STATUS DRIFT: A gripping undercover detective crime thriller, page 20
‘I can confirm that Detective Superintendent Hall is deceased,’ Cooper says. ‘An investigation is underway. I cannot comment on the circumstances while this takes place. I would like to know where you were yesterday between noon and 4 p.m.?’
‘You know where I was. You had me under surveillance.’
‘And how would you know that?’
‘Surely you’re not denying you did?’
I look at Winter and back at Cooper. They both sit and stare straight at me.
‘I told my superintendent what my deployments were and he sent me to the location where I was arrested. Prior to that I was at the safe house in Watford with an associate of Razor’s called Kat. Superintendent Hall knew of this and had assured me that DCI Winter and her team were covering all of my deployments. Are you saying, sir, that an operation was being conducted, using an undercover officer, into a man purported to have access to guns, with no outside armed support?’
I turn to my solicitor and he raises a hand to stop me in order for the DI or DCI Winter to respond. Both remain silent.
‘You and I both know you operate outside the boundaries of what is considered normal operating procedure, DS Batford,’ Winter says. ‘Look at the fiasco you caused in the last operation, you disregarded orders, gave teams the slip…’
‘Can we please stick to the matters of disclosure,’ says my solicitor. ‘I am advising my client to say nothing in response to your last accusation.’
‘We have grounds to believe you and Detective Superintendent Hall were involved in a criminal conspiracy with Razor to have Hassan Ahmet murdered in order to take over his drugs empire for your own gain,’ Cooper says. ‘That’s why you were at the address yesterday, because you believed Hassan Ahmet would be there as Detective Superintendent Hall had told you. You were to murder him at this address and then take cash owed to Razor. Fortunately we were ahead of the game.’
DI Cooper sits back like he’s wrapped the case up and put a pretty bow on it.
I lean across the table. ‘Very fanciful, and if I may say so, sir, a delusional story. I was sent to the address by Detective Superintendent Hall. He had said that DCI Winter had told him she wished to set up a sting, in the belief that the actual assassin would accompany me there. As far as I was concerned, I would go in and armed police would take out the person sent to the rear of the premises, as that person would be armed. I would be “mock” arrested and taken away to make it look realistic to Razor. Instead I arrive, as does another firm, fully loaded, intent on taking me out. Now, I have a prepared statement that I will have my solicitor read as it has come to that time.’
‘Before you do,’ Cooper says, ‘let me ask you one more question. Did you send an encrypted WhatsApp message to this number: 07896 555678?’
‘No. That number’s not on my phone-a-friend list.’
Jones clears his throat. ‘I have been instructed to read this prepared statement made in my presence by Detective Sergeant, Sam Batford, undercover officer with the Metropolitan Police,’ he says.
I, Detective Sergeant Sam Batford, wish to state that whilst working for the Metropolitan Police Service, Covert Intelligence Command, I have been acting under the command and authority of Detective Superintendent Hall. During Operation Kestrel I became aware that the detective superintendent was not acting in accordance with the law and on confronting the detective superintendent, was threatened with being exposed as an undercover officer to both Big G and Razor.
Detective Superintendent Hall stated he would implicate me in the importation of heroin and planned execution of a leader of a Turkish organised crime group. I was already in fear for my life due to a current threat being managed by DCI Winter of the National Crime Agency.
Detective Superintendent Hall had also used the threat to my life as a cover to have me killed. It’s my belief he felt I was too close to discovering his corruption.
‘All sounds very convenient so far,’ Winter says.
My solicitor continues.
When I became suspicious of criminal activity by my detective superintendent, I was aware I had a duty to expose what I saw as large-scale corruption. It is my belief that both Razor and Detective Superintendent Hall were known to each other prior to the commencement of this operation. Detective Superintendent Hall had been running Razor as an unregistered informant for some years and had crossed the line into criminality with him.
Winter interrupts again. ‘Unless you have evidence of this, then it’s supposition. Do you have evidence of this?’
