was just saying…’
‘Aye, I know what you’re just saying, Rex, and there’s something I need to say to you. Something that we need to talk about, actually.’
‘You want to go back upstairs?’
‘No, this will be fine.’
Copeland got up, and walked over to the interview room door, turned, and leaned his back against it.
‘Like that, is it?’
‘Like what? You don’t even know what I’m going to say yet, mate.’
‘I know exactly what people have been saying. I’m not stupid, Pepper. What that loud-mouth Lenny Murphy said about me has been all round the nick, I know that. But it was pure bollocks he was talking; that I was just doing Dai Young’s dirty work, nicking Murphy like that. You’ve got to see that much, surely?’
‘What about Kelly Michaels though, Rex? She says she knows you, from back in London.’
‘I’d never met her before in my life, honest.’
‘That’s not what she’s saying to Professional Standards, from what I hear.’
‘What? What the hell is she saying, Pepper? This is all bollocks. It’s just racism, is this. No one would take this seriously if I was a white officer, would they? But because I come from the ‘hood, or whatever they want to call it, I have to be dirty. Not all black people actually know each other, for fuck’s sake. There’s not a club you have to join, you know.’
Copeland took a couple of steps back towards the table, and Pepper didn’t move. She was smiling, and it took a second for Copeland to work out why.
‘Oh, I get it. You know I’m not dirty. Christ, Pepper, don’t wind me up. You really do know me better than that, don’t you?’
‘Of course I do, love. Do you seriously think I’d have you working with me on the killing of my oldest friend if I didn’t? That bastard killed Linda, and now he’s trying to fit you up, Rex, you’re absolutely right about that. So we’re both motivated to nail the bastard, right? And he must have something pretty strong on this Kelly lass, to get her to go into bat for him like this. Any ideas about what that might be? Could we make her a better offer, do you think? Turn the tables, like.’
Copeland sat down again, shook his head, and shrugged. ‘What could we offer? And they could have absolutely anything on her. It’s a Ferris specialism, blackmail, topped off with a bit of intimidation. They’re brilliant at it. No, we won’t be able to turn her, no matter what we offered. So what do we do now?’
‘Simple. Find our fucking mole, before Professional Standards drag you away for another grilling.’
Copeland laughed dryly, sharing the joke, until he realised that Pepper wasn’t even smiling this time.
‘You’re actually serious?’
‘Oh, aye. It’ll be easy, will this. All we have to do is get close, and I mean properly close, to Linda’s murderer, and then our mole will have to stick their head above ground, either to try to save himself, or to risk some desperate move to distract us. Either way, they’ll just have to show out. Dai will force them, because he can’t afford to let us connect Linda’s death back to him.’
‘So all we’ve got to do is crack Linda Taylor’s murder, find our mole, and then I’m safe from the professional prejudice squad?’
‘That’s right. Got it in one.’
‘And do we have any leads to help us achieve all this? Something you’re keeping up your sleeve, maybe?’
‘Well, no, not as such. Not yet. But we won’t make any progress if we just stay sat here all bloody day, now will we?’
Thursday, 18th June
CID Office, Carlisle Police HQ, 8.25am
Pepper came in though the office door fast, and she was calling out instructions to the team before she’d even managed to untangle her bag’s strap from the door handle.
‘Can I have a quick word, boss?’ Henry called out, and Pepper arrived at his desk at a run.
‘How are you, love?’ she asked, because she knew she should, but safe in the knowledge that she
‘Aye, I know what you’re just saying, Rex, and there’s something I need to say to you. Something that we need to talk about, actually.’
‘You want to go back upstairs?’
‘No, this will be fine.’
Copeland got up, and walked over to the interview room door, turned, and leaned his back against it.
‘Like that, is it?’
‘Like what? You don’t even know what I’m going to say yet, mate.’
‘I know exactly what people have been saying. I’m not stupid, Pepper. What that loud-mouth Lenny Murphy said about me has been all round the nick, I know that. But it was pure bollocks he was talking; that I was just doing Dai Young’s dirty work, nicking Murphy like that. You’ve got to see that much, surely?’
‘What about Kelly Michaels though, Rex? She says she knows you, from back in London.’
‘I’d never met her before in my life, honest.’
‘That’s not what she’s saying to Professional Standards, from what I hear.’
‘What? What the hell is she saying, Pepper? This is all bollocks. It’s just racism, is this. No one would take this seriously if I was a white officer, would they? But because I come from the ‘hood, or whatever they want to call it, I have to be dirty. Not all black people actually know each other, for fuck’s sake. There’s not a club you have to join, you know.’
Copeland took a couple of steps back towards the table, and Pepper didn’t move. She was smiling, and it took a second for Copeland to work out why.
‘Oh, I get it. You know I’m not dirty. Christ, Pepper, don’t wind me up. You really do know me better than that, don’t you?’
‘Of course I do, love. Do you seriously think I’d have you working with me on the killing of my oldest friend if I didn’t? That bastard killed Linda, and now he’s trying to fit you up, Rex, you’re absolutely right about that. So we’re both motivated to nail the bastard, right? And he must have something pretty strong on this Kelly lass, to get her to go into bat for him like this. Any ideas about what that might be? Could we make her a better offer, do you think? Turn the tables, like.’
Copeland sat down again, shook his head, and shrugged. ‘What could we offer? And they could have absolutely anything on her. It’s a Ferris specialism, blackmail, topped off with a bit of intimidation. They’re brilliant at it. No, we won’t be able to turn her, no matter what we offered. So what do we do now?’
‘Simple. Find our fucking mole, before Professional Standards drag you away for another grilling.’
Copeland laughed dryly, sharing the joke, until he realised that Pepper wasn’t even smiling this time.
‘You’re actually serious?’
‘Oh, aye. It’ll be easy, will this. All we have to do is get close, and I mean properly close, to Linda’s murderer, and then our mole will have to stick their head above ground, either to try to save himself, or to risk some desperate move to distract us. Either way, they’ll just have to show out. Dai will force them, because he can’t afford to let us connect Linda’s death back to him.’
‘So all we’ve got to do is crack Linda Taylor’s murder, find our mole, and then I’m safe from the professional prejudice squad?’
‘That’s right. Got it in one.’
‘And do we have any leads to help us achieve all this? Something you’re keeping up your sleeve, maybe?’
‘Well, no, not as such. Not yet. But we won’t make any progress if we just stay sat here all bloody day, now will we?’
Thursday, 18th June
CID Office, Carlisle Police HQ, 8.25am
Pepper came in though the office door fast, and she was calling out instructions to the team before she’d even managed to untangle her bag’s strap from the door handle.
‘Can I have a quick word, boss?’ Henry called out, and Pepper arrived at his desk at a run.
‘How are you, love?’ she asked, because she knew she should, but safe in the knowledge that she
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