The Dirty Dozen

by Lynda La Plante

  After a couple of hours, she felt too tired to continue and decided to leave typing the last of her notes until she got to work. She ran a bath and had a long, relaxing soak, then went to bed, where she read over her report of the day’s events. She felt she’d done well, but despite Kingston’s praise, she knew she had a long way to go before everyone accepted her as part of the team—especially Katie Powell. Katie’s attitude had really got her back up, but she now realized it might be down to the fact she was having an affair with Kingston. It made sense to try and keep the peace with Katie, and even to be sociable with her, up to a point.

  The sight of Kingston’s pale white bum cheeks bobbing up and down came unbidden into her mind, and she smiled at how she’d thought she could hear him working out, when he was in fact working on Katie. She liked Kingston, but there was no doubt in her mind that what he was doing was wrong—not just because he was married. She knew from her own past relationships—with a married DCI and a single DI on the Bomb Squad—that mixing business with pleasure could be a recipe for disaster.

  At last, feeling her mind beginning to wander, she set her alarm and turned off her bedside light. As she drifted off to sleep, she wondered if her second day with the Flying Squad would be as eventful as her first.

  Chapter Twelve

  Jane was up at 6:30 the next morning, as she didn’t know what the journey to work would be like at that time and didn’t want to be late. After a light breakfast of tea and toast with marmalade she got ready for work. Although most of the team dressed in what was commonly referred to in the job as “scruffs,” she decided to dress smart but casual. After a few minutes hemming and hawing, she put on her blue Wrangler jeans, a white T-shirt, blue blazer and white trainers, which she thought would be the most practical if she had to chase anyone. She was out of the door and on her way by seven and was parking her car in one of the spaces in front of the building just before eight, which was quicker than she expected.

  There was no one in the office and, looking at her lone desk in the corner of the room, she decided to move it over to Teflon’s group of four. She disconnected the phone line, then removed the drawers and tried pulling and pushing the desk, but it was too heavy for her to move on her own. Luckily Dabs then walked in and Jane asked if he’d mind helping her.

  “No problem,” he said, taking his coat off.

  “It’s quite heavy so it’s probably best if I push and you pull.”

  As they slid the desk across the office, Dabs asked if she’d heard back from the traffic officer about the ignition barrel on the Cortina.

  “Not yet. I’ll give him a call just before the meeting as DCI Murphy said he wants the owner of the car visited today.”

  “How did your further enquiries go last night at Edgar House?”

  “Very productive, actually. I found out about another two men who were seen leaving the estate just before the fire was discovered.”

  “Well done. Would the witness recognize them again?”

  “I doubt it, but she described one of them as wearing a cap like the one the pub landlady said the driver of the Cortina was wearing, and she thinks she saw the two men with the duffle bag in a Mercedes sports car.”

  “Sounds like it’s all coming together nicely—the DCI will be pleased.”

  “We’ll see.” Jane doubted Murphy would be pleased with anything she did at the moment. “I’ve got some follow-up work to do on the four men, and the previous ownership of garage 29. I’m hoping it will give us something positive to work on.”

  “Be interesting to hear at the office meeting if anyone else has discovered anything of value. You fancy a bacon sarnie and coffee from the burger van?”

  “A bacon roll would be great—I’ll put the kettle on and make us a coffee.”

  She reached into her handbag and got some money out of her purse.

  “I’ll get them—your shout next time.”

  “OK. Could I have some brown sauce with mine, please?”

  While the kettle boiled Jane put the drawers back in her desk, reconnected the phone and went over to Katie’s desk to get the typewriter so she could finish typing her report. She noticed that Katie had only started typing one of the handwritten statements taken from the security guards and part of it was still in the typewriter. She sat down at Katie’s desk and began to type the rest of the statement.

  When Dabs returned with the bacon rolls, Jane made the coffees and sat at her own desk to eat. She could imagine Katie’s reaction if she got any crumbs or brown sauce on hers. Dabs said he had a few things to do before the meeting and went to his office. After finishing her roll, she went back to typing up the statement at Katie’s desk, and was just about finished when Katie walked in.

  Jane smiled brightly. “Good morning, Katie. I was just—”

  “What are you doing at my desk?” she snapped.

  “I needed the typewriter for my report and thought I’d finish the security guards’ statement for you before I used it.”

  “I’m perfectly capable of doing my own typing.”

  Jane took a deep breath. “Sorry. I thought you wanted help typing the statements.”

  “I did last night, but I’ve cleared my desk of other work so I can do them today.”

  “Well, if you want me to do some just let me know,” Jane said with a shrug.

  Katie pointed to a typewriter on the Colonel’s desk.

  “There’s a spare one there you can use for your reports. Why have you moved your desk?”

  Jane thought it was obvious. “I thought it would be more productive as a DS if I sat with members of the team—like DS Stanley does.”

  “You should have asked for permission first.”

  “I didn’t know I needed it.”

  “Well, I suggest you put it back where it was and ask DCI Murphy if you can move it.”

  “It’s only a desk, Katie.”

  “That’s not the point. The office is laid out the way it is for a reason.”

