‘CCTV?’ Richard asked.
The officers reviewing tapes from service stations in a forty mile radius shook their heads – nothing as yet.
Janine spoke out. ‘Stone’s the key – those of you with sources put the word out. Bring him in.’ She left the room briskly. A collective sigh of relief followed her departure though people were then quick to move on to their own particular tasks, anxious to escape the prevailing awkward atmosphere. And no one wanted to speak to Butchers.
*****
Richard asked Shap to stay behind. Edged him over to the far corner out of earshot.
‘We all know who it is, Shap. Body language screaming guilty as hell. Can’t you have a quiet word with him?’
Shap was silent. His expression guarded.
‘She won’t let it rest, you know. And neither will I.’
‘I’m not with you, sir,’ Shap said coldly, ‘is that all?’ He cocked his head.
Richard gave a shrug of resignation. Shap was keeping mum – so be it.
*****
The Lemon wanted his piece of the action. Some things never change, thought Janine as she stood in his office, concentrating on an ancient picture of the Queen from the 1950s that had pride of place on his wall.
‘You trying for some sort of record?’ Hackett said. ‘One suspect dead, another AWOL and the grieving father in the frame for the shooting because your team’s leaking like a sieve.’
‘I’m dealing with it, sir.’
‘How exactly? If the Press get hold of this…’
‘They won’t. I had no alternative; I had no grounds to hold those men any longer.’ She defended her decision.
‘And the leak? Discipline – if you lose that… Come down and come down hard.’
‘The team know how things stand. I’ll be dealing with the culprit this afternoon.’
‘Who is it?’
‘I’ve got a pretty clear idea but until I’ve spoken to the officer directly…’ She’d do this by the book.
‘Demotion? Suspension?’
‘I’ll make that decision when I have all the facts.’ And it’d be a damn shame. Butchers was a reliable copper. Had been up till now. Then what? Meltdown. Such a waste.
‘If they think you’re a soft touch…’
Janine recalled the reactions in the incident room. ‘Hardly.’
‘Not the most auspicious return to duty.’ Hackett observed. ‘Maybe I should have let Mayne lead. Give you time to… readjust.’
Janine was determined not to rise to the bait; nothing he liked more than a sniping match; when things got tough he invariably took to undermining those junior to him. The old school approach.
‘If we’re finished here, sir, I’ve got a lot to do,’ she said brightly. He nodded reluctantly and she escaped.
