Call to Arms

by Rachel Amphlett

  ‘It’ll be nice having him around. We haven’t had any of your guests for a while.’

  ‘And none as highly commended as Rufus – he was quite the police dog in his day.’

  Kay had to put down her wine glass as Adam regaled her with some of the dog’s exploits as a serving officer with Kent Police, fearing she’d splutter out her drink over the table.

  By the time their main courses were served, her sides were aching. She held up her hand.

  ‘Okay, enough. I’m hurting.’

  Adam winked, then tucked into the juicy steak that had been set in front of him.

  They fell to silence for a while, enjoying the food and fine wine, until Kay put down her utensils and cleared her throat.

  ‘I want to help Sharp, Adam.’

  ‘Bored already?’

  She glanced up, but he was wearing a broad smile.

  ‘Is it that obvious?’

  ‘Are you kidding me? I knew the moment you walked back through the door to that incident room you were going to be looking for an opportunity to get your sleeves rolled up. I’m surprised it’s taken you until now.’

  ‘How long were you going to go without mentioning it?’

  His mouth quirked. ‘I’d have held out longer than you.’

  She moved to slap his arm playfully, but he moved too quickly and laughed.

  ‘Just stay out of trouble this time, Hunter.’

  Six

  Kay waited until after the morning briefing before returning to her desk and logging into the HOLMES database.

  As she waited for the computer to retrieve the information about the death of Jamie Ingram, she nibbled the ragged edge of her thumbnail and tried to strategize for the days ahead.

  First, she had to get herself up to speed on the original investigation managed by Simon Harrison, a detective constable at the time.

  Second, she wanted to head out to the site of Jamie’s fatal accident – it was all very well reading through reports and the like, but she knew she’d get a better understanding of the circumstances if she did so.

  And she had to speak with Jamie’s parents.

  The screen in front of her blinked, and then a set of search results were displayed.

  Kay scanned the information before clicking on the only subject heading that contained all the keywords she’d entered.

  A second screen loaded, and she began to scroll through the potted information from Simon Harrison’s investigation into the motorcycle accident.

  Having worked with the man before, she felt it was evident that his gung-ho attitude to solving cases was already well formed when he’d become a detective constable.

  His note-taking was sparse, and it seemed that he’d had the view that Jamie was simply a motorcyclist who knew the risks, but took them anyway.

  The enquiry database provided a series of links to three traffic infringements for speeding, and Kay noted that at the time of his death, Jamie had only three points left on his licence.

  She cupped her chin in her hand and sighed while she leafed through the pages and a photocopy of a road map depicting the A20 route from the Ingrams’ farm to Broomfield in the folder before her.

  ‘What are you working on, guv?’

  Gavin’s voice jerked her from her reverie, and she shoved the map across her desk away from him.

  ‘Just some historical stuff.’

  ‘Did you go and see Sharp last night?’

  ‘Yeah.’

  ‘How is he?’

  ‘Anxious. Bored.’

  ‘Anything we can do to help?’

  Carys had wandered over, and now perched on Barnes’s desk opposite Kay’s.

  Kay sighed. She’d worked with the small team for over a year now, and it seemed they knew her better than she’d realised. She waved a hand at the folder from archives, and then at her computer screen.

  ‘I haven’t got all the details, but you can bet it’s a last-ditch attempt by Harrison to discredit him. The Professional Standards investigation stemmed from an accusation made by Harrison. He made claims about Sharp’s actions in an older case from ten years ago after Sharp reported Harrison’s activities late last year as gross misconduct.’

  ‘When Harrison used you as bait to draw out Jozef Demiri, you mean?’ said Barnes. He rested his elbows on his desk. ‘Go on.’

  ‘Well, when I asked him about it Sharp said that when he was still serving in the military police, a young army recruit was killed in a motorbike accident on the A20 between Leeds and Harrietsham. Because it happened off barracks, Kent Police were involved. Harrison was stationed at Maidstone back then, and was the investigating officer. Harrison now claims Sharp withheld evidence to protect the army’s reputation, whereas Sharp felt that the original investigation wasn’t carried out properly by Harrison, and voiced his concerns at the time.’