  “And what reason would that be?” Jane asked, letting her annoyance show.

  “How would you like it if I just walked into your house and rearranged the furniture the way I wanted it to be?”

  Jane shook her head in disbelief. “That’s a ridiculous comparison, but if it will make you feel better I’ll tell DCI Murphy I moved my desk and ask him if he’s OK about it.”

  “I’d still put it back where it was if I were you.”

  “It’s that heavy I nearly pulled a muscle moving it in the first place—so it can stay where it is for now.”

  At that moment DCI Murphy walked into the office, followed by the Colonel and Teflon.

  “Everything all right, ladies?” Murphy asked, sensing an air of hostility between the two women.

  Katie was quick to answer before Jane could get a word in.

  “As you can see, DS Tennison has moved her desk. I told her she should have asked your permission before doing so.”

  “It’s fine there by me.” Teflon gave Jane a wink.

  Katie glared at him. “I was speaking to DCI Murphy.”

  Murphy sighed. “It’s only a bloody desk, Katie. I couldn’t give a toss if Tennison wants to put it in the backyard, as long as she gets on with her work. Who owns that custard tart on wheels that’s parked in my space?”

  “If you’re referring to the yellow VW Golf, that’s mine, sir,” Jane said.

  “Well, don’t park it there again. Someone get me a bacon and egg roll and a cup of tea.”

  He slapped a pound note down on the desk and went into his office.

  Jane frowned. “What’s the problem? There are plenty of spaces out there.”

  Teflon smiled. “Yeah, but he likes the one nearest the entrance in case it’s raining. I’ll put the kettle on.”

  “Don’t move the kettle, Teflon, or all hell could break loose,” the Colonel joked, and Jane smiled.

  Katie grabbed the pound note before stomping out of the room to the burger van.


  “What’s up with her?” Teflon asked.

  “Who knows?” The Colonel shrugged. “Probably the wrong time of the month—either that or she’s desperate for a shag.” He draped his jacket over the back of his chair, then threw his cap at the coat rack, where it landed on one of the hooks. “James Bond or what?” he said with a grin.

  “Fiver says you can’t do it two out of three,” Teflon challenged. “That was a bloody fluke, and you know it.”

  The Colonel settled himself behind his desk.

  “I could do it easy, but I don’t want to take your money, so I won’t.”

  “You two want a hot drink?” Teflon asked.

  Jane said she’d like a coffee and went over to give him a hand, while the Colonel got a clear plastic sports bottle out of his backpack with a thick pale liquid in it and held it up.

  “No thanks, I’ve got me banana, egg and water mix, so I’m fine.” He shook the bottle then took a swig.

  “He thinks it makes him stronger, but all it does is make him fart a lot,” Teflon whispered to Jane. “Was Katie really getting upset about the desk or just having a go at you?”

  “I don’t know—a bit of both, maybe. I’m doing my best to be friendly towards her, but I think she’s got a bee in her bonnet about me being on the team.”

  “Well, she’s going to have to get used to it and stop being so high and mighty. If she does start on you again just put her in her place—as a DS she’s answerable to you, not the other way around.”

  “Trouble is, I think she’d go running to Murphy and complain. The last thing I need right now is to give him a reason to reprimand me.”

  “As you just saw, Murphy finds her a pain in the arse at times, so I wouldn’t worry about it. If she’s going to complain about you it would probably be to Kingston.”

  “Why him?” she asked, trying not to sound too curious.

  “Everyone reckons Katie’s got the hots for him. She’s in and out of his office like a yo-yo and does whatever he asks at the drop of a hat—if he said jump, she’d ask how high.”

  “Do you think he fancies her?” she asked, wondering if he knew about their affair.

  Teflon laughed. “Kingston’s definitely a ladies’ man, but personally I think he just likes to flirt with Katie to keep her on her toes. Mind you, some of the lads reckon they’re at it.”

  “What does DCI Murphy think?”

  “Don’t know. Although he’s pretty close to Kingston, I don’t think he’d approve if they were screwing each other.”

  Jane realized she was probably the only one on the team who knew for a fact Katie and Kingston were having a sexual relationship, and she was going to keep it that way for fear of being called a scandalmonger. The last thing she wanted was to alienate Kingston, one of the few who had so far accepted her on the team. She sat at her desk with her coffee and rang PC Turner, the traffic officer.

  “Hi, it’s WDS Tennison. I was just calling to ask if there’s any news on the burnt-out Cortina’s ignition barrel.”

  “Did you not get my report?”

  “No, but I don’t think the morning dispatch has arrived here yet. Your report may still be in transit.”

  “I didn’t put it in dispatch—I delivered it by hand last night and was told you were out on enquiries.”

  “Who did you give it to?”

  “I spoke to a lady on the intercom who said she was the office clerk. She came down to the front entrance and I handed it to her. She asked what it was about, and I told her my examination of the burnt-out Cortina and ignition barrel.”

  “That would be Katie. It may be on her desk. What was the result with the barrel?”

  “I took it to bits and did a microscopic examination. There’s no evidence I can find that suggests to me a screwdriver or similar implement was forced into the barrel to start the car.”

