Pippa swayed on the spot, desperately trying to remain composed. She leaned in conspiratorially. “I’m afraid,” she said slowly, taking time to read the guard’s name-badge, “there’s more than an element of truth in all this, Mr. Roper.” She hesitated, struggling to bring herself to say it, then added, “May I call you Robert?”
The mystified guard nodded, looking across at Terri and Red for some sort of confirmation.”
“The man you have detained, Bob, is Pippa’s ex-husband,” Red said. “Richard Ward.” She waved a hand at Pippa. “Philippa Crichton-Ward. The two children we arrived with earlier were wrongly believed to have been abducted, which is why we brought them here to see their mother. Oh,” Red added, passing her ID to the guard. “DCI Rose. Known as Red. This is DC Miller.”
The guard stared at them in disbelief. He passed Red’s ID back. “If this wasn’t the Old Bailey I’d be expecting Jeremy Beadle to pop up any minute.”
“Robert,” Pippa said sweetly, “do you think I might have my ex-husband back?”
Roper drew a deep, noisy breath. “It’s not quite that simple, ma’am,” he said.
Pippa raised a barristerial eyebrow. “And why might that be?”
“The detainee attempted to enter a Crown building carrying an offensive weapon.”
“That’s actually a scalpel,” Red explained. “Richard is a plastic surgeon.”
Roper shrugged. “We get all sorts come through here, ma’am. Carpenters, butchers, chefs, lumberjacks… They don’t try and bring their tools into Court. And besides, there’s the assault to consider.”
Pippa’s jaw dropped just slightly. “Assault?”
“My colleague’s tending a black-eye, courtesy of your husband.”
“Ex-husband,” Red corrected. “Richard hit somebody?”
“Lashing out like a wild thing, he was. We had to put him in cuffs just to search him.”
Red tried not to smile. “But he didn’t brandish the… The weapon? The scalpel?”
“Well, no. We found it when we searched him.”
Pippa took over the interrogation, barrister-style. “Robert, when Richard first arrived, did he threaten you or your colleagues?”
“No ma’am. He just came rushing in and tried to walk straight through the barrier, which of course we weren’t having.”
“And he asked for me?”
“That’s right. Said it was an emergency, and started going on about the… Well, the abduction of his children.”
“Which you chose not to believe.”
“He was hardly coherent, ma’am. At first we thought he’d been drinking.”
“Did you smell alcohol on his breath?”
“No, ma’am. But his story still made no sense.”
“So what happened?”
“We told him you were in closed session, and anyway he wasn’t coming in. Not in an agitated state as he clearly was. Then he tried to rush the barrier, setting off the metal detectors. We tried to restrain him and he lashed out. At which stage we followed procedure and used the minimum force necessary to restrain him. He was cuffed and is in a holding cell below.”
Pippa took a deep breath while she pondered her options, determined not to look Red or Terri in the eye.
“Did you happen to see the local news last night, Robert? Or this morning’s papers?”
Roper stared at Pippa. She was as crazed as her ex-husband! He nodded. “I try to keep abreast of local affairs.”
“Do you recognize anyone here?”
Roper looked at Pippa as if she was even crazier than her ex. “Apart from yourself, ma’am, you mean?” Slowly he returned his gaze to Red and Terri, at first blankly then, “You’re that copper!”
“Precisely so, Robert,” Pippa said. “A local hero, by any definition. Would you not agree?”
Roper nodded.
“And DCI Rose is here in person to vouch for Richard’s good character. Isn’t that right, Cassandra.” Pippa kept her eyes firmly on Roper, a clear warning to Red of dire consequences were she to choose the wrong response.
Red tried to sound convincing. “An outstanding citizen, Robert. A plas… A practicing surgeon. He may well have been on his way to an urgent operation when he was erroneously led to believe his children had been abducted.”
Roper stared from Pippa to Red and back.
“Do you have children, Bob?” Terri asked, switching on a soothing southern States drawl.
Roper nodded.
