‘I’ve had to request more support from West Sussex Police – our media liaison team can’t cope with the level of press interest that bloody headline has generated. It’s not just British press either – we’ve had France, Holland, even bloody Brazil on the phone. Who was sitting on Angie? How did Garanita get to her?’
‘Family Liaison had a chat with her, but she wasn’t the victim of a crime, and I couldn’t justify uniform babysitting her, not when there’s so much going on -’
‘What did you say to Garanita? She quotes you directly.’
‘Nothing unusual. I gave her the basic facts and promised our cooperation, as you requested.’
‘Did you say we were hunting a serial killer? Did you use those words?’
‘No.’
‘Well Garanita bloody did. That’s all anyone wants to talk about now. A prostitute who kills her clients. Revenge on the Ripper. It goes on and bloody on.’
‘It’s not ideal. But it is the truth, Ma’am.’
Harwood shot Helen a look.
‘Have you ruled out Sandra McEwan as a suspect?’
‘Yes.’
‘So what can we give them?’
‘Give who?’
‘Don’t be obtuse, Helen. The press. What can we give the bloody press?’
‘Well, we’ve got a partial description we can put out. And I think we need to appeal directly to possible punters to stay off the streets. I’m happy to -’
‘And risk driving her underground?’
‘It’s about saving lives, we don’t have a choice. Three men are already dead.’
‘So we’ve got nothing to give them?’
Harwood’s anger was all too clear now.
‘Well, we’ve got lots of lines of enquiry but I don’t think opening ourselves up to the press in that way is going to help, and with the very greatest of respect,’ Helen continued, talking over Harwood’s attempted interruption, ‘I don’t think our agenda should be dictated by what the press are saying.’
‘Grow up, Helen’ was Harwood’s withering response. ‘And don’t you dare say “with the greatest of respect” to me ever again. I can have you taken off this case in a second.’
‘Except that wouldn’t play very well in the press, would it?’ Helen retorted. ‘I’m a copper, Ma’am, not a spin doctor. I chase up leads and hunt killers. I catch killers. You can’t do that through protocols, or liaison or bloody politics. You do it through intelligence, risk-taking and sheer bloody hard graft.’
‘And this conversation is a waste of your valuable time?’ Harwood replied, daring Helen to agree.
‘I’d like to get back to my duties now’ was all Helen said in response.
Helen left shortly after, biking fast back to Southampton Central. She cursed herself for opening up another front in this war, but she’d had little choice. What would happen next was hard to say. All that was clear was that Harwood was no longer her friend, but her enemy.
