‘He’s frightened? Protecting someone?’ said Rachel.
Gill sighed. They had seemed to be getting closer but first they’d eliminated Noel Perry and now Tandy was in the clear. It felt like they were back at square one. ‘Charge Tandy with the firearms offences and ship him back to prison.’
The search at Marcus Williams’s house revealed nothing. No Keane, no gun, no drugs.
‘Teflon as per usual,’ said Mitch as Kevin handed out the sandwich orders. Not only did Williams keep well away from the merchandise and the illicit activities of his network, he also drove within the speed limit, paid his council tax on time and had obviously found a way to launder his money.
‘Think about it from Marcus Williams’s point of view,’ said Gill. ‘Suppose he wants to get rid of Victor and Lydia, motive unknown for now. How might that play out?’
‘Well, Williams won’t be anywhere near,’ said Mitch.
‘So he finds someone to do the deed,’ Lee said.
‘Stanley Keane,’ Rachel said, taking the baguette Kevin passed her. ‘Keane gets the gun off Tandy-’
‘Who must have got it back from the Perry brothers after the Kavanagh shooting,’ Gill said, ‘some time between Wednesday and Friday evening.’
‘Keane borrows or steals the gloves too,’ said Janet. ‘He gets lighter fuel and goes to the warehouse, shoots Victor and Lydia, torches the place. Then joins Greg Tandy for a couple of pints in his local.’
‘An attempt at an alibi?’ Gill said.
‘Keane gets rid of the gun,’ said Janet, ‘why keep the gloves? Why not dump them?’
‘Unless he’s trying to frame Tandy,’ Mitch said.
‘Boss,’ Pete had answered his phone and now interrupted. ‘We’ve found something on CCTV for Monday night. Shirelle Young and Stanley Keane.’
‘I want it here, now,’ Gill said.
The CCTV, in grainy black and white, was from the cameras at the green man crossing near the shopping parade. Shirelle, in her white jacket, could be seen walking briskly. Then she stops in her tracks. Gill peered, holding her breath. A man approaches, grabs her wrists and kicks her legs from under her. He picks her up and at that moment his bearded face is clearly visible, livid with anger.
‘Stanley Keane,’ said Mitch.
‘What’s he so mad about?’ Gill said.
‘She led us to his house earlier, we found Tandy, we found the drugs,’ Rachel said.
‘This is five past eight,’ Janet said.
‘And Shirelle was found fifteen minutes later,’ said Rachel.
‘So,’ Gill said, ‘he beats up Shirelle and then he targets the Tandy house. He’d know we are holding Tandy so either that is a warning to Tandy to keep quiet or a warning to the family.’