Katie approached Jane as she was sitting at her desk typing.
“DCI Murphy is reading the traffic officer’s report. I explained to him why I put it on his desk and asked if I could give it to you, but he said he’d like to read it first. I’m sorry I forgot to mention it last night, but I wasn’t feeling well, and it just slipped my mind. Next time I’ll put anything that comes in for you straight on your desk.”
Jane looked up from her typing. She wondered if Murphy had said something to make Katie apologize for her behavior. Or perhaps she really had just forgotten. After all, she’d just been having sex with Kingston, and was clearly flustered when Jane turned up.
“Forget about it, Katie. Even if I’d known about the report last night no action could be taken until DCI Murphy had read it.”
“Thanks. Would you like a hot drink?”
“No thanks, I’ve just had one. I’ve nearly finished my report, then if you like I could type one of the statements on your desk.”
“That would be great, but the office meeting will be starting as soon as everyone’s here.”
“Well, I’ll do what I can before it starts.”
Katie went to her desk, picked up a handwritten statement and gave it to Jane.
Kingston walked in carrying a coffee and a sausage roll and went straight to his office. Katie quickly followed him, then closed the door behind her and stood by his desk with her arms crossed.
“Where did you go with Tennison last night?”
Kingston put his breakfast down on the desk.
“I didn’t go anywhere with her—I went to the Crown to get a statement from the landlady.”
He pulled the statement out of the folder and showed it to her.
“Then why did you leave together?”
“I told her to go home. She got in her car then drove off in the opposite direction to me. For Christ’s sake, what’s your problem, Katie?”
“I just thought the way you left last night was rather abrupt, especially as we’d just . . . you know. It felt as if you were more interested in her.”
He pointed to himself. “Me, interested in Tennison? You couldn’t be more wrong—I don’t even find her attractive.”
“Then why are you being so nice to her?”
“Being nice doesn’t mean I fancy her—”
“DCI Murphy doesn’t like her.”
“Murphy doesn’t like the fact a woman is on the Flying Squad. He sees Tennison as a liability and will do his damnedest to get rid of her.”
“And will you help him?”
“Look, I made a few phone calls before she came here. By all accounts she’s not a bad detective, but working on the Flying Squad is a totally different ball game from divisional work and I for one don’t think she’ll be up to it.”
“Murphy wants me to keep an eye on her and report back to him if she messes up.”
“Then there’s no need for me to get involved as well.”
“As her DI you should bring her mistakes to Murphy’s attention.”
“I know what my job is, Katie, and I’m not going to put myself on the line with Murphy by not doing it—least of all for Tennison. Now can I please finish my sausage roll in peace before the office meeting?”
“My boyfriend’s out with his mates tonight so you could come around to mine if—”
Kingston frowned. “He nearly caught us last time I did that. I ripped my jacket climbing over your garden fence, and my wife started asking me questions about how it happened.”
“Maybe we should tell our other halves that we’ve met someone else,” Katie suggested. “Then we can openly be together and stop sneaking around—I’m tired of sex in the gym or a car.”
He obviously wasn’t expecting this.
“We both agreed our relationship was just a fling. Besides, you only just got engaged to Brian. You don’t really want to break it off, do you?”
“I don’t know. I don’t think Brian and I are right together. He’s not like you—sex with him is like a boring routine.”
This was something new and it was making Kingston anxious. He certainly had no intention of leaving his wife for another woman—least of all Katie.
“Now’s not a good time to be having this conversation, Katie.”
“Why not?”
“Because there’s a lot to discuss, and it needs to be in private, away from the office.”
“Tonight then, at mine . . . after work.”
She left before he could answer.
Kingston threw what was left of his sausage roll in the bin, his appetite suddenly gone.
Katie quickly typed up an information sheet concerning the phone call from the Tottenham duty sergeant and took it to Murphy. She told him everyone was in the office ready for the meeting, apart from the officers who were still on surveillance regarding the possible jewelry shop robbery in Chingford. He read the sheet, then wrote “WDS Tennison to deal” under the “Further action” box and signed it before going into the office to start the meeting. Katie got the flip chart to write on and stood next to Murphy and Kingston, marker pen in hand.
“Anyone get anything positive from their snouts last night?” Murphy asked loudly to get everyone’s attention, but there was no response.
Grim-faced, he went over to Katie’s desk to look at the office duty book, in which everyone recorded their times on and off duty along with brief details of what they were doing and why.
“I see you all managed to claim a few hours’ overtime for meeting informants—but not one of you has anything constructive to show for it!”
Stanley stuck his hand up. “I was given a couple of names, Guv. I ran a Criminal Records Office check on them this morning—they’re both known blaggers, but they’re in Wormwood Scrubs at present.”
Baxter also spoke up. “I had a similar result with a suspect, but he popped his clogs from a drugs OD a month ago—”
Murphy raised his hand for Baxter to stop talking.
“What bloody use is that to us? I expect you all to get results—not sit in a pub pissing it up with informants giving you a load of bollocks all night!” He scowled and looked at the Colonel. “I authorized twenty quid for you out of the informants’ fund, so what was the result?”
