Dead or Alive by Ken McCoy Page B

the Crime Prosecution Service. They’ll drop the case.’
    The police had put word out through various underworld connections that an amnesty was available for anyone who could provide help with the recovery of the abducted children. A member of Formosa’s gang had responded and had been persuaded to give evidence in court against his old crime boss in exchange for complete freedom from prosecution for a list of crimes he’d committed whilst working for Formosa. Unfortunately this didn’t include the abduction. They’d been relying on Dench’s evidence for that.
    â€˜What about all the circumstantial evidence, sir?
    â€˜His brief’ll cut through that like a knife through butter. No, it was all good stuff to support what Dench was going to say, but Dench was our main man. Without him we’ll have to drop the charges. Mind you, we can tell the bloke in witness protection we’re holding him and his statement in abeyance until such time as we nail Formosa again.’
    â€˜That’s if he’ll agree to it.’
    â€˜He won’t have much choice, Lenny. It does mean we’ll have to provide him with another identity and keep him in witness protection until then. Expensive job that.’
    Cope dropped his head. ‘Bloody hell, sir! What about them poor kids?’
    â€˜I know, and you did well, but this is no reflection on you.’ Ibbotson looked up and sat back in his seat, elbows on the chair arms, steepling his fingers.
    â€˜Tell me, Lenny, are you still shagging Blacky’s wife?’
    Cope hesitated before saying, ‘We’re in a relationship, sir.’
    â€˜Ah, of course. That’s the current jargon for shagging isn’t it? I often wish I was in a relationship with Mrs Ibbotson, but all we are is man and wife.’
    â€˜I’ve no intention of ever becoming anyone’s husband, sir. Once bitten, twice shy and all that.’
    â€˜What shocked me about Blacky,’ said Ibbotson, ‘was all this stuff about him beating his wife up. I didn’t think he was like that. Quite an amiable chap, I thought. He could scare the shit out of a suspect in the interview room, but that was all an act.’
    â€˜I don’t really know the man, sir, what with us working different shifts all the time I’ve been here, but she told me he was cruel to her.’
    â€˜We brought him in last night, did you know?’
    â€˜So I heard, sir. Drunk, was he?’
    â€˜Not really. Sober enough to drive, apparently. I spoke to him – I got the impression that he was just angry with the world.’
    â€˜I don’t think the world’s too pleased with him, sir.’
    â€˜On a more important matter; I’m expecting Mr Strathmore to come in and ask why we’ve dropped the charges against Vince Formosa. I want you to sit in with me on that one.’
    â€˜Of course, sir.’
    â€˜He’ll ask if we think his children are still alive and, to be honest, I’ve got no idea. He’s put out a reward of twenty-five thousand pounds for anyone helping in their return.’
    â€˜Doesn’t seem much sir, considering he’s a multi-millionaire.’
    â€˜He wanted to offer more but in my experience these huge rewards attract all sorts of chancers and time-wasters. I just hope they’re still alive.’
    â€˜It could be that Formosa is keeping them alive for some future extortion.’
    â€˜Yes, I’d thought of that but, in view of Formosa knowing we have him clearly in our sights for all this, he’ll only keep them alive long enough for them to talk to Strathmore on the phone the day before the handover. And don’t think the handover will be a simultaneous swap. Not on your life. He’ll ask for money first, after which he’ll promise to release the kids, only he won’t because they’ll be dead and never heard of again, and all this time Formosa will be free and gloating