Whisper For The Reaper by Jack Gatland (best book series to read TXT) 📕

claim that Meier was Müller, killed in the confusion and was buried in his grave by accident, and that Karl didn’t know this as by then he’d already left.’

‘But Müller is the Red Reaper!’ De’Geer protested. ‘He has to face justice!’

‘I agree,’ Anjli continued. ‘But how? There’s a reason the deaths have all been seen as suicides. You can’t prove that Karl, or Müller was near any of them. Even Patrick Walsh’s death was deemed an accident. Sure, we’ve found a nice conspiracy, but you know other nice conspiracies? Moon landings. JFK’s death. Paul McCartney walking barefoot across Abbey Road. They’re not evidenced facts, and those are what we need here.’

Billy leaned back in his chair. ‘So we let them get away with it? That’s bullshit.’

‘Find me something to use!’ Declan screamed out in impotent fury.

The room was silent.

‘We’re on your side, sir,’ De’Geer said gently. Declan nodded, looking to Billy.

‘Sorry,’ he said, forcing a small, apologetic smile as he did so. ‘It’s been a hell of a day for revelations.’

Billy nodded at this. ‘We’ve gotten bigger people with less,’ he replied. Declan shook his head.

‘None of them had get out of jail free cards before. We need to play clever on this,’ he said. ‘We need to get Karl, and fast. If he realises we know, he’ll cry out for his immunity and ask for a new identity now he’s outed. And he’s shown for the last thirty years that he’s real good at starting new lives under fake names.’

‘If we can find any DNA in the tunnel, or even the crypt…’ Billy suggested, but De’Geer shook his head.

‘The tunnel isn’t new. People have examined it or even visited it for years. Karl could simply say he had a look around any time in the last few years and we’d not be able to prove him otherwise.’

Declan nodded. ‘Go see Miss Randall again. See if anything we’ve learned here helps. Meanwhile, let’s bring him in for questioning.’

‘On what charge?’ Anjli asked.

‘On the charge of being a lying, murdering piece of shit,’ Declan snapped. ‘And then we’ll move on from there.’

Declan had headed to Maidenhead after the decision had been made, leaving De’Geer to liaise with a squad car that had been sent to pick Karl Schnitter up at his home, as the thought of Karl being arrested and brought to the cells on the back of a motorcycle gave opportunities for too many bad results. Anjli and Billy had stayed behind, however, waiting for PC Davey to arrive back at the hotel with a forensic kit; there wasn’t likely to be any evidence in the tunnel, but Declan had to ensure that they left no stone unturned, even the ones in centuries old crypts.

Arriving at the building, Declan found Doctor Marcos waiting for him outside of the main entrance.

‘I heard from Alex,’ she said as he approached. ‘Are you sure that you want to do this?’

‘What choice do I have?’ Declan asked. ‘If we don’t bring him in, he walks. Rolfe’s death is a suicide.’

‘Technically it was,’ Doctor Marcos walked with Declan into the building. ‘He killed himself. All the evidence proves this.’

‘So you think I should just leave it?’ Declan stopped in the hallway. ‘I expected different from you.’

‘I don’t think you should leave it,’ Doctor Marcos replied calmly, ‘but I do think you should consider what you’re doing here. If you can’t nail Karl Schnitter for the murders of Nathanial Wing or Rolfe Müller, it doesn’t matter who he was in a past life. Your father’s death was an accident. Your mother died in hospital of a terminal illness--‘

‘You know that’s not true!’ Declan exclaimed.

‘Do I?’ Doctor Marcos snapped back. ‘That’s what’s on the coroner’s reports, Declan! If you accuse him of these deaths as well, we have no proof on it!’

Declan nodded.

‘I know,’ he whispered. ‘But if I don’t try, then all of this has been for nothing.’

‘And there’s this whole immunity thing,’ Doctor Marcos added. ‘If he’s an asset, or has been in the past, this could really bite you on the behind. It’s not like Whitehall isn’t looking for a reason to get rid of you, and they’ll value the CIA’s special relationship way higher than the Walsh family. And unless we have conclusive proof on all of this, none of it will matter. He’ll be whisked away under a new identity before we can even call him out.’

Declan nodded. He knew this was risky.

‘Expect flak from Freeman on this too,’ Doctor Marcos replied. ‘He’s not been happy seeing me taking this over, and he sure as hell won’t be impressed with you bringing Karl in. Freeman’s a provincial copper, Declan. He’s not used to the adrenaline filled days of London, or other cities. His is a slower, more rural world. A more comfortable world that doesn’t involve this kind of political gameplay.’

‘And I’m throwing chaos into it,’ Declan nodded once more. ‘I get it, I really do. But let’s be honest, Rosanna. Karl’s not going to hang around after this. Talking to him here might be the last time we speak, the last chance I get to prove my case.’

‘And if you can’t? If it becomes your word against his?’

‘Then I’ll step back and let him walk,’ Declan looked to the end of the corridor where a furious-looking DCI Freeman waited to speak to him. ‘But with luck, I’ll cause him to slip up.’

‘You’d better,’ Doctor Marcos turned and walked the other direction, away from Freeman. ‘Because you’re throwing a Hail Mary here.’

Sighing, Declan walked to the end of the corridor where DCI Freeman glared at him.

‘I understand you’ve arrested a popular, local mechanic,’ he said. ‘Bloody hellfire, Declan. I said to take the win. Not this.’

‘You said I had until the end of tomorrow, sir,’ Declan replied quietly. ‘You said I’d used up all my debts for this.’

‘You were going to find Wilhelm Müller.’

‘I have done, sir.’

‘You found Karl Schnitter!’ Freeman exploded. ‘Karl Schnitter! I think everyone in here’s used