My solicitor ignores her and carries on.
I was being used as a scapegoat in their plans. Detective Superintendent Hall refused to meet me at any venue I suggested. He insisted I meet him at his London flat. This flat, I would regard as prime London real estate and beyond the salary of a man of his rank. I do not believe that he had inherited money to purchase the premises or won the lottery.
I asked him for official flash money, to use on deployment. He said he hadn’t got any authorised but produced two thousand pounds cash from a cereal box. I have kept this money for police. I could also see signs of white powder on a table that I believe to be class A drugs. I couldn’t say anything at the time due to the hold he had over my life. I am willing to point the address out to the investigative team.
‘So now we get the crux of your defence,’ Cooper says. ‘Duress! You’ll have to do better than that to convince the Crown Prosecution Service!’
‘If I get a further interruption whilst reading this prepared statement,’ Jones says testily, ‘this interview will cease and my client will answer nothing further. If you have enough to charge my client then say so now and we can get this done.’ The solicitor looks up at each interviewer. ‘No? Well there’s a surprise.’
Cooper and Winter acquiesce. The solicitor continues.
I felt he wanted to know my every move and this included getting me a safe house where he could know where I was. I had a genuine fear he had the means and contacts to have me killed if I didn’t cooperate. He gave me an access card to his flat and this is where he insisted I changed clothing prior to any deployment. I am of the opinion this was to know my description should he need to pass it on to have me assassinated.
In order to try and gather evidence, I left a camera pen at the property, with a remote access facility. It was left in a steel penholder in his living room. Using my phone to access it, I saw footage of Detective Superintendent Hall speaking with Razor in person at the flat two days ago. They discuss leaving the UK, and the female I know as Kat, would follow on after assassinating the Turkish male and myself. I understand it may not be used in evidence but needed something to corroborate the duress I was under.
DCI Winter starts taking notes.
To the investigative team it would appear Big G’s men executed the threat to life against me and the Turkish male got in the way. Both Razor and Detective Superintendent Hall would take over the drugs line run by the deceased Turkish male. Detective Superintendent Hall authorised the witness protection for Hassan Ahmet and informed me of the address I attended today.
I had no intention of committing the crimes alleged. I was not armed and was intent on warning Ahmet to leave the property with me. I would have called DCI Winter once I had Ahmet and requested backup.
I gave Detective Superintendent Hall another phone to contact me on, as I was wary of the other number being compromised. I will supply this number to police as it contains numerous calls I tried to make to him but were ignored. As I was directed to have no other contact with the operational team, I accepted this.
The money is under the bathroom floor in the Watford safe house. The camera pen is in Mike’s flat. I am prepared to give evidence if required. At no time did I act beyond the law and all notes and conversations whilst deployed were handed to Detective Superintendent Hall.
To find myself arrested and accused of these offences is shocking and a blight on an unblemished career. I wish to assist the investigating team in any way possible in the pursuit of justice.
‘That’s all very well,’ Winter says, ‘but we now have the situation where a police officer is dead, in your car, in possession of a firearm that was observed by an armed officer to have been removed from the glove box. Present in the car was a mobile phone with one message saying “Do the decent thing”. Did you plant the gun and phone in the car, knowing Hall was under surveillance by armed officers, with the intention he would be shot dead and unable to rebut your account as you wanted to take over the heroin line, for your own gain, with Razor?’
‘My client has made a prepared statement and I advise him to say nothing further in relation to the last question,’ says my solicitor. ‘Either you have evidence my client was involved in criminality or not. At this stage I am advising he answer no further questions unless you wish to seek clarity in the statement he has made. Once again, for the record, my client denies both offences he is alleged to have been involved in.’
‘Let’s take a break, shall we? Interview stopped at 0930 hours,’ Winter says.
