“That’s odd, there’s no one outside his room,” he told Bull when he was safely back behind the wall.
Bull shrugged. “Isn’t that a good thing?” he said.
Dillon shook his head. “No, Stevie, it’s bloody well not. There should be a couple of cops standing guard outside, but there’s no trace of them.”
“Maybe they’ve just popped inside the room for a minute,” Steve suggested.
“Maybe,” Dillon allowed, but he didn’t sound hopeful. “Come on, we’d better go and check it out.”
Chapter 6
The Plea and Case Management Hearing at the Old Bailey had finished earlier than expected, and they were out of the building by just after twelve. Colin Franklin and Dick Jarvis were feeling lazy, so they decided to take the easy option and pop over to Snow Hill police station for lunch.
Jack and Kelly were feeling a little more adventurous, so they elected to travel a bit further afield to eat. Before going their separate ways, they all arranged to meet up again outside the main entrance to the RCJ at a quarter-to-two, which would leave them plenty of time to speak to their barrister before the two-thirty appeal began.
The sky had darkened, heralding the approach of rain, and thick nimbostratus clouds were being blown across the heavens like a video being played on fast forward.
Wrapped in their warm winter coats, Jack and Kelly set off towards Ludgate Hill, from where they intended to take a brisk walk along Fleet Street to The Strand. However, by the time they reached Farringdon Street, the first drops of icy rain had started to fall, so when an invitingly warm bus came chugging along, they decided to take advantage of it. Two stops later, they found themselves standing opposite the imposing buildings of the Royal Courts of Justice.
More commonly known as the Law Courts, the RCJ housed the High Court and the Court of Appeal. The large, grey, stone edifice had been constructed in the 1870s. Designed by George Edmund Street, it had been opened by Queen Victoria in 1882 and it remained one of the largest court buildings in Europe.
For a moment they just stood in silence, taking in the view.
“Impressive, isn’t it?” Jack said, pulling his collar tight around his neck to keep the biting wind out.
“Amazing,” she replied, staring up in awe.
The rain had turned into full-blown hailstones by the time that Jack ushered Kelly into a quaint little Italian place that he liked to eat at whenever he was up this way. It was situated almost directly opposite the RCJ’s main entrance, which meant they wouldn’t have to rush their meal, and they wouldn’t end up getting too wet if the ghastly weather hadn’t eased off by the time they left.
The restaurant was small, dimly lit and very cosy. As it was still early, there was only a smattering of people inside, so they had no trouble getting a table.
In the background, Dean Martin’s voice could just about be heard crooning out the words to ‘That’s amore’.
A smiling waiter with a mop of curly black hair that fell right down to his eyes and an aquiline nose steered them into a secluded, wood-panelled booth and handed over menus. She ordered pasta; he went for the pizza. As this was a working lunch, they decided against ordering alcohol, opting for sparkling mineral water, instead.
“We can stop off for a real drink after court if you want,” Jack suggested. There were some fantastic little pubs dotted around the RCJ and nearby Temple, many of them hidden in little out of the way alleys and tiny cobbled side streets. The Old Bell Tavern and Ye Olde CheshireCheese in nearby Fleet Street were two examples that popped to mind. Then there was The Seven Stars, located just behind the RCJ, a great pub but also a stomping ground for the pinstripes of the legal profession, so perhaps not the place to go if they didn’t want to be recognised.
Kelly pouted sadly. “Sorry, handsome, I’d love to but I can’t. Got a gym class booked with the girls tonight, and I don’t want to let them down, bearing in mind that I’ve already missed the last two through work.”
“Another time, then,” Jack said, feeling strangely disappointed. After a furtive glance around the restaurant to make sure that no one was looking, he reached across the table to squeeze her hand.
“Don’t think I didn’t notice you checking the room out before you did that,” she said, pretending to be annoyed.
Jack blushed guiltily. “Sorry,” he said, “but it wouldn’t look very professional if someone spotted a DCI holding hands with one of his DCs while they were on duty.”
Kelly smiled forgivingly. “It’s okay,” she said. “I’m only teasing.”
He looked relieved. “I wouldn’t want you to think that I was embarrassed to be seen out with you,” he told her, because he really wasn’t. In fact, Jack thought that Kelly was rather beautiful. She had flawless skin, symmetrical features, eyes he could happily lose himself in and a mouth he yearned to kiss every time he saw it. He wanted to tell her that, as far as he was concerned, she was a study in perfection, but that would have been far too gushy, and he wasn’t a Mills and Boon type of guy.
A few minutes later, the waiter arrived with their freshly prepared dishes. Kelly sniffed the air appreciatively. “That smells delicious,” she said as he placed her Carbonara on the table in front of her.
Jack’s thin-crust Margherita was next, and
