Killing The Taxman

Chapter 5

Grace read again the notes about the Radford-Mitchell/Chloe Macbeth investigation that she had taken at the time.

The body of DeWayne Redford-Mitchell, DRM, a prominent member of the Nottingham Radford Boys gang was found with his throat cut in the flat of Chloe Macbeth, CM, on the Firth Hall Estate. Highly caustic oven spray had been sprayed into his eyes and throat, which would have been agonising. Why was he there? What was his connection, if any, to Chloe?

The body of DeWayne Redford-Mitchell, DRM, a prominent member of the Nottingham Radford Boys gang was found with his throat cut in the flat of Chloe Macbeth, CM, on the Firth Hall Estate. Highly caustic oven spray had been sprayed into his eyes and throat, which would have been agonising. Why was he there? What was his connection, if any, to Chloe?DRM is a former inmate of Full Sutton Prison, the prison where David Jarrett, DJ, took his own life. Did DRM and DJ meet in prison? A recall-to-prison warrant had been issued against DRM. David Jarrett was known to CM. What is the connection, if any, between DRM, CM and DJ?

DRM is a former inmate of Full Sutton Prison, the prison where David Jarrett, DJ, took his own life. Did DRM and DJ meet in prison? A recall-to-prison warrant had been issued against DRM. David Jarrett was known to CM. What is the connection, if any, between DRM, CM and DJ?The file also recorded the points she had written on the whiteboards during a briefing.

Chloe Macbeth, CM, has disappeared from her apartment, purportedly driving to France in DRM’s Audi. Or was it another unknown using CM’s passport? It can be easy to cross borders using somebody else’s passport, provided there is a photographic similarity.There was also a return-to-prison warrant out for Chloe as well.There has been no recent activity on CM’s bank account, but considerable activity on DRM’s various accounts and also on an account bearing the name Clare Macbeth, presumably CM’s deceased mother.The Audi and CM, or another, took the ferry to Dieppe. Apart from some activity on DRM’s accounts, no further sightings of the car or of CM, or whomever might be using her passport, have been noted.CM is still wanted for questioning in regard to the death of DRM.The French and Spanish authorities have been requested to report any sightings of CM and make an arrest. They were also requested to report any sightings of the Audi, the registration number of the vehicle to be placed on watch lists on their ANPR systems.To date, no sightings have been recorded, no recent activity on either CM or DRM bank accounts.‘Was that all?’ Grace remembered asking the team. ‘Anybody have any suggestions or questions?’

DS Fred Burbage had said, ‘DRM was a known drug dealer. Was he using CM as a drug mule? Were they both intending to smuggle drugs, but somebody got to DRM before they could make the journey? … What I’m saying, was the car searched, either at Newhaven or Dieppe?’

‘Chloe might have been coerced, threatened if she did not obey the gangs,’ offered DC Jessica Babalola.

‘Or she might have been part of the gang all along. Who knows who she met in prison? Don’t forget that she was inside for GBH,’ insisted Burbage.

‘There has to be a good reason why DRM was in Chloe’s flat,’ added DS Terry Horton. ‘Making a drug connection does make some sense.’

‘Don’t forget that DRM had been sprayed with oven-cleaning spray,’ Grace said. ‘Why?’

‘He was double-dealing the Radford Boys and they tortured him with the spray; that stuff’s nasty and these boys don’t play nice,’ declared Fred, determined to hold onto his opinion that the affair was a d*******l gone wrong.

‘Or Chloe was being attacked and defended herself with the spray,’ responded Jessica.

‘And then slit his throat?’ scoffed Fred. ‘I think she was in deep with DRM, a bad deal went down, and the gang offed them both, and somebody else has taken Chloe’s passport to throw us off the scent. Chloe was dirty, I’m sure of it. Nothing else makes sense.’

‘I agree that nothing makes sense but I don’t believe Chloe was dirty,’ Jessica said angrily. She fervently believed that Chloe Macbeth had been badly treated by the authorities. She had been groped in a pub and reacted by glassing her assailant, and was sentenced to four years in jail whilst her attacker faced no charges. It was, she thought, an injustice.

‘OK, OK. We can kick this around all night,’ Grace interrupted. ‘The only leads we have are the transactions on the various bank cards and sightings of the Audi. Danny, please check CCTV around town; see if we can pick up the Audi either with DRM, Chloe, or another in it. Also keep an eye on bank activities.’

Shortly afterwards, Danny Moss had shown her various footage from CCTV from shops or around the town: footage of Chloe Macbeth shopping or driving the Audi belonging to DeWayne Radford-Mitchell, who was presumed to be dead by this time. Killed by Chloe, Grace wondered again. What the footage revealed did strengthen the possibility of her complicity in his death. She was seen buying the cover sheets in which his body was wrapped and purchasing a breathalyser and other legal necessities for driving in France and Spain. She was seen at various ATMs. usually in some form of disguise, withdrawing cash using Radford-Mitchell’s credit cards—using those cards to buy readily saleable jewellery and small bars of gold.

However, most telling of all was footage from the car park of the Riverside Mall. Chloe had been seen purchasing euros from a travel agency in the mall and then tracked back to the car park where the Audi was. A SEAT was parked nearby. A young woman, later identified as Sally Harriman, had returned to the car after buying euros from the same travel agency as Chloe. With her was a baby in a pushchair. She put an Aldi shopping bag on the front seat, was about to put the child into her car seat in the rear when it became obvious the child needed her nappy to be changed. Sally therefore returned to the mall, but in her haste did not properly close and lock the car doors.

Minutes later, Chloe walked over to the SEAT, quickly opened the passenger door, took out a black leather travel wallet, and returned to the Audi, and slowly drove away.

The travel wallet had contained Sally Harriman’s passport, tickets for her and her daughter for a holiday in Tenerife, €800 and £120.

‘It’s my guess,’ Danny had stated, ‘that wherever she is, Chloe is using Sally Harriman’s passport.’

‘Good work, Danny. Get this information out to Europol and request they report any sightings of anyone using Sally Harriman’s passport and to arrest them in connection with the death of DeWayne Radford-Mitchell.’

But despite this latest information, there had been no reported sightings or notifications in respect of either Chloe Macbeth, Sally Harriman, or the stolen Audi A4 Avant in any country within the EU.

Grace closed the file but was determined to keep the investigation alive; there was a death unaccounted for and the disappearance of a young woman. She would not give up on the case.

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