missed. She walked away. Hearing a quiet disturbance in the shrubbery that ran alongside the pitch, she peered through the heavy foliage and glimpsed a hooded figure moving away from her. Pushing between the densely packed bushes she discovered a narrow track. She stared around in panic, but the figure had vanished.
21
As they set off for the grimy block of flats where Greg lived, Max reminded Geraldine she had found him in the pub sporting a split lip, an injury sustained in a fight he had instigated.
‘He might resist,’ he warned her as they climbed into the car. ‘He obviously likes to use his fists. But don’t worry. I can handle it.’ He grinned as he put his foot down.
‘You did remember to log this visit with the CAD, didn’t you?’ Geraldine asked, with sudden misgiving.
Max’s youthful enthusiasm was making her nervous. If he was right about Greg, they might need to use a link via Computer Aided Despatch to enable the local station to locate them immediately from a radio signal and send the nearest car straight there.
‘I mentioned it to Billy,’ Max replied airily, naming the newest recruit who was in his first week and still learning his way around.
Geraldine’s unease increased. When they had first met, she had assumed her colleague’s self-assurance was a front. Now she was afraid his youthful arrogance might cause him to act impetuously, but this was not the time to challenge him. When they were back at the station she would take him to task over his slapdash approach. He must learn that it was never a mistake to be careful.
Greg’s girlfriend came to the door again. She looked as though she had been drinking. Her slack jaw tensed when she recognised Geraldine.
‘You again! Well he’s not here, so you can bugger off.’
Swaying slightly, she started to close the door. As she did so, a man’s voice called out and Greg appeared behind her. Catching sight of Geraldine, he swore and ran into one of the rooms off the hall. Stacey tried to shut the door but her reactions were too slow. It wouldn’t have achieved anything anyway. They were on the fifth floor. As long as Geraldine could stop him leaving the flat, he was trapped. It wasn’t worth the risk of going after him without backup. Concerned that he might have gone to fetch a weapon, she flicked on her phone to summon help.
‘Where are you?’
Geraldine hesitated, realising the visit had not yet been logged. Either the new recruit had registered it incorrectly, or it was on his To Do list. Before she could say anything, Max darted past her into the flat. Shoving Stacey aside, he dashed across the hall after Greg. Geraldine was so startled she almost called out. There was no time for her to start reeling off the address. Max might already have put himself in danger. Stacey let out a yell and blocked Geraldine’s way, shouting over her shoulder to Greg to watch out.
‘We only want to ask him about his workmate who was murdered,’ Geraldine snapped. ‘What’s your problem? Is there a reason you don’t want us to speak to him?’
Muttering under her breath, Stacey let her pass. Following her colleague through a door at the far end of the narrow hall, she found the sergeant had pinned Greg up against the wall. One of Max’s forearms was pressed against his throat, the other held one of his wrists against the wall. Greg’s other arm was trapped behind his back, pressed against the wall. He looked terrified.
‘Max, let him go. We only want to ask you a few more questions,’ Geraldine explained, keeping her voice low and steady. ‘There’s nothing to be alarmed about. Let him go, Max. There’s no need to restrain him. You can see he’s not going to run off.’
‘He was reaching for a weapon,’ Max growled between clenched teeth.
‘I was getting my keys,’ Greg protested. ‘I was just getting my keys, you crazy fucker. There was no need to attack me.’ He looked helplessly at Geraldine. ‘He’s a maniac. He
21
As they set off for the grimy block of flats where Greg lived, Max reminded Geraldine she had found him in the pub sporting a split lip, an injury sustained in a fight he had instigated.
‘He might resist,’ he warned her as they climbed into the car. ‘He obviously likes to use his fists. But don’t worry. I can handle it.’ He grinned as he put his foot down.
‘You did remember to log this visit with the CAD, didn’t you?’ Geraldine asked, with sudden misgiving.
Max’s youthful enthusiasm was making her nervous. If he was right about Greg, they might need to use a link via Computer Aided Despatch to enable the local station to locate them immediately from a radio signal and send the nearest car straight there.
‘I mentioned it to Billy,’ Max replied airily, naming the newest recruit who was in his first week and still learning his way around.
Geraldine’s unease increased. When they had first met, she had assumed her colleague’s self-assurance was a front. Now she was afraid his youthful arrogance might cause him to act impetuously, but this was not the time to challenge him. When they were back at the station she would take him to task over his slapdash approach. He must learn that it was never a mistake to be careful.
Greg’s girlfriend came to the door again. She looked as though she had been drinking. Her slack jaw tensed when she recognised Geraldine.
‘You again! Well he’s not here, so you can bugger off.’
Swaying slightly, she started to close the door. As she did so, a man’s voice called out and Greg appeared behind her. Catching sight of Geraldine, he swore and ran into one of the rooms off the hall. Stacey tried to shut the door but her reactions were too slow. It wouldn’t have achieved anything anyway. They were on the fifth floor. As long as Geraldine could stop him leaving the flat, he was trapped. It wasn’t worth the risk of going after him without backup. Concerned that he might have gone to fetch a weapon, she flicked on her phone to summon help.
‘Where are you?’
Geraldine hesitated, realising the visit had not yet been logged. Either the new recruit had registered it incorrectly, or it was on his To Do list. Before she could say anything, Max darted past her into the flat. Shoving Stacey aside, he dashed across the hall after Greg. Geraldine was so startled she almost called out. There was no time for her to start reeling off the address. Max might already have put himself in danger. Stacey let out a yell and blocked Geraldine’s way, shouting over her shoulder to Greg to watch out.
‘We only want to ask him about his workmate who was murdered,’ Geraldine snapped. ‘What’s your problem? Is there a reason you don’t want us to speak to him?’
Muttering under her breath, Stacey let her pass. Following her colleague through a door at the far end of the narrow hall, she found the sergeant had pinned Greg up against the wall. One of Max’s forearms was pressed against his throat, the other held one of his wrists against the wall. Greg’s other arm was trapped behind his back, pressed against the wall. He looked terrified.
‘Max, let him go. We only want to ask you a few more questions,’ Geraldine explained, keeping her voice low and steady. ‘There’s nothing to be alarmed about. Let him go, Max. There’s no need to restrain him. You can see he’s not going to run off.’
‘He was reaching for a weapon,’ Max growled between clenched teeth.
‘I was getting my keys,’ Greg protested. ‘I was just getting my keys, you crazy fucker. There was no need to attack me.’ He looked helplessly at Geraldine. ‘He’s a maniac. He
Similar Books
