No Place to Hide

‘I haven’t got it – the call centre have. But I can get them to do it, yeah.’

‘Great. Thanks, Steve.’

‘You got something, boss?’ Jane asked as he ended the call.

‘Nothing useful, no. Just, whoever called in the fire at Tyler’s didn’t leave their details and blocked their number when they made the call.’

She shrugged. ‘Maybe they just didn’t want to get involved further than doing their civic duty.’

‘Maybe.’ But, how many people would even think of blocking their number for reasons like that? Not many. And the fact that it was a ‘young-sounding male’, made it seem even more suspicious.

Pete put his phone away and headed for the DCI’s office.

*

‘Again?’ Silverstone put down his pen and sat back in his chair. ‘What is it this time, Detective Sergeant?’

‘I’ve got some bad news, sir.’

‘Strangely, I’m not surprised. What is it?’

‘Operation Natterjack, sir.’ The DCI’s pet project had been a huge force-wide synchronised series of raids designed to wipe a large proportion of the two counties’ drug dealers and pushers off the streets in one go. It was the reason that Pete had been recalled two weeks early from compassionate leave, to provide cover here in the station while the raids were carried out.

‘What about it?’

‘There was a comprehensive and glaring omission from it, sir. I’ve been speaking to a CI I developed recently and to the governor of the city jail and it seems that there were no arrests at all amongst the Armenian community, yet there definitely should have been.’

‘Explain.’ Silverstone’s dark eyes turned cold as he sat forward, hands clasped on his desk.

Pete quickly laid out the facts.

‘And, what does Jim have to say about this?’

DS Jim Hancock was the local drugs expert and the man who had originally arrested Steven Lockwood for possession with intent to supply Class A drugs.

‘I haven’t spoken to him, sir. In the circumstances, I thought it best to bring this straight to you, as someone who definitely doesn’t have an axe to grind.’

Silverstone’s eyes widened. ‘You’re suggesting that Jim Hancock might be . . . ?’

‘I’m not suggesting anything, sir. I’m eliminating the possibility. I thought it best, in the circumstances. As I said, not only was the Armenian left out of the frame, so was his entire crew, or family or whatever they are.’

‘So, you immediately suspect your colleague, a man you work with . . .’

‘I don’t suspect anyone, sir. Not without evidence. But there’s only one man in this nick that we can be sure has no local connections that might have jeopardised any part of Operation Natterjack. And that’s you. So, here I am.’

‘Well, thank you for the vote of confidence, Sergeant. I think. But how would you suggest we proceed from that point?’

‘Cautiously, sir. Cards close to the chest. My team weren’t involved in the operation and we developed this conclusion between us, so they’re under strict orders to tell no one else about it. For now, we’re intelligence-gathering. Does the Armenian really exist? If so, what connections does he have? Where is he? We have a name for him, but is it real? Then, we go from there.’

‘Very well. But, if this gets out, Sergeant . . .’

‘I know.’ I’ll have your full support – not.

Silverstone shook his head. ‘You don’t know the half of it. You’ll be a pariah. Your career as a police officer will be over.’

Pete drew a slow breath, fighting down his anger. What the hell had he expected? Silverstone didn’t want his record tarnished, his rise through the ranks jeopardised or even delayed. ‘I don’t want it to be true any more than you do, sir. These are people I’ve worked with for years. Friends, some of them. But if it is true, then it needs dealing with. And, if I can be frank – from your point of view, it’s better dealt with promptly than discovered later, after you’ve moved on, isn’t it? I mean, if someone else came in after you and uncovered it, there’d inevitably be questions asked about why it wasn’t dealt with sooner.’

He saw the change in Silverstone’s expression and wondered if he had taken a step too far. ‘Yes, Sergeant,’ the DCI said with exaggerated calmness, his dark eyes glittering with barely suppressed anger. ‘But be absolutely clear. If it’s true, I want it weeded out, quietly and efficiently. If it’s not, then woe betide the man or woman who lets it out. Even a hint of a suggestion of it.’

‘Sir.’

‘Find what’s to be found, Sergeant, tell absolutely no one and bring it straight to me. Clear?’

‘Yes, sir.’

*

Walking back into the squad room, Pete saw that Dick Feeney was back at his desk from his afternoon’s mandatory training. The other three teams looked and sounded replete with returned bodies, too.

‘Nice nap, Dickie?’ he asked as he took his seat.

‘Well, it comes but once a year. Be rude not to take the opportunity, wouldn’t it?’

‘Have this lot filled you in?’

‘Yes. Bit of a dodgy wicket, isn’t it?’

‘You haven’t heard the half of it, matey. Fast-track is not a happy camper. I thought he was pissed off this morning, but now I’m really off his Christmas card list. We’re on our own on this. No one but us must even get a hint of a breath of a clue about it until we’ve reached a conclusion and taken it to him, in person. He doesn’t want it screwing up his promotional prospects.’

Dick laughed. ‘And there’s the real rub, eh? Never mind any other implications.’

‘Well, at least we know where we stand,’ Jane said from opposite Pete.

‘Yeah, on a cowpat in the middle of a slurry pit,’ Dave agreed.

‘Doc Chambers called while you were in there,’ Jane said. ‘He’s been on to the coroner and got two exhumation orders for other potential victims. He’ll keep us updated, he said.’

‘Any news on the foreign fellow we were talking about earlier?’

‘Nothing yet,’ Dave said.

‘Well, keep on it. If he’s out there, we need to find him before he gets nervous and does a disappearing act. I’ll be back in a minute.’

*

Although there was a staff canteen on the top floor of the station, a small storeroom opposite DCI Silverstone’s office had been converted into a kitchenette. White cupboards and a cheap grey worktop held a microwave, toaster and fridge as well as a hot-water geyser above the sink. Pete got six mugs out of the cupboard and spooned in the makings of four coffees and two teas. Then he took out his phone and tapped the speed-dial for home.

It was picked up on the fourth ring. ‘Hello?’