14
‘So you’re saying that you fired Mr Hall, is that correct?’ Irvine asked, looking at Junior.
‘Yes,’ his father answered. ‘It wasn’t working out.’
‘He’d been with your organisation for some time?’
‘Nothing lasts for ever.’
‘So it would seem.’
Junior smirked. Irvine had taken an immediate dislike to him. She wondered if he would be quite so confident if his father wasn’t here.
‘When was the last time you saw him?’
‘Haven’t seen him since we … let him go,’ Senior answered.
‘Can you account for your whereabouts last night? All of you.’
Irvine made a point of looking around the room and making eye contact with everyone.
‘Yes. Let us know what you need.’
Senior reached into his jacket and took out a business card. He leaned across the table and held it out until Irvine took it from him. He knew the police had a job to do and he understood the rules of the game. Irvine wasn’t so sure that Junior would look at it in the same way.
Armstrong moved forward and sat next to Irvine, across the table from the Parkers.
‘What was it, Frank?’ he asked. ‘Russell not making enough money for you or something?’
Parker Senior looked at Irvine and smiled.
‘Your colleague doesn’t think that I’m a legitimate businessman.’
‘I’m not in a position to comment,’ Irvine said. ‘And right now I don’t really care. There are two murder inquiries ongoing and that’s my only concern.’
‘We had nothing to do with them,’ Junior said loudly, leaning forward. ‘So why don’t you f*ck off.’
Irvine stared at him.
‘Everybody out,’ Parker Senior said sharply.
No one moved.
‘I mean now.’ His voice was even but firm.
The goons got up and shuffled to the door, followed quickly by the weasel in the glasses.
Junior stayed put, but shrank back in his seat.
‘You too, son.’
Junior glared at his father for a long moment before sliding across the leather seat and out of the booth. He slammed the door as he left.
‘I apologise for my son’s ignorance,’ Parker said. ‘That’s not how I like to do business.’
‘Frank,’ Armstrong said, ‘cut the bullshit, okay? You’re not impressing anyone here.’
Parker shrugged.
‘Who was Russell working for after he left you?’
Parker flicked at an imaginary piece of fluff on the lapel of his suit jacket.
‘If you tell us, we’ll be going after them hard. Maybe help take out some of the competition.’
‘I don’t know what you mean by competition.’
Armstrong sighed. Irvine felt that his intervention was proving counterproductive.
‘Mr Parker,’ she said. ‘I’m sure you would be just as pleased as we would be to take a killer off the streets. Make it safer for everyone. That’s my aim here. Nothing else.’
She maintained eye contact with him, hoping that Armstrong would stay quiet.
Parker looked from Irvine to Armstrong and back. ‘I appreciate what you’re trying to do,’ he said eventually. ‘If I can help I will.’
Irvine nodded.
‘Do you know who Mr Hall was working for after he left your employment?’
‘I heard it was someone … new to the business scene.’
Armstrong turned his face away from Parker and snorted.
‘Anything you can do to help us would be appreciated,’ Irvine said.
Parker regarded her silently for a moment. ‘Andrew Johnson,’ he said finally.
Irvine wondered if he was joking.
‘The Andrew Johnson who’s dead? Murdered. I mean, it was all over the newspapers. I’m one of the investigating officers.’
‘Yes, that Andrew Johnson.’
‘So what are you telling us? Did Russell Hall kill Johnson and take over his organisation?’
Parker smiled benignly.
‘I would be very surprised if Russell had big enough balls. I mean, Johnson was out of his league. A proper psychopath.’
‘I’m not following what you’re telling us.’
‘Russell worked for Johnson until his unfortunate meeting with a bullet. Now he works for the man who succeeded Johnson.’
‘And is this man still alive, or do I have another body to discover?’
He laughed this time.
‘I don’t know his name. But I understand that he is very much alive.’
‘I’d appreciate it if you would let me know if any of your sources of information can identify this man.’
Parker looked at her for a long moment without blinking.
‘I’ll see what I can do,’ he said. ‘But whoever he is, I’d stay well clear, you know. Anyone crazy enough to take out Johnson is deserving of respect.’
Irvine took a business card from her pocket and placed it on the table in front of Parker. She stood and waited for Armstrong to do the same.
‘Thank you for your assistance, Mr Parker,’ Irvine said as Armstrong started to rise.
‘I know how to deal with these scumbags,’ Armstrong said, his voice rising.
Irvine stared at him from the passenger seat of the car.
‘And you don’t treat them like that.’
‘Like what?’
‘Giving them any respect or legitimacy.’
‘I didn’t.’
‘He’s a drug dealer and a gangster.’
‘Did we advance the investigation?’
‘That’s not the point.’
‘Maybe not to you. Look, it’s obvious that this guy has done something to get at you in the past. I don’t need to know about it. But he gave us a lead. The rest of it I’ll leave to you SCDEA boys to take care of. You brought me in to look at the deaths. That’s what I’m doing.’
Armstrong looked ready to argue but the fight seemed to drain out of him. He started the car and put his hands on the steering wheel.
‘Ask me about him again when this is all done.’
‘Okay.’
‘But for now you’re right.’
‘What he gave us, if it’s correct, is good stuff. We can link the Johnson case to Hall and Lewski. Get all these cases closed. This is real progress.’
‘Let me see if I follow,’ Armstrong said. ‘Hall goes to work for Johnson. Johnson’s outfit is the one selling the bad gear. For whatever reason, Johnson gets killed and the new boss takes over.’
‘Right. And this new guy must be the one who killed Hall.’
‘It’s a safe bet that Hall gave the drugs to Lewski for sex and then when she died he dumped her body to get rid of the evidence. Or, at least, that was his plan. Then what? Hall’s boss has him taken out for making such a mess.’
‘Seems like he covers his tracks in extreme ways. The boss, I mean.’
‘I agree.’
‘This new guy is obviously a very serious individual.’