A look of surprise crossed his face as he lifted his head from its downwards angle. ‘It was DCI Summers, Ma’am.’
That was a coincidence I hadn’t expected. ‘That proves quite helpful then. I only need to deal with one SIO for both of these cases. Do you know where he’s based now, Lee?’
Lee looked across at me. ‘He’s retired, Ma’am.’
Lee
Lee thought back to that incident room. The one DCI Summers ran. The DCI had the attention of the room. Lee had pulled at the stark collar of his uniform shirt. It was warm and there was no air in the room. It made concentration difficult but he was pleased to have been placed on this job.
He stopped tugging at his collar and tuned back in to the DCI. Summers was old school. He’d grown up with the job, joined when he was a nineteen-year-old lad, not long after PACE had been introduced, but tutored by those who had been brought up pre-PACE. The Police and Criminal Evidence Act, the rules that governed everything they did, from how they made arrests, searched people and interviewed them. All Summers wanted to do was catch the bad guys and he hated the rules with a passion. He walked a thin line but no one ever said he stepped over it. He worked hard and he got results. He also expected results from his staff.
He stood at the front of the room, bald head shining in the heat, shirt damp under his arms, but he looked unfazed by the discomfort of the weather.
‘Four kids died in Vanilla Jazz last night. Four. And it is not acceptable by any measure.’
The room of officers present, some detectives, some uniform officers whose attendance had been requested, all nodded their agreement.
‘You’re all here because the chief constable has agreed that we need a small task force to focus on this problem and you’ve been chosen to be that task force.’
There was a buzz of excitement around the room from the uniform officers present. Lee turned and grinned at his mate next to him, Rob from one of the other shifts who grinned back.
‘Okay, I get it, you’re stoked, but can we focus on why we’re here please and you can pat yourselves on the back later.’
The room went silent again and Summers eyeballed them.
‘The pathologist will start the PMs today but it looks like drug overdoses. We already have intel that Vanilla Jazz is the Talbots’ domain and it’s their drugs that go through there. We need to firm that intel up. We need evidence. We need to identify who deals within the club, who was dealing last night and we need to know who supplies to the dealers. So, I’m after the top tier. I want the Talbots. Speak to everyone who was in there last night and get statements. We’ll contact the source handling unit and get them to help us out. We also need to view the CCTV, see if we can ID any other witnesses or offenders and we will get to the bottom of this.’
Summers paused as a murmur of agreement went around the room.
‘These four kids were young, between the ages of seventeen and twenty-four years of age. Too young to die on a nightclub floor. Someone has to pay. And we will find them and bring them before a court.’
‘But we never did,’ Lee said to the incident room. ‘We never did. Those kids did die on that floor for nothing.
The DI watched him. He was still trying to fit in and wanted to appear as helpful as he could so she didn’t kick him off. He couldn’t be kicked off. It was important. Having never worked on a murder investigation before he felt out of his depth, but he had to try, he had to stay put. He rubbed at his face and wished he had the option to simply stay at home with his nan all day every day. It would be a much more straightforward life.
There had been a lot of statement taking, even those who didn’t think they had witnessed anything. If you were there that night at Vanilla Jazz you were needed for a statement.
Dealing with grieving families, relatives and friends took time. People who didn’t even know the kids had wanted to be involved. It had all begun to feel like a big-tent circus to him. The press were all over it.
The nightclub took a kicking because the drugs had been bought and taken there. It had been closed down and the owner vilified. A local man who had needed police protection. The locals had taken to throwing missiles at his house, bricks, eggs, shit and piss in bags and bottles, whatever they could find. He had a young child and his girlfriend and daughter had to move out to her mother’s while he held the fort at home, trying to protect the family property.
People took it on themselves to be outraged. Even if they hadn’t been personally touched by the tragedy. The families of those who had died asked for calm, they took to social media to put out their requests and made comment in the press, but it did not quiet the hysteria that had built up. Everyone wanted a piece of what had happened. It was horrific, Lee recalled.
Briefings were long and arduous as staff trawled through all the information that came into the incident room. Most of it irrelevant due to the public manner of the case. Yet it all had to be mentioned and considered.
Lee explained that he had been fascinated being part of an inquiry like that, but at the same time, slightly horrified by how it took on a life of its own.
And Summers, asked DI Robbins, how did he approach it?
Summers was dedicated. He had been at work before everyone else every single day and didn’t leave until the last member of staff was out the door. He was meticulous in being looped into everything. It was as though the job was his own personal mission. And with the case being so large, not one officer was able to contain the whole case in their heads, only able to focus on the task they had for the day, whereas DCI Summers, he knew it all and inside out.
He knew the name of every victim, family member and friend. Every person present in the nightclub, every staff member on that night, whether they were on at the time or left earlier. He knew every rumour, piece of intelligence, forensic detail, logged piece of evidence and dotted ‘i’ and crossed ‘t’. He was a machine.
If you hadn’t known better you might have thought there was a personal link for him, that one of his children was one of the drugs victims. But, he had a visceral hatred for what had happened that night and was gunning for the Talbots and when the intel didn’t pan out, when people became too scared to go to court, he raged.
