The Superintendent studied his fingernails and considered the implications of Flint's discoveries. On the whole they seemed entirely satisfactory, but he had a nasty feeling that the Inspector's methods might not look too good in court. In fact it was best not to dwell on them. Defending counsel could be relied on to spell them out in detail to the jury. Threats to prisoners in gaol, murder charges that were never brought...On the other hand if Flint had succeeded, that idiot Hodge would be scuppered. That was worth a great many risks.
'Are you quite certain Swannell and the rest haven't been spinning you a yarn?' he asked. 'I mean I'm not doubting you or anything but if we go ahead now and they retract those statements in court, which they will do'
'I'm not relying on their statements,' said Flint. 'There's hard evidence. I think when the search warrants are issued we'll find enough heroin and Embalming Fluid on their premises and clothing to satisfy Forensic. They've got to have spilt some when they were splitting the packages, haven't they?'
The Superintendent didn't answer. There were some things he preferred not to know and Flint's actions were too dubious for comfort. Still if the Inspector had broken a drug ring the Chief Constable and the Home Secretary would be well satisfied, and with crime organized the way it was nowadays there was no point in being too scrupulous. 'All right,' he said finally. 'I'll apply for the warrants.'
'Thank you, sir,' said Flint and turned to go. But the Superintendent stopped him.
'About Inspector Hodge,' he said. 'I take it he's been following a different line of investigation.'
'American airbases,' said Flint. 'He's got it into his head that's where the stuffs been coming in.'
'In that case we'd better call him off.'
But Flint had other plans in mind. 'If I might make a suggestion, sir,' he said, 'the fact that the Drug Squad is pointing in the wrong direction has its advantages. I mean Hodge has drawn attention away from our investigations and it would be a pity to put up a warning signal until we've made our arrests. In fact it might help to encourage him a bit.'
The Superintendent looked at him doubtfully. The last thing the head of the Drug Squad needed was encouraging. He was demented enough already. On the other hand...
'And how exactly is he to be encouraged?' he asked.
'I suppose you could say the Chief Constable was looking for an early arrest,' said Flint. 'It's the truth after all.'
'I suppose there's that to it,' said the Superintendent wearily. 'All right, but you'd better be right with your own cases.'
'I will be, sir,' said Flint and left the room. He went down to the car pool where Sergeant Yates was waiting.
'The warrants are all settled,' he said. 'Have you got the stuff?'
Sergeant Yates nodded and indicated a plastic packet on the back seat. 'Couldn't get a lot,' he said, 'Runkie reckoned we'd no right to it. I had to tell him it was needed for a lab check.'
'Which it will be,' said Flint. 'And it's all the same batch?'
'It's that all right.'
'No problem then,' said Flint as they drove out, 'we'll look at Lingon's coach first and then Swannell's boat and the back garden and leave enough for Forensic to pick up.'
'What about Roddie Eaton?'
Flint took a pair of cotton gloves from his pocket. 'I thought we'd leave these in his dustbin,' he said. 'We'll used them on the coach first. No need to bother going to Annie's. There will be something there anyway, and besides, the rest of them will try to get lighter sentences by pointing the finger at her. All we need is three of them as guilty as sin and facing twenty
