by Pete Adams
‘Now you, Inspector,’ and so the nurse examined Jack’s wound, hummed and aaahed and made faces at Meesh, inviting the inquisitive child to look; it was all getting to be a big game, and at Jack’s expense.
‘Okay, let’s get this done, shall we,’ Jack said.
‘Ooooh, who’s a grumpy old man?’ the nurse replied.
‘Jack,’ Meesh exclaimed through wrinkled lips, a hint of concern.
‘Shall we give him a needle, Meesh?’
‘Yeah,’ cautiously enthusiastic.
‘Ah, I’m not good with needles can we just glue it?’
‘Don’t be a baby, you’ll just feel a little prick.’
‘That’s what I told his girlfriend,’ Jackie rejoined. The nurse chuckled, Meesh's wrinkled lips returned.
Jack accidentally saw the needle and when he came round he was in a wheelchair with an all enveloping, swami bandage around his head. Meesh smiled hesitantly. Jack put on what he thought was his reassuringly relaxed face, as it looked like she’d had a fright when he fainted.
‘All done, Mr Austin, we do recommend you stay overnight, so we can keep an eye on you, especially after last time.’
‘No chance, luv, I have to get back to the station.’
‘What about me?’
He carefully smoothed the top of Meesh’s head, ‘You, me, and Phil, are going to watch Mandy on telly,’ and Meesh jumped off the exam couch and grabbed Jack’s hand.
The press room was full, this was becoming a big story, and not just Pugwash, which Mandy had been briefed to avoid. A cacophony of clicks and whirrs greeted her as she appeared, flanked by Commander Manners and Spotty.
Mandy started, ‘I will brief you on the latest developments and allow a few questions.’ Spotty looked annoyed, he wanted to say this, but snapped his head back to the front; Mandy was speaking again. ‘A man has been arrested regarding the murder of Detective Sergeant Brian Smith and a woman, as yet unidentified. We have charged a number of individuals with aiding and abetting a murder suspect, holding people against their will, assault and rape, assaults on minors, as well as assaults on police officers. They are being held on remand, no bail requested or granted.’
Spotty jumped in, ‘We will take a few questions,’ Mandy ignored his victory smile.
‘Superintendent, is the man you have arrested a serving policeman?’
‘We’re not ready to release that information.’
‘Can you confirm if that man is being questioned regarding conspiracy charges?’
A stern, poker face, ‘I have told you our line of questioning,’ and she thought back to what Jack had been muttering in the ambulance.
Spotty called on Bernie, ‘Can you tell us if Inspector Austin was involved in the arrests?’
‘Yes. He was unfortunately injured and is at the hospital now.’
‘How serious, Superintendent?’
‘A bash on the head, so we’re not overly worried,’ general laughter; Mandy made to stand but there was a call from the floor and Spotty nodded to the BBC.
‘Commander, can you confirm Inspector Austin is to face a disciplinary tribunal, and do you have a date for that?’
The Commander shrugged his shoulders to Mandy, ‘I can confirm the Chairman of the Community Policing Committee has made some serious allegations, insisting Inspector Austin be made to account for his actions at a tribunal.’
‘Can you tell us when, and what you think about this?’
He looked at Mandy again, before returning to face the press, ‘A date will be set in the next few days, and I am always saddened when questions are raised about the conduct of a fellow police officer,’ he stood, and Spotty called the end.
Jack, watching the TV with Meesh and Jackie, ignored the salient content of the briefing, because he’d noticed Mandy had changed her stockings. She must keep spares in her drawers, and he laughed to himself, drawers, blimey, I must remember that, Mandy will love it.
Thirty-Three
Jackie left with Meesh, and Jack was driven back to Kingston Police station by two unhappy uniforms who felt Jack had hijacked their patrol car from the hospital entrance. He had, of course, but nicely, he thought.
Barney manned the station desk, ‘Barney, your family they are well?’ Jack made his entrance.
‘Tolerably well, thank you, Jane.’
‘Have you got some atom bomb Paracetamol, I’ve got a blinder.’
‘I’m not surprised, great bandage,’ Barney laughed.
‘I think the nurse was having a tin-barf, Barney.’
‘She won then.’
‘Atom bombs?’
‘I’ll bring them up, but it’s not exactly serene up there.’
