‘Then that fits with how I saw it happening at the scene. I know it’s all speculation, but it seems logical to me.’
Martin took off his apron and chucked it aside.
‘If you don’t mind I would like to go home to bed,’ he said, and walked out.
Lawrence put his arm around Bradfield’s shoulder.
‘You look knackered, Len. Why don’t you take off and get some shut-eye?’
‘I’ll grab some kip back at the station. I’m gonna have to get all this down in a report for Metcalf, who’s already breathing down my neck.’
‘You can handle him, Len.’
As they were leaving the mortuary assistant pulled the green sheet over Eddie’s naked body.
‘What are the odds Metcalf lumbers me with Eddie’s death investigation because of the connection to Julie Ann’s murder?’ Bradfield turned, looked at Eddie and shook his head. ‘What a waste, and only nineteen years old.’
Early the next morning John Bentley pulled up in a mark 1 white Ford transit van outside a row of garages off Masons Street at the far end of the Pembridge Estate. He unlocked the heavy-duty padlock he’d fitted to the garage door and, grabbing the handle, heaved it up on its metal rails. He had a quick look around before returning the few yards to his van and reversing it up to the open garage door. He got out and had another cursory look around before squeezing between the van and garage pillar. Opening the transit’s rear doors he removed a sledgehammer, pickaxe and spade, then placed them in a large empty metal storage box at the back of the garage. Returning to the van he leaned in and started to drag out a heavy-duty electric Kango hammer drill, which caused a loud scraping sound as it slid along the van’s metal floor. ‘Bloody thing weighs a ton,’ he muttered to himself as he decided to try and lift rather than drag it. He heaved for breath as he grabbed it with both arms and slowly walking backwards looked over his shoulder at the metal box and realized that it was too long to fit in. Unable to hold the Kango any longer he placed it on the ground and removed the concrete drill-bit so it was shorter. He lifted it into the metal box and stood with his hands on his hips, taking deep breaths before locking the box and covering it with an old tarpaulin. As he was closing the van doors he was startled when he heard a voice.
‘You heard what’s going down?’
John looked to the side of the van and saw his brother.
‘Jesus Christ, Dave, what you doin’ creeping up on me like that?’
‘I wasn’t creepin’, I just came to warn ya that the Old Bill’s been nosing round the Kingsmead Estate and Edgar House since that young girl got murdered in the playground.’
John glanced at his brother. He was using his walking stick, his twisted leg making him lean over at the waist.
‘I already know that, but if I’d known she was gonna get herself killed before I rented this poxy garage then I wouldn’t have bothered, would I?’ he replied sarcastically.
‘I just wanted to warn you to be careful, that’s all.’
‘I am. Besides, if the rozzers are all busy looking for a murderer over on the Kingsmead they ain’t gonna be sniffin’ around here so much and that’s better for us, isn’t it?’
‘Suppose so. You know that old big-mouth Ma Phillips?’
‘Mum’s friend, what about her?’
‘She was in the street earlier, screaming her head off and accusing some detectives of murdering her grandson Eddie. She wants to form a protest group outside the nick.’
‘She’s always liked the sound of her own voice,’ John said, jumping into the van.
He turned the engine on and moved the van forward six feet before getting out with the padlock and key.
‘Did you get the Kango?’ David asked.
‘Yeah, bloody thing weighed a fuckin’ ton,’ John replied as he replaced the padlock on the garage door.
‘Should have asked me – I’d have helped carry it in.’
‘I was out early cos I had to drive out through the Blackwall Tunnel to a dealer in Kent for a cash buy. He assured me it’s untraceable, but he was a nasty sod and didn’t even help me lift it.’
‘Maybe it might be better to take it back and exchange it for two smaller ones,’ David suggested.
‘Are you havin’ a laugh or just bleedin’ plain stupid?’ he asked scathingly as he secured the padlock.
‘No, stands to reason they’d be lighter and do the same job, only a bit slower, but if you are using two together then-’
‘Shut up.’
‘You got the cutting gear organized?’
John glared at his brother and whispered through gritted teeth, ‘Keep your mouth shut – you wanna telegraph what we’re workin’ on?’
‘There’s nobody about, and I was only askin’.’
‘I don’t want to use the same fence for everything on the job, it’s too risky. So I’m goin’ even further afield for that – believe me I’m lookin’ out for you and me. By the way are you comin’ to visit Dad this afternoon?’
‘Yeah, of course I am. Gimme a ride back to Mum’s wiv you?’
