‘Tell her it’s urgent, see if you can rearrange it for an earlier time, or to speed things up, get an album made up of mugshots that look like the artist’s impression and within the same age range. Then Tennison can take it to her to look through.’
Jane knew Murphy was deliberately burdening her with all the menial tasks but knew she couldn’t complain about it without angering him further. Teflon nudged her arm.
‘I’ll give you a hand with the phones and mugshot albums,’ he whispered.
‘Thanks,’ she whispered back.
‘Did Simpson remember anything else significant?’ Murphy asked.
Kingston nodded. ‘Only in relation to the cap the driver of the getaway car was wearing, which, linked with information Tennison obtained, would appear to be a gray “newsboy” style cap.’
‘What was the information?’ he asked Kingston.
‘It might be best if Tennison tells you as she actually spoke to the witness who saw the two men—’
‘I’m happy for you to tell us,’ Murphy said with an icy smile.
‘Er—’
Kingston paused to remember the salient parts of what Jane had told him. Jane decided she had to speak up, whatever the consequences.
‘There’s quite a bit for DI Kingston to remember. Perhaps he might like to read from my report I typed up last night — in my own time.’
She spread the six pages out like a fan and handed them to Kingston.
‘Just read out the relevant bits,’ Murphy snapped.
Kingston looked at Jane. ‘Where does the interview with Mrs. Clarke start about the two men she saw leaving the estate before the fire was discovered?’
‘It was Rita Brown from flat 14 Edgar House who saw them. Her account and description starts on page three, second paragraph down,’ she replied.
Murphy sighed. ‘You told us about them at yesterday’s meeting, Tennison, and as I recall Mrs. Clarke only saw them from behind, which isn’t much use to us.’
‘The Clarkes own the garage the burnt-out Cortina was found in, sir. Mrs. Brown had returned home after seeing the two men in Blake Hall Road. She immediately took her dog outside for a wee and saw two more men leaving the estate. It was shortly after that the fire brigade were called.’
‘Why didn’t you get this information from Mrs. Brown during the initial house-to-house?’ Murphy asked, clearly trying to find fault in her work.
‘I was doing the forensics with Dabs. A uniform sergeant initially spoke to Mrs. Brown, and having read his report on the house-to-house form I decided a revisit was necessary. When the further information came to light I returned to the station and informed DI Kingston.’
‘Which is why I got a statement from Fiona Simpson last night,’ Kingston added.
Murphy glared at Kingston, then turned to Jane.
‘It would have been helpful to know all this before the meeting. Carry on, Stewart.’
Kingston looked up from the report.
‘Mrs. Brown’s description of the man in the newsboy cap is also very similar to the driver of the car as Simpson described him to me.’
‘How can Mrs. Brown be so certain it’s a newsboy cap?’ Stanley asked.
‘Because her husband has one,’ Jane replied.
‘Would Mrs. Brown be able to recognize these two men if she saw them again?’ Murphy asked.
‘I doubt it, she only got a fleeting look at them as her dog ran off after a squirrel.’
‘Maybe we could interview her dog and the squirrel for a better description,’ Baxter joked, but Murphy wasn’t amused.
Kingston held up Jane’s report.
‘There’s some other information Mrs. Brown gave Tennison.’
Kingston handed Jane back her typed report.
‘I feel like I’m stealing your thunder — and you’re also better placed to answer any questions.’
Jane looked at Murphy, who gave her a curt nod to continue. She recounted her meetings at Edgar House with Helen Clarke and Rita Brown, and mentioned the two men in a gold two-door Mercedes 450 SL with a black cloth roof.
‘How can she be sure it was them in the Merc?’ Stanley asked.
‘She can’t, but she noticed the driver was wearing a green Barbour jacket and had the same colored hair as the man she’d just seen.’
‘There’s no direct evidence to connect any of this to the robbery,’ the Colonel remarked.
Jane was determined to make her point.
‘Granted it could all be circumstantial, but I think there’s more to it when you consider the witness descriptions of the men, especially the newsboy cap, the timing between the robbery, the crash and then the burnt-out Cortina being found nearby.’
There was silence in the room as everyone digested this. Teflon was the first to speak up.
‘I’d say it merits further investigation.’
‘I’ll make that decision, Teflon, not you,’ Murphy said.
‘I should also add that I found a cigar butt in Aylmer Road where the Cortina was parked just before the robbery,’ Jane added.
‘When?’ Murphy asked.
‘Yesterday afternoon on my way back to the office from Edgar House.’
Murphy frowned. ‘Why didn’t you mention the cigar before now?’
‘I tried to at yesterday’s meeting, but no one seemed interested. When I revisited Mrs. Brown last night she was adamant one of them was smoking a cigar.’
Murphy made a beckoning motion with his fingers.
‘I’ll have a read of your report then decide what needs to be done.’ He looked at the Colonel. ‘Have we got a statement from the off-duty PC who was shot?’
‘Not yet, Guv. I was going to do it today if I got time.’
‘The Cortina owner’s your priority. Teflon, you and Cam get the statements from the PC who was shot and the two in the patrol car that crashed. Did we hear back from the bank about a reward?’
‘Not yet — I’ll chase him up after the meeting.’
‘Right, you all know what you’ve got to do, so get out there and start working.’
He turned and started to walk towards his office.
The Colonel raised his hand. ‘Excuse me, Guv, but what’s happening regarding the surveillance job the rest of the team are on?’
‘It’s still ongoing. I spoke to DC Freeman this morning and there’s good information that the two men they’re watching may hit a jeweler’s in Chingford next Wednesday.’
‘Will we be involved in any pavement ambush?’ Stanley asked.
‘Yes, but I’ll update you on Monday with the state of play and who’ll be doing what.’
There was a buzz of excitement around the room at the thought of arresting armed robbers during the commission of the crime. It was obvious they’d rather be doing that than sitting through another long meeting. Jane doubted if Murphy would let her be involved in the observation or arrests, and resigned herself to being stuck in the office listening to the action on the radio.
‘Anything else anyone wants to raise?’ Murphy asked.
‘Yes, sir,’ Katie piped up. ‘There was the information sheet I gave you about the woman who attended the front counter at Tottenham Police Station last night, which may be relevant.’
‘Thanks for reminding me, Katie.’ He got the form out of his folder. ‘A Miss Emma Wilson told the duty sergeant at Tottenham she was in a local cafe earlier this week and some men were talking about a robbery. It’s information I’d like followed up.’
‘Is that it? Nothing about what the woman heard?’ Kingston asked.
‘The sergeant took the woman’s details and rightly passed it on to us to speak directly to her,’ Katie said.
‘The men we’re after don’t sound like the sort of blokes who’d blab in a public area,’ Baxter remarked.
Murphy said nothing and handed the information report to Jane.