I’m placed back in my cell and allowed to keep my leg this time. A tea is brought and a sandwich that’s seen better days. I’ve done all I can now. Only time will tell. Unless Winter has other evidence against me then all I can do is sit it out and wait. She won’t release me tonight. My solicitor has confirmed what I already knew. I’m here for due process to take place. Winter will check out the camera pen, phone logs, cash, and Mike’s flat. My car is the only concern. I can’t be convicted for owning a car that was insecure with a gun in it. I haven’t seen or handled the gun or the phone. The evidence would be weak.
43
Winter enters the restaurant and catches the eye of DI Hudson who is sitting with Alex Kennedy. Winter approaches the table and sets her laptop case down and picks up a menu.
‘Sorry I’m late,’ she says. ‘The first interview overran. We’ve tried another but he’s sticking to a prepared statement. Have you ordered?’
Both indicate they haven’t. Hudson speaks up.
‘We’ve just got back from the debrief ourselves. All’s done and an initial meeting with the Crown Prosecution Service has been set up for this afternoon.’
‘Good work.’ Winter scans the menu but her brain is polluted with the interview and she struggles to decide. She goes back to the safe option and chooses.
A waiter arrives and orders are taken. Alex Kennedy waits for the waiter to leave before speaking.
‘So when were you going to tell me that Sky was in fact a detective sergeant? I would have thought I’d have been told that from the start, not at the end. It was a high-risk move that put me on offer. I was trusted amongst that lot and was held in high regard. I could’ve died today had the occupants of the other car got inside the house.’
Hudson chips in, ‘Look I’ve been through all this…’
‘I want a straight answer from the lead person. That’s not too much to ask in the circumstances.’
Winter shifts in her seat before replying. ‘I’d remind you we’re in a public place and that you are still working for us. You’ve clearly spent long enough in the company of this group and you need to watch your tongue. A decision was taken at the outset that you shouldn’t know who you were targeting as there were too many variables at play.’ Winter pauses, looks around, then continues.
‘It could have tainted the way you viewed your role and how you dealt with us when we met. I needed fresh eyes on the job and you were already a key part of the setup before we met you. You were pivotal in gaining information from the inside about the whole network in addition to the antics of the detective sergeant. I know how well thought of you are and we appreciate the lengths you’ve gone to.’
‘So what happens from here? Do I go back to the club or do I leave?’
Winter pauses as the waiter arrives with the food and places down the respective plates.
‘You’re out as of now. Drop your number. You conducted yourself in an exemplary manner, DC Burns. There aren’t many officers who could sustain an infiltration at this level. You did your undercover role superbly. I know it had been a long deployment. DI Hudson will take you to Empress State Building for a meeting with the Met’s Chief Medical Officer. The Met will offer aftercare with psychological support.’ Winter takes a drink.
‘I will speak with your line management from Manchester and ensure you’re placed on leave for two weeks,’ she continues. ‘For the record, you’re no longer acting in the role of CHIS as Kat Mills and your authority is cancelled. Your use of the pseudonym for both Alex Kennedy with us and Kat Mills for your undercover deployment are terminated. You deserve a rest period, Holly. I will update you after our meeting with the Crown Prosecution Service as to where this job will go. We know we have enough evidence to charge Razor, thanks to you, and his associates will follow.’ Winter smiles and places her hand on Holly’s.
Holly allows Winter’s show of warmth. ‘I’m sorry. It’s been an intense deployment. I’m glad to be shot of dealing with a bunch of testosterone-fuelled arseholes. I’m not hungry. If you don’t mind, I’d rather get back to my hotel and freshen up before going to see the shrink. I’m fine so don’t worry on that score. I’ll be fit for court. I’ll see you at Empress State Building, DI Hudson.’
With that DC Holly Burns parts with her seat and reaches for her cigarettes as she departs the restaurant and heads for the tube and her hotel.
Hudson sits back. ‘So what did Batford have to say for himself? I bet he couldn’t believe his number’s up.’
‘It’s far from up. I’m not hungry either. Get this bill and let’s get to the CPS earlier than arranged. You can brief me on what Holly has evidentially against any of them. I hope it’s good news or we’re looking at a lot of paperwork for no result, again.’