Kingston spoke up. “He can’t see his snout until Sunday morning.”
“I’m reasonably confident he’ll have something for us, Guv—he always proved reliable in the past,” the Colonel added.
“Well, you better put the Commissioner’s money where your mouth is. What about the checks on recent armed robberies with the home counties, Katie?”
“I’ve spoken to Hertfordshire and Kent CID, but they’ve had nothing similar in the last six months. Essex and Surrey have a possible and I’m waiting for them to fax the details over to me.”
“Why are the carrot cruncher forces always so bloody slow with everything? Let me see it as soon as it arrives. Any update on the forensics, Dabs?”
“I’ve spoken to the scientist in the gun room. He’s aware of the priorities and said he’ll start on the exhibits as soon as we submit them, which will be after the meeting. I’ve prepared the lab form and just need DS Tennison as exhibits officer to check it before you sign it.” He held the lab form up.
“Let me see it.”
Murphy got a pen out, signed the lab form and gave it back to Dabs.
Jane wasn’t sure if he’d signed it without reading it to save time, or just to belittle her in front of the team.
“While we’re on forensics, I’ve had a result back from the traffic PC who examined the Cortina’s ignition barrel. There’s no sign that a screwdriver was forced into the barrel, which puts the owner’s claim it was stolen in doubt. I’d like the Colonel and Bax to pay Mr. Braun a visit after the meeting. If you think he’s lying or being evasive then nick him.”
Jane wasn’t surprised Murphy hadn’t acknowledged it was her idea to call the traffic officer to examine the Cortina, but it was still galling. She
raised her hand, but Murphy ignored her and looked instead at Kingston.
“Stewart, did you manage to get a statement from the landlady of the pub?”
“Yes, and the artist’s impression, which is up on the wall.”
He took a duplicate out of a folder, which he handed to Murphy.
“That’s a good drawing—get some ‘Appeal for Assistance’ posters made up with details of the robbery, then circulate it Met-wide and in the papers. I know it could result in a shedload of dead-end calls, but we might strike lucky. Once it’s circulated Tennison can help Katie man the phones and make CRO enquiries with any names we’re given. Have you made an appointment for Simpson to view albums at the Yard, Stewart?”
“She’s busy all weekend and can’t get anyone to manage the pub for her until Monday at the earliest.”
“Tell her it’s urgent, see if you can rearrange it for an earlier time, or to speed things up, get an album made up of mugshots that look like the artist’s impression and within the same age range. Then Tennison can take it to her to look through.”
Jane knew Murphy was deliberately burdening her with all the menial tasks but knew she couldn’t complain about it without angering him further. Teflon nudged her arm.
“I’ll give you a hand with the phones and mugshot albums,” he whispered.
“Thanks,” she whispered back.
“Did Simpson remember anything else significant?” Murphy asked.
Kingston nodded. “Only in relation to the cap the driver of the getaway car was wearing, which, linked with information Tennison obtained, would appear to be a gray ‘newsboy’ style cap.”
“What was the information?” he asked Kingston.
“It might be best if Tennison tells you as she actually spoke to the witness who saw the two men—”
“I’m happy for you to tell us,” Murphy said with an icy smile.
“Er—”
Kingston paused to remember the salient parts of what Jane had told him. Jane decided she had to speak up, whatever the consequences.
“There’s quite a bit for DI Kingston to remember. Perhaps he might like to read from my report I typed up last night—in my own time.”
She spread the six pages out like a fan and handed them to Kingston.
“Just read out the relevant bits,” Murphy snapped.
Kingston looked at Jane. “Where does the interview with Mrs. Clarke start about the two men she saw leaving the estate before the fire was discovered?”
“It was Rita Brown from flat 14 Edgar House who saw them. Her account and description starts on page three, second paragraph down,” she replied.
Murphy sighed. “You told us about them at yesterday’s meeting, Tennison, and as I recall Mrs. Clarke only saw them from behind, which isn’t much use to us.”
“The Clarkes own the garage the burnt-out Cortina was found in, sir. Mrs. Brown had returned home after seeing the two men in Blake Hall Road. She immediately took her dog outside for a wee and saw two more men leaving the estate. It was shortly after that the fire brigade were called.”
“Why didn’t you get this information from Mrs. Brown during the initial house-to-house?” Murphy asked, clearly trying to find fault in her work.
“I was doing the forensics with Dabs. A uniform sergeant initially spoke to Mrs. Brown, and having read his report on the house-to-house form I decided a revisit was necessary. When the further information came to light I returned to the station and informed DI Kingston.”
“Which is why I got a statement from Fiona Simpson last night,” Kingston added.
Murphy glared at Kingston, then turned to Jane.
“It would have been helpful to know all this before the meeting. Carry on, Stewart.”
Kingston looked up from the report.
“Mrs. Brown’s description of the man in the newsboy cap is also very similar to the driver of the car as Simpson described him to me.”
“How can Mrs. Brown be so certain it’s a newsboy cap?” Stanley asked.
“Because her husband has one,” Jane replied.
