Page 137 of The Scene of the Crime

‘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 . . .’

‘I don’t want to hear anymore,’ she said, holding her hand up.

‘I’ll be back in a minute,’ he said.

Chapman got in the back of the observation van where a sullen-looking Cole was waiting to be taken back to the station. ‘Do you know Johan De Klerk?’

‘I’m not saying anything until I speak with a solicitor.’

Chapman lifted a bench seat and removed an exhibit bag and crime scene shoe covers from the storage box. ‘I want your shoes. You can wear these covers until you get to the station, where you’ll be given some prisoner’s plimsolls.’ Cole didn’t move. ‘I can get my colleagues to hold you down while I rip them off your feet, or you can do it yourself. The choice is yours.’ Cole sullenly complied, and Chapman put the shoes in the exhibit bag. ‘You’re in some deep shit, Cole, and you’d better hope your pal Bishop doesn’t drop you further in it. I’ll be interviewing you later, so I’ll let you know what he says,’ Chapman added, enjoying the worried look on Cole’s face.

He gave the shoes to Taff, then went and spoke with Bishop and asked if he knew Johan De Klerk. ‘Never heard of him,’ Bishop replied.

‘I’ve just spoken to your friend Cole, who was very cooperative. We can now put you in Wheeler’s flat the night he was murdered, which means you could be going to prison for a long time, Christopher.’

‘I don’t believe you. Nat wouldn’t say anything like that because it’s not true.’

‘Tying Wheeler up, then putting tape across his mouth so he couldn’t scream when you tortured him with a cigar sickened me, so God knows what a jury will think.’

‘Nat’s lying to save his skin. I wasn’t there when he did that.’

‘So, you do know what I’m talking about?’ Chapman grinned, realising Bishop was not the sharpest tool in the box.

Bishop looked flustered. ‘I heard Nat talking to someone else about it . . .’

‘That’s crap. I also know about the warehouse you were going to take him to so you could get the diamonds,’ Chapman said.

‘He’s lying. He asked me to take him to a customer to deliver some jewellery.’

‘If I were you, I’d stop playing games and have a long hard think about what else Cole might tell me before I interview you.’ Chapman started to walk away.

Bishop looked as if he was hyperventilating. ‘Wait! Cole made me go to Wheeler’s with him as a bit of muscle. It was him that tortured the poor bloke, not me. I’m not a violent person . . .’

‘You were about to punch my colleague before she kicked you in the nuts.’

‘Come on! I just wanted her to back off so I could get in the cab,’ he replied, looking more freaked out.

‘Where’s the warehouse? Do you have a key for it?’

Bishop was struggling for breath. ‘I don’t know anything, honest, I just drive Cole around, I swear on my kids’ life.’