A Donation of Murder by Felicity Young Page A

outwitting us that counts, of proving to his mates that he really is still the King of Thieves.’
    â€˜It’s still only a hunch, Pike,’ Shepherd said, softening slightly and letting out a breath. ‘But God help us if he is behind this. We’ve never had a successful prosecution against him.’ Shepherd pulled thoughtfully at a fluffy side-whisker. ‘The most we can hope for is to get the necklace back.’
    â€˜Giblett’s a gambler. A gambler’s luck always runs out eventually. And if we can find Tadpole, we might yet find the necklace.’
    â€˜I don’t want “ifs” and “mights” from you, Pike, I want “wills” — is that understood?
    â€˜Yes, sir.’
    â€˜Your career is resting on this, you know that, don’t you?’
    Pike stifled a sigh. Here we go again . He’d be glad when all this was over. He used to think the army was bad enough with its rigid structures, internal squabbles and incompetent superiors. His last twelve years with the police had made his time in the army appear like a seaside holiday camp. ‘Yes, sir.’
    â€˜There’s things about you and that female pathologist we wouldn’t want to become common knowledge, would we?’
    Though it came as no surprise that Shepherd would use this low tactic, Pike struggled to control his anger. Could he make the switch from police force to army before Shepherd spilled the beans about him and Dody? Not if he didn’t get that necklace back first. He’d been half hoping that Shepherd’s memory of the events of summer had been eclipsed by his heart attack, but obviously that hadn’t happened.
    He would not give the man the satisfaction of an answer. Instead Pike tried and failed once more to meet his skittering eyes.
    â€˜They say you did a good job filling my shoes while I was on sick parade. Well, that’s the last taste of command you’re going to get, I assure you, Pike. And as for that doctor dolly-bird of yours, cock up this case and she will be ruined.’
    â€˜Is there anything else, sir?’ Pike asked, fighting the urge to grind his teeth and clench his fists.
    â€˜Get out, and don’t show your face in here again without the necklace.’
    Pike maintained his composure and walked from the room. He was at the top of the stairs when he heard Shepherd bellowing: ‘And shut that bloody door!’
    He did not turn back.
    *
    Pike spent the rest of the morning reading through notes and coordinating the police investigation of the heist. As usual the eyewitness reports were unreliable, the number of thieves ranging from three to five. The gang included a shadowy figure driving the getaway motorcar, whom one witness identified as a man, the other a woman. Mr Sachs, the jeweller whose shop was robbed, was suffering from shock and so far had not been much help to the police. Pike underlined his name in his notebook and copied down his address.
    On several occasions while he worked he found himself glancing at the phone, willing it to ring. Dody had promised she’d call as soon as she’d completed the autopsies of the three dead robbers. At one stage he’d picked up the earpiece and went as far as calling the operator before hanging up. She was busy, he must allow for that. With Spilsbury away she was the sole Home Office Pathologist on duty and he had no wish to add to the pressure she was already under.
    That morning at breakfast she’d looked exhausted. She was also disappointed that Pike had not been able to meet her new friend. She’d pepped up, however, while going over the details of how the woman had woken up on the autopsy slab. Pike was quite put off his breakfast. His mind wandered to stories he’d heard of people being pronounced dead and buried alive. Exhumed coffins with scratch marks on the underside of their lids, corpses with bloodied fingernails . . .
    â€˜Tea, sir?’
    Pike