‘The listening device you planted on my desk. I found it. Are you watching me too? I wondered how you knew so much about the case, but you were obviously listening in on the conversations I was having with Kate. Bloody unbelievable.’
‘I have no idea what you found, but I can assure you, it wasn’t me who planted it there. I thought you knew me better than that.’
‘So did I. Well, at least I know now that you will stop at nothing to get a story. I really thought we had overcome a massive hurdle – your little show of popping around my house unannounced all makes sense now.’
‘You need to stop right there before you say something you’re going to regret. I told you before, I have a source and you know that I can’t reveal that source. But here is something I can tell you – even I don’t know who the bloody source is, okay! They just email or phone shit in. All I can say is that the person contacting me is male. If I had any idea that someone planted something in your house, I would have let you know. And you’re the one who told me to stay away; as much as I know you’d like to think you’re irresistible, I’m not going to make an arse out of myself and have you keep pushing me away.’
‘Do you really expect me to believe that? You never asked where your source got the information? The only person who knew I was speaking to Kate was you – in fact, if I recall correctly, you encouraged it. How would anyone know I spoke about the case at home?’ Maggie took a deep breath; she believed Julie was being evasive – telling a half-truth – and wanted to unleash her fury on the journalist, but there was something about her tone that made her hold back. ‘How long have you been receiving these alleged emails and calls then?’ Julie’s answer could salvage what little friendship they had forged.
‘Not long after that kid, Tim, was killed.’
‘And you kept that to yourself? Can you at least share what they said? Are you still getting calls and emails?’
‘One question at a time. Yes, of course I kept it to myself. You know I can’t reveal my sources. No matter what happened between us, that will never change. You can’t play it both ways and expect me to accept work is separate from personal if you aren’t going to, can you? If people can’t trust me to share their information anonymously, they’ll never send me anything. You know what was said anyway – I reported it all on the news. And yes, my source is still in contact – though I suspect that will stop now once they realize that you’ve found their device.’
‘What’s that supposed to mean? You do know I have no choice but to report this to my DS. Like you, I have my own reputation to protect.’ Maggie sighed. Everything had become so complicated.
‘Wait! Can’t you use this to your advantage? And open your eyes, Maggie. Won’t you get in trouble anyway – Kate is not consulting with the police; she’s in Ireland, on leave. So, don’t throw this back on me to protect your Irish rose. Any conversations you are having with her should be at work and recorded, shouldn’t they?’
‘Well … yes. But I don’t see how I can’t share this with Nathan. If he finds out some other way, it will be more trouble on my doorstep.’ Maggie could’ve kicked herself and she hated that Julie was right.
‘I guess. But …’
‘You’re not going to change my mind on this. I’ll just have to deal with the consequences. I know what you’re trying to do.’ Maggie’s stubborn streak prevented her from thanking the journalist, so she reverted to what she knew best.
‘And what exactly is that then?’
‘Manipulate me into keeping the device so you can use it to your advantage. Anyway, like you said, they know I know now … no way of getting around that. Look, I’ve got to go – I need to think about my next move.’
‘Fine. I’ll call you in a few days when you’ve calmed down … we can discuss us then … maybe go for a walk or to the pub?’
‘We’ll see.’ Maggie’s mind was racing. She knew Julie wasn’t at fault; but trouble seemed to follow her, and Maggie couldn’t deal with the aftermath. There were too many complications. ‘I’ll ring you when I can.’
‘I won’t hold my breath.’
Julie Noble ended the call before Maggie could say anything further.
Maggie wandered back downstairs, holding the device with her fingertips in one hand and her phone in the other. She couldn’t decide whether she should let Nathan know now or wait until she saw him tomorrow. Seeing her bag in the hallway, she dug around and found an empty plastic bag. She chucked the device inside, placed it in her bag, and headed to the couch.
Andy was watching a movie and it would be just the thing she needed to distract her.
‘Everything okay?’ He paused the film.
‘It will be. Catch me up on what’s been happening.’
Chapter Sixty-Four
Maggie didn’t stop at her desk when she arrived at Stafford Police Station; instead, she headed straight for Nathan’s office.
‘Morning! What’s up? You look like you’re about to explode.’
Maggie sat and took a few deep breaths before sharing her news. He’d be pissed off and she wanted to be sure she had all her answers at the ready for when he unleashed. ‘I’ve something to tell you and you’re not going to like it.’
‘What have you done now?’ He crossed his arms. That should be Nathan’s catchphrase. When it came to Maggie, he seemed to be saying it a lot.
‘I came across a recording device in my home last night. It was on the bookshelf over my desk.’ Maggie watched his face. Stone cold. Since becoming a DS he had become a master at disguising his feelings. Maggie didn’t like it. ‘You remember how you wondered how Julie Noble was getting her information?’
Nathan leaned forwards. ‘Please don’t say what I think you’re going to say.’
‘Someone placed a listening device in my house … they shared details from the cases with Julie Noble.’
Nathan’s face creased. ‘But why would you be talking to yourself about cases at home? You’ve totally lost me.’
