Contents ( 84)
- ONE
- TWO
- THREE
- FOUR
- FIVE
- SIX
- SEVEN
- EIGHT
- NINE
- TEN
- ELEVEN
- TWELVE
- THIRTEEN
- FOURTEEN
- FIFTEEN
- SIXTEEN
- SEVENTEEN
- EIGHTEEN
- NINETEEN
- TWENTY
- TWENTY-ONE
- TWENTY-TWO
- TWENTY-THREE
- TWENTY-FOUR
- TWENTY-FIVE
- TWENTY-SIX
- TWENTY-SEVEN
- TWENTY-EIGHT
- TWENTY-NINE
- THIRTY
- THIRTY-ONE
- THIRTY-TWO
- THIRTY-THREE
- THIRTY-FOUR
- THIRTY-FIVE
- THIRTY-SIX
- THIRTY-SEVEN
- THIRTY-EIGHT
- THIRTY-NINE
- FORTY
- FORTY-ONE
- FORTY-TWO
- FORTY-THREE
- FORTY-FOUR
- FORTY-FIVE
- FORTY-SIX
- FORTY-SEVEN
- FORTY-EIGHT
- FORTY-NINE
- FIFTY
- FIFTY-ONE
- FIFTY-TWO
- FIFTY-THREE
- FIFTY-FOUR
- FIFTY-FIVE
- FIFTY-SIX
- FIFTY-SEVEN
- FIFTY-EIGHT
- FIFTY-NINE
- SIXTY
- SIXTY-ONE
- SIXTY-TWO
- SIXTY-THREE
- SIXTY-FOUR
- SIXTY-FIVE
- SIXTY-SIX
- SIXTY-SEVEN
- SIXTY-EIGHT
- SIXTY-NINE
- SEVENTY
- SEVENTY-ONE
- SEVENTY-TWO
- SEVENTY-THREE
- SEVENTY-FOUR
- SEVENTY-FIVE
- SEVENTY-SIX
- SEVENTY-SEVEN
- SEVENTY-EIGHT
- SEVENTY-NINE
- EIGHTY
- EIGHTY-ONE
- EIGHTY-TWO
- EIGHTY-THREE
- Acknowledgements
‘What?’
‘It’s not so hard to believe, Sean. He confessed to the whole thing to get Romeo Meyer out of the room. What if the first confession was something similar?’
‘I don’t follow.’
‘Someone killed Rifat Mansour. Within a timeframe that could have been just minutes before Nizar got to Stoke Newington Police Station.’
‘Could have been minutes, boss. But it could have been up to an hour either way, too.’
‘I know that. But bear with me. What if Nizar was there when Rifat was killed? What if Nizar saw them do it and had to run? And headed straight for the station to save his own life?’
‘It’s a stretch.’
‘Is it? What did the desk sergeant say? Nizar Mansour burst through the doors out of breath, hardly able to speak as he made his confession. At almost the exact same time as a local resident reported what could have been gunshots outside.’
‘OK, let’s say that’s how it happened. You think whoever’s pulling the strings meant to kill Nizar too?’
‘Let’s assume they did. Where would that have left us? We would have one dead Syrian baggage handler – the right one – and then our investigation would have led us to the footage of him planting the bomb. Footage I wouldn’t have questioned if I hadn’t seen Mansour and Romeo Meyer together last night. Because if Mansour had died, this case would have been open and shut.’
McConnell listened carefully, a small smile threatening the corner of his mouth. Bull could see that he was excited.
‘This could really be something,’ he said, his head nodding along to his own words. ‘But what you’re saying? Someone with the ability to mess with the camera programme at Heathrow. And the audacity to kill Nizar on British soil. You know where that’s leading, boss.’
‘I didn’t say the theory didn’t have some issues,’ Bull admitted, sitting back into his chair once again. ‘What we need to know is why Nizar placed that bag on the plane. I’m sure Romeo Meyer has to be involved in that part. In all of this, in fact. If you’d seen him, you’d understand. Only someone with that kind of influence or authority could pull this shit. And that’s a whole world of trouble, given his position within the Secret Service. One way or another, though, we need to bring him in and find out who it is he’s working for.’
‘Seriously?’
‘Seriously. I just have to work out how we get away with doing that.’
‘Rather you than me, boss.’
‘Thanks.’
The two men sat for a moment longer, considering the trouble ahead.
When McConnell finally spoke, his voice was filled with concern.
‘Bruce, are you sure about this?’
Bull sat up slightly at McConnell’s use of his name. Even after twenty-five years, it was rare that his DS spoke to him informally. It deserved his attention.
‘What choice do I have?’
‘You could step out. Take yourself out of the firing line. Blame your age; say you’re not up to this one. You don’t need this shit, Bruce.’