She would like to have chatted more with Lloyd and wondered when he said Katie liked attention, ‘especially from Kingston,’ if he was implying that something was going on between the two of them. She’d noticed that Kingston wore a wedding ring and Katie didn’t have any rings on her left hand, but realized it was none of her business if they were in a relationship. She’d made a big mistake as a probationer when she’d had an affair with a married DCI, followed by a disastrous relationship with a self-centered bomb squad officer. Since then she’d vowed not to get involved with another police officer ever again.
Jane knocked on DCI Murphy’s office door and a gruff voice shouted, ‘Come in!’
She quickly brushed herself down and entered the room. DCI Murphy was sitting behind a wooden desk, which had a green leather inlay and was twice the size of any in the squad room. The walls were covered with green and white damask-style flock paper and lined with photographs relating to Murphy’s police career, from his joining class at training school, CID and senior officer’s courses, as well as some from the three times he had served on the Flying Squad. Several framed Commissioner’s commendations he had received for bravery and detective ability were also on the wall. A picture of his wife and teenage twin daughters took pride of place on his desk, next to several different types of ball-shaped paperweights, which he liked to collect. Like the squad room, his office was bathed in daylight streaming through the large windows.
DI Kingston was sitting opposite Murphy, and both men were smoking and sipping on whisky from crystal tumblers. Murphy was a burly-looking man with a mop of swept-back ginger hair and a neatly trimmed beard. He was smartly dressed in a dark blue three-piece pinstripe suit, white shirt and dark blue tie with the Flying Squad eagle printed on it. Although Jane had never met DCI Murphy before she had gleaned a little about him from her former boss at Peckham, DCI Nick Moran, who was a pal of Murphy’s and had approved her application for the Flying Squad. According to Moran, Murphy was a man ‘married to the job,’ who didn’t suffer fools gladly and, having served on the Flying Squad at all ranks, was respected by his colleagues and feared by many in the criminal underworld.
‘I was about to send out a search party for you!’ He frowned as he sipped his whisky.
‘Sorry I’m late, sir.’
Kingston finished his drink, said, ‘Thanks, Bill’ and left the room, without acknowledging Jane’s presence, let alone introducing her to Murphy. It left her with an uneasy feeling.
Murphy looked at his watch. ‘It’s half past three and I’ve had to delay the office meeting because you’re late — five and a half hours late, to be precise.’
‘You weren’t here when I first arrived, sir, and DI Kingston told me to go with him to the robbery in Leytonstone. Then I was dealing with the scene where the police car crashed and the burnt-out car—’
‘That’s obvious from the soot on your blouse. I’ll let it go this time, but in future if you have a meeting with me I expect you to be there on the dot — or waiting for me if I’m running late. Take a seat.’
She sat down opposite him while he topped up his glass from the whisky bottle, then screwed the cap back on and put the bottle in his desk drawer.
‘Do you know much about the Flying Squad?’
He took a sip of his drink and leaned back in his chair.
Jane thought for a moment. ‘It was formed in 1919 in response to growing concern about organized crime in London and the unit’s original twelve detectives could pursue criminals into any police division area, hence the nickname “the Flying Squad”. Over the years, the unit became primarily involved in preventing and investigating armed robbery and organized crime. Currently there are four squad offices in London, based here, Barnes, Finchley and Tower Bridge.’
Murphy yawned. ‘Ten out of ten if you were writing a history essay, Tennison, but what I meant was do you know what we do on a daily basis?’
Jane wondered if Murphy was deliberately trying to catch her out by not making his question very specific. She tried again, being as precise as she could.
‘From what I was told, the Flying Squad carries out surveillance on criminals it suspects may be about to commit armed robbery on business premises, banks and betting shops, then arrests the suspects before the commission of the crime. The squad also investigates offences already committed by armed robbers on the aforementioned premises.’
Murphy frowned. ‘Basically correct. Flying Squad operations generally start with lengthy surveillance, followed by armed intervention and an arrest for conspiracy to rob prior to the offence being committed. That way Joe Public is safe from flying bullets and no one gets shot — not even the bloody suspects... unfortunately.’
‘Isn’t that a good thing, sir?’ she asked, remembering the first thing she’d had drummed into her at Hendon training college, that the primary object of the police was the prevention of crime and the protection of life.
Murphy sighed and shook his head, as if she’d said something stupid.
‘The professional armed robbers of today are wily, hardened criminals, Tennison. They know the law inside out, and pay through the nose for corrupt lawyers to represent them. If we arrest suspects before an actual robbery is committed, a shrewd lawyer can tear most conspiracy charges to shreds in court. Even if we make arrests after the fact it’s rare that any evidence is left behind. Unless your armed blagger sticks his hands up and says, “Fair cop, guv, you got me bang to rights,” you’re often left with nothing but egg on your face. Do you understand what I’m trying to tell you about how we need to carry out our work to be successful?’
‘That it’s preferable to arrest the criminal when they’re actually committing the crime.’
‘Exactly — my Flying Squad officers are specialists in the “pavement ambush”. Sheer speed usually wins the day and arresting a piece of shit with a gun in one hand and a bag of cash or jewelry in the other is not only exhilarating but it also means the villain is, as we like to say on the squad, “well and truly fucked”.’
Jane felt relieved she’d finally said something he agreed with. She could sense his loathing of criminals went deep.
‘My officers inevitably face considerable dangers on armed operations. Our methods are a high-risk form of policing and not for the faint-hearted — how strong is your nerve, Tennison?’
Jane was quick to answer. ‘I received a Commissioner’s commendation for bravery when I was a decoy and attacked by a man with a knife. I also received a commendation for detective ability and devotion to duty during an IRA bombing investigation. The details are in my case file, as I’m sure you know. Also I—’
He held his hand up, cutting her short.
‘I didn’t know because I haven’t read your file,’ he said bluntly.
Jane was surprised. ‘May I ask why not, sir, as I’m now one of your officers?’
Murphy ignored the question. ‘Tell me, Tennison — why do you think you’re here?’
‘Because of my proven abilities in a number of murder investigations and the IRA case. I was recommended by DCI Moran after I uncovered a dentist who was a serial killer in Peckham.’
He looked surprised. ‘That was your arrest? I remember the case in the papers. He murdered three women and a young man in Rye Lane, which the press started calling “The Murder Mile”, as I recall.’
‘That’s correct, sir, and—’