“Would Mrs. Brown be able to recognize these two men if she saw them again?” Murphy asked.
“I doubt it, she only got a fleeting look at them as her dog ran off after a squirrel.”
“Maybe we could interview her dog and the squirrel for a better description,” Baxter joked, but Murphy wasn’t amused.
Kingston held up Jane’s report.
“There’s some other information Mrs. Brown gave Tennison.”
Kingston handed Jane back her typed report.
“I feel like I’m stealing your thunder—and you’re also better placed to answer any questions.”
Jane looked at Murphy, who gave her a curt nod to continue. She recounted her meetings at Edgar House with Helen Clarke and Rita Brown, and mentioned the two men in a gold two-door Mercedes 450 SL with a black cloth roof.
“How can she be sure it was them in the Merc?” Stanley asked.
“She can’t, but she noticed the driver was wearing a green Barbour jacket and had the same colored hair as the man she’d just seen.”
“There’s no direct evidence to connect any of this to the robbery,” the Colonel remarked.
Jane was determined to make her point.
“Granted it could all be circumstantial, but I think there’s more to it when you consider the witness descriptions of the men, especially the newsboy cap, the timing between the robbery, the crash and then the burnt-out Cortina being found nearby.”
There was silence in the room as everyone digested this. Teflon was the first to speak up.
“I’d say it merits further investigation.”
“I’ll make that decision, Teflon, not you,” Murphy said.
“I should also add that I found a cigar butt in Aylmer Road where the Cortina was parked just before the robbery,” Jane added.
“When?” Murphy asked.
“Yesterday afternoon on my way back to the office from Edgar House.”
Murphy frowned. “Why didn’t you mention the cigar before now?”
“I tried to at yesterday’s meeting, but no one seemed interested. When I revisited Mrs. Brown last night she was adamant one of them was smoking a cigar.”
Murphy made a beckoning motion with his fingers.
“I’ll have a read of your report then decide what needs to be done.” He looked at the Colonel. “Have we got a statement from the off-duty PC who was shot?”
“Not yet, Guv. I was going to do it today if I got time.”
“The Cortina owner’s your priority. Teflon, you and Cam get the statements from the PC who was shot and the two in the patrol car that crashed. Did we hear back from the bank about a reward?”
“Not yet—I’ll chase him up after the meeting.”
“Right, you all know what you’ve got to do, so get out there and start working.”
He turned and started to walk towards his office.
The Colonel raised his hand. “Excuse me, Guv, but what’s happening regarding the surveillance job the rest of the team are on?”
“It’s still ongoing. I spoke to DC Freeman this morning and there’s good information that the two men they’re watching may hit a jeweler’s in Chingford next Wednesday.”
“Will we be involved in any pavement ambush?” Stanley asked.
“Yes, but I’ll update you on Monday with the state of play and who’ll be doing what.”
There was a buzz of excitement around the room at the thought of arresting armed robbers during the commission of the crime. It was obvious they’d rather be doing that than sitting through another long meeting. Jane doubted if Murphy would let her be involved in the observation or arrests, and resigned herself to being stuck in the office listening to the action on the radio.
“Anything else anyone wants to raise?” Murphy asked.
“Yes, sir,” Katie piped up. “There was the information sheet I gave you about the woman who attended the front counter a
t Tottenham Police Station last night, which may be relevant.”
“Thanks for reminding me, Katie.” He got the form out of his folder. “A Miss Emma Wilson told the duty sergeant at Tottenham she was in a local cafe earlier this week and some men were talking about a robbery. It’s information I’d like followed up.”
“Is that it? Nothing about what the woman heard?” Kingston asked.
“The sergeant took the woman’s details and rightly passed it on to us to speak directly to her,” Katie said.
“The men we’re after don’t sound like the sort of blokes who’d blab in a public area,” Baxter remarked.
Murphy said nothing and handed the information report to Jane.
“I want you to deal with it and determine whether or not it’s connected to our investigation.”
He walked off into his office and closed the door.
Jane rang Tottenham Police Station and was told that the sergeant who’d spoken to Emma Wilson wasn’t on duty until two o’clock. She looked again at the information sheet and was dismayed at the lack of detail. She looked at Miss Wilson’s address on the information sheet but couldn’t find the estate name in the A-Z.
“You know where the Broadwater Farm estate is?” she asked Teflon, who was sitting at the desk abutting hers doing some paperwork.
He stopped and looked at her. “Why are you interested in the Broadwater?”
“The woman who went into Tottenham Police Station lives there.”
“Ring her and ask her to meet you at Tottenham nick.”
“There’s no phone number on the info sheet, just the address.”
Teflon picked up a paper clip and threw it at Cam to get his attention.
“Piss off,” Cam said as the clip bounced off his head.
Teflon gestured with his finger for Cam to join them. Reluctantly he got up and went over to see what he wanted.
“You OK to get the PC’s statement on your own?” Teflon asked him.
“The Guv told us both to do it.”
“I know, but Tennison needs to visit the Broadwater and was thinking of going on her own.”
Cam looked at Jane, his eyebrows raised.
The Dirty Dozen Page 17
