‘Do you see what I’m getting at?’ she said. ‘There must be some being traded in the criminal world.’
‘That goes without saying. The G36 has been around since the early nineties. Not as long as the Kalashnikov, the AK47, but you can get them illegally. I’ve seen one that was used in an armed hold-up in Bristol. I didn’t think they were knocking around in Bath until today, when I visited a house and found a whole secret armoury of AK47s, G36s and much more. Big shock.’
Her eyes widened. ‘In Bath? Where was that?’
‘I’d better not say. We haven’t recovered them yet.’
‘Not a policeman’s house?’
He smiled. ‘No.’
‘The guns are out there, then,’ Paloma said. ‘That’s all I’m saying — that the weapon used to kill Harry Tasker may not have been a police weapon.’
‘We’ll know shortly. A G36 was recovered this afternoon from the river close to where our suspect was arrested.’
She brought her hands together in approval. ‘Can it be identified as the gun that killed all three?’
‘When it’s cleaned up. The ballistics experts will do a test firing, discharging bullets into a test-firing chamber. The rifling inside the gun creates marks called striations along the side that are as good as fingerprints. Under a microscope they can be compared with the bullets found at the murder scenes.’
‘You said we’ll know shortly. How soon is shortly?’
‘Always longer than you hope for.’
‘And then you can be certain?’
A silence followed. Diamond was pondering new possibilities.
Paloma gave a sudden cry of surprise. Raffles the cat had crept into the room and jumped on her lap. He’d belonged to Stephanie and enjoyed female company. After letting her feel the weight of his paws on her thighs, he settled into a comfortable position, anticipating he wouldn’t be disturbed for some time.
Diamond was so deep in thought he hadn’t heard Paloma’s cry or noticed the cat. ‘I may have made a wrong assumption about the gun.’
Paloma frowned. ‘Go on.’
‘Everything happened in a matter of hours, the shooting of Harry followed by the report of a gunman in Becky Addy Wood. It was easy to assume that the two incidents were related and the gun being carried in Becky Addy belonged to Harry’s murderer. But if my theory is right, and Harry was shot by whoever wrote that note, this is going to need a rethink.’
‘Can’t you tell your forensics people this is an emergency?’
‘They still take the same amount of time.’
‘Meanwhile, you’re at risk of being killed.’
‘That’s why we’re eating in tonight.’
‘Peter, you shouldn’t make light of it. I don’t think you should leave the house until these tests are confirmed one way or the other.’
‘I can’t take time off.’
‘How will you travel to work tomorrow?’
‘Car, as usual.’
‘That’s crazy. He could be lying in wait. We’ll go in my car, with you out of sight, lying on the back seat.’
He laughed.
‘I’m staying the night,’ she said in a tone that brooked no argument.
‘If that’s the outcome,’ he said, ‘I’ll settle for the back seat.’
‘It’s nothing to do with you,’ she said glancing down at her lap. ‘Raffles isn’t moving off my lap. His decision.’
28
‘I don’t want anyone to see me like this,’ Diamond said from his position lying along the back seat.
‘They won’t. That’s why we’re doing it,’ Paloma said as she drove down the Lower Bristol Road into Bath. She knew when to be firm with him. ‘Last night you were perfectly okay with it.’
‘Yes, but this is now.’
‘We’re just passing another cemetery on our right.’
‘Point taken.’ He was dressed for a funeral, but not his own. They had discussed whether he should take the risk of attending Harry Tasker’s funeral. Diamond had insisted he would be there, after giving his word to Harry’s widow. It wasn’t as if he’d be standing in the open around a grave. The cremation would be in a small indoor chapel, surely too enclosed for a sniper to take a shot at him and escape.
He had decided to treat the latest ‘You’re next’ note seriously and take care, but say nothing about it until the ballistic test results came in. Then he would be better placed to judge whether the note was a hoax. He’d know for sure if the rifle recovered from the river had been used for any or all of the shootings. Then it would become clear whether the killer of all three victims was in custody.
‘Crossing the river now,’ Paloma continued her commentary. ‘Soon be in Manvers Street.’
‘I may sound ungrateful,’ he said. ‘I want you to know I appreciate this. You don’t have to drive right inside the nick. Just drop me in the street.’
Paloma smiled to herself. The police parking area was a yard at the heart of the building enclosed by walls several storeys high and scores of windows. ‘Fine. We’ll do as you say.’ Her voice softened. ‘Please take extra care today. It matters to me, you know.’
He thanked her. The car halted and he got out and was crossing the pavement without appearing to hurry when she surprised him by sounding the horn twice as she rejoined the traffic. He tensed, looked round and wagged a finger. But she was already gone.
Inside on the stairs, he met John Wigfull, a blast from the past. Now a civilian responsible for publicity and press relations, Wigfull had once been his deputy and they had never got on. JW was someone well capable of setting him up. Diamond wondered how much he knew about the present investigation. ‘Morning, John.’
The cordialities had to be exchanged, whatever each was thinking. Wigfull’s Lord Kitchener moustache had always masked his true sentiments. ‘Morning, Peter. You’re looking sombre.’
‘Harry’s funeral later,’ Diamond said.
‘I thought his widow didn’t want us there.’
‘She made an exception of me.’
‘You? I can’t think why. He wasn’t CID.’
‘I’m the man on the case, that’s why.’
‘Better stick to the case and keep your head down, then.’
Diamond grasped Wigfull’s sleeve before he moved on. ‘What do you mean by that?’
‘You’ll find out. I think some heavy artillery is coming your way.’
Keep calm, Diamond told himself. It’s an expression of speech. It doesn’t have to mean that he knows anything about the note. ‘Artillery who from?’
‘The Assistant Chief Constable, no less.’ With that, Wigfull moved on, leaving Diamond reassured that Wigfull wasn’t talking about gunfire, but wondering what new infliction to expect from Georgina. If the ACC was on the warpath, it was serious. She’d kept her distance all week.
Keith Halliwell gave his usual warm, ‘How you doing, guv?’ in the incident room and confirmed that Diamond was summoned upstairs. There was no indication what it was about.
He found Georgina staring out of her top floor window, hands behind her back wringing the neck of an invisible chicken, an ominous sign. The window looked out onto Manvers Street, where he’d stepped out of the car. As usual Georgina was in uniform. She was one of the few female officers who always wore a skirt. Without turning to face him, she said, ‘Is your mobile switched off?’
He delved into his pocket. ‘It is,’ he said. ‘It won’t go off.’
‘I guessed as much. I’ve been trying to reach you all morning.’
‘I just got in.’
‘I know,’ she said. ‘Is something the matter with your car?’
‘A friend gave me a lift in.’
She about-turned and practically clicked her heels. Her look travelled up and down his clothes. ‘Why are you dressed like that?’
‘Harry Tasker’s funeral this afternoon, ma’am.’
‘I thought it was a family affair, with none of us invited.’
‘Mrs. Tasker made an exception in my case. Some lads from uniform are going as well, I believe.’
‘It seems to me,’ Georgina said with a sniff, ‘that I’m the last to be informed about anything in this place.’