NO AGE TO DIE: The release of a dangerous prisoner leads to murder (DCI John Blizzard Book 9) by John Dean (digital ebook reader .txt) 📕

their usual city centre pub. The sergeant had been there for fifteen minutes when there came a rustling from the bush behind him.

‘Don’t turn round,’ said a voice. Chaz Gray sounded frightened.

‘Is this really necess–’

‘Just don’t turn round. Keep reading your newspaper. You’re after Bob Lennox, aren’t you?’

‘How do you know that?’ said Colley.

‘Everyone knows. Your people have been asking questions.’

‘Do you know where he is?’ asked Colley. He turned over a page of the newspaper. ‘He seems to have gone to ground. Him and his bovine son.’

‘They’re on The Manor.’

‘Where on The Manor?’ asked the sergeant.

‘Can’t tell you that.’

‘It’s a big estate,’ said Colley. ‘And how come you know where he is?’

‘He’s my heroin supplier.’

‘Jesus, Chaz,’ exclaimed Colley. He turned round and peered into the scared face. ‘I thought you said you were clean again.’

‘Do you want this information or not?’ hissed Chaz. ‘And turn round, for fuck’s sake.’

Colley returned to the newspaper.

‘I do want the information, yes,’ said Colley. ‘But I need more than you’ve given me before we can pay out.’

‘It’s big, Dave. Really big. Drugs. That’s all I can say.’

‘Are you sure?’ said the sergeant. ‘We didn’t have Lennox down for a major player.’

‘Well, he’s moved up in the world. Go on to The Manor and you’ll break up one of the biggest gangs in the Western Division, but you’ll have to move quickly.’

Colley’s eyes gleamed at the thought of such a prize. He glanced down at the newspaper and imagined more positive headlines.

‘OK, but I need to know exactly where he is,’ said the sergeant. ‘If we plough in there with all guns blazing, they’ll have scarpered by the time we’ve even got out of the vans. I need an address.’

Chaz Gray hesitated.

‘Alright,’ he said eventually. ‘Number Seven Lavender Walk. That’s in the second row of maisonettes on your left when you get in. They’re dealing the heroin out of there. They took a big delivery last night.’

‘And are you sure Lennox will be there?’

‘He should be. It’s where they have been dealing from and it’s where he went when he heard that you were after him.’

Colley flipped over the newspaper to examine the sports pages.

‘Thanks,’ he said.

‘Worth a few quid?’ asked Chaz hopefully.

‘As long as it doesn’t go on drugs,’ said Colley. ‘Can you promise me that?’

‘I want to come off the drugs. Honest, Dave.’

‘In which case,’ said the sergeant. ‘I have a little proposition for you. What do you know about the hostel at St John’s?’

Conversation over, there was a rustle of leaves and Chaz was away. Colley took his mobile phone out of his anorak pocket and rang Blizzard.

‘How do you fancy kicking some doors in?’ asked the sergeant.

‘Always. When?’

‘Tonight.’

Chapter twenty-five

Just after 3.30pm, John Blizzard sat in his living room and watched Michael playing with his toys on the floor. Whenever the wooden train neared the inspector’s feet, he would reach down, grab the engine and make a loud steam-like noise and Michael would squeal with pleasure. After one particularly loud squeal, Fee popped her head round the door and grinned. Blizzard smiled back; he welcomed the time away from the office and the St John’s investigation had proved to be a troubling one. Fatherhood had changed him in profound ways, he knew that. Whereas the old Blizzard might have been less affected by the death of a child, he would have been more professional, more detached, more determined to put the job ahead of emotion, the new father in him was struggling to come to terms with what had happened to Jamie Holdsworth. It was a feeling that intensified whenever he looked at his own son and, instinctively, he reached down and picked up the child.

‘I love you,’ he said, giving him a cuddle.

After a couple of minutes, Fee entered the living room, carrying a tray bearing hot drinks and gave a smile as she saw Michael on the inspector’s lap.

‘Better not let the villains see you like that, John,’ she said. She placed the tray on the coffee table. ‘They think that you eat babies.’

Blizzard gave a low laugh. Following Fee into the room was a dark-haired middle-aged woman, who sat down on the sofa. Fee handed Blizzard a mug.

‘Ta,’ he said. He looked at the dark-haired woman. ‘So, Jenny, how long have you been a childminder?’

‘Seven years. I started when we moved to Hafton because of my husband’s job.’

‘And where were you before?’

‘Leicester. I was a teacher for ten years then I worked in the education department.’

‘Jenny was telling me that she met Margaret Hatton when she was there,’ said Fee.

‘Yeah?’ Blizzard tried to sound casual. Not overly interested. ‘Why was that then?’

‘It was tragic,’ said Jenny. She shook her head at the memory. ‘It happened in one of our secondary schools. A pupil was killed by a member of staff who, it turned out, had had a relationship with her for six months. Her body was found in a wood.’

‘And how did Margaret Hatton fit into things?’

‘There was a lot of ill-feeling in the community, people saying the council had failed the girl. Margaret Hatton led the protests.’

‘How did it end?’ asked the inspector.

‘Ofsted carried out an unannounced emergency audit of the council’s safeguarding practices and discovered a lot of problems. The director of education was sacked and his replacement asked Margaret to run some training courses.’

‘What were they like?’ asked Fee.

‘Very good,’ replied Jenny. ‘I’ll be honest, I wasn’t sure about her because of the way she gave the council such a hard time but, once I saw her in action, I changed my mind. The woman’s a saint, if you ask me. She didn’t come cheap but she knows her stuff and people