‘No, three different numbers.But they are all Lenovo pay-as-you-go SIMs and all are used for a couple of days then, presumably, binned.’
‘So he makes a few calls using the same SIM card, before getting rid of it?’Charlie asked.
‘That’s right.Not sure if the other calls are linked, or whether he’s just being lazy, getting his money’s worth from the SIM card.Too early to say really, we’ve got no idea how much of a pro this guy is.’
‘Any UK numbers that he calls repeatedly?Anything that might suggest he’s ringing a regular contact?’
But DC Roberts was already shaking his head.
‘Not that I can see.A couple of numbers were called twice, but that’s it.’
‘Have we run the rule over those numbers to see if they’re linked to any known offenders?Traffickers, dealers, associates?’
‘Not yet,’ DC Roberts replied cautiously, ‘but they’re mostly pay-as-you-go too, so it’ll be hard to track the owners down …’
‘We should definitely try though,’ Charlie intervened quickly.‘In the meantime, how many calls has our man made with his current SIM, the one he used to call in the latest tip-off?’
‘Only a couple.The original tip-off, then one more to a payphone in Freemantle.’
‘So it’s possible, probable even, that he might make more calls with it?’Charlie said, leaning forward, her expression alive.
‘If he follows his usual pattern, then I suppose so …’ DC Roberts replied cautiously.
‘OK then, so whilst we run the rule over his call history, let’s alert the team that we want to triangulate his latest SIM as soon as it becomes active again …’
‘Already on it,’ DC McAndrew said, rising and hurrying away.
Charlie watched her go, her senses alert.After months of falsestarts and embarrassing failure, finally they had a potential lead in the case.Having been ill at ease and despondent this morning, suddenly Charlie felt hopeful, even excited.They had a suspect in their sights, someone who’d been running rings round them for months.
Now they just had to wait for him to reveal himself.
Chapter 26
Clint Davies fiddled nervously with his phone, keeping a wary eye on the door.He was running to a tight schedule today, with little time in which to make his various transactions before he was due on shift.If he was five minutes late to work, ten even, it probably wouldn’t matter, but a significant delay would prompt questions, and the last thing he needed was his supervisor sniffing around.Given his history, his record, there was bound to be suspicion, something he could ill afford.
The door banged open, but to his disappointment, it was just the cleaner, lugging her mop and bucket into the pub.Honestly, he didn’t know why she bothered, the floor in this dive was so marinated in beer that it was surely impossible to return it to its original state, the punters who flocked here on Friday and Saturday nights resigned to their boots sticking doggedly to the floorboards.This morning, however, the pub was deserted, save for the manager who stood behind the bar, scrolling listlessly on his phone.This was how Clint wanted it – the fewer witnesses to this transaction, the better.
‘You buying?’a heavily Dutch-accented voice breathed.‘If so, I’ll have a Famous Grouse.’
Startled, Clint looked up to see Visser standing over him, smiling genially.
‘I do so love your English whiskies …’ his companion purred.
‘Actually, they’re Scottish and help yourself.Mick’ll sort you out …’
Clint nodded to the bar.Shrugging, Visser crossed the floor, leaning over the wooden counter and as he muttered his order, waiting patiently as the manager obliged him with a generous measure of Famous Grouse.His demeanour was casual, his body language relaxed, but Clint couldn’t help but notice how the burly trafficker carried himself.Body hunched, head down, cap pulled tight to conceal his thick curly hair, as if constantly shielding his face, his identity, from view.Only when his companion sat down directly opposite him, could Clint see his features clearly.
‘Everything go OK, yesterday?’Clint enquired genially.
‘It was a pleasant journey,’ Visser replied carefully, shooting a quick look around the bar to double-check that they were alone.
‘When are you heading back?’
‘Soon enough.You have any problems?’the Dutchman responded.
Clint shook his head.
‘You’re sure you’re not being watched?Followed?’
