Jane did as she was instructed while Spence headed into the office. She had never told anyone before and she was surprised to find how relieved she felt to have let it all out.

Chapter Three

CHAPTER THREE

Spencer gave Jane a fresh croissant when he came into the office. It had been a week since their confrontation, and they had both made no further mention of what had occurred, but this seemed like some sort of peace offering. Spencer stood next to his desk and looked over to the still-empty one belonging to DI Arnold. Arnold had been released from hospital and they were expecting him to return shortly. Spence gave one of his long sighs as he shrugged his shoulders and sauntered over to Jane’s desk where she was finishing her croissant.

‘I just want something I can get my teeth into, a decent violent crime. When I think of some of the cases I’ve worked on in the past, and the adrenaline buzz they gave me, it just feels like I’ve now got a bloody tedious nine to five job.’

‘Be careful what you wish for, Spence.’

‘You can’t tell me you enjoy working day in and day out on these petty crimes.’

The reality was that Jane had also contemplated requesting a transfer. In the last week she had only been involved in one case, when she had been on nights, involving a club in Cromwell Road.

The club had been reported numerous times for breaching their alcohol licensing regulations by staying open long past their closing time and well into the early hours of the morning. They maintained that they were entitled to do this due to the fact that they were a private members-only club. The complaints had been made by a young woman who rented the flat above the club. When Jane had interviewed her in her flat, the smell of stale alcohol and cigarette smoke was overwhelming. The young woman said she could deal with the smell, but it was the deafening thud of the loud music from the live bands that she couldn’t cope with. Jane had taken a statement and promised that she would contact the council. It turned out that the complainant had been offered alternative accommodation by the club, and Jane suspected that she might be sitting tight in the hope of being offered financial compensation. The case had been transferred to the station’s licensing officer.

The switchboard put a call through to Spencer. He went back to his desk to take the call, introducing himself as Detective Sergeant Spencer Gibbs.

‘Could I just take your name?’ Spencer asked abruptly.

It was a Mrs. Nora Compton, whose address was in the exclusive Onslow Square.

‘If you could just explain the reason for your call.’ He listened as the anxious Mrs. Compton told him about her neighbor downstairs, in the basement flat.

‘Has something happened to your neighbor?’ Spencer asked curtly.