recognised Grey through the car window,
‘Inspector,’ he called in recognition, loud enough for Grey to hear through the glass, ‘They haven’t paid us! What are you going to do about it?’ Grey, knowing full well there was precisely nothing he could do in this situation and at this moment, stared grimly forward willing the car to move. Meanwhile, the man, who had now come up to the car and had planted his opened palm on the roof above the passenger door, had his attention caught by the person he now spied sitting in the back. It took a moment, as the recognition formed,
‘Wow, that’s…’ he mumbled, before stepping back and turning to a man stood near him at the kerb, ‘Look, that’s..!’ But as he grabbed the fellow’s arm and pointed the car was, mercifully for Grey, just pulling away.
‘There’ll be a lot of that, too,’ said Grey to Isobel, he hoped kindly, as they moved down the short stretch of road, just catching the corner of the town square before swerving into the police staff parking area; and as it turned out, another crowd scene, hardly less ordered that that they had just passed through.
They pulled in to park beside a black maria bearing a neighbouring station’s insignia, as all around them men and women in anything from standard issue uniform to full-blown riot protection were assembling equipment, organising into groups, or clambering on or out of vehicles that arrived quickly and kept their engines running before leaving again.
Hardly the clear run he had been hoping for, and knowing there was going to be no way to do this inconspicuously, Grey turned to Isobel, ‘These guys were handing out “Missing” posters of you for six months. There isn’t one of them who isn’t going to recognise you.’
‘That’s okay.’ she said quietly.
‘Come on then,’ he said, jumping out quickly to open her child-locked door for her. The feeling, he would think later, was perhaps that of a chauffeur opening a limousine door for an actress at a film premier; as in a ripple effect, starting with those officers stood nearest to them as they exited the vehicle, the busy yard silenced, people forgetting their tasks or where it was they were supposed to be rushing to.
‘Isobel,’ a female voice said in a reverent whisper.
‘Bloody hell, he’s found her,’ a man said roughly.
A Constable Grey knew came up to pat him on the shoulder. ‘Good on you, boss,’ he said, beaming. And there was a general hum of wonder and approval as the trio moved through the carpark.
By the time they had entered the shaded section, where the office above overhung on columns to form a carport, Superintendent Rose — who Grey knew found it instructive of his officers’ comings and going to prefer an office with a window overlooking the carpark to one with a more favourable view of the town square — was waiting to meet them at the back door. He broke out into a smile upon the sight of Grey and Cori’s passenger.
‘Welcome home, Miss Semple,’ he offered as he took her tiny hand in both of his and shook it warmly. ‘It really is wonderful to see you.’ He stood there a moment, Grey fearing it might become slightly embarrassing had he lingered longer. Thankfully though he continued, ‘You’ve picked a hell of a day for it though — there’s likely to be a bit of trouble at the Aubrey plant today, Miss. Hence our officers’ rushing around like this.’
‘Yes, we saw the men on the way on.’
‘Then hopefully you’ll forgive us if we cannot offer the kind of welcome we would have like to. Inspector, can we speak a moment?’ he said less loudly, turning to Grey. The Inspector was soon to learn that the Super’s joy at seeing Isobel was very much out of tune with his general mood.
‘There was some trouble at Aubrey’s last night,’ began Rose cautiously, ‘some pushing and shouting, bricks thrown and bottles smashed. Nothing our men couldn’t handle, we’ve had a couple there all night. Ravi Chauhan’s running the show.’
‘Right,’ the Inspector listened intently.
‘Now, I’ll tell you all about it when you come up; but in a nutshell the decision has been made: that when all the men arrive for work today, they’re not going to be let in. It might be for the best,’ continued the Super. ‘I suppose if there is any disruption, then Wuthertons would rather it wasn’t happening on the premises — the last thing anyone wants is a sit-in.’
‘So they’d rather have them rioting outside?’
‘I’m sure they’d rather have none of those things,’ answered Rose exasperatedly.
‘Well they could try paying them the men. They’re not doing it for fun.’
‘I’m sure Wuthertons are well aware if that.’
‘I was in a sit-in once, at university,’ announced Grey from nowhere, and loud enough to bring the others standing by back into their conversation. ‘It was in the student canteen, something about subsidised food.’
‘How did it end?’ asked Rose, eager for his experiences.
‘It lasted three days, I came out fifteen pounds heavier.’
Isobel laughed with spontaneous glee. She could still be quite girlish at times, noted Cori.
‘I never know if he’s making half of this stuff up,’ the Superintendent shook his head. ‘A fine way for a senior officer to behave.’ Rose soon regained his composure though, and turned back to Isobel, ‘All this trouble does mean though, love, it might be difficult to get hold of your dad.’
‘It’s probably a bit much to see her family just yet,’ answered Grey on her behalf, she seeming quite happy for him to do so.
‘Of course, of course. Well, it might be for the best anyway if you stayed here for a while. We don’t know what it will be like outside later. The Inspector has picked a corker of a day to bring you back! Have a rest in one of the offices, have something to eat. Maybe we can get a doctor in to look at that eye. Come up when you have a minute, Grey.’
‘I’ll be right there,’ answered the tired Inspector; as pausing only to give the found girl one last adoring look, Superintendent Rose headed back upstairs and to his worried rooms.
Chapter 24 — Business upon Grey’s Return
The Desk Sergeant required only the briefest of details: the name of their charge, the sparest of biographies, the barest circumstances of her coming into their care; then a series of boxes ticked yes or no: for drugs, drink, the various violences commonly done by or done unto those arriving at this place. Formalities complete, Isobel’s presence here this day officially recorded, the women carried on to the staff rooms, as Grey turned for the stairs,
‘I’m just going to speak to Rose,’ he announced, before seeing one of the Constables waiting for him at the end of the corridor. He walked over to meet the other officer.
‘Boss,’ began the younger man, ‘we heard you were back. Was that really..?’
‘It certainly was, though do yourself a favour son, don’t go believing everything you’ve ever read about her. Anything up?’
But the lad was awestruck, having been just metres from this mythic creature’s presence. Yet he tried to pull himself together and remember what he had wanted to speak to the Inspector about, spluttering,
‘It’s just… that the Custody Sergeant wanted me to remind you we’ve still got a Lawrence Dunn in the cells.’
‘Oh Lord,’ Grey could hardly stop from smiling. ‘Is that his full name? Of course it must be. Poor devil, I quite forgot about him.’
‘He was the one who scared Aubrey off, put him in hospital, or so the lads were saying?’
‘Possibly, possibly.’
‘So do you still need him then? We gave him his breakfast, he’s fine for now, but he’s been here all night, someone will need to see him soon really.’
‘Yes, and today of all days. He’ll want to be out street-fighting with his mates, I’d expect. Let me think a moment.’
The young Constable stood and waited as the older man clambered into his own head and walked through the different options, ramifications, combinations,
‘Get him a cup of tea, and tell him I’ll be down to ask a couple of questions in the next half hour.’
‘And are we going to charge him then? We’ve got until this afternoon if we wanted to…’
‘No, I expect we can let him go then.’
