“The getaway driver, Mullings, had a mobile on him. We’ve requested call data, cell site and billing information from that. As DI Dillon suggested last night, there’s a good chance Mullings will have been communicating with the others involved in the breakout by phone. We might be able to link them all by calls made between their phones or by their handsets mirroring each other’s route on the way to the hospital. If we get any matches, the plan is to ping the outstanding phones and see if we can narrow down their current location. A pound to a penny says that the two unknown suspects are still with Winston, so if we find them, we also find him.”
Quinlan looked around the room until his eyes came to rest on Juliet Kennedy, who was dressed as though she were about to go out on a dinner date. The Ilford born Crime Scene Manager had a reputation for always being glammed up, even when processing the most gruesome of scenes. “Where are we with forensics, Juliet?” he asked.
“Record photography on the room where PC Morrison was shot has been completed, and it’s been forensicated for fingerprints, DNA and fibres. I’m not overly hopeful that we’ll get anything out of that if I’m honest, Andy. The suspects were gloved up and wearing surgical masks. However, the syringe that was found on the floor by the bed might give us something. I very much doubt that they intended to leave that behind, and it might well yield prints or DNA. Obviously, the contents of the syringe will be tested and compared to whatever chemicals were in O’Brien and Lassiter’s blood. The hospital thinks it was probably a strong dose of ketamine or something similar, but we’ll have to wait and see. The Ford Scorpio’s over at Charlton. That’ll be examined today. The bag of white powder and the compact mirror that George Copeland found in the Ford Scorpio is being rushed up to the lab this morning, as are the coats that were also recovered inside. I think there’s a really good chance we’ll get DNA and prints off those. The SPM is being carried out at one p.m. today over at Poplar mortuary. Who’s going to that, by the way?”
Any suspicious death required a Special Post Mortem examination to be carried out by a Home Office Forensic Pathologist, and the process normally took between four and five hours to complete.
“Carol’s the DI who’ll be attending, and Kevin Murray’s the exhibits officer,” Quinlan informed her, pointing at each of the officers as he spoke.
“Carol, can you make sure a pathologist’s briefing document is prepared before you go, and I’ll meet you there at about twelve-fifty,” Juliet said.
“I’ll get it done straight after the meeting,” Carol Keating, a no-nonsense woman who reminded Jack of the late Hattie Jacques, promised.
Quinlan’s eyes roamed the room until they came to rest on a tall, stick insect thin, DC with a thick bush of unruly brown hair that resembled a bird’s nest, a huge beak of a nose, and eyes the size of saucers. “Dazza, how are we getting on with the CCTV?” Quinlan asked.
“Not as well as I’d like,” Darren Blyth informed him in his thick Mancunian accent. His voice was surprisingly deep, which wasn’t at all how Jack had expected him to sound.
“It’s all been downloaded for us by the hospital but, typically, it’s not in a compatible media format to play on our antiquated system. I’ve got a tech specialist coming over from Newlands Park later today to run it through a programme that’ll supposedly convert it. If that works, we should be able to view it and produce some stills later today.”
Quinlan didn’t look happy, but there was nothing he could do about it. “Let me know as soon as we can view the footage please, Darren,” he said. “Susie’s going to be conducting further interviews with Gifford Mullings, the getaway driver, at midday and it would really help if we can play a CCTV compilation of the hospital footage to him.”
“Actually, Andy, I’ve got a bloke on my team who’s a bit of a geek,” Jack said, leaning across to address Quinlan. “He might already have some software that can assist you. Reggie?”
Tyler scanned the room for DC Reg Parker, a cherubic looking man in his mid-thirties.
“Over here, boss,” Reggie said from several rows back. He raised a hand and waved to help Tyler zone in on him.
“Reggie, can you have a gander at this CCTV for Mr Quinlan, see if you can work your magic on it?”
“Will do,” Parker said, “but I can’t promise anything.”
“I’d be obliged if you would try anyway,” Quinlan said, smiling encouragingly. “It might save us a lot of time.”
“I’ll get straight on it after the meeting,” Reggie assured him.
Quinlan paused to look around the room before continuing. “Statistically speaking, absconders from custody don’t tend to remain at large for terribly long before being recaptured. The good news – from our point of view – is that all Winston’s assets were seized when he was charged last year, so he won’t have ready access to large amounts of cash, which means he’ll be completely dependent on others to help him. He’s likely to be holed up somewhere local while he tries to work out what to do next. With that in mind, today’s plan is to visit all his known associates and start putting pressure on them. I want them left