“Then you can appreciate Mr. Ward was not thinking straight. He obviously rushed in, intent on seeing his... On seeing the children’s mother, and clean forgot he was carrying his tools for work.”
Pippa was nodding fiercely, endorsing Terri’s words.
“And Mr. Ward acted as any good father would,” Terri continued. “Determined to let no-one and nothing stand in his way. What say, Robert, you and I go down and speak to Mr. Ward and sort things out amicably?”
“You?” Pippa stared in disbelief at Terri, fighting mixed emotions.
“Well, neither of you two are neutral here. Richard doesn’t know me. I might be able to resolve things.”
“Terri’s right, Pip,” Red said. “Until Richard knows the full story he will blame you for letting the girls go off with Steve, and me for… Well, for everything else. Terri knows what she’s doing.”
“There are two bewildered children waiting with Steve, wondering what the hell is going on, Pippa,” Terri added. “I think they need you both, just now.”
Red and Pippa looked to Roper, pleading eyes.
“No promises,” he said.
Chapter 83.
“Daddy!” Ruby ran to meet her father as Terri and he emerged into daylight from the Old Bailey. The child threw herself into his open arms.
Ella shot a mystified glance at her mother and Red. “You didn’t say it was Dad we were waiting for.”
“We weren’t sure how long he would be, darling,” Pippa said. “You know what Ruby would have been like had she been told.”
“But why was he in there?” Ella demanded. “Has he been on trial?”
“Els, your father is waiting for you.” Red nudged Ella towards Richard, who was hugging Ruby as if he’d not seen her in months.
Ella walked across, trying to look dignified, but ran the last few steps and threw her arms around her father’s waist. “You’ll never guess what happened to us today!”
“I think I just might, honey,” Richard said, his voice subdued after his own experience. “So, are you going to introduce me to the new man in your life?”
Ella looked up at her father, her face a mixture of surprise and worry. “Calvin?”
“Is that his name? I thought Terri said it was Steve.”
Ella grimaced,
“It is Steve, silly,” Ruby said.
Richard looked across at Red, Pippa and Steve, standing apprehensively a few steps down.
“Steve is looking after us while Deimante is on holiday,” Ruby explained.
Richard maneuvered the girls down the steps, a hand out to the nervous child-minder.
“Dad, this is Steve,” Ella said, stressing the name. “He’s going to be giving Jack extra maths tuition,” she added, hoping her father would forget the slip-up about Calvin.
“Steve Robinson, the new child minder.” He flashed a smile. “Not their kidnapper.”
Richard softened further as he took in Steve’s dishevelled appearance and slightly startled look. “Pleased to meet you, Steve. And sorry about this morning.” He cast a glance at Pippa. “Of course, if I’d been informed in the first place that you were taking on the children this would never have happened.”
“I was going to let you know during the week, Richard” Pippa said. “Mr. Robinson was not due to start until Monday next, but Mother was unwell and he stepped in at the last minute.”
“That’s a nasty graze you’ve got there, Steve,” Richard said. He slipped Ruby to the ground. “Terri here tells me you were brought dow
n with a flying tackle.”
Steve grinned. “No harm done. And it must be nice to know there’s a capable police officer in the family to ensure the children are safe. I dread to think what Cass would have done to me if I’d been a real villain.”
Richard dragged his eyes to meet Red’s. “Yes, I understand thanks are in order,” he said through a clenched jaw.
Red nodded her acceptance, stealing a smug glance in Pippa’s direction. “Just doing my job.”
“Cassandra is quite the hero this week, Richard,” Pippa said proudly. “Have you seen the newspapers today?”
“The locals, you mean? I don’t pay much attention to those. But yes, I did see the report. Shame she jumped before you could get to her. Still, one less claiming benefits.”
“Richard!” Pippa cast an anxious glance at Ella.
Red opened her mouth to counter Richard’s statement, but a flick of Pippa’s eyes towards Ella warned her now was not the time.
“I guess we’d better be getting back, Terri,” Red said.