  ‘And we all know about Harrison’s reputation for doing anything to get a result,’ said Gavin.

  Kay noticed how he ran a hand over his misshapen nose. ‘Exactly.’

  ‘So, Harrison cut corners to get a quick result back then, you mean?’ said Carys.

  ‘Yeah. The general consensus was that it was an accidental death caused by misadventure, and that was supported by the coroner’s inquest. Sharp maintained at the time, and still does, that there was more to it.’

  ‘Why has Sharp been placed under a Professional Standards investigation for it?’ said Gavin.

  ‘Because of what happened last year, I guess the powers that be need to make sure the antagonism between Sharp and Harrison didn’t affect the outcome of this case.’

  ‘Well, there’s no love lost between the RMPs and the police,’ said Barnes, his mouth twitching. ‘What’s all this got to do with you?’

  Kay shrugged. ‘I’ve known Sharp for a long time. If he thinks there’s more to Jamie Ingram’s demise than a case of accidental death, then I’m inclined to trust his instincts.’

  Barnes pushed himself out of his chair, leaned across, and plucked one of the documents from Kay’s desk. He raised an eyebrow.

  ‘It says here that Sharp is a friend of the Ingram family. Don’t you think that may have influenced his thinking?’

  ‘Maybe, but I won’t find out until I’ve taken a closer look and spoken to them.’

  ‘Any reason why you’re keeping this to yourself?’ said Carys. She folded her arms.

  Kay glanced from her to the other two detectives standing around her desk. ‘Well, I just thought it’d probably be safer to leave you lot out of it. You’ve got promising careers ahead of you, after all.’ Her mouth quirked. ‘Apart from Barnes, of course.’

  ‘Oi.’

  She waited until the laughter had subsided, then grew serious once more. ‘Look, according to Sharp, this might uncover some stuff that could make things difficult around here politically. After all, the whole Division is under a cloud thanks to Harrison’s actions last year, despite the result we got. I didn’t want to drag you all into it with me. Not like last time.’

  Barnes snorted. ‘You’ve never made any of us do anything we didn’t want to do, Kay. We’ve always been a team. That means we look out for Sharp, too. He’d do the same for any of us. He stood up for you.’

  Kay peered around his shoulder and made sure the other officers working at the far end of the incident room were out of earshot.

  ‘We need to keep it between us until I can convince DCI Larch we have grounds to reopen a cold case and we’ve gathered enough evidence to prove Sharp’s theory, is that understood?’

  ‘Understood,’ said Gavin. He drew closer and then leaned down and removed the road map from Kay’s desk before casting his eyes over the demarcated crash site. ‘Anything to help Sharp, right?’

  ‘Are you absolutely sure you want to do this?’

  Gavin and Carys nodded, their faces eager.

  ‘All for one,’ said Barnes.

  Seven

  Kay had noticed on her return to work that the DCI she’d known
the previous year had changed dramatically in her absence.

  Gone was the forthright, obnoxious senior officer she’d crossed swords with more than once. In his place was a man who, frankly, appeared shrunken, and she wondered what impact the past three months had had on him.

  Despite his outward appearances, it must’ve been devastating for him to have one detective in hospital and another more senior and well-respected detective under the shadow of an internal investigation, despite the closure of one of Kent’s biggest people smuggling organisations in history.

  Where once Angus Larch could be counted upon to create problems for her, in his place was a man who seemed reticent – even cowed.

  She hadn’t yet gained the measure of the reasons, either. Being away from the hustle and bustle of the county town’s police station had sheltered her from the political fallout of the previous case she and Sharp had worked on, and she felt that she was still finding her feet in her new role despite the confidence she made sure shone through.

  She shuffled in her seat, and placed the manila folder on her lap while the DCI took his place behind his desk and clasped his hands in front of him.

  ‘You and I normally go out of our way to avoid each other, Hunter, so what on earth would bring you to my door on a wet windy morning?’

