Imperfect Killing by Luke Delaney Page A

waited for her to arrive, ducking back inside as and when he had to until she eventually turned up. He waited for her to park and prepare to get out of her car, then he moved quickly across the ground, catching her completely by surprise. He hesitated for a second. She said something to him and he pulled the trigger. Then he ran back to the fire exit – he would have had to wedge it open with something – back into the basement, replaced the gun, returned the clothes and made his way up to the lobby to join the growing crowd who were by now waiting for the police to arrive.’
    ‘Hell of a plan,’ Benton told him, ‘if, that is, any of it’s true.’
    ‘Who is it exactly you’re talking about?’ Mendham asked.
    ‘I can’t tell you,’ Sean answered as he continued up the stairs to the car park followed by the others.
    ‘We need to seize all the boiler suits,’ Benton pointed out, ‘and the gloves and balaclavas.’
    ‘No,’ Sean snapped back. ‘We need to use them – use them to snare our rabbit.’
    ‘How?’ Benton asked.
    ‘Fear,’ Sean told him before walking past them down the stairs and back inside. Again the others followed him, Benton closing the door behind them. ‘Don’t let anyone touch any of the boiler suits, gloves or balaclavas,’ he instructed Mendham, ‘and especially don’t let anyone touch the revolver.’
    ‘Should I lock it away?’ he checked.
    ‘No,’ Sean insisted. ‘I need them all left out – for a while anyway.’
    ‘This is risky, Sean,’ Benton argued. ‘What if someone takes any of it before the suspect comes looking? We could lose our only evidence.’
    ‘I’ll make sure no one takes it,’ Mendham assured him.
    ‘But if you’re always hanging around the shooter won’t risk coming anyway,’ Benton explained, ‘so it would all be for nothing.’
    ‘He’ll come,’ Sean stepped in.
    ‘And risk being seen?’ Benton asked.
    ‘He’ll think he has no choice. He’ll come anyway, ready with some excuse as to why he needs to look around. If he sees you then he’ll try and distract you,’ he told Mendham. ‘Get you out of the way long enough to take what he needs.’
    ‘It would be a lot easier if you told me who
he
is,’ Mendham pointed out.
    ‘I can’t,’ Sean told him. ‘Not yet. But when he comes I reckon you’ll have a pretty good chance of knowing it’s him.’
    ‘And what d’you want me to do while you’re talking him into walking into your trap?’ Benton asked. ‘Come with you?’
    ‘No,’ Sean replied. ‘You stay here. Find somewhere you can watch from without being seen.’
    ‘The raised platform in the corner,’ Mendham suggested helpfully. ‘I’m sure we can rig something for you there.’
    ‘Great,’ Benton rolled his eyes.
    ‘Fine,’ Sean answered more positively.
    ‘So I’m stuck in here for God knows how long,’ Benton complained.
    ‘You won’t be here long,’ Sean predicted. ‘Now, I need to see a man about a revolver.’
    ***
    Sean stalked the corridor off the meeting room where he’d discovered Stokes was in attendance, waiting for his quarry to appear. Finally the door burst open and about a dozen people spilled from the room – some laughing, some more serious. Stokes was amongst the serious.
Still faking mourning,
Sean wondered,
or genuinely worried about the sudden attention of the police?
Sean stepped out in front of him, catching him totally unawares. He was pretty sure he registered a look of fear and annoyance on Stokes’ face, but the ex-presenter still managed a slight smile.
    ‘Excuse me, Mr Stokes,’ Sean addressed him, dispelling any chance he was there to see someone else.
    ‘Yes, Sergeant,’ he replied, taking a deep breath, ‘can I help you with something?’
    ‘Sorry,’ Sean began, trying to sound as harmless as he could.
Easy
, he reminded himself.
Just take it slow and set the trap.
‘When we spoke earlier I forgot to ask you how long you’ve known Miss Evans for.’
    ‘You