‘Thank you, Miss Cosgrove. If you think of anything please call me at this number.’ Archer hands her a contact card.

Quinn has finished his call. ‘That was DCI Pierce. She wants us both back at the nick now.’

Archer feels a tightening in her chest. It’s not going to be easy working with DI Rees’s colleagues. It’s going to be even harder working with the fearsome DCI Clare Pierce, Archer’s new boss and the woman with whom Rees was allegedly having an affair.

Chapter 4

4

THE THIRD FLOOR OF CHARING Cross Police Station is a large, busy, open-plan space that has also benefited from the refurbishment budget. The walls are painted a modern pale grey, the wood finish on the windows and skirting boards a matt white. Rows of computer monitors light up the interior. DI Andy Rees’s arrest exposed a bent copper within senior police ranks. Archer wonders if a complete facelift can cover up the corruption that has gone before.

Archer allows Quinn to take the lead. They stop at an office where a uniformed sergeant is seated at a desk, piled with files and paperwork.

‘Sergeant Mark Beattie. This is Detective Inspector Grace Archer.’

Beattie, a tall man with a hooked nose and spiky salt-and-pepper hair, shakes Archer’s hand and appraises her with curious eyes buried under bushy grey brows. ‘Welcome, DI Archer.’

‘Mark looks after staffing for investigations as well as managing day-to-day activities for the response teams. He has many more strings to his bow, as you will discover. We’d be lost without him.’

‘I remember your father. He was a fine detective,’ says Beattie.

‘Thank you, Sergeant Beattie.’

‘Call me Mark. Seems like you’ve landed quite a humdinger on your first day. DCI Pierce may want to—’

Quinn interrupts, ‘Yeah, Pierce will want us to sort it out this morning.’

Both men look at Archer and then exchange a look, which quietly vexes her.

‘What does that mean?’ she asks.

At that same moment Quinn looks behind her, with hooded eyes. She turns to see DI Rodney Hicks enter the office. Hicks was thick as thieves with Andy Rees. They worked closely on many investigations and socialised together with their wives and families.

Hicks raises his eyebrows at Archer. ‘Well, if it isn’t Detective Inspector Archer, no less. Come to arrest someone else today?’

‘Give it a rest, Rod,’ says Beattie.

Hicks raises his hand and slaps his temple. ‘Oh wait . . . you’re taking over from Andy. Now I remember.’

Archer grits her teeth, but doesn’t take the bait.

‘Good luck with that,’ grins Hicks and strolls by leaving behind a bitter funk of dry sweat mingled with a sharp budget deodorant.

‘Ignore him,’ says Quinn.

‘I expected it,’ she replies.

Beattie interjects, ‘I’ve pulled together a small team to get you going, ma’am. When DCI Pierce gets back from her meeting we can ask for more resources.’