Contents ( 83)
- ONE
- TWO
- THREE
- FOUR
- FIVE
- SIX
- SEVEN
- EIGHT
- NINE
- TEN
- ELEVEN
- TWELVE
- THIRTEEN
- FOURTEEN
- FIFTEEN
- SIXTEEN
- SEVENTEEN
- EIGHTEEN
- NINETEEN
- TWENTY
- TWENTY-ONE
- TWENTY-TWO
- TWENTY-THREE
- TWENTY-FOUR
- TWENTY-FIVE
- TWENTY-SIX
- TWENTY-SEVEN
- TWENTY-EIGHT
- TWENTY-NINE
- THIRTY
- THIRTY-ONE
- THIRTY-TWO
- THIRTY-THREE
- THIRTY-FOUR
- THIRTY-FIVE
- THIRTY-SIX
- THIRTY-SEVEN
- THIRTY-EIGHT
- THIRTY-NINE
- FORTY
- FORTY-ONE
- FORTY-TWO
- FORTY-THREE
- FORTY-THREE
- FORTY-FOUR
- FORTY-FIVE
- FORTY-SIX
- FORTY-SEVEN
- FORTY-EIGHT
- FORTY-NINE
- FIFTY
- FIFTY-ONE
- FIFTY-TWO
- FIFTY-THREE
- FIFTY-FOUR
- FIFTY-FIVE
- FIFTY-SIX
- FIFTY-SEVEN
- FIFTY-EIGHT
- FIFTY-NINE
- SIXTY
- SIXTY-ONE
- SIXTY-TWO
- SIXTY-THREE
- SIXTY-FOUR
- SIXTY-FIVE
- SIXTY-SIX
- SIXTY-SEVEN
- SIXTY-EIGHT
- SIXTY-NINE
- SEVENTY
- SEVENTY-ONE
- SEVENTY-TWO
- SEVENTY-THREE
- SEVENTY-FOUR
- SEVENTY-FIVE
- SEVENTY-SIX
- SEVENTY-SEVEN
- SEVENTY-EIGHT
- SEVENTY-NINE
- Acknowledgements
- OUT NOW IN PAPERBACK
‘Why so urgent?’
‘Because Terry Colliver’s due to give evidence tomorrow. And if we’re not allowed to attack O’Driscoll by the time Colliver gets in that box, well, I don’t fancy our chances long term.’
‘No pressure then.’ Draper got to her feet and gently placed her hand on Michael’s shoulder. ‘I’ll get him on board, Michael. Whatever it takes.’
Draper removed her hand with a final smile, turned and headed for the Bar Mess doors and the elevators that would take her to the Old Bailey’s basement level.
You’d better, Michael thought as he watched Draper walk away. Because if you don’t, this is over.
FORTY-NINE
The office of Chief Superintendent David Rogers was on the same corridor as Levy’s, but that was as far as the similarities went. It was at least four times the size. Similar, Levy thought, to the room in which Leon Ferris had died.
In an era of police budgetary cutbacks and at a time when a unit as vital as MIT One was undermanned by almost half, no expense had been spared on Rogers’ accommodation.
The desk was larger than any one man could need. It always reminded Levy of her time in Israel and of the tables wide enough to hold a detailed map ahead of military operations. Their size was necessary; they served a purpose. All Rogers’ desk served was the man’s ego.
‘Take a seat, Joelle. Steven.’
Rogers spoke without looking up. Levy and Hale had stood to attention in front of the desk. Rogers had let them stay that way for almost thirty seconds. An indication of his mood.
As if it was needed.
Levy took the right-hand seat. Hale the left. Both looked towards Rogers. He was pointedly completing paperwork; he did not glance up from the page. A demonstration of relative importance.
It was lost on both Levy and Hale. Both were long past caring.
To Rogers’ right was Superintendent Carol Walker. Rogers’ immediate subordinate and Levy’s immediate boss. Walker sat bolt upright in her chair. Two feet back from the desk. Her eyes fixed on Levy and Hale. If Rogers had not been present then Walker would have chaired the meeting. Today she had to defer to his greater rank. Levy could tell that it bothered her. Walker was itching to speak.
Rogers concluded his paperwork and took his time to carefully sign his name, doing so with a flourish. Next he held up the page and blew lightly on the wet ink, to dry it without causing the lines to streak. Rogers took his time. A message to everyone in the room. Confirmation of where the power sat.
Finally he placed the paper down, put his hands together and looked directly at Levy.
‘So, Joelle. How do you propose we deal with yesterday’s debacles?’
Straight to the point. Rogers was a politician to the public and to the press. But in here he was a police officer, getting to the heart of a problem.
‘I don’t see either incident as a debacle, sir.’ Levy met Rogers’ straight talking with some of her own. ‘Yesterday’s operations may not have resulted in arrests that benefited our investigations, but they were both successful in other respects.’