Chapter 76
‘You said there’s a transnational response to the Red Chamber,’ Poe said to Susan and Gilliard.
‘I did,’ Susan replied.
‘That as well as the States, there are active investigations in Germany, Belgium, France, Canada and Denmark; have I missed any?’
Bradshaw frowned. ‘You forgot Australia and Estonia, Poe. Susan Hawksworth also said there were countries she couldn’t remember.’
‘That’s right, she did. She also said that because the Red Chamber is believed to be a British outfit, the NCA’s Organised Crime Command is leading.’
‘Yes, she did. She said, “the main players are domiciled in the UK”.’
Poe nodded. Smiled. ‘So, we have the FBI, the NCA, Europol, Interpol, a whole host of local and federal law enforcement agencies all Sherlocking the shit out of the Red Chamber, to the point that listening devices and cameras are planted in the office of a young and thrusting Carlisle-based private investigations company.’
‘That’s me and Poe,’ Bradshaw said.
‘Don’t forget me, Tilly,’ Esmerée said.
‘No, you’re not—’
‘And the honorary member of the team, Esmerée,’ Poe said.
Esmerée did jazz hands. ‘Yee-hah!’
‘Do you have a surname, Esmerée?’ Gilliard said.
‘What type of dumb question is that? Of course I have a freaking surname.’
‘And what is it?’
‘Eat a dick, asshole.’
Poe hid a smile. Watched as Gilliard glanced at her. Poe thought he was going to push it. Ask why she was in the room. Instead he said, ‘I’m not hearing a question, Poe.’
‘You didn’t?’
He shook his head. ‘No.’
‘Then allow me to ask one,’ Poe said. ‘Why?’
Gilliard looked confused. ‘Why what?’
‘Why is the NCA interested in the Red Chamber? Why are the FBI, Interpol, yada yada yada?’
‘The Red Chamber are organised criminals,’ Gilliard replied. ‘We’re Organised Crime Command.’
‘Nope. It’s more than that.’
‘Why do you think that?’
‘Is this a test?’
‘You have me over a barrel, Poe, but I’m still a police officer. If I’m going to share information with a civilian, I need to know he plays at the right level.’
Poe softened towards Gilliard a bit. He was pompous, he’d messed up trying to run surveillance on them, but it looked as though he was trying to do the right thing.
‘Fair enough,’ he said. ‘It’s more than that because from what you’ve told me, the Red Chamber aren’t breaking any laws.
I don’t know the intricacies of the prostitution laws in all those other countries, but the exchange of sexual services for money is not illegal in England, Scotland and Wales.
And it doesn’t seem like the girls are trafficked.
They’re hand-picked, highly trained and well compensated, but above all else, they enter this arrangement voluntarily.
They aren’t dragooned. I could understand your involvement if turf wars were spilling onto the streets, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. ’
‘But?’
‘But at least one person has died because of my investigation. Truth be told, it’s almost certainly two people.
Mark Buckby had arranged for me to meet a contact of his.
That contact didn’t turn up for the meeting and Buckby was tortured.
You don’t need to be Dixon of Dock Green to work out that he was tortured for the name of his contact. ’
Silence.
Esmerée broke it. ‘Who the hell is Dixon of Dock Green?’ she said.
‘It’s an old cop show,’ Poe said. ‘I used to watch it with my dad. PC Dixon started each episode by saying, “Evening, all.”’
‘He sounds like an—’
‘Asshole,’ Poe, Gilliard and Susan said together.