  ‘I think I’ve got a way for us to improve our targets, guv.’

  ‘All right. You’ve got my attention.’

  Kay had spent the previous night at home strategizing her approach to her senior officer. She knew she had to play to his ego and that of the Division, and so she wasn’t overly concerned by the impromptu meeting. In fact, she was looking forward to the challenge.

  ‘Sir, I believe I’ve enough evidence to suggest that we reopen the case in the death of Jamie Ingram.’

  She watched as Larch’s eyes narrowed.

  ‘Motorcycle accident, wasn’t it? About ten years ago?’

  ‘That’s the one.’

  He unclasped his hands and leaned back in his chair. ‘Go on.’

  ‘At the time, the investigating officer neglected to take into account the victim’s experience as a motorcyclist. He also failed to account for evidence from the Royal Military Police to the effect that the victim had arranged an urgent meeting with his commanding officer – one that he never attended, due to his death occurring some two days prior to that meeting.’

  When Larch remained silent, she continued.

  ‘Ingram had received a phone call the night of his death. At the time, his parents stated that he appeared extremely nervous upon returning from his last posting. He wouldn’t tell them anything when questioned. According to witnesses, it’s very unusual for a private to request a meeting with his commanding officer, too. Something must’ve been bothering him.’

  Larch clicked his fingers and motioned to the folder in Kay’s lap. ‘Your notes?’

  ‘Guv.’

  She passed the folder across the desk to him, and crossed her legs.

  ‘Harrison was the investigating officer, wasn’t he?’

  ‘Yes, guv. Working out of Maidstone at the time, prior to transferring to the Met.’

  ‘What was the military police conclusion in the case?’

  ‘The official line was that there wasn’t enough evidence to suggest foul play.’

  ‘And Sharp was the army liaison?’

  ‘Yes.’

  He flicked through the pages before raising his gaze to hers. ‘Have you spoken to Sharp?’

  ‘Yes, guv.’

  ‘How is he?’

  ‘Frustrated, guv.’

  ‘Hmm.’

  She waited while he read the one-page executive summary she’d prepared and left on the top of the documents in the file, before he began to delve into the contents of the folder once more. After what seemed an age, she could bear the silence no longer.

  ‘Guv, I’ve been thinking that given Harrison’s reputation for shoddy investigative work, evidenced by his actions late last year, and that Sharp is currently under a Professional Standards investigation instigated by Harrison, we should take another look into Jamie Ingram’s death. Perhaps Sharp was right at the time. Maybe there was more to this than was uncovered by Harrison.’

  Larch dropped the folder onto the desk between them and folded his arms across his chest. ‘What’s your motive, Hunter?’

  ‘Motive, guv?’

  ‘Why are you getting involved?’

  Kay lowered her gaze, and then raised her head once more and met his eyes. ‘I owe him, guv. We were a good team, and it’s not fair what’s happened to him. Just because Harrison’s been caught out, it doesn’t mean it’s right to fling mud at Sharp. He’s one of the best we’ve got.’

  He ran a hand over his jaw, then leaned forward. ‘The PS investigation into Sharp’s conduct was a political move by East Division. Sort of a tit-for-tat over our exposure of Harrison. We got burned thanks to DS O’Reilly’s involvement with Harrison last year, but not as badly as them. At the moment, the powers that be are looking at how the next year’s budget will be apportioned through the county.’

  ‘So, it’d be in our interest to prove Sharp was right about the Ingram death. After all, if he’s right, and Harrison got it wrong, then we have a murderer who’s been walking around free for the past ten years, haven’t we? And, if we solve this, it’d help to put the pressure on East Division. Great media exposure for West Division, right?’

  ‘You know, for someone who professes not to be interested in the politics of the role, Hunter, you certainly have a keen sense of playing the game.’

  Kay swallowed, lost for words. ‘I– I—’

  He smiled; something that she’d never seen DCI Angus Larch do in her presence.

  She was reminded of a shark.

  He stabbed his forefinger on the folder. ‘How sure are you about this?’