44
Sometimes in life, roses smell good despite not having a garden in which to grow them. The ones I’ve just selected for Mike’s funeral were a vibrant blood red. They were arranged in the standard funeral wreath with some greenery but in all respects selected from the value range of floristry. I told the florist to await a call when the funeral is arranged regarding where to send them. They’ll be sent anonymously. I have little time for words in cards or sentiments of any type. Even less so for a callous, underhand bastard like Mike.
In the end, the worst criminals get greedy and that greed devours them. I did the same for Klara Winter except hers were a vibrant white to go with her habitual blouse. All’s fair in love and war, after all. I enjoyed my three-day lie-down at the behest of the Metropolitan Police and National Crime Agency and saw this as benefitting my cover and exit strategy.
The Crown Prosecution Service had taken the right view on any proposed charges and deemed any evidence against me was weak and unsubstantiated. They had taken into account how I had attempted to assist the prosecution by trying to obtain evidence through the camera pen. They couldn’t disprove that I hadn’t passed evidence to Mike and he’d destroyed it. Mike’s flat was ripped apart and a small amount of drugs was found along with twenty thousand pounds in cash. They found the pen. Further documents indicated a safety deposit box that when seized contained a further two hundred and forty thousand. All now subject to forfeiture by police. They also recognised I was lucky to be alive. A tidy result, I’d say.
I gave authority for Winter to look at my bank accounts. There’s nothing revelatory there other than a detective sergeant trying to do his best on poor pay.
Razor, on the other hand, was not so lucky. A raid on his club found the firearm he’d taken from Trigger and a substantial amount of class A drugs. His prints were on the gun. His house and cars were seized as part of a financial investigation.
His mother has been moved into a residential home and his wife still loves him. My threat to life remains, as they can’t prove the validity was false. Big G was paid a visit by police and he naturally denied all knowledge. I’m certain Mike had played his part in it but how, I will never know.
Where Kat is, I don’t know either. What I do know is that she did her role well. She had me over until she rode the bike. Textbook advanced riding gave her away to me. That and her warrant card. I never saw her actual card. She’d never be that stupid. You see, the first rule of undercover policing is never carry your warrant card in the back pocket of tight jeans. Even when you remove it, the outline is obvious to the best criminals. I don’t blame her. She’s one of the good ones. She’ll have to get out of bed earlier to catch me though.
I take a cab from the florists in Tring High Street to the canal footpath and get dropped off. I haven’t been allowed back to the Watford safe house. My meagre belongings were packed and deposited at New Scotland Yard.
A warm breeze embraces my face. I walk towards the bankside and a canal boat with a freshly painted red door. The name Legacy is also new and burnt into carved wood and screwed onto the boat. I walk past the boat first and check about, but no one is to be seen. I get onto the walkway from bank to boat. The door is partially open. I knock. I can smell the scent of cooked pork coming from inside and I’m met by a boy who can be no older than nine. He turns and shouts. I hear a male’s voice say ‘come in’. I follow the kid in and shut the door.
‘Mr Sky, come, come, sit down; we eat, yes?’
Adok beckons me to sit and shows me a place at the small dining table that has been pulled down from the side of the boat. Adok looks well, as does his family. All seem relaxed and at peace despite having had their family home raided two days previously, but nothing untoward was found in terms of guns or ammo.
‘So, Adok, how do you like the place? Does it suit your needs?’
He beams a wide-eyed smile and places his hands out at the boat’s fine interior. ‘Mr Sky, it is all I ever wanted for my family. To live a good life. It is a wonderful thing you have done for me. To give me this opportunity to be the man I once was. I have a job now, looking after other people’s boats and doing work on them. Here is the phone you gave me. Did I leave the gun and the other phone in the right car? I looked at the tracker dot on the phone you left for me in the car and sent the message when it went within a mile of an airport like you told me. Did I send the message at the right time?’
