Pavel carried a duffle bag containing their savings, and led the way towards the double doors into the terminal. A row of taxis was parked outside, and Pavel barely noticed the black saloon parked behind at the back.
Nico paused to pat his inside jacket pocket, checking that he had the fake papers Tiny had supplied. Once he was satisfied they were still there, he followed his brother into the terminal.
***
'There they go. Let them try and board, then they've got nowhere to run. Go grab an official now, let them know we're here,' Morton ordered. Ayala sauntered off towards the ticket office to stop the boat's leaving without them. There was plenty of time; it wasn't due to leave for twenty minutes yet.
Morton waited outside, peering through the glass at the queue. When the Bakowski brothers were a few places from the front, and ready to have their passports checked by the sole UK Boarder Agency staff member on duty, he followed Ayala inside.
It was a small waiting hall, designed to deal with the traffic for only two cruise ships at a time, but it was still filled with hundreds of gaudily dressed tourists. The crowd was predominantly white, and mostly middle-aged, so Morton had no doubt he'd be able to spot the Bakowskis with ease, but there was potential for civilian casualties if it turned out the Bakowskis were armed.
Morton slipped into the queue, briefly flashing his badge at an elderly woman as he did so. He was now less than ten feet from the brothers. Ayala nodded from the other side of the security gate. The brothers were allowed through, and didn't set off the metal detector. Morton followed them through customs: Ayala had been thorough, and the border official waved him through without hindrance.
Morton closed in as the brothers headed for the boarding ramp, and Ayala cut them off.
'Nicodemus and Pavel Bakowski, you're both under arrest for travelling on a false passport.' Morton pulled out his handcuffs, spun Nicodemus around and slapped the cuffs down on his wrists, tightening them until they became uncomfortable. Ayala did the same to Pavel.
'You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence if you do not mention, when questioned, something you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence.'
'We want a lawyer,' Nico declared immediately.
'Sure, but first: where's your brother?'
'He's long gone.'
'Where?'
'Abroad,' Nico said with a wicked grin.
'Don't know what you're smiling about. Two out of three isn't bad. Let's go.'
Morton and Ayala frog marched the pair back towards customs. It was over: with the brothers caught red-handed, conviction would be a slam dunk.
CHAPTER 53: FEGATO ALLA VENEZIANA
Morton kicked back in his armchair, being careful to keep quiet to avoid disturbing Sarah. She had fallen asleep after dining at a family-owned restaurant on nearby Torcello Island. It had been too cold to eat al fresco, but the delicious fegato alla veneziana made the trip to the windswept isle worthwhile. To his side, his wife slept soundly on the king-size bed that would be theirs for the three nights they had left in Venice. Her chest rose and fell gently under Egyptian cotton sheets.
After Sarah had begun to snore, Morton had snuck down to the hotel shop to pick up a British newspaper, and had come away with his wallet almost £4 lighter for the privilege. He flicked to page four, which contained the follow-up to the headline that had caught his eye.
'Ukranian gang leaders Pavel and Nicodemus Bakowski have been convicted following a high-profile child trafficking trial this week. The number two and three on Interpol's Most Wanted List were arrested trying to board a cruise ship out of Southampton docks, bound for Bilbao. They had almost £3 million in cash hidden inside the lining of a roll-on suitcase, money the police believe came from their criminal activities which included trafficking and high-level drug smuggling. The brothers were sought by Scotland Yard in connection with a child trafficking investigation, and are accused of murdering British, French and Spanish children then selling their identities to Ukrainian parents, whose children would be substituted for their European counterparts during routine changes of foster parents. The prosecuting authorities have agreed to waive the right to deport the affected children, and have put in place plans to allow the children to be put up for adoption if it proves impossible to reunite them with their birth parents. A British suspect, Hank Williams of Greenwich, was found hanged in his apartment last month. The coroner has ruled the death a suicide, bringing the British leg of the investigation to a close.
'However, the true ringleader of the scam, Dimitri 'Tiny' Bakowski is still at large. While his brothers led the police towards Southampton, he escaped under an assumed name on the Eurostar, where the trail ends. He is currently believed to be in Romania. His assets have been seized, and Dimitri Bakowski is no longer the kingpin of a criminal empire, but members of the public are urged not to approach him. Instead anyone with information should call Crimestoppers on 08008 555 111. A reward of £50,000 for information leading to his arrest and conviction has been posted by the Organisation to Combat Human Trafficking.'
A sense of contentment spread through Morton. He was in his wife's good books. The identity theft was behind him, and even Rick Houton had turned up safe and sound. The single fly in the ointment was that Alfie McNamara's disciplinary hearing was due to happen while Morton was away. The Superintendent would probably fire him, which was a shame as Morton was beginning to like the junior officer.
The trafficked children would be safe, and those responsible were largely behind bars. Morton's gut told him that it would be down to him to hunt down Tiny Bakowski one day. But not today. He had one more week travelling with his wife. Work could wait.
CHAPTER 54: FAMILY
Kolia held his small bag in his left hand, and clutched his teddy to his chest with his other hand. The name tag attached to the bag had been scribbled out in black felt tip. He no longer had to pretend any more.