“Yes, we all have things to be doing,” Richard agreed. He looked at Red. “I take it you’re on extended duties chasing that nut-job castrating queers?”
Red hid her feelings well. “The next week or two will be hectic, yes.” To Pippa, “Expect me late every evening this week, Counsellor. The Super’s on my back.”
Richard smiled. “That means you won’t be able to join us, then. Steve, could we interest you in coming along for a meal one evening this week? Obviously I’d like to get to know the man entrusted with my children. Philippa, you’ll join us, won’t you? Lucy and I, and Steve and his… I take it you have a wife or girlfriend?”
“That would be lovely, Richard. Thank you. My girlfriend and I would be delighted.”
“If your mother is well enough, Philippa, she can have the children stay over,” Richard continued. “Shall we say Friday at Patterson’s?” To Red, “Such a shame you’ll be working, Cassandra.”
“Isn’t it just.”
“But I’m forgetting my manners,” Richard said. “Terri, I’d be delighted if you could join us too. I owe you for your sterling efforts resolving matters just now.”
“Unfortunately Terri will be working the late evenings the same as Cassandra,” Pippa said quickly, making clear the statement was not open to debate.
Red glared at Pippa. “Looks like it’ll be a takeaway at the Station Friday night then, Terri. Just the two of us.”
Chapter 84.
Pete Metcalf dug into his pocket for change. “Lee, get us all some dishwater from the drinks machine will you?”
“How do you take yours, Guv?”
“Black, straight up.” Red waited until Lee Roberts was through the door. “So did you manage to get anything?”
Metcalf held his hand out horizontally, tilting it in the air. “A lot of smoke, not so much fire.”
“Spill.”
“Me and some of the lads go way back, so it was easy enough to get the station gossip. But there’s more to it than the guys on the ground know, that’s for sure.” Metcalf tapped his pen on the desk. “There’s some heavy undercurrents.”
Red perched on the edge of the desk. “How so?”
“Vice are handling it, with input from Special Branch. A full team assigned to it - people I’ve never even heard of before. I managed to catch up with an old partner, Cal Silver, but he wasn’t talking. Just said it was an unusual investigation.”
“Silver? The name rings a bell.”
“Me and Cal worked the Soho beat back when we were in uniform. Normally he’d tell me anything, but he pretty much clammed up when I raised the suicide. Makes me wonder what’s really going down.”
“Does Lee know about this?”
“No.”
“Keep it that way. What rank is this Cal Silver?”
“DI, Guv.”
Red smiled. “That gives me some leverage. Do you have his number?”
Metcalf handed Red a card. “He likes the ladies, so you’ll certainly get his attention. Information, not so much. Not if Special Branch are involved.”
Red chewed her lip. “They wouldn’t dirty their hands with a vice problem, surely.”
“Exactly, Guv.”
Roberts came in with a triangle of Styrofoam cups between his hands.
Red relieved him of one. “So, did you two find anymore out about our twisted tower block fire starter?”
Metcalf took the second cup from Roberts. “Not a lot. Although Lee spotted something rather interesting.”
Red turned to Roberts. “How interesting, exactly?”
Roberts blushed slightly.“Well, it maybe a coincidence, but all of the fires were on the same nights as the murders.”
Chapter 85.
“Forensics are in, right, Jim?” Red asked.
Mackenzie joined Red at the front of the room. “So fresh the ink’s still wet.” He flipped over a page. “Not sure just where this is going, but traces of sodium nitrate and ammonium chloride were found close to the wound site on the latest vic, same as the first. Can’t be coincidence.”
“Is that what killed him then?” Taylor asked.
Mackenzie smiled at the suggestion. “I think the plastic bag over the head might have had something to do with it. These chemicals aren’t particularly lethal, according to Thewliss. You wouldn’t want them in your tea, but there’s nowhere near enough to do any damage. Nothing on the tox screen either. Purely traces on the skin.”
Red folded her arms, studying the floor. “Nothing else of interest?”