‘I’ve been speaking with Kate about the cases. She’s been helping me with profiles and looking at the persons of interest.’
Nathan pushed his chair out, leant over and rested his head in his hands. He slowly raised his head. ‘Fucksake, Maggie. That’s highly confidential information. What the hell were you thinking?’ She watched him stand and pace the room.
Maggie knew she had put him in a difficult position. If he reported her to DI Rutherford or DCI Meechan, not only could she be disciplined and removed from the case, she was facing a possible suspension. If he didn’t report her and it got out, he’d look like he was playing favourites and could face a warning at best or a demotion if they really wanted to nail him.
‘I’m sorry. In hindsight and given the circumstances now, I know that it was wrong – but it’s not like Kate is just anyone. She’ll be working with us when she returns. To be fair, Julie hasn’t reported a lot of what Kate and I spoke about, so that has to mean something.’
‘Yeah, it means she could be saving it for a massive story – dammit, Maggie! You could … no … you should have done all that here in the office.’ His voice was raised but not so much that their colleagues would overhear. At least he seemed to be weighing his options rather than racing to throw her to the wolves. Nathan sat back down and pulled his chair in. ‘I know we’re all encouraged to think outside the box and use our initiative, but you should have run it all by me first. Where is the device now?’
Maggie lifted up her bag. ‘In here.’
‘I think we may be able to rectify this. But first, I need you to promise me that any further conversations you have with Kate are done on police premises and recorded on our system with the investigation information as every conversation should be. Next, get that device logged into evidence – have them check for prints. Do you still have outside cameras on your property?’
‘No. Once Kate left, they were removed.’
‘Damn. We’ll get forensics over to your house – though it’s unlik
ely we’ll find anything of interest with you and your brother contaminating the scene. Did Julie say who had been sending her the info? We don’t even know how long it has been there or when it was placed.’
Maggie shook her head. She’d only been out of the house a few evenings when her brother was away or working. It could have been any one of those times. She shuddered at the thought that someone could even have entered her home while she was sleeping. ‘Julie claims it was an anonymous source and she wouldn’t reveal it to me anyway.’
‘Okay – go do what I asked and come back to me in an hour or so. I think I might be able to salvage this situation and keep your job in the process.’
Maggie got up. She could see the disappointment etched on Nathan’s face. ‘Thanks, boss. If it’s any consolation, I really am sorry. I never meant for any of this to happen.’
He waved his hand. ‘Don’t go thanking me yet.’
Chapter Sixty-Five
Maggie headed downstairs to the field team offices and explained the situation. She was led into an interview room and smiled at the young PC who sat across from her. ‘I know that it’s unlikely that anything will come about it, but someone was in my home and planted a listening device. In all honesty, I never even noticed that someone had broken in, so not sure what you are likely to pick up.’
‘You said you thought that the device was planted shortly after the murder of Tim Griffiths, which you are currently investigating? Why’s that?’
‘It correlates with information that was passed to the press and reported on. I know I’m being really vague – but I do have to be careful at the minute because of the ongoing investigation. What my DS would like is for forensics to go around and check whether prints or evidence of a break-in can be found.’
‘We can certainly get that organized. Will you be around tonight?’
‘I’ll make sure to be home. I brought the recording device into work and my colleague has had it logged into evidence. By the time I realized that it was related to a possible break-in, I had already handled it.’
‘I’ll note that down. Is there anything else you can think of that we may need to be aware of?’
‘Could all information be passed to DS Nathan Wright in the MOCD?’
‘I’m sure that can be arranged. We’ll get the Neighbourhood Policing Team out to you – I can’t give you an exact time frame but if you’re home after six, that should be fine.’
Maggie thanked the officer and returned to her desk upstairs. Nathan had suggested that, for the time being, she spend the day logging information and going through what they had so far. Maggie thought it was more about keeping an eye on her to make sure there were no other fuck ups while he handled what they discussed. As much as it frustrated her, she did what she was asked for a change. The day dragged.
A half an hour after Maggie had arrived home, there was a knock on the door. She’d wanted to have a look around herself but refrained, as she feared she could compromise any evidence that the police may locate.
She made her way to the front door and welcomed the officers. ‘I’ll keep out of your way and stay in the living room, if you need me for anything.’
‘That would be helpful, DC Jamieson.’ The officer brushed passed her.
‘Please, call me Maggie. No need for formalities – I’m off the clock.’
‘Ah, okay. Can you just point us in the right direction, and we’ll make a start?’
Maggie pointed down the hallway. ‘If you go straight through there, that takes you to the kitchen. There’s a back door which leads out onto the garden. At the bottom of the garden there’s a gate which backs out onto a ravine of sorts. There are woods and paths back there. The kitchen also connects to the dining room where my office space is. It’s nearly an open-plan setting. The device was on the second shelf of the bookcase.’
‘That’s great. Okay, we’ll make a start now and holler if we need you.’
