Cage of Bones

‘Yes,’ said Marina, ‘and solicitors never know anything, do they?’

‘But she’s not a criminal lawyer,’ Glass explained, as if they were two retarded children. ‘She’s one of the most well-respected solicitors in the area.’

‘And she may know something about the imminent murder of a child,’ said Mickey. ‘If we had got her to talk, we could have saved that boy’s life.’

‘She can’t know anything,’ Glass said.

‘And you’re sure of that, are you?’ said Marina.

Glass didn’t reply. Just glared at her.

‘You wouldn’t want to stand in the way of a murder investigation, would you?’ said Mickey.

Glass turned his stare on him.

‘Sir,’ Mickey added.

It seemed to Mickey that Glass was making a pretence of thinking. He came to a conclusion. ‘You’re right,’ he said. ‘We can’t take the chance, can we?’

‘Good,’ said Mickey. He turned for the door. ‘I’ll just-’

‘No,’ said Glass, putting a restraining hand on his arm. ‘I’ll handle the interview. And it’ll be done properly this time.’

‘It was done properly last time,’ said Mickey. ‘Check the recording.’

Glass seemed to hesitate, stuck for what to do. He quickly made up his mind. ‘I’ll still handle the interview. But her solicitor will be present.’ He looked round the observation room. ‘And I’ll do it in private.’

‘Why?’ said Mickey.

‘In case she has anything of a… sensitive nature to reveal.’ He turned to go, turned back again. ‘Good, er, good work, DS Philips.’

He left the room.

Mickey turned to Marina, about to speak. She put her finger to her lips, looked at the door. They waited until Glass had entered the interview room and, along with Michael Fenton, escorted Lynn Windsor from the room.

Only then did Mickey speak.

‘What was all that about?’ he said. ‘And where did you get all that stuff from?’

‘I’ll tell you later. Somewhere more private,’ she said. ‘All I can tell you at the moment, the most important thing at this time, is that Glass is dirty. He’s as bent as they come.’

Mickey gave a small laugh. ‘I think I’d guessed that.’

‘And he’s in this all the way.’ Marina looked at her watch. ‘Coffee time. Come on. I’m buying.’

They both left the room.

106

Phil’s phone rang.

He thought it must be Marina calling him back, telling him what had happened in Mickey’s interview with Lynn Windsor. But it wasn’t. It was pathologist Nick Lines calling.

‘I’ve got to take this,’ Phil said to the others in the hotel room.

‘Phil, it’s Nick. How are you?’

‘Suspended, believe it or not. How are you?’

There was a pause while Nick took in what Phil had just said. ‘Sorry?’

‘Suspended. DCI Glass has suspended me.’

‘Why?’

‘God knows. You’d better ask him.’

‘I’m sorry to hear that.’

‘It’s OK,’ said Phil. ‘It’s only temporary.’ I hope, he added mentally. ‘What can I do for you?’

‘Well I’ve been trying to reach Rose Martin and can’t get hold of her.’

‘No,’ said Phil, ‘you won’t. Can I help?’

‘If you know where she is.’

Phil gave some thought to his answer. ‘I don’t think she’s going to be around for a while.’

‘Ah.’

‘Yeah.’ Let Nick think she was off the force again. Phil wouldn’t contradict him.

‘So can I help?’

‘It was just something she was looking into. She found a brand on the foot of a dead girl. She asked if I could find a match anywhere for it.’

Phil stole a glance at Donna, back to the phone. ‘And have you?’

‘Not on a dead person, no. But that case you were working on, that boy from the cage, the one in the hospital. I spoke to a friend at the General. Apparently he’s got one. I haven’t seen the photos, but you’ve probably got access to them.’ Then he realised what he had said. ‘Sorry.’

‘No problem. I’ll pass the message across.’

‘This suspension,’ said Nick. ‘You’re going to fight it, I take it?’

‘All the way.’

‘With all you’ve got going on at the moment, you’d think Glass would need all the help he can get. He’s making a big mistake.’

‘Well obviously I agree with you. But don’t worry.’ Phil looked across at Fennell and Clemens. They were sitting on the bed, making plans for the raid later that night. ‘I have a feeling our esteemed DCI won’t be around much longer… ’

107

Glass sat down at the table in the interview room. A different interview room. One with no cameras or voice relay. A totally private room. For an impromptu Elders meeting.

Opposite him were Lynn Windsor and Michael Fenton. Lynn looked shattered, like she was barely there. Fenton’s brow was furrowed. He had called Glass after Lynn had gone downstairs to meet someone and never come back. Mickey Philips had been identified, as had his car pulling away. The two Elders had arrived at the police station just in time.

Glass sensed that the others were on the verge of panic. He had to take control of the situation and do it quickly.

‘We need a story,’ he said. ‘And fast. Concentrate. Think.’

Lynn Windsor started to speak. ‘Look, Lawmaker-’

Glass cut her off. ‘There’s no need for that here. We’re perfectly safe. No one’s going to overhear us in this room. Talk freely. We need damage limitation. What have we got?’

Lynn tried to speak again. The words wouldn’t come. Clearly she couldn’t focus her mind. Her eyes dropped to the table, the floor. Yeah, thought Glass, be ashamed. He shook his head, turned away from her. Useless, he thought. She almost gave us up. And I had such high hopes for her. Not any more.

‘You mentioned giving up the Gardener,’ said Fenton. ‘You said if we gave him up it would deflect attention from the shipment coming in tonight. Can you still do that? How has this changed things?’

Glass turned back to Lynn. ‘What did he say to you?’

A weary, defeated sigh. ‘I’ve told you… ’

‘Tell me again.’

‘He said, tell me where the Gardener is. He said… ’ Another sigh. It was such hard work. ‘He said… that. Just that. Tell me where the Gardener is. Tell me where he is so we can stop him.’