The full weight of her body hurtled towards him.
Her feet caught his left shoulder and swung him to the right. In that infinitesimal moment of grace the instinct for self-preservation had made him grip the handrail hard and pull himself closer. Even so, his left arm was jerked off the rail and he careered backwards and lost his footing. He dangled in space, only the fingers of one hand stopping him falling to his death. By kicking out frantically he got his left foot between two steps and hauled himself back to connect with the staircase and hold on.
Only Emma knew whether her leap was intended to be suicidal. Certainly she meant to take Diamond with her. She fell no further than the landing, hitting it with a thud that sounded hideous and final, but was not. She lay groaning on the narrow platform.
Diamond was fortunate. His only injury was to his dignity. His trousers had ripped wide open at the back.
The rescue effort was not long in coming. Emma, with both legs broken, had to be winched down on a stretcher. She was still conscious when Diamond was helped off the steps. She saw him and said, ‘You think you’re lucky, and you are, bloody lucky, but when this comes to court I’m denying everything. You’ve got it all to prove.’
English law has its unique way of dealing with offenders. When the cases finally came to court, Soldier Nuttall was given a suspended sentence of six months for possession of an unlicensed weapon. Emma Tasker was found guilty of murder and given the mandatory life sentence, but at the lowest end of the scale thanks to a spirited defence. She would be out some years before the expiry of the fifteen year term. Hossain Farhadi, the Somerset Sniper, was also found guilty of murder and told that the life sentence in his case meant at least thirty years. He seemed to regard this as salvation. Jack Gull hailed it as a triumph for the Serial Crimes Unit.
The bruises healed in Bath CID. Diamond was soon back on good terms with his team. One afternoon he was called to Georgina’s office. She was looking benevolent for once. ‘I have good news, Peter. This is in confidence. Ingeborg’s promotion to sergeant is approved.’
‘That
But where there’s good news, there is usually bad as well.
‘Headquarters have been looking at your budget report. I’m afraid you’ve overspent again.’
‘I don’t think so, ma’am,’ he said.
‘I had to bump up the figures a bit before they went in.’
‘Oh?’
‘We were sent the invoice for a replacement suit.’
‘Not by me,’ he said. ‘I ripped a perfectly good pair of trousers on that gasholder thing, and I can’t wear the jacket without them. I’ve never claimed for clothing.’
‘You wouldn’t get it,’ Georgina said.
‘Who’s got the nerve to claim for a suit?’
‘Mr. Anderson Jakes. He said one of your officers was responsible. I didn’t want it itemised for the accountants to question, so it’s gone through as extra overtime.’
‘How was it damaged?’
‘Unfortunately it came apart at the shoulder seam.’
‘That’s repairable, ma’am.’
‘Apparently not. The more expensive the suit, the less likely it is that a repair will pass muster. This is a bespoke Savile Row suit costing over a thousand pounds.’
He was outraged. ‘A grand? My suits cost a hundred and forty-nine.’
Georgina passed no comment.
