Chapters (81)
- Cover
- About the Author
- Dedication
- Prologue
- 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-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
- Epilogue
- Acknowledgments
- Read More
- Prologue
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Follow Merilyn online
- Dedication
He nodded. ‘I know. And I’m sorry he put you in that position. Do you understand how inappropriate it is for him to request information on the case?’
‘Yes.’
‘He’s using your close relationship to get information he shouldn’t have access to.’
She wanted him to shut up. She got it, she really did.
‘That’s abusing a friendship. That means he’s putting his interests above yours.’
Was he? No, he just wanted to help his wife. That was a normal reaction to have.
‘He should respect your work and not pressure you into saying things you don’t feel comfortable with.’
‘He didn’t.’ But of course, he had.
‘OK.’ Bremer smiled, but a soft smile, not the normal full beam. ‘Have you rung Hampshire Police yet?’
‘No. I was just about to when …’ She stopped.
‘OK, well get on to it now.’
‘Will do.’
When Bremer had gone back to his office, Carla sat very still, trying to detangle her feelings. She was annoyed to have been a pawn in their power struggle; she was annoyed Bremer had seen fit to step in when she could have dealt with it; but mostly she was annoyed Gerry had even come to the office in the first place. Surely he should know it wasn’t on?
Her mobile bleeped. Checking it, she saw a message from Gerry. Sorry.
She stuffed her mobile in her bag, sick of the lot of them, and picked up the phone to Hampshire Police.
Fifty
Hampshire Police gave Carla the phone number for the senior investigating officer in the Waites case. They also told her he’d retired to a village in the Cotswolds, only twenty minutes away from HQ.
‘Mr Eyre? Carla Brown, analyst from Thames Valley Police.’
‘Analyst? They’re getting you to do their work for them now, eh?’ His voice was warm, not chiding, an upper-class accent Carla thought more suited to the military than the police.
‘Mr Eyre—’
‘Call me William.’
‘William, we were wondering if you could come in to speak to us about the Alf Waites murder case you were in charge of back in 1983?’
‘That’s a long time ago, Ms Brown. My memory is about as much use as my waterworks these days.’ He laughed and Carla couldn’t help but join him.
‘Well, we have toilets here, if that helps.’
More chuckling, which turned into a cough. ‘Sorry, lungs took a battering during the 1980s. Forty a day on the crime squad does that, you know.’ His tone became wistful.
‘The Waites case?’
‘Ah yes, sorry job that one.’
‘Could you come in? Say, about midday?’
‘Well, I’ll have to check my schedule. I have an important cribbage match to win.’ He laughed again, awkwardly. ‘But yes, I’ll be in to see you shortly.’