“Not at that point, no, sir. But I knew he was-”
“Very well. That’s all I need to know.” Trethowan looked to Chambers. “Go on.”
“How did you know who they were?” Chambers demanded.
“Well, I didn’t think he was picking up hitchhikers,” said Nerys.
Chambers reddened.
“That’ll be enough of that,” said Trethowan.
“Yes, sir. Sorry, sir.” She glared back at Chambers, who was the first to avert his gaze.
“Did you have any idea at this point what you were going to do?” asked Detective Superintendent Gervaise. “Had a plan of any kind formed in your mind?”
“No, ma’am. All I knew was that McCready was armed, that he’d shot Ann-DI Cabbot-and that he had DCI Banks and his daughter hostage.”
“And wouldn’t it have made perfect sense right then and there to call me?” said Trethowan. “Or someone in authority? There are procedures to be followed, you know. Protocol. Why didn’t you call me, or Superintendent Gervaise, with your suspicions about DCI Banks’s course of action?”
“I know I should have done, sir,” said Nerys, “and I have no excuse. But sometimes you just have to think on your feet, and think fast. In my judgment, there wasn’t time for protocol, for getting the necessary wheels in motion. I didn’t have my mobile, for a start, and I would have lost them if I’d stopped to fill in all the necessary forms. Calling in the cavalry would have alerted McCready that we were on to him. I considered him armed and dangerous, and the last thing he needed was to feel that he was surrounded by armed police. There was always a chance that drugs were involved, too. They tend to make people jittery and unpredictable, as turned out to be the case.”
“He’d been snorting cocaine on the journey,” said Banks.
“So you discharged your weapon in a public parking lot,” said Trethowan, ignoring Banks. “A motorway service station. Risking injury to God knows how many innocent men, women and children.”
“I targeted Jaffar McCready, sir. I’m a good shot. The best in the unit. You know I am. And my weapon is accurate up to nearly a thousand yards. I was only three hundred yards away, at most.”
“And after you hit your target? Did you have any idea where the bullet would end up?” Chambers asked.
“I was at the top of a hill. From the angle of my shot, sir, I judged it would lodge itself in the body of the car behind McCready, which it did. Do you want to charge me with damaging private property, too, now, sir? I’ll see if my insurance will cover it.”
Trethowan thumped the table. “I’ve told you, Officer Powell. That’s enough of your bloody insolence. This is a very serious matter. Your career’s on the line. You’re not doing yourself any favors. Sarcasm won’t get you anywhere. Not with me and not with Superintendents Chambers or Gervaise or ACC McLaughlin. And we’re the ones holding your fate in the balance. Remember that. One more remark like that, and I’ll have you on disciplinary charges no matter what the outcome here this afternoon. Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir,” Nerys mumbled, head down.
“What happened when you got to the services car park?” Gervaise asked, pouring oil on troubled waters.
“I parked my car, ma’am. I’d checked out the surrounding area as best I could on my way in, and there was a slope just across the slip road. I could lie down just behind there unseen and get a direct line on DCI Banks’s car, and a good line of shot if it came to that. I wasn’t planning on shooting anyone. I didn’t want to alarm the public.”
“So that’s where you went?” asked Chambers. “The grassy knoll?” He beamed at his little joke, but everyone else ignored it.
Nerys bit her lip. “Yes, sir.”
“With the intent of shooting Jaffar McCready as soon as you thought you had a clear shot?”
“With the intention of protecting the lives of DCI Banks and his daughter, sir, should the DCI make any foolish or desperate moves. I could tell McCready was wired when they first got out of the car.”
Banks raised his eyebrows.
“I’m not saying that making foolish moves isn’t entirely out of character for DCI Banks,” said Chambers with a self-satisfied grin, “but how could you know that he would do such a thing in this instance?”
“I didn’t. Not for certain. But I would have done, if I were him. It was his best chance at McCready. Out in the open. If he was going to try anything, I calculated that would be his opportunity.”
“With other people around?”
“His daughter’s a person, too, sir. So is DCI Banks himself.”
“I’m quite aware of that,” said Chambers.
“Let’s move on,” Gervaise interjected.
Chambers seemed exasperated, but he went on, “Are you saying you knew DCI Banks was doomed to failure if he acted?”
Nerys shrugged. “I knew there was a possibility of failure. And that McCready had a gun he wasn’t afraid to use. I just wanted to be prepared, that’s all, to give the DCI an added advantage.”
“I suppose now you’re going to tell us that it all happened so fast you don’t remember the details, that you’re not responsible for your actions?” said Chambers.
“On the contrary, sir. Time slowed right down. I knew exactly what I was doing. I took my time pulling the trigger, squeezed it slowly, making certain of the accuracy of my shot, and I take full responsibility for my actions. I stand by them.”
That reduced Chambers to a reluctant silence, and Gervaise gently picked up the slack. “Tell us what happened.”
“They were walking back to the car, the three of them. DCI Banks was in front, and I could see him fiddling inside the food bag. I couldn’t know at the time exactly what he was doing, of course, but it seemed suspicious, like he was preparing to do something, and it would certainly look suspicious from behind, to McCready, who was already acting jumpy as hell.”
“So you saw DCI Banks fiddling with the paper bag?” Gervaise went on.
“Yes.”
“And what did you do next?”
“Nothing, ma’am. I watched and waited.”
“Through the sights of your gun?” asked Chambers.
“Through my scope, yes.”
“The sniper’s rifle you just happened to be carrying with you?” He glanced down at his notes. “A Parker-Hale M85, if I’m not mistaken. Not exactly standard issue. Where did you get it?”
“It was my father’s, sir. I keep it locked in a special compartment in the boot of my car. I practice with it sometimes. In my opinion, the Park-”
“Is that where you’re supposed to keep your weapon, Officer Powell?” asked Trethowan. “In the boot of your car, like some American redneck?”
Nerys turned away. “No, sir. The Firearms Cadre has proper storage facilities, as do our transport vehicles, but-”
“Carry on,” said Trethowan. “We’ll deal with that infraction later.”
Nerys swallowed again, as if her mouth was dry. She still had a glass of water in front of her, Banks noticed, but this time she didn’t touch it. She probably didn’t want them to see her hand shaking. “I was watching them walk toward the car. DCI Banks pulled a face and flinched. I thought maybe he’d burned himself or something. That gave me an idea of what he might be about to try.”
“And?” asked Gervaise.
Nerys looked directly at Banks. Her gaze was unnerving. “In my opinion, he wouldn’t have succeeded, ma’am. His awkward movements had already alerted McCready that something was going on. DCI Banks was going to try and throw hot coffee in his face, but he must have burned himself getting the lid off, and he flinched. McCready noticed, knew something was wrong.”
“Is this true, Alan?” asked Gervaise.
Banks nodded.
“What did McCready do then?” Gervaise asked Nerys.
“He took the gun-the Baikal with the silencer-out of his hold-all. He’d had it in his hand all the time they were
