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Chapter 21

EstelleDoyle’s solicitor worked out of an office on Grey Street in Newcastle. It was an elegant part of the city, with tall sandstone buildings topped with domes, turrets and spikes. It had bars and restaurants, even a theatre, and was considered one of England’s finest streets. The ground floors catered to high-end shoppers and the night-time economy, while the upper floors housed professionals such as solicitors, accountants, architects and chartered surveyors.

Poe located a parking space and, not knowing how long he would be, fed a load of pound coins into the meter. He found the building number he’d been given. A discreet brass plaque said floors two to four were the offices of Howey, Sellars & Watson.

The receptionist asked him to wait but he had barely sat down when his name was called. A woman in a dark business suit approached him and held out her hand.

‘I’m Ania Kierczynska,’ she said. She was tall, dark-haired and had a no-nonsense look. ‘I’m a junior partner here. Mr Howey has asked me to see you this morning.’

‘No offence, why can’t I see him?’

She smiled, as if she’d expected the question. ‘Sergeant Poe, Mr Howey is in his eighties – just how involved do you think he is in the day-to-day running of his accounts?’

‘Not much?’ he ventured.

‘I run everything past him, of course, but in all but nameI’mthe Doyle family’s solicitor.’

‘I owe you an apology then,’ Poe said. ‘Can we start again?’

‘Of course.’

‘Good morning, Ania. My name’s Washington Poe and I’m a detective with the National Crime Agency.’

‘I know. Shall we go to my office?’

Poe followed her up two flights of stairs before being ushered into a grand, but cold, room. He reckoned this type of building was rarely warm, but the prestigious address made up for the lack of modern heating. Ania took a seat at the small conference table and invited him to do the same. Without asking, she poured two cups of coffee, putting milk in one.

‘I’m told you take it black?’

Poe nodded. ‘What else have you been told?’ he asked.

‘That I am to give you full access to the evidential disclosures the police and CPS have sent,’ she said. ‘That I should officially hire you as an investigator. And then I should get out of your way.’

‘Estelle can be very direct sometimes.’

‘Her instructions were very clear,’ Ania agreed.

‘And will you?’

Instead of answering she opened a file. Poe’s face was on the top page.

‘You’ve done your due diligence then?’ he said.

‘Of course.’

‘And?’

‘All available information suggests you are dangerous, Sergeant Poe. That we would be foolish to have anything to do with you. You’re anti-authoritarian and you have a discipline problem. In short, you can’t be controlled.’

‘You found out all that in one night?’

‘We have our sources. Putting this dossier together was not difficult. It seems people are happy to talk about you.’

‘Not sure how I feel about that.’

Ania responded by blowing on her coffee. She took a sip then eyed him over the rim of the cup.

‘I’m not getting access, am I?’ Poe said.