Double Dealing (Detective Sergeant Catherine Bishop Series Book Two) by Lisa Hartley
Authors: Lisa Hartley
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best.’
14
As usual, Detective Superintendent Jane Stringer looked as if there was an unpleasant smell. After meeting her a few times, Knight had realised it was her natural expression and not a result of any offensive odour that might be lingering around Northolme police station. Stringer wore her usual outfit: a well-tailored jacket and skirt, smart blouse and understated make-up. She rested perfectly manicured hands on the polished surface of her desk and said, ‘After speaking to the Assistant Chief Constable, I believe this is the right decision.’
Knight didn’t respond. He was annoyed but not surprised; he’d been expecting this, after all. DCI Kendrick shuffled in the chair beside him, impatient as always at having to sit still for any length of time, then spoke up.
‘With respect, ma’am, I’m not sure I understand. Why do yourself and the ACC think that another officer is going to have any more joy finding out who killed Paul Hughes than Jonathan has?’
Stringer inclined her head with a regal air, treating Kendrick to the sort of glance you might bestow on half a mauled mouse that the cat has dragged in.
‘Fresh eyes, Keith. You know how it is. It’s no reflection on the investigation you’ve been running here, of course.’
Oh, of course not, Knight thought.
‘It’s not been easy with the Hughes family in London, ma’am,’ he said. ‘If I could have gone down there, spoken to them myself . . .’
Stringer gave him a hard look.
‘That wasn’t an option, Jonathan. Malc Hughes was interviewed by our very capable colleagues in the Metropolitan Police, as was his wife and the rest of the family. Their alibis were verified and they were eliminated as suspects. We need to press on with discovering who killed Paul Hughes, but at the same time you have other cases piling up here.’
‘I wouldn’t say they’re piling up . . .’ Knight protested. Stringer’s lips pinched and her nostrils flared.
‘I’m afraid the matter is closed. Detective Inspector Shea will arrive tomorrow afternoon and I know you’ll make him welcome as well as offering him any assistance you can. He’ll be bringing a DS with him and they may need a couple of DCs to help out as necessary. He can use this office in my absence - I trust that won’t be a problem?’
Kendrick folded his arms.
‘None at all, ma’am,’ he said. ‘You do realise that he may never solve this case either, I suppose?’
She glared at him.
‘And what does that mean?’
‘Malc Hughes is the head of an organised gang of criminals. I know it, Jonathan knows it, the whole of the Met knows it, and yet we can’t touch him. Of course he has a solid alibi, he always does when anything kicks off. He has lots of unscrupulous types ready and willing to do just about anything to get in his good books, so why would he dirty his own hands?’
Stringer tapped a fingernail on the desktop a few times. When she spoke, her voice was quiet.
‘If Malc Hughes killed his son, either with his own hands or through someone else, we will prove it. Looking at the evidence though, I don’t think he did. Do you?’
She gave Knight a pointed look and he shook his head with a sigh.
‘No. No, I don’t.’
‘And so our priority, regardless of who Paul Hughes’ family is, regardless of what he may or not have done, is to find the person or persons who killed him. Also regardless of any involvement he might have in any other case, including the one involving the people trafficking and prostitution ring. I don’t think I need to remind either of you that that particular case is no longer your responsibility either.’
‘So we just fob both investigations off onto someone else? Heaven forbid they sit around mucking up our stats.’ Kendrick couldn’t let it lie and Stringer looked at him with what almost seemed like pity.
‘It’s not like that and you know it.’
With a noise of
14
As usual, Detective Superintendent Jane Stringer looked as if there was an unpleasant smell. After meeting her a few times, Knight had realised it was her natural expression and not a result of any offensive odour that might be lingering around Northolme police station. Stringer wore her usual outfit: a well-tailored jacket and skirt, smart blouse and understated make-up. She rested perfectly manicured hands on the polished surface of her desk and said, ‘After speaking to the Assistant Chief Constable, I believe this is the right decision.’
Knight didn’t respond. He was annoyed but not surprised; he’d been expecting this, after all. DCI Kendrick shuffled in the chair beside him, impatient as always at having to sit still for any length of time, then spoke up.
‘With respect, ma’am, I’m not sure I understand. Why do yourself and the ACC think that another officer is going to have any more joy finding out who killed Paul Hughes than Jonathan has?’
Stringer inclined her head with a regal air, treating Kendrick to the sort of glance you might bestow on half a mauled mouse that the cat has dragged in.
‘Fresh eyes, Keith. You know how it is. It’s no reflection on the investigation you’ve been running here, of course.’
Oh, of course not, Knight thought.
‘It’s not been easy with the Hughes family in London, ma’am,’ he said. ‘If I could have gone down there, spoken to them myself . . .’
Stringer gave him a hard look.
‘That wasn’t an option, Jonathan. Malc Hughes was interviewed by our very capable colleagues in the Metropolitan Police, as was his wife and the rest of the family. Their alibis were verified and they were eliminated as suspects. We need to press on with discovering who killed Paul Hughes, but at the same time you have other cases piling up here.’
‘I wouldn’t say they’re piling up . . .’ Knight protested. Stringer’s lips pinched and her nostrils flared.
‘I’m afraid the matter is closed. Detective Inspector Shea will arrive tomorrow afternoon and I know you’ll make him welcome as well as offering him any assistance you can. He’ll be bringing a DS with him and they may need a couple of DCs to help out as necessary. He can use this office in my absence - I trust that won’t be a problem?’
Kendrick folded his arms.
‘None at all, ma’am,’ he said. ‘You do realise that he may never solve this case either, I suppose?’
She glared at him.
‘And what does that mean?’
‘Malc Hughes is the head of an organised gang of criminals. I know it, Jonathan knows it, the whole of the Met knows it, and yet we can’t touch him. Of course he has a solid alibi, he always does when anything kicks off. He has lots of unscrupulous types ready and willing to do just about anything to get in his good books, so why would he dirty his own hands?’
Stringer tapped a fingernail on the desktop a few times. When she spoke, her voice was quiet.
‘If Malc Hughes killed his son, either with his own hands or through someone else, we will prove it. Looking at the evidence though, I don’t think he did. Do you?’
She gave Knight a pointed look and he shook his head with a sigh.
‘No. No, I don’t.’
‘And so our priority, regardless of who Paul Hughes’ family is, regardless of what he may or not have done, is to find the person or persons who killed him. Also regardless of any involvement he might have in any other case, including the one involving the people trafficking and prostitution ring. I don’t think I need to remind either of you that that particular case is no longer your responsibility either.’
‘So we just fob both investigations off onto someone else? Heaven forbid they sit around mucking up our stats.’ Kendrick couldn’t let it lie and Stringer looked at him with what almost seemed like pity.
‘It’s not like that and you know it.’
With a noise of
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