Jack plodded the staircase, and as he approached the top he saw Mandy’s legs, eyed the length of her body through the last few steps, ‘Blimey, darlin’, d’you live on this landing?’
She opened her arms, ‘Come here, you old soldier, come to Mama,’ and he went to her and they hugged in that very comfortable silence he noticed had developed lunchtime; what did that mean? She moulded her body to his and it felt good; something not missed by Mandy.
He whispered in her ear, ‘You were good on the telly, Ma’am.’
‘Mmmm,’ she replied, and they made for the CP door, this time Mandy squashed beside Jack as they went through, and shared the joke, ‘You up for this, Jack?’
‘We’ll see.’ He didn’t know what to expect, but only a token reaction to his bandage? He was peeved.
‘You can take that off now,’ Mandy said.
‘What?’
‘The bandage,’ Mandy smiled. ‘Jackie called, said it was something the nurse, Meesh, and she cooked up while you were out cold. Meesh said you were a wuss,’ she whispered in his ear, ‘but you’re my wuss.’
Jo-Jums was finishing up on the phone, making notes, Wallace and Alice Springs beside her on other phones. ‘Jo, kids sorted?’ Jack was always concerned about her family life, ‘Any chance of a quick up date?’
‘Tanner picked them up, thanks. Cyrano’s boys followed the principle subject car, straight to Bazaar Bikes, as expected, we have it on Video. He’s allowing things to unfold. I’ve agreed it’s his call, his Op.’ Jack nodded, pleased at Jo’s ability to take control. ‘Nobby and Kettle are following the estate car with the towed caravan, which Cyrano suspects may contain explosives. Bomb disposal are alerted and maintaining a discreet distance. We have CCTV from the docks if you want to look.’
Jack shook his head, it hurt, ‘No, what else?’
‘The car and caravan travelled to Newbury and went into the services. They parked, unhitched the caravan then drove off, Nobby and Kettle are following. They’re on the A34, heading to Oxford but traffic is heavy; tail end of the rush hour. Bomb disposal are monitoring the caravan.’
‘Nicely handled Jo,’ and Jack handed her a bit of paper, ‘can you write the reg number, make, and colour, of the subject car please, be your best friend, and what car is Nobby in?’ he yawned as he walked to his desk. He made a call and asked Frankie if she had the road CCTV up on screen, she did, two screens, one on the vehicles, one set on the road where the vehicles were expected to travel, as the car got there so she programmed the other screen in front again, and so on. Jack was impressed. The traffic was heavy and slow, ‘ETA to Oxford, Connie?’
‘We thing fort five min.’
‘Any plan, Jo?’ Jack asked.
‘Cyrano wants it followed, then it will be what it is at the end,’ a little short, she was busy.
‘Be time for Nobby’s tea soon.’ Everyone stopped, some Mary Poppins mouths, stifled giggles. ‘What? Just sayin’.’
Fifteen, twenty minutes, went by and Mandy watched Jack pacing and thought this was not right, she’d noticed Barney bring some Paracetamol, ‘You okay, is your head hurting?’
He looked, weighed up the opportunity for symphony, maybe throw in some whinging, but decided maybe later, ‘Yeah, a little.’
She looked at his ugly fac
e, deeply carved lines conveyed every emotion he felt, she sidled up and put her arm around his waist, well as far as it would stretch, and squeezed him. ‘Mama,’ squeezed again, ‘Mama,’ looked at him, tilting her head, she smiled and mouthed, ‘my cuddly teddy bear.’
‘Leave it out, Guv, you’ll make us all sick,’ Jo-Jums had been watching. ‘Whoa Neddy,’ Jo-Jums had picked up many of Jack’s expressions over time, a source of great pride to him, confident it will see her right for the future; he took these things seriously, seeing his staff right.
‘What’s happening?’ Mandy left Jack’s waist.
Jo responded, not taking her eyes from the screens, ‘Looks like a lorry has gone across the carriageway, this'll hold things up.’
Jack had regained his fed-up face, losing Mandy from his waist, ‘Good, we can relax. I need a sit down.’
Mandy said nothing, relying on the eyes in the back of her head to watch over him. Jack made a song and dance, settling into his deckchair, simultaneously singing something only comprehensible to people who understood Italian frontier gibberish.
