‘Well, he’s not losing his marbles, as he seems pretty switched on. The way he looked at me when I suggested that perhaps he needed to trust the detective work to me: it was as if he wanted me out of the way because he’s hiding something possibly illegal. I’ve never felt that from a colleague before. Apart from my last case in London.’

‘You’ve got to report it.’

‘Who to? One of his mates at HQ? Or take your pick of sixty-year-old white males he plays golf with.’

‘So, if Ormond has an illegal motive, what might that be?’

‘Hmm, illegal gain out of skewing a major murder investigation…’ She thought aloud. ‘Money, a cover-up, or he’s bent.’

‘What would he be covering up?’

‘Previous, as in something that the case has flagged up; or current, as in the fact that he’s promised Thomas Watson he’ll get answers. Emotions: they fuck most things up.’

‘What other cases does this possibly link to?’

‘Drugs?’

‘Your gut?’ he asked.

‘When I was in London, the coppers I saw busted for being bent, and on the take, were the ones no one suspected. But I’m on shaky ground here. I need to look into it. It’s unusual behaviour for a senior officer with so much experience. I need to dig into his past, and see what motivates him.’

‘Another investigation to add to your list?’

‘I know, it sounds crazy. But he knows that I’m unhappy, and I’m annoyed with myself for letting on.’

‘You couldn’t help it: it was your natural response to him being a muppet.’

‘Exactly. The way he reacted when I confronted him says it all. He immediately shut it down. He knows I know, and I reckon he’s going to try to get rid of me. He’s never waded into one of my investigations before, apart from to authorise Armed Response or get a last-minute warrant. Never. And him being pals with Thomas Watson isn’t enough in my mind to take such risks.’

Johnny stroked her arm. They didn’t need to speak any more. Tonight, she could switch off and allow herself to be taken care of. Tomorrow she’d dig into Ormond and look a little closer at Will and Liam’s career paths. For the first time since she’d left London, she was fearful for her reputation and her job. She was used to searching for bastards, but not in her own back yard.

Chapter 24