Maggie waited by the door as the officer and forensics team entered. She closed the door after them and went into the living room. Nathan hadn’t come back to her about the Kate situation. She could tell that he would have to be creative in his explanation and hoped that he would be able to smooth things over with Rutherford and Meechan. She hadn’t made her mind up about the DCI yet. After finding out that he was DI Rutherford’s ex-husband, Maggie had asked around to see what people had thought of him. She had received a mixed bag of gossip. She hadn’t always seen eye to eye with her own DI, but underneath it all, she knew that Abigail Rutherford was fair and protective of her team, but she couldn’t say the same about Meechan if the rumours were to be believed. Fellow officers had told her that he was a man out for himself – and looking to progress his way through the ranks by whatever means possible. She also learned that he had apparently started the relationship with DI Rutherford to give him a boost up the ladder and was fast tracked through the ranks. Once he had achieved DI status, the couple separated and divorced shortly after.
She rubbed her hands repeatedly. If DCI Meechan had plans to go higher in the force, she might have to get used to sitting on her couch. Maggie picked up her mobile and scrolled down her contacts. She had left the office while Nathan was still in with their bosses and was growing impatient. If it had been bad news, surely Nathan would have called to give her a heads-up – after all, they were not only colleagues, they had been friends for years. She typed out a brief text and just as she was about to press send, someone from the kitchen called out to her.
‘We found something – you might want to come in here, Maggie!’
Chapter Sixty-Six
Maggie dropped her phone on the couch and raced into the kitchen. One of the forensic officers was standing by the back door and waved her over. ‘See here. Looks like the lock was jimmied. This is quite an old make and easy to break into. You might want to look at replacing it with something more secure.’
Maggie bent down and looked at the scratch marks on the outside door. ‘You’re right. Damn. I meant to change the locks after some trouble awhile back, but instead, my brother just changed and secured the gate at the back. Was that tampered with too?’
‘No, there was an old crate back there which we’re going to take to the lab and examine further, but if I were to guess, I think they used that to hop over the fence. You should consider getting motion lights in the back as well, since that backs out onto a ravine.’
‘Mmmm. Yeah. Another thing I had considered but never acted on.’ She rolled her eyes – security 101 was biting her in her arse. ‘I guess I just became too complacent … Anything else you can tell me?’
‘We’ve got a few prints; your brother will have to supply his, as yours will be on file. We’ll rule those out and then see what we’re left with. We’ll know more when we test everything. Without a timeline we might struggle, though, so don’t get your hopes up.’
Maggie left them to finish what they were doing and returned to the living room, where she picked up her phone and dialled Andy’s number. It went straight to voicemail. ‘Hey. Could you do me a favour and pick up a secure lock for the back door? Looks like we had a break-in, and we’ll need to change the lock. Also, see if you can find any of those motion detector lights for outdoors. I’ll tell you more when you get back, but you’ll have to pop into the police station and get your prints taken tomorrow – so they can rule you out.’
She placed her phone on the table and lay back. Clearly whoever had broken into her house had not done so to steal anything, as nothing was missing. The goal seemed to have been leaving the listening device. She called out to the forensic officer closest to her and motioned her over.
‘Have you found any other devices? Might be worth doing a sweep for those,’ she whispered and immediately felt awkward when she saw the officer’s eyes roll.
‘That’s being looked into as we speak.’ The woman turned and carried on dusting the bookshelf.
Maggie’s mobile buzzed beside her. Looking at the screen, her hand
s shook as she swiped to answer the call. ‘I hope this isn’t bad news.’
‘I’m just checking in – has anything come to light at yours?’ Nathan’s voice sounded upbeat, so perhaps Maggie was overreacting, and he had managed to smooth things over. She relayed the information she knew.
‘They won’t know any more than that until the results come back, but if it wasn’t Julie who placed the device – and regardless of what she said, I still haven’t ruled her out – then who could it be? The killer? Seems a bit over the top to bug my house on the hope that I would disclose information, doesn’t it? They would know everything and could pass it on without using me as a source.’
‘It does. Maybe someone following the case, wanting to make a name for themselves?’ Nathan offered.
‘I guess that’s a possibility too. So … er … what happened with the guv and Meechan?’ Maggie knew if she didn’t ask, she wouldn’t get any sleep tonight wondering.
‘For now – everything’s fine. But I have to go over a few things with you when you’re in. Don’t ask for any more than that, as I’m shattered. I just wanted to make sure everything was okay at your place.’
‘Thanks. I’ve asked Andy to bring back some things to secure my house – so at least if the person tries again, it will be tougher for them.’
‘Good. Okay. I’ve got to go now. See you tomorrow.’
The call ended and Maggie sighed. She thought back to the conversation and guessed that some measures would be put in place to make sure that from here on in, she followed procedure – she knew the rules were there for a reason, but she was known to get creative in her career and still get results. She had always been given some leeway because her conviction rate was excellent. However, this could also put Kate’s career with the MOCD in jeopardy upon her return, and it was one thing to screw up her own opportunities, but she wouldn’t mess with another’s.
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