Page 33

Adam Fawley
25 July 2024
10.17
The longer you’ve been out on secondment the more ominous it is to get a call from home base, so when I see ‘Supt Harrison’ ping up on my phone I know it’s not going to be good news. He’s not exactly the just-keeping-in-touch-to-see-how-you-are type, even at the best of times.
‘Hello, sir, nice to hear from –’
‘I need you back at St Aldate’s, Adam. I’m sorry but there it is.’
Whoa there – one thing at a time.
‘I’m here until December, sir.’
‘Not any more you’re not,’ he says, irritation upping. ‘I’ve cleared it with the Chief Constable. I’ll expect you at noon.’
I glance at my watch. ‘You mean, you want me to leave rightnow? This minute? I can’t just drop what I’m doing –’
‘Like I said, I’ve cleared it with the Chief Constable.AndyourCommander. Don’t be late.’
***
Tate was sent outside to kick her heels while Kearney spoke to the Chief Constable but after ten minutes she decided to go passive-aggressive and decamped to the Ladies. Another twenty minutes later his PA came looking and she was ushered back in to see Sir like she’d been misbehaving in class.
It’s not good news.
‘You’re not serious – you can’t be –’
Kearney shrugs. ‘It’s out of my hands.’
Tate gets up and walks over to the window. She has to do something with all the negative energy.
‘It’s my case, sir.’
‘It was,’ he says heavily. ‘But it isn’t now.’
‘It’s not fair and you know it.’
She sees his eyes narrow and realizes she needs to be more careful. No point gratuitously pissing him off.
‘Look,’ he says, more conciliatory now, ‘if it’s any help, it isn’t meant as a reflection on you. It just makes operational sense for the team who handled the original case to pick this up too. And you still have Ellie Harben. Not that you seem to have made much sodding progress.’
‘So it’s going to Thames Valley? The Hescombe grave? Even though it happened on our patch? That’s hardly efficient, is it – how many bloody emails do we get on a weekly basis about budget cuts? We’re supposed to be saving money, not pissing about driving endless miles to crime scenes in a totally different county –’
Kearney sighs audibly. ‘Look, you’re ranting at the wrong person. I didn’t make the bloody decision, and I’m sure as hellnot going to try changing it. And neither are you. Because it would be a complete waste of effing time on both our parts. And I’m sure the DCI from Thames Valley will be grateful for your input. Assuming you’re prepared to get down off your high horse and give him any.’
She bites her lip. Literally and metaphorically. Time to swallow the inevitable.
‘Who is it, do you know?’
Kearney gives that half-smile of his she can never quite read.
‘Actually, I do. Adam Fawley. Picked up the Camilla Rowan case when that particular shedload of shit hit the fan.’
She remembers that. They all remember that. Kearney most of all.
‘And?’