to speak to him, but he seemed a bit … cagey, you know?’
‘Cagey?’ Mendel frowned.
‘A bit evasive about turning over his CCTV tapes,’ Gregg replied.
‘For goodness’ sake.’ Harland shook his head. ‘Did you tell him we’re investigating the arson attack? The one that took place practically next door to his own building?’
‘I mentioned that, yes.’
‘And he wasn’t falling over himself to help?’
‘No, sir.’
Harland looked at Mendel for a moment, then rubbed his eyes wearily before turning back to Gregg.
‘Well, get on to him and mention it again,’ he said, working hard to stay calm. ‘Tell him I don’t care what he’s got in his warehouse, or who’s been in and out of the place. I just want the CCTV footage from the night of the fire.’
‘You’d think he’d be keen to see these idiots locked up,’ Mendel noted. ‘Could easily have been his place that got torched.’
Harland shook his head.
‘Depends what he’s got in his warehouse,’ he mused. ‘Though if it
was
anything dodgy, it’ll be long gone now we’ve spooked him.’
He sighed, then patted Gregg on the shoulder.
‘Just chase him up, OK?’
‘Will do, sir.’
Harland turned and looked at the screen, where a series of suspect mugshots stared out defiantly at him. Young faces, trying to look old.
‘Blake wanted to know if we had anything on any of our fire-starters, anything that might persuade them to talk. I told him they were small-time …’ He trailed off for a moment, his eyes taking in the tough-guy expressions in the photographs.
Perhaps there was another way.
He turned back to the others. ‘Do we know if any of these kids have big brothers or other family members with current form?’
Mendel stared at him then broke into a grin.
‘Lean on the older ones and let them pass it down to the kids?’ He chuckled. ‘What happened to your “bad old days” lecture?’
‘I’m unpredictable,’ Harland winked at him. ‘Anyway, we’re not doing anything wrong. And I’d feel a lot better about doing this than waiting around for them to light up a building that’s got someone inside it.’
‘No argument there,’ Mendel shrugged.
‘So,’ Harland said brightly. ‘Let’s just hope we can turn up a family member who’s on thin ice.’
Firth was leaning over the desk, staring at the mugshots on the screen.
‘Sir?’ she said. ‘I might be wrong, but this kid here … Alex Murphy?’
She pointed to a thin, red-haired youth with watery eyes and prominent ears.
‘Handsome fellow,’ Mendel muttered.
‘Memorable,’ Harland agreed.
‘That’s just it, sir,’ Firth said. ‘I think I arrested his brother last year. Can’t remember what for, but the face is really familiar. I can check up and find out.’
‘Thanks, Sue.’ Harland gave her an approving nod. ‘Start with him, then have a look through the rest of the gang – let’s get a list of relatives with something to lose, you know what sort of thing to look for.’
She smiled at him as he got to his feet, and he found himself thinking back to that evening last year when a group of them had gone down to see some film and he’d somehow wound up walking back to the pub with her, just the two of them. She’d smiled at him that night too, like someone who enjoyed his company …
‘… if you want me to?’ Mendel was speaking to him, waiting for a response.
‘I’m sorry,’ Harland shook his head. ‘What were you asking?’
Mendel gave him an exasperated look, then turned and walked towards the kitchen.
‘Not boring you, am I, Graham?’ he asked as Harland fell in beside him.
‘Just thinking about something.’
‘Oh yeah?’ Mendel glanced back at Firth meaningfully.
‘Look, I’m sorry.’ Harland held up his hands. ‘Now please, what were you asking?’
‘I was saying, do you want me to have a word with Bristol, and see if any of the names strike a chord with them?’
‘Of course,’ Harland told him.
‘Cagey?’ Mendel frowned.
‘A bit evasive about turning over his CCTV tapes,’ Gregg replied.
‘For goodness’ sake.’ Harland shook his head. ‘Did you tell him we’re investigating the arson attack? The one that took place practically next door to his own building?’
‘I mentioned that, yes.’
‘And he wasn’t falling over himself to help?’
‘No, sir.’
Harland looked at Mendel for a moment, then rubbed his eyes wearily before turning back to Gregg.
‘Well, get on to him and mention it again,’ he said, working hard to stay calm. ‘Tell him I don’t care what he’s got in his warehouse, or who’s been in and out of the place. I just want the CCTV footage from the night of the fire.’
‘You’d think he’d be keen to see these idiots locked up,’ Mendel noted. ‘Could easily have been his place that got torched.’
Harland shook his head.
‘Depends what he’s got in his warehouse,’ he mused. ‘Though if it
was
anything dodgy, it’ll be long gone now we’ve spooked him.’
He sighed, then patted Gregg on the shoulder.
‘Just chase him up, OK?’
‘Will do, sir.’
Harland turned and looked at the screen, where a series of suspect mugshots stared out defiantly at him. Young faces, trying to look old.
‘Blake wanted to know if we had anything on any of our fire-starters, anything that might persuade them to talk. I told him they were small-time …’ He trailed off for a moment, his eyes taking in the tough-guy expressions in the photographs.
Perhaps there was another way.
He turned back to the others. ‘Do we know if any of these kids have big brothers or other family members with current form?’
Mendel stared at him then broke into a grin.
‘Lean on the older ones and let them pass it down to the kids?’ He chuckled. ‘What happened to your “bad old days” lecture?’
‘I’m unpredictable,’ Harland winked at him. ‘Anyway, we’re not doing anything wrong. And I’d feel a lot better about doing this than waiting around for them to light up a building that’s got someone inside it.’
‘No argument there,’ Mendel shrugged.
‘So,’ Harland said brightly. ‘Let’s just hope we can turn up a family member who’s on thin ice.’
Firth was leaning over the desk, staring at the mugshots on the screen.
‘Sir?’ she said. ‘I might be wrong, but this kid here … Alex Murphy?’
She pointed to a thin, red-haired youth with watery eyes and prominent ears.
‘Handsome fellow,’ Mendel muttered.
‘Memorable,’ Harland agreed.
‘That’s just it, sir,’ Firth said. ‘I think I arrested his brother last year. Can’t remember what for, but the face is really familiar. I can check up and find out.’
‘Thanks, Sue.’ Harland gave her an approving nod. ‘Start with him, then have a look through the rest of the gang – let’s get a list of relatives with something to lose, you know what sort of thing to look for.’
She smiled at him as he got to his feet, and he found himself thinking back to that evening last year when a group of them had gone down to see some film and he’d somehow wound up walking back to the pub with her, just the two of them. She’d smiled at him that night too, like someone who enjoyed his company …
‘… if you want me to?’ Mendel was speaking to him, waiting for a response.
‘I’m sorry,’ Harland shook his head. ‘What were you asking?’
Mendel gave him an exasperated look, then turned and walked towards the kitchen.
‘Not boring you, am I, Graham?’ he asked as Harland fell in beside him.
‘Just thinking about something.’
‘Oh yeah?’ Mendel glanced back at Firth meaningfully.
‘Look, I’m sorry.’ Harland held up his hands. ‘Now please, what were you asking?’
‘I was saying, do you want me to have a word with Bristol, and see if any of the names strike a chord with them?’
‘Of course,’ Harland told him.
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