For months now, he'd lived a lie. He'd pretended to be called Charlie, and to be English. It was usually scary to be moving on, but as Kolia stood on the doorstep of 36B Cleaver Square, the harsh chill of winter seemed somehow inviting. The Lattimers hadn't bothered to see him out. As soon as the door was shut, they turned away. Only the face of James Lattimer in an upstairs window hinted at the life Kolia was leaving behind.
'Come on, son, it's freezing out here,' Mr Neil said, holding the door to his Land Rover open. Mrs Neil sat in the driver seat, beaming at Kolia.
Kolia ran forward, and jumped into the back of the car. Mr Neil checked the boy's seatbelt, then shut the door to the back and climbed into the passenger seat.
'You want some music on?' Mr Neil gestured at the radio.
Kolia nodded, and a shiver ran down his spine as he realised he was finally going home.
A NOTE FROM THE AUTHORS
Thank you for reading Cleaver Square. We appreciate how valuable your time is, and we're delighted you chose to spend it finishing our novel. If you have a spare moment, we'd really appreciate it if you could leave a review on the site you purchased this book on. Honest reviews help other readers find books they will enjoy, and let authors know what their readers want.
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ALSO BY DANIEL CAMPBELL & SEAN CAMPBELL
FICTION:
Dead on Demand
NON-FICTION:
How (Not) to Become a Lord or Lady
Can't Sell, Won't Sell
Negotiation
Table of Contents
Cleaver Square
Chapter 1: Hackney Marshes
Chapter 2: Charlie
Chapter 3: Dissection
Chapter 4: Bournemouth Bound
Chapter 5: Nothing Probative?
Chapter 6: Canvassing
Hackney
Chapter 7: From Bone
Chapter 8: Nowhere Fast
Chapter 9: Under Fire
Chapter 10: Dead End
Chapter 11: Watch This
Chapter 12: Low Credit
Chapter 13: Warehouse
Chapter 14: 1979
Chapter 15: Cecil's Legacy
Chapter 16: Cleaver Square
Chapter 17: Homogenised Milk
Chapter 18: Question Time
Chapter 19: Running in Circles
Chapter 20: Dalkeith Grove
Chapter 21: Keep Digging
Chapter 22: Insurance
Chapter 23: Second Time Lucky
Chapter 24: Follow the Money
Chapter 25: Smile
Chapter 26: Stakeout
Chapter 27: Waiting Game
Chapter 28: Rock Bottom
Chapter 29: Prying Eyes
Chapter 30: Time to Talk
Chapter 31: Nightcap
Chapter 32: Camden Market
Chapter 33: Trail
Chapter 34: Panic
Chapter 35: History
Chapter 36: Little Hatters Wood
Chapter 37: Gone
Chapter 38: A Room with a View
Chapter 39: Switched
Chapter 40: Without a Trace
Chapter 41: Digital Documentation
Chapter 42: Search and Seizure
Chapter 43: Tick Tock
Chapter 44: I Swear
Chapter 45: Media Malaise
Chapter 46: New Beginnings
Chapter 47: Tricky Questions
Chapter 48: Ambush
Chapter 49: Said and Done
Chapter 50: Rule of Law
Chapter 51: Unexpected
Chapter 52: Flee
Chapter 53: Fegato alla Veneziana
Chapter 54: Family
A Note from the Authors
Also by Daniel Campbell & Sean Campbell
Table of Contents
Cleaver Square
Chapter 1: Hackney Marshes
Chapter 2: Charlie
Chapter 3: Dissection
Chapter 4: Bournemouth Bound
Chapter 5: Nothing Probative?
Chapter 6: Canvassing Hackney
Chapter 7: From Bone
Chapter 8: Nowhere Fast
Chapter 9: Under Fire
Chapter 10: Dead End
Chapter 11: Watch This
Chapter 12: Low Credit
Chapter 13: Warehouse
Chapter 14: 1979
Chapter 15: Cecil's Legacy
Chapter 16: Cleaver Square
Chapter 17: Homogenised Milk
Chapter 18: Question Time
Chapter 19: Running in Circles
Chapter 20: Dalkeith Grove
Chapter 21: Keep Digging
Chapter 22: Insurance
Chapter 23: Second Time Lucky
Chapter 24: Follow the Money
Chapter 25: Smile
Chapter 26: Stakeout
Chapter 27: Waiting Game
Chapter 28: Rock Bottom
Chapter 29: Prying Eyes
Chapter 30: Time to Talk
Chapter 31: Nightcap
Chapter 32: Camden Market
Chapter 33: Trail
Chapter 34: Panic
Chapter 35: History
Chapter 36: Little Hatters Wood
Chapter 37: Gone
Chapter 38: A Room with a View
Chapter 39: Switched
Chapter 40: Without a Trace
Chapter 41: Digital Documentation
Chapter 42: Search and Seizure
Chapter 43: Tick Tock
Chapter 44: I Swear
Chapter 45: Media Malaise
Chapter 46: New Beginnings
Chapter 47: Tricky Questions
Chapter 48: Ambush
Chapter 49: Said and Done
Chapter 50: Rule of Law
Chapter 51: Unexpected
Chapter 52: Flee
Chapter 53: Fegato alla Veneziana
Chapter 54: Family
A Note from the Authors
Also by Daniel Campbell & Sean Campbell