‘Boss?’
Gill waited.
Andy nudged him, gestured to Kevin’s notes. Though whether he had anything there apart from the schoolboy doodles he specialized in, Gill had no idea.
‘Yes, right.’ Kevin scratched at his head. ‘Erm.’ Kevin was a tier one interviewer, talk and write at the same time; how he’d progressed to Major Incidents was a mystery to all who had the pleasure of commanding him.
‘House-to-house,’ Kevin finally got going, ‘no sighting of Sean, though some more still to canvass. But old biddy at the end saw Lisa come home in a taxi.’
‘Time?’
‘Heartbeat was on, the first ad break.’
‘Which is…?’ Gill saw Andy roll his eyes in despair. He’d probably already told Kevin to pinpoint the time.
‘The one about the bobbies in the Dales.’
‘Time!’ yelled Gill.
‘I’ll check,’ Kevin said, affronted.
‘You do that,’ she said, making a mental note to discuss this with Kevin, how one piece of information needed developing, verifying. Coming home with half the story was not good enough. He had to join the dots.
‘Have we got the firm?’ she said to him.
‘I asked her that.’ Kevin was obviously pleased with himself about this stunning piece of detective work. ‘But she couldn’t remember.’
‘Get dialling, Kevin.’
His face fell.
‘Are we done?’ Gill surveyed them. Nods of assent. People made to move, gathering up papers, drinks, pens.
‘Janet – a word.’
Gill went to her office. Once Janet was inside, Gill closed the door to give them some privacy as the lads filtered back to their desks. ‘You’ve got your face on,’ Gill said.
‘I don’t have a face,’ Janet objected, baby blue eyes wide.
‘Yes, you do. I know you, kid. You’re sulking about Bailey. Not going to work, kiddo – drop it. Status quo.’
‘“Whatever You Want”?’ The tune popped into Janet’s head.
‘Things stay as they are.’
‘I never did Greek,’ Janet said. ‘Look, we’re at the mother’s and she wades in, intrusive questions, clumsy assumptions. You know what she said? Could we call the son round to be with her.’
‘Ouch!’ Through the glass Gill could see Rachel at her desk.
‘Right,’ Janet said, with feeling.
‘But you told her?’ Gill asked.
‘Yes,’ Janet said, the tone in her voice: Of course I did, what do you take me for?
‘Good, she’s learning.’
‘Seems to me it went in one ear and out the other,’ Janet complained.
Gill had had enough. She needed to make it plain that Janet had to deal with this on her own, not come running to Gill with every gripe and squabble. ‘Time will tell. I expect you to train her up. She wants this, she’s got plenty between her ears, I’ve seen her files. She’ll learn. You point out her mistakes and you encourage her to do better. Clear?’