The incident room turned into a war zone as Summers erupted. Anyone in his path was annihilated. They were informed they hadn’t done their jobs. They’d failed. They wouldn’t progress anywhere within the service. It was carnage and Lee was happy when he was sent back to section.
It was much later when he’d learned that Summers had retired.
Pasha
Pasha had been called into DI Robbins’ office. This always made her nervous. Gave her an empty feeling in the pit of her stomach. It felt like she was being called into the head teacher’s office at school, even though she couldn’t think of anything she could have done wrong.
She smoothed down the front of her trousers. Then picked some invisible lint off for good measure before she knocked on the door that was already open and smiled. ‘You wanted to see me?’ Why the hell had her voice squeaked like that? How old was she, five?
Dammit. She was an adult. Yes, she wanted to be on the right side of this woman but she could do that without turning into a quivering wreck. She was a professional woman herself who was good at her job.
DI Robbins returned her smile. ‘Yes, come in, Pasha. Can you push the door to please?’
Shit. She really was in trouble. She wasn’t imagining it. The boss never closed her door unless someone was in trouble.
Pasha turned her back to the DI while she attempted to get her face in some semblance of order and closed the door. Then with a final deep breath, she turned back around.
‘Have a seat. And don’t look so worried.’ Hannah laughed.
What the hell was going on?
‘I’ve been speaking to the intelligence unit and they’ve given me a line of inquiry we might like to follow, and I’d like for you to take it on if you would? Along with your other inqui
ries. It’s to be treated as an add-on really. Not a full-time task. But something you can do as and when, but…’ she paused for emphasis, ‘it does need doing.’
Seriously, she was going to give her a task of her own? ‘Of course, anything.’ Pasha practically gushed.
Hannah looked more serious now. ‘It’s not very interesting or stimulating, but it is important.’
A couple of people walked past the door in the corridor. Pasha could hear their laughter, the tail end of a conversation about drinks at the end of the day. You’re paying, was what she heard. And a scream of laughter at the ridiculous suggestion.
She didn’t care what the job was, she was glad that the boss had chosen her for it, that she was making inroads at last. That she had made enough of an impression to be chosen for the task.
‘The thing with this job, Pasha, is, it needs your utmost discretion. Can you promise me that?’
Pasha agreed. She would promise her anything.
‘It’s the intelligence records in relation to Ken Blake’s murder…’
Pasha was confused. She’d expected to be dealing with a witness of some description.
‘I want you to check the system to see who accessed them the first couple of weeks after he was killed, as that’s the time frame we had before the witnesses became jittery about their statements.’
The boss wanted her to sit behind a desk? This was potentially a long-term project. It would take a while anyway. She didn’t speak, the DI continued.
‘I want to find out where the leak came from, the one who gave up the witnesses. Because if we find them, it will have the knock-on effect of supporting this investigation. Two birds, one stone, okay?’
Pasha nodded her head. Though she had said it wasn’t to be her only job. She could continue as she was, but look at this as and when, couldn’t she?
‘You’re okay with this?’
She nodded her head again. Where she had thought her good work had been paying off, she now felt as though she was being punished. Though obviously, someone had to do this, and it was still a part of the investigation.
‘We need parameters,’ Hannah continued. ‘I imagine, we need parameters for you to search under? The search terms people used?’
Another nod.
‘Okay. Whoever handed the names over, or kept them for this time and then handed them over, won’t have searched for Miller or Davis by name because they won’t have known. They will have searched under other subjects that would provide investigative details.’
Pasha flipped open her notebook.
‘If you see who has searched for Ken Blake, he or she’s the obvious one. And then Simon Talbot, because his name will have been in there once he was linked. Start with those two and see who has searched for them in the two weeks after Blake’s murder.’
Pasha made notes then clicked her pen off and closed her pad.
‘Thank you, Pasha.’
She stood.
‘This is really important.’
‘Thank you,’ she finally said.
‘You only report to either myself or Aaron on this. I’ll update him on your task. If anyone else asks what you’ve been tasked with, say you are…’ She scratched her head.
‘I’m not sure, it’s difficult to say you’re researching because we have Dave doing intel searches and checks.’ She rubbed her hands through her hair. ‘Say you are doing background on all the witnesses from the initial file.’
‘Okay. Thank you.’ And with that Pasha walked out of the office.
For the dullness of the task, if there was a corrupt officer within the ranks they needed to be weeded out sooner rather than later before any more harm could be done. To members of the public or the force. And Pasha was glad to be the one to do it.
Hannah
I’d phoned ahead so they were expecting me, so Nathan would be there. And he was. He wanted an update as much as Karen did. More so if his angry red face and loud voice were anything to go by. Why did people think that the louder they were the more seriously they would be taken?
I said hello to Amelia, the family liaison officer, who by now had spent several days with the family. She inclined her head, but otherwise kept quiet. This act alone, of saying hello to her, annoyed Nathan. Amelia must have known this would be the outcome and was sliding into the background.
‘And here was I thinking you had come to see us, not to catch up with your snitch here.’
