he uses to make wine deliveries. Are they involved?’

He shook his head. ‘Not as far as I know.’

Chapman nodded. ‘All right, you’ve done the smart thing.

’ He walked over to Jessica, repeating what Bishop had told him.

‘I’ll inform Anderson of everything that’s happened here and about the warehouses.

We’ll need warrants to search them. I’ll get him to send more officers to search Cole’s shop.

Would you mind helping me in the meantime? ’

‘Oh, you want my help now, do you? I’ll be happy to – if you explain why you didn’t tell me or Anderson about DS Wood and his informant. I’d also like to know what else Wood told you.’

‘You drive a hard bargain, Jessica Russell.’

‘I don’t like being lied to, Mike . . . and don’t you dare say sorry again!’

*?*?*

While they searched Cole’s jewellery shop, Chapman told Jessica about the information Stubbings had given Julian Wood and what Wood had told him about his meeting with Chandice Bramston.

‘After the incident with the sapphire ring, I now understand why you suspected Michelle might be involved, and you may be right. What I don’t get is why you never said anything about it when we had the meeting with Anderson,’ Jessica said, still annoyed.

‘Because Julian asked me not to. If Michelle found out Stubbings was the informant, she’d sue him for breaching the non-disclosure agreement.’

Jessica snorted. ‘That’s pretty ironic considering Stubbings was dismissed for gross misconduct after leaking information to a journalist . . .’

‘That may be, but he’s still an informant, and you protect your informants. Now we’ve arrested Bishop, who looks like he’s going to spill his guts, I’m still hoping I can do that.’

‘That’s not going to be easy because you’ll have to ask Michelle about her friend Chandice and tell her about Cole’s arrest. She’s not stupid and will realise you got the information from Stubbings.’

‘Michelle may well think it was Stubbings, but she’d have difficulty proving it with all the evidence we have against her husband. It would also show that she failed to report a crime and may have withheld information that would have assisted our investigation.’

‘That’s true.’

‘Chandice has point-blank refused to make a statement, so she’s out of the equation.’

‘I won’t say anything. I still think you should tell Anderson, but it’s up to you. In some ways, I wished you’d never told me.’

By the time the other team members arrived, Jessica and Chapman still hadn’t found anything of evidential value in Cole’s shop, apart from his laptop, which Taff had taken back to the lab for Guy to examine.

Chapman instructed an officer to look for mobile phones and any uncut diamonds.

Chapman was eager to leave but waited until a detective arrived handing him warrants for the two warehouses.

‘Can I come with you?’ Jessica asked as they walked to Chapman’s car.

‘If you want to. You’re sure you’re not sick of the sight of me?’

She shrugged. ‘I’m only following you out of idle curiosity.’

They got into a squad car with a driver and headed towards the warehouses. Jessica was quiet on the journey and Chapman sensed she was still upset with him. ‘I know I’ve pissed you off, but I . . .’

‘Do not start apologising again,’ she snapped.

‘I was going to ask if you’d like to go for a drink after work. I understand if you don’t want to.’

‘I can’t. I’m going out with my brother and his girlfriend this evening – that’s if I’m not still stuck at work.’

He nodded. ‘Maybe some other time then. Where are you going tonight?’

‘Quattordici’s in Chislehurst.’

‘I’ve been there. The food’s really excellent.’

‘I know, that’s why I agreed to go there,’ Jessica said. Chapman sighed. Maybe it was just time to shut up. ‘Actually, work permitting, you can join us if you want,’ she said casually.

‘Really?’

‘Yes. I don’t fancy playing gooseberry with David and his girlfriend.’

‘I’d love to. What time?’

‘Table’s booked for seven thirty. We’ll probably have a drink in The Bull first at seven.’

Chapman smiled. ‘Sounds good. We’re here,’ he said as their squad car drew up. DS Wood was waiting in the street outside the warehouse with his team of three detectives.

‘Nice work with Cole and Bishop,’ Wood said, nodding to Chapman.

‘Actually, Jessica did most of the hard work,’ Chapman told him. They then went into the warehouse foyer to speak to the security guard and show him the search warrants. The guard escorted them to De Klerk and Cole’s premises.