  “Looks like the owner of the car may be hiding something then,” she remarked.

  “Certainly does. My report contains everything I did at Edgar House yesterday. If you need a written statement just let me know and I’ll get it typed up here then forward both copies to you.”

  “Thanks. Can I ask what time you dropped the report off?”

  “About six. Is there a problem?”

  “No, not at all. Thanks for everything you’ve done, it’s really useful and I know our DCI will be pleased.”

  “It was a pleasure meeting you and I hope you catch the villains.”

  Jane put the phone down and looked in her in tray and desk drawers, but there was no sign of the report. She then looked on Katie’s desk, but it wasn’t there either. She contemplated looking in Katie’s desk drawers but didn’t want to look as if she was snooping. Looking out of the window she could see Katie walking across the road, carrying Murphy’s food in a brown bag, so she went out onto the landing and waited for her.

  “Have you got a report that was dropped off for me by a Traffic Division officer last night?” Jane asked as Katie appeared.

  “I put it on DCI Murphy’s desk,” she said casually, brushing past Jane.

  Jane followed her. “But it was addressed to me.”

  “I know, but when the traffic officer said what it was about, and you weren’t here, I thought DCI Murphy should see it in case he wanted to action further enquiries right away.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me about it when I got back to the station last night?”

  Katie turned, shrugged her shoulders and looked at Jane nonchalantly.

  “I forgot. Now if you don’t mind I need to take this to DCI Murphy,” she said, holding up the bag.

  “Did he send anyone round to the Cortina owner’s house?”

  “I don’t know, I didn’t ask him,” she said, entering Murphy’s office.

  Jane was certain Katie had given the report to Murphy and not told her about it deliberately to annoy her. As she walked back into the office, she was determined not to let Katie’s behavior get to her, but she knew there might come a point where she would need to heed Teflon’s advice and reprimand her.

  Katie put Murphy’s roll and tea on his desk.

  “Just a dab of tomato sauce and lots of pepper, the way you like it, sir.”

  Murphy grunted his thanks. “Is there a problem between you and Tennison?”

  “No, sir, I just felt she should have had the decency to ask before she moved her desk, that’s all.”

  “You don’t like Tennison, do you?”

  “I don’t really know her yet, but it I suppose it would be fair to say she’s not someone I’d necessarily socialize with.”

  Murphy nodded. “I’d like you to do something for me but keep it between the two of us.”

  “Yes, sir, you can trust me to be discreet.”

  “While I’m in here, and Tennison’s out there, I want you to keep an eye on her for me. When she puts a report in to be indexed, go over it with a fine-toothed comb and let me know if there’s anything she hasn’t done she should have done.”

  “Will DI Kingston still be going over her reports after I’ve indexed them?”

  “Yes, but I don’t think he’ll be as thorough as he should.”

  “Why not?”

  “He seems to like Tennison and thinks we should give her a chance to prove herself.”

  “He said that?” Katie asked, her brows furrowed.

  “Yes, but as far as I’m concerned she should be treated the same as everyone else. If her work’s not up to scratch or the standards I expect, I need to know for her first monthly review as a new member of the team.”

  Katie smiled. “Would you like me to eavesdrop on her telephone calls as well?”

  Murphy hesitated. “When you can, but don’t make it too obvious. Like I said, this conversation is just between the two of us. It would be good if you were nice to her as well—that way she won’t suspect anything untoward.”

  Katie sighed. “I’ll do my best.”

  He picked up an envelope. “This is addressed to Tennison; so
meone must have put it on my desk by mistake. Can you give it to her?”

  “That was me, sir—a Traffic Division officer delivered it late last night.” She explained what the report was about. “I realized how important the information might be and thought you might like to see it first thing and decide what action needed to be taken before the meeting. I also ran a criminal record check on Mr. Braun, who reported the Cortina stolen, but there was no trace of him.”

  “Good thinking, Katie. I’ll read the report while I have my breakfast—then when everyone’s in we’ll crack on with the meeting.”

  “There was something else that got phoned in last night.”

  “Fire away,” he said as he bit into the roll.

  “The duty sergeant from Tottenham called last night and said a woman came to the station alleging some men in a local cafe were talking about a robbery.”

  “Is that it? No details of what she heard being said?”

  “I did ask but the sergeant said he was very busy and had just got her name and address when he had to take an urgent phone call. When he got off the phone the woman had left the station.”

  “I doubt the people we’re after would be so stupid as to openly talk in a cafe about a blagging they were going to do! Sounds like the woman’s a nutter looking for attention to me.”

  “I agree it’s probably nonsense, but it would be wrong of us to ignore it—so I was thinking WDS Tennison would be the ideal person to follow it up,” she added with a bright smile.

  Murphy took a mouthful of tea to wash his food down and grinned.

  “Draw up an action to interview the woman and I’ll give it to Tennison to deal with at the meeting.”

  As she left his office, Murphy opened the envelope containing PC Turner’s report, feeling pleased with himself. He knew Katie would do everything she could to find fault in Tennison’s work, and that way he couldn’t be accused of carrying out a personal vendetta against her.