Page 57 of The Scene of the Crime

‘When?’

‘After we left the pub. He told me it was bugging him, and he wanted to know what the engraving was before going home. You know he’s like a dog with a bone sometimes.’

‘Can you call him and tell him about the leak? I think I might have to put my head down.’

‘No problem. And I’ll ask him if he’s had any joy with the lighter.’ She wasn’t looking forward to the meeting about the press leak and worried that Anderson would be antagonistic andaccusatory towards everyone. She felt it could have an adverse effect and lead to distrust among the team, especially if one of them had leaked the information to the press. Jessica hoped it wasn’t, as there were also uniformed officers and an ambulance crew who were aware that De Klerk was stabbed and his Rolex stolen. In some ways, she felt sorry for Anderson. Williams would have been livid and reprimanded him, which, with all the pressure he was under, was not good for his state of mind. If his wife was a controlling woman, the comfort of a loving home and place to retreat from the pressures of work might not be available to him. ‘Fingers crossed,’ she said. ‘And then get some sleep yourself, Di. I think tomorrow might be a challenging day.’

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Arriving at the Barking homicide offices, Jessica couldn’t help noticing how few cars were there, and Anderson and Chapman’s reserved bays were empty. Heading up the stairs, she assumed Chapman must be running late. Entering the main office, she only saw a handful of detectives and civilian staff, and they all looked exhausted. She noticed DC Bingham at his desk, his head drooping while typing on his computer.

‘Good morning, DC Bingham. A bit like the calm before the storm in here,’ Jessica said with a smile, referring to the upcoming meeting with Anderson.

He slowly turned and looked up at her with glazed, bloodshot eyes. ‘Sorry, I missed that.’

‘It was nothing. How are you today?’

‘I’m knackered. I had to organise the office call centre and prioritise the information we’ve received since the press release. It’s been chaos here . . . the phones were ringing non-stop until early this morning. I haven’t even been home yet.’

‘Why not?’

‘We got some good information through Crime Stoppers just before midnight. Anderson was like a rat up a drainpipe when I told him about it and told me to get a search warrant pronto. The local magistrate was not happy about being woken up at two a.m., I can tell you. Anderson called Chapman and the rest of the team in for a six a.m. briefing and didn’t divulge the addressuntil just before they all left, about thirty minutes ago, to set up observation on the premises.’ Bingham yawned. ‘Sorry.’

‘Well, that explains why the office is so empty. How long are they going to observe the premises for?’

‘They’re not. Anderson ignored Chapman’s advice. He ordered a rapid entry and arrest, which is a bit foolhardy if you ask me.’

‘Did he say anything about doing a full forensic search?’ Jessica asked, surprised she hadn’t been informed.

Bingham shook his head. ‘Anderson wants everything kept in-house for now. DI Chapman did suggest you attend, but Anderson said he’d call you if needed. He’s desperate to cover himself in glory. The problem is, if this all goes pear-shaped, he’ll only have himself to blame.’

‘Can you give me any details at all? I want my team to be prepared if Anderson calls me.’

Bingham looked around before lowering his voice. ‘You didn’t hear this from me. The suspect’s name is Liam. We don’t have a surname yet. He’s white, in his mid-twenties, about five feet ten and bald. The informant said the suspect was trying to sell a Rolex watch to him in a local pub on Monday evening and might live in Winston Brown’s flat at John Walsh Tower in Leytonstone. Council said a fifty-year-old black male called Winston Brown lives on the fourteenth floor, but Anderson reckons the suspect could be living there now.’

‘Is the flat near where the burnt-out car was recovered?’

‘Yes, about eight minutes in a car, thirty on foot. Please don’t go, or Anderson will know I gave you the details.’

‘I won’t unless he specifically requests our presence. Is Dawn Owens with the search team?’

‘No. Anderson told her to keep the appointment with Mrs De Klerk, get a statement, and tell her he couldn’t be there because he was executing a search warrant based on a tip-off.’

‘She’ll want to know more than that. Is Dawn going to tell her everything?’

‘I don’t know, but I guess she might have to.’

‘It won’t look good if the information turns out to be false,’ Jessica commented.

‘Well, I hope the info does turn up trumps as we all want a successful result, but I’ve no sympathy for Anderson if it doesn’t.’ It was clear to Jessica that DC Bingham didn’t think much of Anderson, which made her wonder if he was the source of the leak.

Jessica called Diane at the MSCAN office. She didn’t want to betray Bingham’s trust, so she just told Diane that Anderson had received anonymous information about a possible suspect and was executing a search warrant with his team.

‘That’s good news. Do you want me and Taff to go to the address?’ Diane asked.

‘I don’t know any more than I just told you. Anderson is worried about another leak and only gave his team the details at the last minute.’

‘Why weren’t we asked to assist with the search? There could be forensic opportunities at the address they might miss or fail to consider,’ Diane said, clearly irritated.