of the house.’ Brook managed to crack a smile. ‘Honestly, it’s pretty dull, most of the time, but occasionally you catch a break which can lead to a resolution. Pretty rare, though.’
‘And why leave Nottingham to come back here?’
Copeland hesitated, as though he hadn’t thought about it. ‘I still live near Derby and I’ve already reviewed a lot of the cases as a serving officer so I know the lie of the land, the people involved.’
Again Brook nodded. There was something in Copeland’s manner that told Brook he wasn’t being totally candid. ‘And when did you start the CCU? In Derby, I mean.’
‘Chief Superintendent Charlton recruited me a month ago. We attend the same church, so he knows me and my work. I’ve been setting up the unit for the last couple of weeks.’
‘Two weeks?’ said Brook, his smile fading. ‘He’s gone to a lot of trouble.’
‘What does that mean?’
‘Never mind,’ said Brook. He yawned involuntarily.
‘Am I keeping you up?’ asked Copeland.
‘Sorry. I didn’t sleep so well last night.’
‘I’m not surprised, kicking your heels at home for five months.’ Brook caught his eye. ‘No, Charlton didn’t tell me, if that’s what you’re thinking. But everyone else I’ve talked to did. Are you surprised?’
Brook shrugged. ‘I suppose not. You know the details?’
‘You searched a suspect’s home with your daughter in tow.’
Brook prepared to repeat the objection he made to Charlton but decided not to bother. ‘Something like that.’
‘If it’s any consolation, I sympathise. What you did. . . well, a lot of coppers won’t go that extra mile for a result.’
‘And you will?’
Copeland smiled with mouth only. ‘In my younger days, maybe.’ He locked on to Brook’s eyes. ‘Though nothing came back to bite me. Guess I must have been a bit luckier than you, Brook. A word of warning. If you think you’re just going to sit in here and catch up on your sleep, be advised. I’m to give Charlton weekly reports on your progress. He wants to know how you’re doing and he wants me to play tittle-tattle if you fuck up.’ Brook winced. ‘Oh, I’m sorry, I forgot. I gather you have an aversion to swearing.’
Brook’s answering smile was tight. ‘Not to the swearing as much as what it tells me about the person doing it, Clive.’
‘And what’s that?’
‘It’s a symptom of a mind that’s not under control,’ replied Brook quietly. ‘And control is what they pay us for.’
Copeland hesitated as though he wanted to say something further but decided it wasn’t the right time. Brook knew then that Copeland had been made aware of the mental breakdown he’d suffered serving in the Met.
‘I’ll try and mind my Ps and Qs,’ said the older man eventually.
Brook was sombre. Obviously Copeland had decided to fling that particular barb at a later date. ‘And are you going to?’
‘Going to what?’
‘Play tittle-tattle.’
‘I haven’t decided yet but I’ll have to tell him something.’ Copeland made to leave but turned back at the door. ‘Just so you know, Brook, I’m a fair man. I’ll make up my own mind about you.’
‘That’s nice to know. Presumably you’ve sought other opinions.’
Copeland grinned. ‘Excuse my language but almost everyone I’ve talked to thinks you’re a prick.’
Brook nodded. ‘Including the Chief.’
Copeland’s answering smile was tight. ‘Like I said, I’ll make up my own mind.’
‘Don’t bother,’ replied Brook. ‘Charlton’s right.’
Brook picked up each of the folders on the trolley in turn and skimmed the front pages. Some senior investigating officers on the files were unknown to him, some weren’t. His heart sank when further inspection revealed which officers had subsequently revisited the cases. Brook found that, down the years, ex-DCI Copeland had reinvestigated all but one of the six cases. It was telling that he’d reviewed only two of the cases more than once so
‘And why leave Nottingham to come back here?’
Copeland hesitated, as though he hadn’t thought about it. ‘I still live near Derby and I’ve already reviewed a lot of the cases as a serving officer so I know the lie of the land, the people involved.’
Again Brook nodded. There was something in Copeland’s manner that told Brook he wasn’t being totally candid. ‘And when did you start the CCU? In Derby, I mean.’
‘Chief Superintendent Charlton recruited me a month ago. We attend the same church, so he knows me and my work. I’ve been setting up the unit for the last couple of weeks.’
‘Two weeks?’ said Brook, his smile fading. ‘He’s gone to a lot of trouble.’
‘What does that mean?’
‘Never mind,’ said Brook. He yawned involuntarily.
‘Am I keeping you up?’ asked Copeland.
‘Sorry. I didn’t sleep so well last night.’
‘I’m not surprised, kicking your heels at home for five months.’ Brook caught his eye. ‘No, Charlton didn’t tell me, if that’s what you’re thinking. But everyone else I’ve talked to did. Are you surprised?’
Brook shrugged. ‘I suppose not. You know the details?’
‘You searched a suspect’s home with your daughter in tow.’
Brook prepared to repeat the objection he made to Charlton but decided not to bother. ‘Something like that.’
‘If it’s any consolation, I sympathise. What you did. . . well, a lot of coppers won’t go that extra mile for a result.’
‘And you will?’
Copeland smiled with mouth only. ‘In my younger days, maybe.’ He locked on to Brook’s eyes. ‘Though nothing came back to bite me. Guess I must have been a bit luckier than you, Brook. A word of warning. If you think you’re just going to sit in here and catch up on your sleep, be advised. I’m to give Charlton weekly reports on your progress. He wants to know how you’re doing and he wants me to play tittle-tattle if you fuck up.’ Brook winced. ‘Oh, I’m sorry, I forgot. I gather you have an aversion to swearing.’
Brook’s answering smile was tight. ‘Not to the swearing as much as what it tells me about the person doing it, Clive.’
‘And what’s that?’
‘It’s a symptom of a mind that’s not under control,’ replied Brook quietly. ‘And control is what they pay us for.’
Copeland hesitated as though he wanted to say something further but decided it wasn’t the right time. Brook knew then that Copeland had been made aware of the mental breakdown he’d suffered serving in the Met.
‘I’ll try and mind my Ps and Qs,’ said the older man eventually.
Brook was sombre. Obviously Copeland had decided to fling that particular barb at a later date. ‘And are you going to?’
‘Going to what?’
‘Play tittle-tattle.’
‘I haven’t decided yet but I’ll have to tell him something.’ Copeland made to leave but turned back at the door. ‘Just so you know, Brook, I’m a fair man. I’ll make up my own mind about you.’
‘That’s nice to know. Presumably you’ve sought other opinions.’
Copeland grinned. ‘Excuse my language but almost everyone I’ve talked to thinks you’re a prick.’
Brook nodded. ‘Including the Chief.’
Copeland’s answering smile was tight. ‘Like I said, I’ll make up my own mind.’
‘Don’t bother,’ replied Brook. ‘Charlton’s right.’
Brook picked up each of the folders on the trolley in turn and skimmed the front pages. Some senior investigating officers on the files were unknown to him, some weren’t. His heart sank when further inspection revealed which officers had subsequently revisited the cases. Brook found that, down the years, ex-DCI Copeland had reinvestigated all but one of the six cases. It was telling that he’d reviewed only two of the cases more than once so
Similar Books
