There was complete silence in the room as everyone realized the DCI was not in the mood for frivolity or to be argued with. He lit a cigarette and told DS Gibbs that he was to concentrate on the Phillips case, get a team together to spend up to midnight working a mile stretch of the Regent’s Canal, both directions from where the body was found. He wanted every stroller and dog walker stopped and shown a picture of Eddie Phillips in case anyone recognized him, and they were to be asked if they had seen anything suspicious on the canal path in the last two days.
Kath mentioned the markets at Camden Lock and the possibility of drug dealers.
‘Good call, Morgan. Spence, cover the markets as well and get as many uniform as you can from the local nick to help you.’
Gibbs glared at Kath. Even though he knew she’d made a good suggestion it meant more work for him.
‘Did the drug squad guys have anything useful for us to go on?’ Gibbs asked.
‘Yes and no. They did some digging around and it’s believed Big Daddy originates from Moss Side in Manchester. No name for him as yet, but he’s black, about six foot four and built like a brick shit house – wears a draped blue suit and fedora, with two-toned brown-and-white shoes. We got no address as apparently he keeps on the move. He’s Jamaican like his sidekick Dwayne Clark, who’s known as “Shoes”, not because of the surname connection to the well-known brand, but because he apparently takes delight in stamping on people’s heads. A search on criminal records on his name was also negative, but the drug squad did get an address.’
Gibbs asked if they should get a warrant and spin Dwayne’s place, but Bradfield informed him the drug squad had done it early that morning. ‘It was a squat in Chalk Farm, clean as a whistle drugs wise – not even a bottle of aspirin. Dwayne’s girlfriend and her three young kids were at the address; our suspects weren’t. Apparently she was a right gobby cow and said Dwayne, and a black bloke called Josh, ran a window-cleaning business together…’ He paused to let the laughter in the room die down before continuing.
‘You may laugh but the drug squad found a load of new ladders, sponges and buckets at the address – even an MOT for an old van, but nothing for a Jag.’
Everyone in the room knew the window cleaning was probably a front for dealing drugs.
Kath commented that Chalk Farm was a stone’s throw away from Camden Town and Jane asked if Dwayne’s girlfriend knew where the two of them were. She heard some sniggers in the room and someone whisper, ‘She’s so naive.’
‘Yes she did,’ Bradfield said, and frowned at the whisperer, which brought a chuffed smile to Jane’s face.
He continued, ‘She said they were both in Coventry and had been there for well over a week, which conveniently puts them both out of town during Julie Ann and Eddie’s deaths. And before you ask, she doesn’t know where this Josh lives and was adamant he’s not Big Daddy, but the drug squad officers said it was obvious she was talking a load of bollocks.’
‘What the hell are they doing in Coventry?’ Gibbs asked.
For the first time Bradfield smiled. ‘Apparently the window-cleaning slash drugs business is doing so well, they are looking to expand and set up there as well. Big Daddy is most probably this Josh, and if originally from Moss Side that’s a real tough drug area, so my guess is he still has contacts there and he runs drugs from Manchester to London, with drop-offs in Birmingham and Coventry on the way – all whilst
‘What a load of cock,’ Gibbs replied.
‘I know that, Spence. Dwayne’s tart is obviously lying through her teeth about the alibi, but we’ve no bloody evidence to disprove it at the moment. The drug squad showed her a picture of Julie Ann, but she said she’d never seen her and, “Dwayne don’t mix with white trash”. She’d never heard of Eddie Phillips either.’
‘If she’s been primed as to what lies to tell us maybe they know we are looking for them, which means Eddie Phillips must have blabbed,’ a detective commented.
‘Stop telling me the bloody obvious as it’s really beginning to piss me off! What I want to know, but clearly don’t, is exactly where Big Daddy and Dwayne are right now,’ Bradfield said, and lit another cigarette from the one he was just finishing.
‘Are the drug squad making enquiries in Coventry?’ DS Gibbs asked.
‘No, Spence – you are. Go up there and-’
‘I thought you wanted me to cover the canal?’
‘I said organize a team to do it, then you can link up with the Moss Side and Coventry drug squads. If you find Big Daddy, Dwayne and or this Josh bloke, nick ’em and transport them back down here for questioning.’
Gibbs sighed. He didn’t fancy schlepping all the way to Coventry, but he had no choice.
