‘That’s all I know too, Laura. He rang and said he was being held there probably overnight... can you find out what it’s about?’
‘It obviously has to do with what happened at the gallery. I couldn’t believe Jack was there. You know he was previously questioned here at our station about getting access to the ICU where they were holding the victim? They accused him then of withholding evidence, but it was dismissed, so I reckon it must be connected. Listen, Maggie, maybe check out anything Jack might have been investigating on the QT. You know what he’s like when he gets something that needles him. You need to understand, Maggie, this is really very serious, you have to get rid of anything incriminating, right now. Especially any reference to Adam Border, all right?’
‘OK,’ Maggie said. ‘Thank you. And please call again if you find out anything else.’ She put the phone down, then ran down into the hall and grabbed her coat, car keys and handbag.
Maggie drove to the nearest tube station and got out by the row of public telephones, which were all the new models requiring a credit card. She returned to the car and drove around the local areas until she found one that would take coins. She took out her purse and selected some coins, her hand shaking because she wasn’t sure if she was doing the right thing or not. She had to use directory enquiries to get the numbers, writing them down on the back of her hand with a biro. She then placed the first call to the Daily Mail asking to be put through to the crime desk. Maggie made three further calls, always keeping the conversation brief.
‘I recognised the man being called “the hero”. He’s Detective Sergeant Jack Warr of the Metropolitan Police.’
She did not give her name, hanging up each time as they asked for more details. Returning home, she went to Jack’s office and searched the desk drawers for any more notes relating to Detmar Steinburg, then stuffed everything into a bin bag. Then she went down to the kitchen and opened the drawer in the big old dresser she used for all the family paperwork like mortgage documents, school reports and various receipts. She gathered them all up and returned to his office, stuffing them in the envelope Jack had used for his research into Steinburg and putting it into a drawer.
Trying to think of a good place to hide the bin bag, Maggie sat with it on her knee. She heard Penny’s footsteps from the floor above and knew she should go and sit with her for a bit, even watch the late-night news. She put the bin bag on the floor and went into the corridor as Penny was coming down with Charlie’s plastic waste bucket full of soiled nappies ready to be transferred to eco-friendly plastic bags that would go into the large collection bin provided by the council.
‘Everything all right, Penny?’
‘Yes, dear, Charlie was a bit ratty with his teething, so I’ve been sitting with him. I didn’t want him to wake Hannah.’
‘Let me take that out for you... we have a spare, don’t we?’
‘Yes, we’ve got two; one I’ve never used.’
Maggie took the plastic bucket from her and said she would bring her a hot chocolate. If Charlie was sleeping, they could watch TV together.
‘I’d like that, dear. I’ve been worried sick.’
Maggie watched her return to the nursery and then went to her bedroom. She picked up the black bin bag and went down to the kitchen. She put most of the poo-filled nappies into the eco bags, tying them tightly. Then she went outside to the bins and put them in. Next, she pushed the black bin liner down into the bucket, placing two stinking nappies on top. With the secure plastic lid back on, she took it back upstairs and put it into the bathroom under the washbasin. Finally, she opened Jack’s laptop and started trying out different passwords.
Jack had been held in the cell for three hours and had only just been brought a tray of sandwiches and coffee. He knew exactly how long anyone could be kept in custody without charge, but it was hard to remain patient. If they were going to accuse him of withholding evidence again, he suspected Morrison was carefully reviewing the notes of his previous interview. Admittedly, the fact that he had been left in the cell for so long had allowed him to think through how he was going to defend himself, but he was now beginning to lose his temper.
But it would be a while longer before he was interviewed. Morrison was now under renewed pressure after an anonymous caller identified the gallery ‘hero’ as Detective Sergeant Jack Warr. This revelation reached Morrison just as he was about to bring Jack up from the cells. The press was keen to find out if Detective Warr was an undercover officer working at the gallery or if his presence was just a coincidence. Morrison was under pressure to give them an answer and his now irate superintendent was not happy.
Broadbent walked straight into Morrison’s office without knocking and kicked the door closed behind him. ‘You have ten minutes to explain this latest development. DS Warr has now been named the hero at the art gallery, and you have him under arrest. How do you think that makes us look?’
Morrison struggled to find an answer. At that moment there was a tap on the door and Collingwood opened it. Morrison gestured for him to come in.
Broadbent continued. ‘Let me get this straight — you’re suggesting that Jack Warr knew who your victim was before you’d managed to identify him, and he was at the gallery because he also knew who had killed him?’
Morrison nodded. ‘Exactly. He was withholding vital evidence.’
‘For what reason?’
‘Neilson promised to pay Norman O’Reilly fifty thousand to clean up the murder site. Maybe Warr was in on the action somehow too.’
Broadbent pursed his lips. ‘I can’t see how that makes any sense, given Warr’s subsequent actions, but I’ll admit he seems to have been one step ahead of you in terms of the investigation.’
‘Shall I get him brought up from the cells, Sir?’
Broadbent thought for moment. ‘We must tread carefully and make sure we have solid evidence before accusing a senior officer.’
‘Yes, I think I have—’ Morrison began.
Broadbent cut him off. ‘It’s all just circumstantial! He’s a fucking hero right now, and now his identity is public, we cannot afford put a foot wrong. He’s had a distinguished career to date... only last year, he solved a major serial murder case.’
Collingwood was waiting nervously for Morrison to bring up the anonymous phone call. He was about to interject when Broadbent ordered Morrison to get a search warrant for Jack Warr’s home. ‘And take a look at his desk here too.’
‘Excuse me, Sir, but it’s already after ten, and I know DS Warr has a new baby, and his wife is a doctor,’ Collingwood said.
Broadbent gave a dismissive glare. ‘No, we don’t interview him until you’ve completed the search... if not tonight, then first thing in the morning. Scotland Yard has a team working with Steinburg’s lawyers and accountants. They have agreed to produce all the relevant documents, including his will. Maybe that will tell us more about what the hell’s been going on.’
Jack became even angrier when another hour passed and he was still not told what was happening. Collingwood had twice tried to get past the custody officer in the corridor to the cells, but it was getting dangerous to be seen talking to him — and then he was called away to try and get the search warrant signed by the on-call magistrate. It was eleven thirty, and Broadbent decided the search would go ahead at six o’clock the following morning.
Morrison was aware Jack had now been held in custody for six hours without charge, and another night would make it over sixteen hours. ‘That’s of no concern. We can get an extension from sixteen hours to twenty-four if we need to. That should give us plenty of time to get the evidence we need.’