‘Connie, can you get all four screens covering sections of the road please?’ Jack asked.
No answer, Mandy interpreted, and Connie began tapping the keys. In just a few days Connie had become very confident on the keyboard. In a matter of moments two other sections of the road came up on screen, Mandy bent down to look closer at the new images. ‘What do you think is happening?’
Jo-Jums looked closer, ‘Local Bill closing the other carriageway, probably to get emergency vehicles to the scene.’
‘They’ve closed the carriageway, Jack,’ Mandy called. He hemmed. She mouthed to Jo, ‘D’you think he’s okay?’
‘Has he ever been?’ Jo mouthed back.
‘I can hear you two.’
‘You can hear bugger all, Deaf Austin.’
‘I heard that.’
‘He’s okay.’
‘Mandy look,’ a patrol car manoeuvred past the police blockade on the opposite carriageway. The officers hopped over the central reservation and walked along the queue of cars, talking to the motorists. Jack’s phone went, he stretched from the deckchair toppled the receiver and picked it up off the floor, only then getting out of his deckchair. Mandy sighed, knowing it was a personal competition to see if he could get the phone without getting up, he had even had a stick with a hook one day, and she wondered how many hours he’d spent dreaming that up.
‘Del Boy, whasuuup,’ Jack’s street talk, which was more like his frontier gibberish, but louder. ‘Hang on, Del,’ and Jack turned, ‘Frankie, sweet’art, blank out a screen and tap this in, please.’ He quoted a hot spot address that Frankie typed in slowly because, in-between numerals and letters, Jack was conversing with this Del-Boy. ‘Del says hit return, Franks,’ and he carried on chatting. ‘Mandy? Yeah, thought I might take her to the pictures, know any good films?’ He listened, ‘You reckon, Death of the Vampires, I’ll ask, hold on,’ and Jack looked up; Mandy was beginning to steam.
‘Ma’am, look,’ Mandy turned back to Frankie, one of the new screens was showing the faces of drivers. Frankie upped the sound and they heard an officer explaining that a lorry had blocked the road and they may be some time, apologising to the driver. Jack shouted into his phone, ‘Del-Boy, give Mandy a wave.’ They swung back from Jack to see the officer talking to the drivers turn to face his colleague and wave, speaking into a mobile phone, but also the body camera, ‘Mandy Lifeboats, how’s you doing, babes,’ more excruciating street stuff.
Everyone turned back to Jack and he wiggled his fingers. Del-Boy, to camera and phone said, ‘Gotta go, Jack; try that film, Mands, it’s well good.’
Jack hung up, the two officers stopped at the suspect vehicle and the camera picked up the occupants. Frankie looked to Jack, ‘I presume this feed is going through visual recognition computers somewhere we do not know about?’
‘I imagine so,’ and Jack handed Frankie a piece of paper. Mandy and Jo-Jums watched it travel from Jack’s outstretched hand to Frankie, who had to come and get it; she was seated and he was standing. Mandy wondered at his cheek, but Frankie was oblivious and commenced tapping. A screen cleared, replaced by an image of processing data, the pictures of the occupants of the suspect car to one side. There were two small square frames at the top of the screen; it had names and personal details beside the portraits. After about ten minutes it was done. Mandy sent a thought transference message, she required Jack’s presence. Groaning, he raised himself from where he was now sitting, on the desk counter, onto a wheelie chair and tried to scoot it over but nobody got out of the way, so he couldn’t see. He eventually stood, ‘What we got?’
‘Four suspected Islamic activists, no form, but on the to-watch list,’ Frankie answered.
Jo’s phone went, 'Nobby, I don’t know hang on,’ she turned to face Jack with a strange look, definitely feminine, but Jack was not sure if it was trouble or something nice. In a fleeting moment he did think, nearly sixty and he'd still not worked that out. Finally, she spoke, ‘Nobby says he was told his mum has his tea on the table and should get home now or he will be on the naughty step.’ It was a stifled giggle on Jo’s face, relief on Jack’s, but for everyone else it was a roar of laughter, even Mandy, who was fuming with Jack, but had to laugh.
Jack’s phone went and he wheeled back and picked up, ‘Well done, Mush, keep me informed... you too with brass knobs, you spotty old fart,’ Jack hung up.
