BooksBarbecue
Back Found Save as PDF
Chapters (62)
  1. Title
  2. Copyright
  3. Contents
  4. About the Author
  5. About the Book
  6. Dedication
  7. Your Worst Nightmare
  8. ONE
  9. TWO
  10. THREE
  11. FOUR
  12. FIVE
  13. SIX
  14. SEVEN
  15. EIGHT
  16. NINE
  17. The Answer to All Your Prayers
  18. TEN
  19. ELEVEN
  20. TWELVE
  21. THIRTEEN
  22. FOURTEEN
  23. FIFTEEN
  24. SIXTEEN
  25. SEVENTEEN
  26. EIGHTEEN
  27. NINETEEN
  28. TWENTY
  29. TWENTY-ONE
  30. TWENTY-TWO
  31. TWENTY-THREE
  32. TWENTY-FOUR
  33. TWENTY-FIVE
  34. TWENTY-SIX
  35. TWENTY-SEVEN
  36. TWENTY-EIGHT
  37. TWENTY-NINE
  38. THIRTY
  39. THIRTY-ONE
  40. Somebody Else’s Child
  41. THIRTY-TWO
  42. THIRTY-THREE
  43. THIRTY-FOUR
  44. THIRTY-FIVE
  45. THIRTY-SIX
  46. THIRTY-SEVEN
  47. THIRTY-EIGHT
  48. THIRTY-NINE
  49. FORTY
  50. FORTY-ONE
  51. FORTY-TWO
  52. FORTY-THREE
  53. FORTY-FOUR
  54. FORTY-FIVE
  55. FORTY-SIX
  56. FORTY-SEVEN
  57. FORTY-EIGHT
  58. FORTY-NINE
  59. Sunlight on Water
  60. July
  61. September
  62. Acknowledgements

‘Something’s niggling you.’

‘It’s a tiny, tiny niggle.’ Naylor shows a minute gap between her finger and thumb-pad. ‘So tiny, I don’t even know what it is.’

‘Heads up, people!’

Campbell breezes into the incident room in a white shirt straight off the hanger from an ironing service, with an air of excitement about him which can only mean he’s been speaking to the Chief Constable. Officers end calls and sign off keyboards.

Naylor notices Campbell do a quick eyeball of the biscuit tin, which Rose has only moments before refilled with shortbread fingers.

‘OK, so I regret to say we’re having an immediate change of priorities.’ There’s an undertone of a groan around the room. Naylor and Hagen’s eyes meet. Campbell’s upbeat attitude suggests an increase in workload, and has all the hallmarks of a paid-overtime authorisation. ‘In the absence of solid leads on the Ferrers case, the CC has asked for a diversion of resources – temporary only, I’m pleased to say – on to the Foxley Wood Road shooting. It’s a high-priority case as we all know, and we’re looking for a quick result. There’s an immediate cancellation of all non-essential leave and authorisation for paid overtime, so if you want to bank some cash for Christmas, now’s your chance.’

Ian Austin – a recently married DC – is scowling.

‘What about my holiday, Sir?’ he asks. ‘I’m booked to fly in two days’ time, and my missus will start divorce proceedings if I can’t go.’

‘She’d be doing that anyway, if she’d any sense,’ chips in Dallabrida.

‘You’d better go,’ says Campbell, and Austin grins. ‘We don’t need any more blood spilled on our patch, do we?’

It’s one of Campbell’s favourite gags, and they all dutifully smile.

‘What about the leads we have got on the Ferrers case, Sir?’ asks Hagen. ‘Can we keep someone going on those? I don’t think we should just drop everything. We’ve got Evan booked in for another interview this afternoon.’

‘That should go ahead, of course,’ says Campbell. ‘Naylor, you handle that with Rose.’ He looks around the room. ‘Anyone got anything else? If so, pass it on to Hagen. Bradley, you run with the loose ends for a couple of days, and if there’s nothing new, we’ll have to wind it down, at least for the time being.’

‘And what if we get anything new from Evan?’ asks Naylor. ‘If we finally get him to open up?’

‘That would put a different face on it, of course,’ says Campbell. ‘But if he still won’t talk and we’ve nothing solid by the end of the week, we’ve other high-priority cases we need to focus on. We all know how it is. Resources are tight.’