The mildest of requests can sound like threats when spoken by men of hard reputations. Farr-Jones stiffened his back.
“To my wife.”
“You haven’t answered my question.”
“I will-after I’ve spoken to my wife.” Diamond nodded civilly and left the room.
Steph would be back about now from a morning’s shopping. After lunch she would be leaving for the Oxfam shop, so this was the ideal time to catch her at home.
He used the wall phone downstairs. “Looks as if I could be here a few days,” he told her after apologizing for not having reached her before. “Can you cope?”
“More to the point, can you?” said Steph, who never nagged, but regularly spoiled the image Diamond had of himself. “You didn’t pack an overnight bag.”
“I’ll buy myself a toothbrush.”
“And a strong aftershave, I suggest, if you’re not proposing to wash your shirt overnight. What have they talked you into?”
“Something came up from the old days and they can’t seem to handle it themselves.”
“Unfinished business?”
“I thought it was finished. Someone has another opinion.”
“If you remember, you weren’t going to have any more to do with them.”
“The ’someone’ isn’t a copper. Can’t go into details, my love.”
“No need. It’s Mountjoy you’re talking about, isn’t it? That college principal who knifed a woman journalist. I went through the papers while I was waiting here this morning for a call that didn’t come. Peter, just remember you’re a civilian now. It’s their job to catch him.”
“I’ll remember.”
There was a pause. Then she asked, “Aren’t you going to tell me to keep all the doors and windows locked and sleep with a police whistle under my pillow?”
“He won’t be coming your way.”
“So I can invite strange men home in perfect confidence, can I?”
Stephanie knew how to pierce his thick skin every time.
“What?”
“What else can a lady do when the prize is snatched away? You did leave me rather suddenly, if you remember.”
“I won’t be long.”
She gave an ironic laugh. “Where are you staying?”
He was glad she asked. He hadn’t thought until now. “The Francis.”
“And I was about to say, ‘Take care.’ “
When he returned to the meeting, it was like the star performer making an entrance. Such conversation as there was ceased abruptly. “I’d like to outline my terms,” he said, taking the chair opposite Farr-Jones and leaning forward over clasped hands. He’d never been in the position of dictating to a Chief Constable and he relished it. “I’m prepared to remain here until Miss Tott is released.”
“Good man,” purred Farr-Jones. “I knew we could rely upon you.”
“On the following conditions.” His voice overrode the Chief Constable’s. “First, I want access to the files on the Britt Strand murder.”
Alarmed looks were exchanged between Farr-Jones, Tott and Wigfull. Warrilow rolled his eyes upward.
“You’re not serious?” said Farr-Jones. “You told us yourself that the man was guilty as hell.”
“If I’m to have intelligent contact with him, I have to be up with the case.”
There was some shifting in the chair at the far end of the table. “I don’t know that I can sanction this. You’re not a member of the police any longer.”
“That’s rich considering what you asked me to do this morning. And since I have no other duties while I’m stuck in Bath, how am I going to spend my time-sitting over coffee in Sally Lunn’s?”
This was provocative stuff, even allowing that he no longer needed to touch his forelock to anybody in the room.
Farr-Jones, pink-faced, glanced down as if suddenly aware that his fly was unzipped. “Very well. If it becomes necessary to inspect the files, you shall.”
“No ‘ifs,’ Chief Constable. This afternoon,” insisted Diamond. “I need to bone up on them today. Which leads me to condition number two. I require an assistant.”
“An assistant? You mean someone to work with? You can work closely with John. You did before.”
Diamond avoided eye contact with the career man Wigfull. “The officer I have in mind is DI Hargreaves.”
“A woman?” piped up the Chief Constable, in serious danger of flouting the Sex Discrimination Act. “Is there a reason?”
“She’s my choice.”
“But-”
“Nothing personal, but Chief Inspector Wigfull is part of the command structure now. I want full authority to act independently if necessary.”
“You can’t do that.”
“I’m not just going through the motions. If I find something of interest in the files, I want the freedom to follow it up.”
“You’re making this very difficult.”
“I didn’t ask to come in the first place.”
Farr-Jones turned to Tott, and a short, murmured consultation took place. It was supposed to be inaudible to Diamond, but he knew it was about damage limitation. If they could find a way of humoring him without letting him interfere with the policing, they would agree to his terms.
“Very well,” Farr-Jones said finally. “We’ll assign Inspector Hargreaves to you. And you shall have an office of your own.”
Away from the center of operations, no doubt. A cell, in effect. He didn’t reject the offer. There were compensations in being tucked away.
“And a car.”
“If you need to be driven anywhere, you can mention it downstairs.”
“I mean a car for my exclusive use.”
A martyred look spread over the Chief Constable’s features. “Very well. Does that meet all your requirements?”
“Not entirely. I’d like to have this clear, my position in the hierarchy. I answer to you personally, Chief Constable, no one else.”
“We’re not a monolithic organization, Mr. Diamond. I delegate much of my authority to others. Mr. Tott-”
“Mr. Tott is personally involved.”
“We know that.”
“It’s better to have this sorted now than later,” Diamond insisted. “Decisions may need to be taken rapidly. I’m not asking to take over the entire operation.”
Warrilow murmured, “Thank God for that.”
“What exactly are you proposing?” Farr-Jones asked tartly, signaling that his tolerance was almost at an end. “We need to coordinate any action we take.”
“I’m looking ahead. If there’s anything in the Britt Strand file that warrants fresh investigation, I want the freedom to follow it up without hindrance.”
Farr-Jones made a hissing sound by sucking in breath rather than exhaling. “Dangerous.”
“I know the law. I won’t masquerade as a police officer. When I need authority I’ll have DI Hargreaves.”
Farr-Jones was silent.
Diamond pushed his demands to the limit. “If you want my cooperation, there isn’t anything to decide.”
“Very well. Subject to, em… Subject to-”
