Kate was going red in the face. ‘You have no right to keep me here against my will!’
Jane opened Katie’s handbag and tipped the contents on the floor, but neither her pocket notebook nor Rachel’s notes were there.
‘You see, I haven’t got them.’
Jane noticed Katie make a quick glance towards her desk. She started rummaging through Katie’s filing trays and quickly found her pocket notebook and the rest of Rachel’s notes, along with photocopies of them. She held them up for Katie to see.
Katie shrugged. ‘I’ll deny it and say you’re lying. Murphy will have you kicked off the squad before you know it.’
Jane thought for a moment. ‘Did Murphy tell you to take the notes and copy them?’
Katie said nothing, her eyes full of contempt. Jane decided to try and rattle her.
‘I’ll take your silence as a yes, but tell me... who do you think Kingston will believe — me or you?’
‘He’ll believe me. He wants rid of you just as much as Murphy and everyone else does.’
‘That’s not the impression he gave me in the pub earlier; he was all over me. He definitely didn’t want you there to cramp his style.’
Katie began to shake with anger.
‘You’re lying — it was you that was all over him and he rejected you.’
Jane was taken aback. ‘Were you spying on us at the pub?’
‘If you think you can take Stewart from me you’re wrong. He loves me.’
Jane laughed. ‘If you think being fucked on a weightlifting bench is love you need your brains tested.’
Her eyes opened wide. ‘You were watching us in the gym!’
‘And I can’t wait to tell the rest of the team—’
Katie screamed, launching herself towards Jane with her fingers splayed like a cat’s claws.
Jane took a step backwards.
‘You’re a fucking bitch, Tennison!’ Katie shouted as she stepped forward.
Acting instinctively, Jane blocked Katie’s right hand with her left and landed a straight right on Katie’s chin, knocking her off her feet and onto the floor. She lay there for a long moment, eyes wide open staring into space. Jane thought she’d knocked her out, but then she took a deep, rasping breath and started to cry. She put her fingers to her split lip and they came away bloody.
‘You cut me,’ she sobbed.
‘You’ll live,’ Jane said, grabbing a wad of tissues from the box on Katie’s desk. She helped her sit up and pressed the tissues against her lip. ‘No more games, Katie. I want to know what’s going on.’
Katie took a couple of deep breaths. ‘All right. I was told to keep an eye on you and find out what you were doing in the hope you’d mess up.’
‘Who told you to spy on me?’
‘Murphy.’
‘That doesn’t surprise me. Was Kingston involved?’
‘No, he didn’t want any part of it. He stuck up for you and I was jealous because I thought he fancied you, so I didn’t mind doing what Murphy wanted. Oh my God, my lip is split open!’
Jane realized there was at least some truth in what Katie said about Kingston. He had given her valuable advice. She grabbed another wad of tissues and dabbed some more of the blood off Katie’s lip.
‘My advice would be to break it off with Kingston. I know from personal experience work relationships are doomed to fail, especially when a married man is involved.’
Jane looked up to see Murphy framed in the doorway with a surprised look on his face.
‘What the fuck’s going on?’ he exclaimed.
Jane glared at him. ‘Why don’t you tell me?’
Jane sat opposite Murphy as he read her pocket notebook and Rachel Wilson’s notes. She could feel the adrenaline still coursing through her veins. At first, he’d accused Katie of lying, but when Katie said she would report him to the Commander in charge of the Flying Squad, and back Jane up, he quickly capitulated, though he was adamant he’d never told Katie to break into Jane’s desk drawer. He didn’t apologize to Jane, but did agree to listen to her about the Wilson sisters and the possible suspects in the robbery, and read her notes with an open mind.
Murphy turned another page of Jane’s notes, then opened the bottom drawer of his desk and removed the bottle of whisky and two glasses. He poured some whisky into one glass, picked it up and took a sip.
‘This is good stuff.’
‘My notes or the Scotch, sir?’
‘Both. Do you ever take a wee dram?’
‘Now and again.’
He poured her a glass and slid it across the table. She picked it up and took a sip.
‘Cheers.’
‘I wish the rest of the team made notes that are as detailed and thorough as this.’
She wondered if he was being sincere, or just embarrassed about his underhandedness being exposed and trying to get back into her good books.
‘Do you feel what I’ve uncovered so far merits further investigation?’
‘I might. Have you discussed these notes with anyone else on the team?’ he asked, handing them back to her.
She hesitated for a second. ‘No, not yet.’
She didn’t want to land Kingston in it, despite his behavior in the pub.
He nodded. ‘Fine. I’ve got a few more questions — then I’ll decide the appropriate course of action.’
He topped up both their glasses.
Chapter Nineteen
‘How many cops does it take to throw a prisoner down the stairs?’ the Colonel asked, grinning at the others seated around the table.
‘None, he fell,’ Cam answered, and everyone laughed even though they’d heard the joke before.
Stanley put his hand in the whip glass and removed some pound notes.
‘Same again, lads?’
There were nods and yeses around the table.
‘Stewart, phone call for you!’ the landlord shouted from behind the bar.
The Colonel tutted. ‘That’ll be your missus wondering what you’re up to.’
Kingston shook his head drunkenly. ‘She don’t know the... number for the... for the pub...’
‘Must be Katie then,’ the Colonel teased.
‘I frigging hope not... Shee who it is while you’re ordering the drinks, Stanley. And tell ’em I’m not here.’
Stanley went to the bar.
‘Who’s calling Stewart?’ he asked.
The landlord handed him the phone and said, ‘Bill Murphy.’
After a brief conversation, Stanley quickly came back to the table.
‘Where’s the bloody drinks?’ Kingston asked.
‘It was Murphy. He wants us all back in the office right away.’
Bax frowned. ‘Bloody hell, we’ve had three pints each. He’ll go apeshit.’
Kingston laughed. ‘Three, is that all...? Then why do I feel pished?’
‘Cause you’ve been knocking back the whiskys as well,’ Stanley said.
‘We all booked off duty before going on the piss, so we’re not here in job time,’ the Colonel chipped in.
‘Then let’s have one for the road,’ Kingston said, downing the rest of his beer.
Stanley shook his head. ‘Murphy sounded in a bad mood — I think we should go now.’
‘You’re right. Get a pint of water and two Underbergs for Stu, then help me put him in my car,’ the Colonel said, pulling Kingston up from his chair.
Jane was at her desk typing up her report when the Colonel, Teflon, Stanley, Cam and Bax returned from the pub.
‘What’s happening, Jane?’ Stanley asked.
‘I don’t know. Murphy asked me where you all were. He wants an office meeting.’
‘Well, thanks for spoiling our evening by telling him,’ the Colonel moaned.
‘My pleasure.’ She grinned.
‘Has he called everyone in?’
‘Just you lot and Dabs, as far as I know.’