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
‘Good,’ Levy said grimly. ‘In which case we’re joining the investigations. This is now one case. With one suspect. Karl Hirst. And I want every resource we have hunting that bastard down.’
Hale felt a mix of disappointment and relief. The turn of events had taken away his lead role in the Ferris case. A step back professionally. But it was the right decision, he realised. And it might have saved him from a case he could not crack.
‘So what do you want me to concentrate on?’ he asked. ‘Shall I liaise with PR and prepare an announcement on Hirst?’
‘No,’ Levy replied. ‘I’ve already put Tom Chadwick on that. I’ve got something else for you.’
‘Has any attempt been made to contact her?’ Hale asked.
Hale and Levy were still in Derek Reid’s kitchen, but now alone. Nathan Benson had left. Thomas Chadwick had returned to Scotland Yard. Michael was in one of Reid’s upstairs bathrooms, washing off the emotions of the last few hours. And Sarah was in Reid’s garden, speaking to Anne Flaherty on her phone.
The lighter numbers were necessary; the subject was delicate.
‘She’s been spoken to,’ Levy replied. ‘And I’ve arranged for two officers from the Greater Manchester Police to meet her from work and escort her back to her home address.’
‘Surely that’s enough protection? I mean, do we think Tina Barker is really a likely target?’
‘I think she’s the only target left, other than Michael Devlin. Hirst will have to have pulled off a miracle to find out the new identity she was given after his trial, but it’s not beyond the realms of possibility.
‘Where she is, covered by the Manchester Police? They’re perfectly good, I’m sure, but they’re not us, and with how this has gone so far I’m not willing to trust anyone who isn’t us. Shit, after the miss on Blunt’s past, I’m not sure my trust goes even that far.
‘That’s why I’m sending you, Steve. I can’t risk a cock-up, not from Manchester and not from any of our team. And I won’t be satisfied until we have Tina Barker in a Met safe house where a bloody army couldn’t get to her. Do you understand that?’
‘Yeah. I get it.’ This time Hale was not just submitting to the inevitable. He could see Levy’s reasoning. Enough people had died.
‘So what do you want me to do?’
‘I want you to get yourself up there. Tonight. Meet the Manchester team, take custody of Tina Barker and bring her back to London. I want everyone under our umbrella and, when they are, we’re going after the piece of shit with everything we’ve got.’
FIFTY-EIGHT
‘Do you know where we’ll be going yet?’
Sarah was sitting on a heavy metal chair. One of the six that matched the intricately decorated iron table at the centre of Derek Reid’s garden patio. The garden itself resembled Sarah’s own. It was unsurprising considering that Michael had designed them both.