Page 11 of The Scene of the Crime

‘A week from Monday, ma’am.’

Williams looked pleased. ‘I’ll fast-track the transfer process then.’

Jessica was on the point of asking who the other members of the MSCAN team would be, but then realised, as Williams hadn’t mentioned it, a final decision might not have been made.

‘Now, Jordan, my PA, has organised a car to take us to Lambeth so you can see your new offices and laboratory facilities.’

* * *

The drive to the Metropolitan Police Forensics Laboratories took about ten minutes, and when they arrived Williams took Jessica to the fourth floor. ‘Have you been here before?’ Williams asked.

‘No, it’s my first time. We used different forensic labs for submissions in Kent.’

They stopped by a door with a ‘Murder and Serious Crime Analysis Unit’ plaque. Williams pressed 1066 on the numberentry lock, opened the door and stepped to one side. ‘After you, and welcome to your new home from home.’

As Jessica entered, she was impressed by the size and layout of the room. There were three large desks, each with a mini computer, monitor and iPad Pros for use at crime scenes. Beside the desks were silver crime scene cases with MSCAN embossed on them. There was a large TV screen on one wall linked to a laptop on a table below it, and along one wall were cabinets containing much of the equipment they would need. Williams opened one of them, containing an array of brand-new fingerprint and footprint recovery equipment and a variety of crime scene torches.

‘This is unbelievable. It’s way more than I was expecting,’ Jessica said, wide-eyed.

‘You and your team can sort things out as you want them. Crime scene vehicles will also be provided, but if you need anything else, equipment-wise, let me know.’

‘Do we have access to the Home Office Large Major Enquiry System?’ Jessica asked.

She was referring to the computer database known as HOLMES, designed to aid the investigation into large-scale enquiries and used by police to collate and cross-reference all the information gathered in a major crime investigation.

‘Unfortunately, the answer is no, as none of your team will be authorised users. It can only be operated by trained personnel in the Homicide and Major Investigation team offices.’ Williams pointed to a glass partitioned room with the blinds down. ‘Your office. Take a look.’

Jessica opened the door. As she looked for the light switch, she jumped back as Taff and Diane suddenly appeared from behind the door.

‘Your team and I thought we’d organise a little surprise for you,’ Williams said, grinning.

‘Thank you. I can’t tell you how much it means to have these two working with me,’ Jessica said, embracing them.

‘We don’t work with you, we work for you . . . boss,’ Taff replied, and they all laughed.

Jessica looked around the room, which was furnished in a similar style to Williams’s office but with different coloured furniture. She noticed a bottle of champagne, with four glasses on her desk, along with a cake with ‘Congratulations’ written on it.

‘Time for a toast,’ Williams said. ‘You do the honours, Taff.’

‘And don’t spill any,’ Diane added as she picked up a knife to cut the cake. ‘We’ve got our own lab next door, Jess . . . you’ll be blown away when you see it. There’s state of the art DNA extractors, microscopes, superglue chambers, light sourcing . . . you name it.’

‘It must have cost a bloody fortune,’ Taff remarked as he handed them each a glass of champagne.

‘It did, and I’m counting on you all to prove it was worth every penny,’ Williams said, raising her glass.

‘Cheers. We’ll do our best,’ Jessica said.

‘Do the detectives on the Murder and Serious Crime teams know about MSCAN and what we will be doing?’ Taff asked after he’d swallowed a mouthful of champagne.

‘I’ve issued a circular and spoken with the senior investigators who lead each team,’ Williams told them. ‘They will brief their officers and civilian staff, so they won’t be surprised when you arrive at a crime scene. Given that you’re a small unit, attending every major crime scene in London is impossible unless you work around the clock. I believe your investigative skills are best utilised in the most serious crimes. Therefore, I have instructed all the senior investigating officers that MSCAN’s assistance should only be requested for Category A and B homicides and major crime investigations.’

‘That makes sense,’ Jessica said.

‘You’ll still have a heavy workload,’ Williams added.

‘We are all up for the challenge and can’t wait for our first case,’ Jessica replied confidently.

Diane raised her glass. ‘I’ll drink to that.’