‘I was expecting some sort of container,’ Wood remarked on seeing the floor-to-ceiling windows and glass door entry. The blinds were all down.

‘They call them warehouses, but they’re really just large office spaces with desks and chairs etc.

but renters store stuff in them as well,’ the guard explained.

‘There’s a back shutter for loading and unloading goods.

We have security cameras covering the street, back and lobby, so let me know if you need to see any footage. ’

‘How long do you keep the recordings?’ Chapman asked.

‘Ninety days before the recorded footage is overwritten.’ While the guard opened De Klerk’s door, Chapman entered the numbers Bishop had given him for Cole’s unit.

‘Have a look at the state of this place, Mike,’ Wood said as Chapman was about to open the door.

De Klerk’s warehouse looked as if someone had thoroughly searched it.

A filing cabinet had been opened and the contents were strewn around the floor.

Boxes of wine had been opened, the bottles removed and put to one side.

They went from De Klerk’s warehouse onto Cole’s, which looked untouched.

‘What do you reckon that big machine is for?’ Wood asked.

‘Bishop said Cole had a machine for making diamonds,’ Chapman told him.

Chapman sighed. ‘This is the second time someone’s got to a suspect’s address before we have.’

‘Do you want Jessica’s team to examine the warehouses before we search them?’

‘I’ll get her to view it first.’ He phoned Jessica, who was still in De Klerk’s warehouse, and asked her to come in and have a look.

Jessica looked in from the doorway, surveying the scene.

‘Someone was in a hurry to find whatever they were looking for in De Klerk’s section.

My team are very busy at the moment. It would be helpful if the divisional scene of crime officers carried out the photography and forensic examinations,’ Jessica said.

‘I’ll take some pictures on my phone for Anderson, call him with an update and request the SOCOs attend,’ Chapman said.

‘Do you think Cole or Bishop were responsible for trashing De Klerk’s section?’ Wood asked.

Jessica glanced at him. ‘I overheard Cole say he’d got diamonds hidden in his warehouse, but they were arrested before they could get here. And I can’t see it being Wheeler, as he’s been dead for a couple of days now.’

Wood nodded. ‘Whoever did this must have known the entry number.’

‘Not if they had technical knowledge and used a hacking device to break or bypass the key code and unlock the door. I think they found what they were looking for in De Klerk’s office,’ Jessica said quietly.

‘How do you work that out?’ Wood asked. They walked back into De Klerk’s warehouse and Jessica gestured to the documents strewn over the floor and then pointed at the boxes containing bottles of wine.

‘The boxes have been ripped open haphazardly, apart from the two over there on the floor next to each other that have been cut open neatly. I think whoever opened them knew where to look and what they were looking for.’

‘Could it be a staged scene?’ Chapman asked.

‘It’s possible, but I can’t be certain as those two boxes may have been opened before the place was ransacked.’

‘I’ll get all the available CCTV from the security guard and head back to Barking with Jessica,’ Chapman told Wood.

‘Can you stay put, Julian, then brief the SOCOs when they arrive.’ As they headed towards Chapman’s car, he stopped and handed Jessica the car keys, saying he’d forgotten to tell Wood something.

Wood was inside De Klerk’s warehouse, looking around when he saw Chapman. ‘Don’t take this the wrong way, Julian, but I need to ask you something about the break-ins.’

‘You think it might have been Stubbings, don’t you?’

‘It crossed my mind. You said he’d been watching this place and he knew Cole was a hooky jeweller and De Klerk was involved with him. As I recall, Stubbings was also pretty good with computers and technical equipment.’

‘You don’t like him one bit, do you?’

‘He’s not my favourite person, no, and I don’t trust him.’

‘Well, I do, and I think you’re out of order. Why would he givev me all that information and then risk coming here? Stubbs isn’t stupid, Mike. He knows that he’d go to prison if he got caught, and his life would be hell.’

‘I hope, for both our sakes, this has nothing to do with him.’

Wood waited until Chapman had gone back to the car before calling Stubbings. He had a nasty feeling in the pit of his stomach. He’d tried his best to keep his name out of things, but if the stupid bastard had been thieving at the warehouse he’d landed himself right in it.