Page 68 of The Scene of the Crime (Jessica Russell #1)

When they were in Chapman’s car, Jessica told him about her conversation with Dawn Owens.

‘At least it’s not someone on the team,’ he said.

‘I’ll make some discreet enquiries. Anderson won’t be pleased, whatever the outcome, but I’ll try and persuade him just to give Dawn a dressing down.

Anyway, best keep it to ourselves for now. ’

‘Good, thank you.’

Chapman pulled up in Hatton Garden near the junction with Greville Street, behind the observation van.

Taff jumped out of the observation van and got in the back seat of Chapman’s car.

‘This is all very exciting. I’d never been in an observation van,’ Taff said, handing Jessica a small acrylic ring box.

She opened the box, and Chapman removed a diamond ring from his pocket, wiped it with a tissue, and placed it on the velvet mounting inside the box.

‘Where did you get the ring?’ Taff asked.

‘The exhibits storage room. It’s from an unidentified body on a cold case murder.

The pathologist said she was hit in the head with an axe, and her body had been in the ground for over a hundred years, which is why we were never able to identify her.

At the time we had a jeweller examine the ring.

He reckoned it was made in the mid to late eighteen hundreds.

The diamond is two carat and worth thirty or forty thousand quid. ’

‘Nice of her to help – whoever she is,’ Taff quipped. ‘Wipe the box down before you hand it to Cole . . . and try and hold it by the corners when you do. It’s a good surface to get prints off.’

‘I know what to do, Taff,’ she said curtly, and Taff returned to the observation van.

Jessica wiped the ring box clean, put it in her coat pocket and was about to open the car door.

‘Are you sure you don’t want to wear a wire?’ Chapman asked. ‘I brought one along in case you changed your mind.’

‘There’s no point. It’s just a quick in-and-out job. Mind you, it would have been helpful to know what Cole looks like, but I . . .’

Chapman sighed. ‘He’s white, mid-fifties, about five foot six and bald, apart from dyed black hair on the sides.’

‘How on earth do you know that?’ Jessica asked with a quizzical expression.

‘I’ll explain it all to you later.’

‘I’d like to know before I go into his bloody shop!’

‘Julian Wood got some information through an informant, but I couldn’t risk their identity being revealed.’

‘Am I in any danger? Will Cole suspect I’m undercover?’

‘Of course not. Look, I can do it if you’re worried.’

‘No,’ she said firmly. ‘We all agreed Cole would be less suspicious about a woman. But I’m really pissed off with you, Mike.’

‘Sorry, I should have told you earlier. I’m . . .’ She got out of the car, slamming the door.

When she got to the shop, she pressed the camera doorbell.

After a few seconds, it buzzed and she walked in.

The interior was very plush, with soft lighting and elegant display cases containing rings, necklaces, bracelets, earrings and watches.

She immediately detected the distinctive odour of cigar smoke.

There was a man matching Cole’s description behind the counter.

‘Good morning. How can I help you?’ he smiled.

‘I’ve got a diamond ring that belonged to my husband’s greatgreat-grandmother. I wanted to enquire about having it cleaned and restored, or possibly having the stone remounted in a new ring.’

‘Are you Mrs Wood?’ he asked.

Jessica looked puzzled. ‘My name is Chapman, Jessica Chapman.’

‘Sorry, my dear. A Mrs Wood called me yesterday saying she wanted an old diamond ring cleaned and restored. I thought you might be her. Do you have the ring with you?’

‘Yes, I do.’ She took the box from her pocket and placed it carefully on the counter.

Cole opened the box and removed the ring, examining it with a jeweller’s loupe. ‘Do you have any provenance for the ring?’ he asked.

‘Unfortunately not.’

‘The hallmark indicates it’s a two-carat diamond, and the ring is twenty-four carat pure gold. It’s definitely Victorian. It’s a very nice piece and will look as good as new when cleaned up. Is it insured?’

‘I’m not sure, to be honest. My husband deals with that sort of stuff.’

‘I’d have to look at it more carefully, but I’d say it’s worth at least forty thousand pounds.’

Jessica gasped, pretending to be surprised. ‘Best I make sure it is insured then.’

‘I can do you a valuation certificate if you like.’

‘Thank you. How much would it cost to have it cleaned?’

‘Forty pounds, which includes a polish. I can’t do it right away, but if you leave it with me, I’ll have it done in a day or two and let you know when it’s ready for collection.

Remounting would be a bit more expensive and take a few weeks.

Honestly, it’s such a lovely, historical piece, I wouldn’t alter it. ’

Jessica heard the door buzz. Cole looked at the CCTV monitor on his side of the counter and pressed the entry button. A man came in and quickly approached the counter. ‘I need to have a word in private, Nat.’

