was in his office with DS Spencer Gibbs and four other detectives, all playing cards and chain-smoking whilst drinking whisky and beer.
‘What do you want, Tennison? Can’t you see we’re busy?’ DS Gibbs said, a cigarette between his lips as he poured Bradfield a stiff Scotch.
‘Sir, just after you left O’Duncie recalled Julie Ann making a phone call in a doctor’s office to someone while Eddie Phillips was keeping watch outside in the corridor.’
‘What?’
‘It was two weeks ago. She was a bit unsure but she thought she heard her say the name Paddy and something about money. Apparently she was very angry and was swearing and shouting.’
He inhaled deeply, sipped his whisky, and let the smoke drift from his nose.
‘Is O’Duncie still here?’
‘No, sir, I let her go.’
‘Well, that’s no use to me right now, is it? Type up a report and leave it in an envelope for me and I’ll deal with it tomorrow morning.’
‘I’m off duty in an hour, sir, but if you need me to visit the drug clinic this evening to check their phone records I can . . . ’
He glared at her. ‘What? If I need you? What the fuck are you inferring, if I need you? Jesus Christ, I’ve had it up to here today and I’m trying to relax now, so go home . . . hop it.’
Having typed up the O’Duncie interview report Jane collected her belongings from the incident room and went to the ladies’ locker room. There was now a printed notice: ‘ LADIES ONLY – NO MEN ALLOWED !’ on the door. Having washed her hands she was about to dry them when she noticed a new dent in the metal roller towel. She smiled realizing someone must have upset Kath. She suddenly heard Bradfield’s voice in the corridor outside.
‘Listen, Spence, I want that screwball junkie Eddie Phillips brought back in and given a rough time. He must know something about that phone call, or at least who it was made to. Get the night shift out there looking for him.’
‘If that’s what you want. Wearing out the carpet though, isn’t he?’ Gibbs said.
Jane dried her hands, still listening, easing down the roller towel.
‘Get someone down to that hospital tonight and see if they keep phone records for calls made. I’m interested in the day she was last seen and three days prior. O’Duncie’s a bit dim, and I doubt she can tell the bloody time, so I want every call checked from between 1 to 6 p.m. for that period.’
‘No problem, guv, and it shouldn’t be difficult to link a number to this Paddy guy . . . if he’s not ex-directory, that is.’
‘I feel like I’m losing the plot, Spence, and I’m totally knackered. That young Tennison is as sharp as a tack, maybe too sharp for her own good.’
‘Me and the lads are going for a few pints down the Warburton Arms and then for a curry in Brick Lane. Why don’t you join us?’
‘I might take you up on that.’
‘Have you seen this?’
‘What?’
Gibbs pointed to the notice on the locker-room door. ‘Any money it’s Kath Morgan having a moan – “ladies only” I’m taking that down . . . Better still, I’m gonna take a crap in there and not flush it.’
Bradfield laughed. ‘Come on, let’s finish the card game and get down to the pub.’
Jane sighed with relief as she heard them leave. She waited a few more moments before she eased the door open to make sure the coast was clear.
CHAPTER SIX
Jane was in work early the next morning, in order to try and clear the investigation ‘IN’ tray before the office meeting at 10 a.m. She checked her own tray in the PCs’ writing room and was surprised to see the Jaguar brochures there. There was a note saying that the sales garage receptionist had dropped them off on her way home, rather than posting them. Jane left the brochures, along with the reports about the Jaguar cars and the flying squad information, on DCI Bradfield’s desk and managed to get a big pile of indexing done before he walked in at eight thirty.
‘Good morning,
‘What do you want, Tennison? Can’t you see we’re busy?’ DS Gibbs said, a cigarette between his lips as he poured Bradfield a stiff Scotch.
‘Sir, just after you left O’Duncie recalled Julie Ann making a phone call in a doctor’s office to someone while Eddie Phillips was keeping watch outside in the corridor.’
‘What?’
‘It was two weeks ago. She was a bit unsure but she thought she heard her say the name Paddy and something about money. Apparently she was very angry and was swearing and shouting.’
He inhaled deeply, sipped his whisky, and let the smoke drift from his nose.
‘Is O’Duncie still here?’
‘No, sir, I let her go.’
‘Well, that’s no use to me right now, is it? Type up a report and leave it in an envelope for me and I’ll deal with it tomorrow morning.’
‘I’m off duty in an hour, sir, but if you need me to visit the drug clinic this evening to check their phone records I can . . . ’
He glared at her. ‘What? If I need you? What the fuck are you inferring, if I need you? Jesus Christ, I’ve had it up to here today and I’m trying to relax now, so go home . . . hop it.’
Having typed up the O’Duncie interview report Jane collected her belongings from the incident room and went to the ladies’ locker room. There was now a printed notice: ‘ LADIES ONLY – NO MEN ALLOWED !’ on the door. Having washed her hands she was about to dry them when she noticed a new dent in the metal roller towel. She smiled realizing someone must have upset Kath. She suddenly heard Bradfield’s voice in the corridor outside.
‘Listen, Spence, I want that screwball junkie Eddie Phillips brought back in and given a rough time. He must know something about that phone call, or at least who it was made to. Get the night shift out there looking for him.’
‘If that’s what you want. Wearing out the carpet though, isn’t he?’ Gibbs said.
Jane dried her hands, still listening, easing down the roller towel.
‘Get someone down to that hospital tonight and see if they keep phone records for calls made. I’m interested in the day she was last seen and three days prior. O’Duncie’s a bit dim, and I doubt she can tell the bloody time, so I want every call checked from between 1 to 6 p.m. for that period.’
‘No problem, guv, and it shouldn’t be difficult to link a number to this Paddy guy . . . if he’s not ex-directory, that is.’
‘I feel like I’m losing the plot, Spence, and I’m totally knackered. That young Tennison is as sharp as a tack, maybe too sharp for her own good.’
‘Me and the lads are going for a few pints down the Warburton Arms and then for a curry in Brick Lane. Why don’t you join us?’
‘I might take you up on that.’
‘Have you seen this?’
‘What?’
Gibbs pointed to the notice on the locker-room door. ‘Any money it’s Kath Morgan having a moan – “ladies only” I’m taking that down . . . Better still, I’m gonna take a crap in there and not flush it.’
Bradfield laughed. ‘Come on, let’s finish the card game and get down to the pub.’
Jane sighed with relief as she heard them leave. She waited a few more moments before she eased the door open to make sure the coast was clear.
CHAPTER SIX
Jane was in work early the next morning, in order to try and clear the investigation ‘IN’ tray before the office meeting at 10 a.m. She checked her own tray in the PCs’ writing room and was surprised to see the Jaguar brochures there. There was a note saying that the sales garage receptionist had dropped them off on her way home, rather than posting them. Jane left the brochures, along with the reports about the Jaguar cars and the flying squad information, on DCI Bradfield’s desk and managed to get a big pile of indexing done before he walked in at eight thirty.
‘Good morning,
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