Mandy had him in her sights, ‘Chief Constable?’
More laughter at Mandy’s aside, the mirth lingering, infectious, and moved onto hysterical giggling, and only subsided when Frankie called out, ‘The lorry’s being moved.’
Jack got out of his wheelie chair, stretching and talking more frontier gibberish, which fortunately Mandy was able to interpret, ‘He needs someone to stay to monitor the caravan until the spooks take over; you okay for that Wally?’
‘Okay, Jane, err, Mandy.’
‘This was a good day men,’ Jack followed up, encouraging his troops.
‘Men!’ Mandy looking insulted along with Jo and Alice; Frankie and Connie were oblivious.
‘To me, you're all my men,’ and Jack blew Mandy a kiss.
Ruffled, she playfully clipped his head, he exaggerated an ouch, ‘Oh Jack, I’m so sorry, I wasn’t thinking.’
‘Thinking? I got this feckin’ great bandage and you forgot?’
‘Jack, sorry, does it hurt?’
He feigned a minor collapse, a stoic recovery, and sat back in his chair, ‘So the vampire film doesn’t appeal?’ More guffaws as people prepared to leave, ‘Frankie, Connie, go and have a drink, dinner or whatever, a brilliant job. It all starts again tomorrow, for now, it's R and R everyone, Mandy and I are taking a Polar Bear up north, you coming, Mands?’
She put her arm part way around his waist, pulled and kissed him full on the mouth.
“Oooh err matron” resounded.
Thirty-Four
Jack skidded his tyres and righted his imaginary motorbike in one smooth movement, thanks to some good leaning into the corner, and followed Mandy into her office where she collected her coat and threw it onto her desk. ‘Park your bike and come here, let’s get this bandage off your bacon bonce,’ she pulled him to her and began to peel the tape that held the bandage. He responded with his arms tight around her, they kissed and lingered, their mouths opened and Mandy felt her passion rise; him too.
‘About time you two got together.’ Mandy pulled back, straightened herself and reddened. The Commander followed up, ‘Sorry, you did leave the door open. I wanted a catch-up.’
Jack saw Mandy flustered, felt he should take this on, ‘Sit down sir, we’ll bring you up to speed.’
‘Sir, eh?’
‘A seat, Commander,’ and Jack pointed him to a psychologically challenged comfy chair, pulling the orange PVC chair for himself; serves him right, and looking down on the awkwardly seated Commander, and satisfied with the psychological regim
e, he briefed. ‘You know about Chilly, except Paolo is having difficulty breaking him, he may be relying on intimidating Meesh; the little girl.’
‘Scared the bajeezers out of her, did he? What about the drugs?’
‘Cyrano's tracked the target vehicle to the bike shop, and he’s letting things roll out to see what happens. The French authorities want to see if they can nail the contacts in France or wherever else, so it makes sense to keep it running. Either way, I think it’s right we hand that over. The other vehicle was a lucky strike. We had our target nabbed, and as they had an eight hour ferry crossing, Cyrano thought it would be good to let the dogs have a sniff around and they found the estate car and caravan. We allocated Nobby and Kettle,’ Jack harrumphed, Nobby was the Commander’s son.
‘It’s okay, his mum called him Nobby the other day,’ the men shared a laugh, Mandy not quite so much.
‘The caravan was left in the services at Newbury, and is being checked by bomb squad, but really it’s the spooks, you know?’
‘Yes, I’ve had the call, the Home Office is mightily impressed the way this has been handled, well done.’
‘Mandy’s show, but Jo-Jums had a strong hand in there.’
‘So, what happens now?’
‘Tomorrow is another day. Mandy and I feel we’re at the tip of an iceberg, the drugs, the women, the children and the skinheads are not it. Something is brewing, Chilly may know what it is, and even if he does, I would be very surprised if we learn anything from him. There is an organisation, or even one person driving something; civic subterfuge or something else that has not occurred to us yet, funded by drugs and prostitution? Maybe racial disharmony, and we have only hit upon the Nazi side so far, and then why? There has to be something for it to fight against, and for what it’s worth, that is Nobby’s theory, and I want to run with it; see where it leads us.’
The Commander swelled with pride for his son.
Mandy looked at Jack, ‘Why here?’