“Just the usual. Skin, hair, victim’s and various others. Matched one sample to the girlfriend. Fibres from the body are a match for the bedding found at the scene, and some traces under the fingernails has been identified as vegetable matter. Swede, specifically.”
“Swede?” Taylor looked around the room. “Am I missing something?”
“He worked at a supermarket. Keep up.” Red turned to Mackenzie. “These chemicals. Jim. How common are they? Where might they be used?”
Mackenzie scanned the team. “Anyone do chemistry at school?”
A collective shrugging of shoulders suggested not.
“I’ll look into it, Guv,” Mackenzie said. “My son is studying chemistry at uni. I’ll email him. But he’s a typical student. In bed ’til noon with a hangover. So don’t anyone hold their breath.”
Terri Miller dug an elbow in Taylor’s side. “Apart from you, Baz, that is.”
Chapter 86.
“Take a seat, Cassandra.”
“I’m fine, Sir, honestly.”
“No, please sit down, Cassandra.” Colin Blake said, his tone bordering on civil.
Red shrugged. She selected the chair nearest the window. A civilian staff member had told her the Super awaited her company. No hints as to why. What the hell had she done now?
“I stand by everything that I said the other day, Cass,” Blake opened. “There are rules in place and they still need following. However, I think an apology might be in order.”
“Sir? I’ve already said I’m sorry.”
Blake opened a drawer. Slid a newspaper onto the desk. “Although I don’t approve of your methods, Cass, any positive front page spread involving The Met is good news in my books. And it seems the Commissioner takes that view too. You’re quite the hero of the day.”
The Commissioner? Red resisted the pull of a smug smile. She nodded graciously. “I’m glad you both see it that way, Sir. But as I said before, I just acted on instinct.”
“Well, maybe so, but the press are not our biggest fans, so this sort of thing does our reputation the world of good.”
“Especially seeing as I’m a high-ranking female officer too, Sir?”
Blake pointedly ignored the remark. “Now, please don’t be offended by what I have to say next. But I’m obliged to ask. Do you require any…intervention to help you cope with your ordeal? I could arrange for counselling.” Blake didn’t meet Red’s gaze as he spo
ke.
“No, Sir, I’m fine, thank you.”
“I had to ask. It’s a funny business, sometimes,” Blake went on. “If you had brought that woman down safely you would have been up for a commendation. Especially with the media coverage. As it is, one thing cancels out the other.”
“About that woman, Sir,” Red ventured. “Tahlia.”
“What about her?”
“Before she jumped she said a few things to me. Things that bothered me. So I did a bit of digging.”
Blake’s expression darkened.
“On my own time, Sir. Do you know DI Cal Silver? ”
The incline of Blake’s head and the warning look in his eyes answered Red’s question.
“Tahlia was scared,” Red said. “Frightened enough to jump to her death rather than face the alternative.”
“The alternative?”
“I didn’t get that far. But this wasn’t depression, or an attention-seeking stunt that went wrong. There was fear in her eyes. Real fear. I spoke to Cal Silver about it last night”
“Silver contacted you?”
“I contacted him,” Red said. “I think he knows a lot more than he’s letting on.”
“Cass, he’s Special Branch. Why would he discuss details with you? The death wasn’t even on our manor.”
“Agreed, Sir. But he was keen to learn what I knew. What Tahlia had told me.”
“Naturally. Any suicide has to be investigated for the Coroner’s report.”
“No, I mean, seriously interested. Not just tying up loose ends for admin. And as you say, Sir, he’s Special Branch. I wouldn’t have thought loose-ends were part of their remit.”
Blake looked uncomfortable for a second. He dragged his eyes up to Red’s. “I have my own Station to run, Cassandra. I tend not to get involved in what the other departments are doing. Advice you might do well to heed in this instance. If I’m not mistaken, we have our own case-load to clear, one of which is very much in the public eye and should be receiving our undivided attention.”
Red sank back in her seat. “Yes, Sir.”
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