Ridley’s eyebrows shot up, stopping Jack in his tracks. It was dodgy territory to be accusing a police officer of anything, but Jack plunged on regardless.
‘What if Mike himself was the tip-off? His sister was murdered during the diamond robbery. Mike’s mum lives in the beating heart of London’s gangland. They all knew each other, sir, then and now.’
Without a word, Ridley got to his feet and went into his office. In the corner was a coffee machine, and Jack could see him fiddling with the buttons. He could almost hear his boss’s brain processing the evidence he’d just been presented with. All Jack wanted right now was for Ridley to accept that it was all feasible.
Ridley emerged with two Americanos and handed one to Jack. He perched on the desk again.
‘So who do you think’s in that first grave belonging to Harry Rawlins?’
Jack had to stop himself from smiling. Ridley’s question was unexpected, but it gave him just the opportunity he wanted.
‘I don’t know who’s in there, sir, but I’ll tell you what I think’s in that grave...’ He took a deep breath. ‘The diamonds.’
He blurted the words out before self-preservation could stop him from speaking. If Ridley accepted this, then Jack would soon find out if Jimmy Nunn was dead or alive. If they also found six million pounds in diamonds, that would be a bonus.
Ridley had drunk almost half of his coffee by the time he was ready to speak.
‘That funeral turned into the biggest embarrassment for the Met in living memory. And, from the second we knew that Rawlins couldn’t possibly be in that coffin, it became the biggest no-go area. We couldn’t have ID’d the body anyway, ’cos there wasn’t enough of it left — that was our excuse back then for not digging it up. And, over the years, people stopped caring who was down there.’
‘We can ID the body now, sir,’ Jack said, trying to sound casual. ‘We know all the players, except him. Or her. And what better place to hide the diamonds than in a grave that the police don’t want to admit even exists? I’ve read the reports on the diamond heist. Those gems couldn’t be fenced in London and there’s no evidence they were taken out of the country. They have to still be here.’
Jack had been agonising for days about how he was going to suggest to Ridley that digging up a 35-year-old grave was a good idea; now, here he was, seconds away from Ridley suggesting it himself.
Easy does it, he told himself. Don’t push him. Let him decide... God almighty — why does Ridley think so fucking slowly?
At last Ridley spoke. ‘You decided what you’re doing about the sergeant’s position, Jack?’
‘I was going to mention that to you first thing, sir. I’m going to go for it,’ Jack replied earnestly. ‘This case... Something’s clicked into place and there’s no going back for me now. No more apathy, sir, I promise. I know what I want.’
Ridley collected the two empty coffee cups and headed back to his office.
‘Leave this grave thing with me,’ he said.
Through the window, Jack watched as Ridley picked up his phone and pressed the uppermost, right-hand, fast-dial button — the button that connected him to Superintendent Raeburn. He sat and spun his chair away from the squad room.
Jack’s grin spread from ear to ear.
Pathologist William Fox was in his lab when Jack burst in.
‘Foxy, you’ll be getting a bag of bones in the next few days, maybe weeks, I’ll give you the nod. But, when they arrive, I need you to do a DNA test for me.’
Foxy and Jack had trained together for six months. They’d got on like a house on fire and had kept in touch when Jack went back to Devon. They were proper friends. The kind who, when asked for a favour, said ‘yes’ first and asked ‘what is it?’ second.
‘I can’t use stock from here, Jack,’ said Fox. ‘You’ll have to provide the DNA kit.’
It was that simple.
Chapter 20
Angela’s children ran into the lounge. They were dressed in their pyjamas, their hair was wet at the bottom and crazy on top from where Rob had blasted it with the hairdryer, making no attempt to brush it during the process. Aggie was 7 and Riel was 9. Aggie was still young enough to leap into her parents’ arms, hugging and kissing them goodnight, whereas Riel had recently got into the habit of standing reluctantly in front of Angela and allowing her to drag him towards her body. He was still young enough to want a hug before bed, but too old to admit it.
Tonight was a nightmare for Riel — because after he’d allowed his mum a snuggle, he was steered in the direction of Aunt Connie, who squeezed him into her ample breasts. Julia then grabbed Riel, threw him onto the carpet and showered his neck with rapid-fire kisses.
‘Stop it!’ he yelled, but his uncontrollable giggles told a different story.
Julia threw him back on to his feet and shoved him away as though she was the one who didn’t like cuddling.
‘Now, get out of my sight,’ she said with a straight face.
Both kids ran to Rob, who was waiting in the doorway, ready to take them away and give the three women privacy.
For a few moments, the women quietly sipped their wine, enjoying being under the same roof once again.
Connie broke the silence. ‘He’s a cutie, isn’t he?’ Angela and Julia giggled into their glasses. ‘I’m just saying. I thought Detective Constable Jack Warr was very nice indeed. They could have sent some old wrinkly. I mentioned Lennie early on, ’cos I knew that’d make me cry. Then I gave him my very best “Princess Diana” look, all wide-eyed and innocent through my fringe. He was putty in my hands. Then we just sat and enjoyed the view. I was sorry to see him leave, if I’m honest.’
‘Did he ask anything that we need to worry about?’ Angela asked.
‘He knew about John,’ Connie said.
‘Whatever you did or didn’t get up to with John Maynard doesn’t matter,’ Angela reassured her. ‘In fact it’s good. He’ll just have confirmed Dolly was converting The Grange into a children’s home.’
‘He didn’t ask me anything unexpected, either,’ said Julia. ‘Just mentioned he’d personal experience of the care system — said it had made him understand more about life.’
‘There’s one thing, though.’ Angela sounded serious. ‘And it’s why I’ve called you together. Jack Warr asked me if I knew Mike back in ’95 when we were all at The Grange. He thought Mike and I were in some sort of a relationship. I denied it and I made him feel guilty for even asking.’
‘Fuck me, Angela!’ Julia breathed. ‘He’s not asking about Mike because you were shagging him two decades ago. He’s asking because he knows Mike’s the bloody body from the fire!’
She caught Connie’s fearful look out of the corner of her eye.
‘I think we need to assume he knows everything. To do anything less would be suicide. We are where we are,’ she added calmly. ‘We carry on. And we stick to the plan.’
By eleven o’clock, Angela, Julia and Connie were well on their way. Getting drunk together was exactly what they needed as they came to terms with how far they’d come and what they were about to do next.
‘Here’s to Dolly Rawlins.’ Connie’s speech was slurred. ‘The only woman with balls big enough to hide twenty-seven million pounds underneath a copper’s house.’ She rolled backwards onto the floor, slapped her hands over her eyes and snorted muffled giggles into her palms. ‘All those police officers! Coming and going at all hours. Wishing Norma well, doing her shopping, tidying her garden... right above the money they were looking for! God, if only they knew!’