Rachel Bailey looked very pleased with herself, Gill thought. Fair dos. The DC had got them names for the dead couple and identified an associate.
‘She’s got the place kitted out like Ideal Home,’ Rachel was saying. ‘She swore blind that Victor and Lydia didn’t do drugs, but the word on the street is just the opposite.’ She glanced at Mitch, who nodded his agreement.
‘I’m sure she was making house calls after she’d picked the stuff up in Werneth and I’m not talking Avon.’ Rachel’s eyes were dancing, exhilarated by the progress they’d made.
Kevin yawned noisily, arching back in his chair and stretching his arms up and out.
‘Keeping you up, Kevin? Late night?’ Gill said.
‘Bit late,’ Kevin grinned, ‘couple of pints after here then-’
‘Not boring you then?’
‘No, boss.’ Oblivious.
‘Hate to bore you. What with this being a murder inquiry and everything. Keeping you up late an’ all.’
‘It’s fine, boss,’ said Kevin.
‘Is it? Fine?’ She saw his face alter. Light dawning. Dimly but there. ‘Let me tell you, what is far from fine is you sitting here in my syndicate yawning with a mouth like the Mersey Tunnel. That is not fine, that is rude and disrespectful. You want to yawn or fart or belch or scratch your arse, you do it in your own time. Clear?’
‘Yes, boss.’
‘Now where were we. Oh, murder.’
‘The address in Werneth is for Stanley Keane,’ said Pete.
‘Williams’s muscle man?’ Gill said.
‘That’s right. Previous convictions for assault, GBH, dangerous driving, handling stolen goods and possession with intent.’
‘Mr Nice Guy,’ Gill said.
Pete swung his laptop around so they could see Keane’s charge sheet. The picture showed him to be a bulky man with a bushy beard.
‘Looks to match,’ Gill said. ‘I think we have reasonable grounds for a search of Keane’s house and the same for Shirelle Young’s place ASAP.’
‘Her alibi for Friday is solid,’ Rachel said. ‘Doesn’t necessarily cover the whole of the time frame for the double murder but comes slap bang in the middle of when we estimate it was kicking off, going by when the fire took hold. And when I told her they’d been shot, well, I don’t think she’d any idea.’
Gill looked round the rest of the team. ‘What else do we have? Greg Tandy?’
‘Still no trace,’ Mitch said.
‘Has he got a passport?’ Gill said.
‘Nothing current,’ Kevin said.
‘He could have fled using a false one,’ Rachel said.
Gill’s phone rang and she dragged it out. Dave