There was only so much you could put down to grief.
Karen walked down the stairs into the living room at that point. ‘What did I hear you say, Nathan? Seriously?’ She glared at him, approached me and took my hand. ‘Thank you for coming by, I appreciate it.’ She placed her other hand over mine, clasped it now in both of hers. They were cool and dry. She looked at Nathan. ‘Apologise at once,’ she snapped at him.
He glared.
Karen kept hold of my hand and pulled me with her to the sofa. ‘I’m sorry. He’s not been the same since Simon’s death. I’d say I didn’t know what had gotten into him,’ she looked me in the eyes, ‘but I do.’ She was calm. Subdued. In a different place to when I’d seen her last.
‘That’s fine,’ I told her. ‘It’s to be expected.’
‘I’m here you know.’ Nathan towered over us as we sat.
‘Nathan,’ her voice was gentle. He huffed out. ‘Apologise to DI Robbins. She’s come to talk to us. To update us?’ She queried me with a look. I told her she was right.
Nathan turned his back to us. Looked out of the window. My car was parked outside the house behind Nathan’s Range Rover. His taste matched his brother’s. There was not much else to see. ‘I apologise.’ His voice was low. His words pushed out as though every word was forced. I imagined they were. His shoulders were tense. Pushed up to his ears. His face battling to keep a level of calm that it wasn’t winning.
‘Detective Inspector Robbins, what can you tell us?’ Karen asked. Her face open and hopeful.
‘We’re—’
She jumped from her seat. ‘Oh my, I haven’t offered you a drink. You must think me so rude. I tell Nathan to apologise and here I am pushing you instead of doing the decent thing.’ She moved towards the kitchen door.
‘It’s okay, Karen. Really,’ I promised her.
Amelia stepped forward now. ‘I’ll put the kettle on shall I, Karen?’
‘Oh, would you, love?’
Nathan tutted. Loud enough for everyone to hear but we all ignored him. Didn’t look his way.
‘It’s no bother. Let the DI talk to you and I’ll bring them through.’ She looked to me. ‘Coffee for you, Ma’am?’
‘That would be great. Thanks, Amelia.’
Karen sank back into the seat she’d leapt from. ‘I’m so sorry. My mind, it’s…’
‘Don’t worry about it. I don’t want to put you to any trouble. I wanted to see how you were, update you on the investigation,’ I looked to Nathan, ‘and I wanted to ask Nathan a couple of questions.’
Karen nodded.
‘What the hell do you mean you want to ask me questions? You can’t ask me fuck all unless I have me solicitor present, you can’t. Now get the fuck out of here.’
Karen stood, yet again. Her face this time like stone. ‘If you don’t behave yourself you will leave, not DI Robbins. You’re behaving like a child. You’ve nothing to hide. DI Robbins is doing her job. You will talk to her or do I have to send you to your room like the tantruming child you are mimicking?’
He turned his back again. ‘For the love of…’
‘Nathan Talbot.’
He rubbed his face with his hands and turned back to look at her. ‘Can’t you see what they’re doing? Can’t you see it?’
She didn’t flinch. Under that gaze any of his soldiers would have been quaking but she had a more severe look on her face. She was a match for him. ‘Yes, I can. They’re trying to find your brother’s killer.’
‘For—’ He looked at her and stopped. ‘Okay. I’ll do it yo
ur way. But only because it’s you.’
Amelia walked in, two mugs in hands. ‘Coffees.’ She held one out to me and one to Karen.
‘Because it’s the right thing to do,’ said Karen as she took the mug Amelia handed to her. ‘Thank you, Amelia.’
Once the mugs were out of her hands Amelia skirted to the outer edges of the room, leaving me free to do what I came here to do. I’d phoned her and updated her before I’d arrived. She knew what was happening.
Karen sat again. ‘Shall we start again?’
I hadn’t moved. Choosing instead to let the family dynamics play out as they needed to. ‘Whenever you’re ready. I don’t want to rush you.’
‘It’s fine. Nathan is fine now.’ She gave him a pointed look. ‘Aren’t you?’
He gritted his teeth but his silence was taken as his acquiescence.
‘How is the investigation?’
‘It’s slow.’ I heard Nathan blow out air through his teeth. ‘But it’s steady, we’re moving in the right direction.’
Karen nodded.
‘It’s not easy on families,’ I informed her, ‘because they want answers straight away and we can’t always provide them. A murder investigation is a methodical process and one that we have to work through at a pace that certain inquiries dictate.’
‘Such as?’
‘Well, for instance, fingerprints, so we have to wait on the forensics lab for results.’
‘And what do you have so far?’
‘As expected we have a problem with witnesses, they’re afraid to come forward. Even though it is your son who has been killed, it is still your family, your son who the investigation revolves around and this makes our job difficult.’
‘I don’t care about the difficulties of your job,’ bellowed Nathan. His face reddening even more. ‘I care about results. What results do you have?’
The DI Hannah Robbins Series: Books 1 - 3 (Boxset) (Detective Hannah Robbins Crime Series) Page 58