Cole turned to Jessica with an ingratiating smile.

‘Please excuse me for a moment, if you would.’ Jessica saw the man’s face as he walked past her to the rear of the premises, with Cole following behind.

She recognised Christoper Bishop from his most recent criminal record photo.

Jessica got out her phone to text Chapman, pretending to be absorbed by it as she listened to the two men’s conversation.

‘I got a phone call from my neighbour. He said four blokes were at my flat knocking on the door. From how he described them, it’s got to be the old bill.

He said they were now in the back of a big van.

It’s fucking obvious they are after me.’ Bishop sounded very agitated, making it even easier for Jessica to hear.

‘That’s not good.’ Cole sounded worried. ‘We need to go to the warehouse and get the diamonds.’

‘I just had a drive round here, and there’s a van parked down the road. I think it’s the filth. I reckon they must have found Wheeler.’

Jessica sent the text: ‘Bishop here. Knows you’re watching. Come quick!!’

‘Shit. We need to get out of here,’ Cole said.

‘Where the fuck are we going to go, Nat?’

‘We need to get to the Hackney warehouse. We can buy fake passports and get out of the country. Get your cab and meet me out the back. Fucking move it!’

Jessica was still standing by the counter as they returned. Cole picked up the ring put it back in the box, then handed it to her. ‘I’m very sorry, madam. Something’s come up that needs my urgent attention. You’ll have to come back.’ He put his hand on her back, ushering her towards the door.

Once she was outside, Cole locked the door behind her and moved the sign to closed.

She looked across the road and saw Bishop heading towards his car.

She then saw the observation van speeding up the road.

‘Police! Stay where you are!’ Jessica shouted at Bishop.

He froze momentarily before opening the driver’s door of his cab.

She rushed towards him, grabbed the back of his jacket and pulled him into the middle of the street.

As he turned, he slammed the palm of his hand into her chest and she lost her grip on his jacket, nearly losing her balance.

‘Get off me, you fucking bitch!’ Bishop growled with his fist raised. Before he could throw a punch, Jessica kicked him as hard as she could between the legs. He grunted in pain and fell to his knees, clutching his groin. Chapman and DC Bingham quickly grabbed Bishop and handcuffed him.

‘Cole’s gone out the back. Bishop was going to drive round and pick him up,’ Jessica said.

‘Caution him, Andy. I’ll go and get Cole,’ Chapman told Bingham.

‘I’ll help you,’ Taff said, hurrying off with Chapman. As they turned into Hatton Wall, Chapman saw Cole running down the road carrying a shoulder bag. Taff was fast on his feet, quickly caught up with Cole, and rugby-tackled him to the ground.

‘Going anywhere nice?’ Taff grinned.

As Chapman handcuffed Cole, Taff opened the bag, revealing a large amount of cash and various pieces of jewellery. He showed it to Chapman. ‘Good job, Taff. I must say he’s sprightly for his age.’

‘I used to be a fullback,’ Taff said proudly.

Chapman read Cole his rights, arresting him on suspicion of the murder of John Wheeler and conspiracy to commit burglary.

Cole didn’t reply. Chapman handcuffed him and removed his mobile phone from his pocket, then handed it to Taff.

‘Get Guy to have a look,’ he told him. He took Cole’s shop keys from his pocket.

‘We’re going to search your premises,’ he said.

‘You need a warrant to do that,’ Cole said.

‘You’ve been arrested for an indictable offence. That gives us the power to search premises that may hold evidence without a warrant – which is probably every bit of jewellery in your shop.’

Cole laughed. ‘It’s all perfectly legit. I’ve done nothing wrong.’

‘Put this dreamer in the observation van,’ Chapman told the other two officers on the arrest team. He pointed at Bishop. ‘And get him to Barking.’ He went over to talk to Jessica. ‘Are you all right?’

‘I’ll survive. No thanks to you,’ she added tersely.

‘I’m sorry, but I had no idea Bishop was going to turn up. I should have thought of it.’

‘He had his bloody taxicab parked up, for God’s sake. You’re lucky I released my pent-up anger on him, not you,’ she said.

‘I’m sorry . . .’

‘For Christ’s sake, stop apologising. I overheard Bishop say they must have found out about Wheeler. Cole said something about diamonds hidden in a warehouse.’

‘De Klerk has a warehouse in Hackney Wick that Cole has been to.’

‘You’re full of surprises today, aren’t you? How do you know that?’

‘Stubbings was watching De Klerk and saw Cole go there empty-handed and come out with a briefcase.’

‘My God, why didn’t you tell me?’

‘Because I was trying to protect Stubbings as the informant. I thought . . .’