  She took a deep breath and spent the next five minutes running through the known facts from the original investigation and her intended course of action, and then sat back in her seat and waited.

  Larch spun back and forth in his chair, staring at the ceiling while he contemplated her words. Finally, he lowered his gaze to hers and sat forwards.

  ‘All right. I agree you have enough grounds to reopen the case. What are you going to do about resources?’

  ‘I’ve spoken to Detectives Barnes, Miles, and Piper,’ said Kay. ‘They’re all keen to be a part of the investigation, and given their current caseload, I believe this would take no more than one to two hours a day within current parameters.’

  ‘So, no additional budget requirements?’

  ‘No, guv.’

  She didn’t mention that the team had already agreed to work out of hours if it would prove Sharp’s assertion that Jamie Ingram’s death wasn’t an accident.

  They would do everything it took to get Sharp back to work.

  ‘All right.’ He pushed the folder towards her. ‘Consider my approval given.’

  Kay rose from her chair and tucked the folder under her arm. ‘That’s great, guv. Thanks.’

  He nodded.

  She turned away from his desk, but then paused and glanced over her shoulder. ‘Guv? I know we haven’t always seen eye to eye, but—’

  She paused, unsure how to continue.

  Larch raised an eyebrow. ‘Spit it out, Hunter.’

  ‘You look tired, guv. Is everything all right?’

  He snorted. ‘Apart from having you back here, nagging me to get you off light duties, you mean?’

  She forced a smile, but said nothing.

  He sighed, and waved her away. ‘Nothing to concern yourself with at the moment, Hunter. Now, get out of my hair and don’t let me catch you stirring up trouble like you usually do.’

  She moved to the door, and turned at the last minute.

  ‘We’re all on the same side, guv. Remember that.’

  Eight

  Four expectant faces turned to her as she entered the incident room at six o’clo
ck that evening.

  ‘Debbie? What are you still doing here?’

  ‘You need all the help you can get,’ said the uniformed police constable. ‘And I want to help.’

  ‘Thank you.’

  ‘What did Larch have to say?’ said Barnes, turning in his chair as Kay strode past and headed for Sharp’s office.

  ‘We’re on.’

  ‘Yes.’ Gavin high-fived Carys.

  ‘Come on. In here.’

  ‘Thought you weren’t going to use Sharp’s office?’ said Carys.

  Kay waited until the four of them had joined her. ‘This way, we keep our investigation separate from the day-to-day running of the incident room,’ she said. ‘Although Larch has approved the investigation, politically I think he’s nervous that East Division will find out – they’re still smarting about us exposing Harrison last year.’

  ‘Tit for tat,’ said Barnes.

  ‘That’s exactly what he said. There’s no overtime available either, so if you have second thoughts, tell me. It’s not a problem – you all have lives outside of work and other responsibilities.’

  She motioned to Barnes to help her, and then pulled a spare whiteboard from the incident room into Sharp’s office and placed it against the wall, pushing his desk to one side to make room for it.

  Gavin moved a threadbare visitor’s chair across to the window while Carys and Debbie brought in spares, and then Kay opened her folder and pinned a photograph of Jamie Ingram to the whiteboard.

  ‘A quick recap of some of the information you haven’t heard yet,’ she said. ‘Jamie Ingram was killed in a motorcycle accident ten years ago. It occurred on the A20 between Leeds and Hollingbourne, close to the T-junction for Broomfield. Like I said, at the time, the Kent Police investigation was overseen by Simon Harrison.’

  A murmur of discontent mumbled around the room, and she saw Barnes’s top lip curl upwards in a sneer.

  ‘Yes, I know what you all think of him, but let me continue. Sharp was still in the army at the time, in the Royal Military Police. The army couldn’t claim jurisdiction on the investigation because it happened off barracks, but Sharp knew Jamie’s parents, and undertook his own investigation in tandem with that of Kent Police. I believe that’s where the antagonism between Sharp and Harrison arises from. Harrison already had a reputation then for doing anything to close a case, and Sharp had raised concerns that there may be more to Jamie’s accident than was originally established.’