The Dark Web Murders

CHAPTER TEN

Tuesday, 14th August. Early evening 

"Smug b-b-bastard." McNeill was clearly annoyed as, close to evening, they headed towards their car in the Royal Victoria Hospital car park. They'd had to wait over an hour before Robert Bryant would interrupt his late afternoon clinic to speak to them. "Bloody B-B-Brexit! No matter where you go." 

"Did you not find that a bit odd?" Allen asked. "I mean, businessmen, yes, but you don't often find surgeons beating themselves up about Brexit." 

"Dunno. National Health's in a s-s-state." 

"Uh huh, but the NHS was in a state long before Brexit." He shook his head, "Just something funny about it." 

"Or maybe it was just him. Smarmy sort of individual. All p-p-politeness and manners. Like an act, you know. He d-d-didn't seem to be feeling anything." 

"Yeah." Allen nodded absently as he unlocked the car and climbed in."Now that you mention it, his answers had a bit of a rehearsed feel. He was obviously expecting us." 

McNeill gave him a wry grin as he fastened his seat belt. "Aye, well,can't b-b-blame him for that. He was with the judge an hour or so b-b-before he was killed." He waited as Allen reversed out of the bay and headed towards the exit. 

Allen still looked bothered. "But why act so guilty about trying to derail Brexit? Half the country's shouting about it from the rooftops. I can't see why they're making it such a big deal." 

McNeill didn't reply as they stopped at a large busy roundabout before heading back in to the city. Their exit safely negotiated, he said, "Maybe they actually have something p-p-planned and are getting ready to do s-s-something about it." 

Allen nodded. "Maybe. We'll push McAfee a bit harder on that and see what he has to say. What's that address again?" 

* * * 

McAfee's office was on the fifth floor of a tall building in Chichester Street. It was plush, spacious, had plenty of armchairs, a large ornate desk and a substantial drinks bar in one corner. As the businessman invited the two policemen into his office, he pointed at the bar before sitting down and said, "Can I get you two gentlemen something to drink?" 

"No, we're fine, sir," Allen said politely. "We don't drink on duty." 

The man pointed to a group of armchairs near a large picture window that overlooked the city. "Please, sit." Once they were settled, he said, "So,how can I help you, Officers?" He stopped, slightly puzzled as he stared at McNeill, "Have we met?" 

"I had to s-s-speak to you a while ago about the effect your m-m-machines were having on young lives," McNeill said stiffly but with some heat. 

McAfee sat back in his chair, unfazed. "Ah, yes. I remember now." He said nothing further, clearly wrong-footing McNeill who looked uncertain before taking out his notebook and subsiding into silence. McAfee waited a beat before adding, "Is this what you're here to see me about?" 

"No," Allen said. "We'd like to have a word with you about Judge Neeson." 

McAfee settled back into his chair and said, "Ah, yes. Sad business that."  

"I understand that you were at his house a while before he died?" 

McAfee was immediately on the defensive. "You think I had something to do with it?  I remind you that I was also well away from the house before the judge was ... was so tragically deprived of his life." 

Allen stared at him briefly. So tragically deprived? How long did he spend working on that one? Aloud he said, "How did you come to know the judge?"