‘Get to the point and don’t give me all the Sherlock Holmes shit!’

‘Someone changed the Heineken barrel and it hasn’t been used, until now. It would explain why Fiona Simpson went down the cellar, but not if she fell or was pushed on her way back up.’

‘Show me the body,’ Murphy said.

‘My pleasure, sir.’

Lawrence showed Murphy the body and repeated his and Jane’s observations.

‘The bottom line is you don’t know how she died?’ Murphy asked, leading the way back up to the bar.

‘Correct. However, my advice would be to secure the scene, remove the body to the mortuary and have a post mortem this afternoon. If the pathologist finds any sign of a struggle, or contentious injuries, then the coroner will decide if a suspicious death or murder investigation is required.’

‘OK, arrange for the PM and finish what you need to do here.’

‘Will you be attending?’ Lawrence asked.

‘No . . .’

‘May I?’ Jane asked.

Murphy glared at her. ‘Not unless you’d like an instant transfer back to division?’

‘What do you mean, sir?’

‘The Flying Squad don’t deal with suspicious deaths or murder. Division can deal with it and inform me of the PM result.’

‘But one of our suspects might have pushed her.’

‘Right now, you’re pushing me to the limit, Tennison. I had the duty inspector on the phone to me at home last night, about a Mr Jones who made an official complaint about you and Teflon interviewing his daughter without his permission.’

‘She’s seventeen, and legally an adult.’

‘I don’t give a toss what age she is – I specifically told you not to speak to her and you disobeyed me. I want you and Teflon to go back to the office right now.’

He marched off, and Lawrence could tell Jane felt she’d been deliberately humiliated in front of him.

‘Ignore him, Jane, he’s always been an overbearing twat.’

Jane sighed heavily. ‘He’s been on my case since day one and is determined to get rid of me. He told me I was only transferred to the squad as an experiment.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘I’ll tell you later. Is it OK to ring you at home this evening?’

‘You know you can call me any time, day or night. But the best way to shove two fingers up at Murphy is to do what you do best – and that’s being a damn good detective.’

‘I’m trying, Paul. Believe me, I’m trying.’

Chapter Twenty-Eight

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Jane was still preoccupied by Murphy’s dressing-down as Teflon drove back to Rigg Approach.

‘That’s what he must have had the hump about when he spoke to Cam this morning.’

‘Murphy bent my ear before he spoke to you in the pub.’

‘I hope you told him it was my fault.’