‘He was tough.’
‘It was a setup. I walked into a trap set by others. Goddard, did you know this? Did you and your friend Lord Shaw feed Brice information to use against me?’
‘Commissioner, Jeremy Brice has a research team behind him,’ Isaac said.
‘I know that, but he was baiting me with information that could not have come from them.’
‘Was he, sir?’ Isaac asked. If Davies were not the commissioner of the Met, Isaac would have said the man was paranoid. He wondered why he and his DCS were in the commissioner’s office. If it was a reprimand, then why? And besides, that wasn’t the commissioner's function. That would have been for a commander to deal with. And if it was to give him support, then it was a waste of time. Neither he nor his DCS had any respect for the man who had single-handedly diminished the respect of the general public for their police force; a man who had replaced key members in the senior hierarchy with his people through an adroit undermining of their positions.
‘You’d like me out of here,’ Davies said. ‘Well, I’m not going to give you the satisfaction. I’m bringing in my team to take over. Firstly, Goddard, you’re out. You can take leave if it makes you feel more comfortable, and as for you, DCI, you’ve got a new boss.’
‘Who?’ Isaac asked, knowing the answer already.
‘Superintendent Caddick, a man who’s attained his promotion through sheer professionalism, not through sucking up to his superiors.’
‘You don’t have the authority to remove me,’ Goddard said.
‘I’m the commissioner. I do what is necessary, and I’m not waiting for a committee to debate it or the time for you to ask your political friends to intervene. If they want to take me on, then I’m ready for the battle. Goddard, you’ve got one day to clear your office. Either you take extended leave while I figure out what to do with you, or there’s a job down in Public Relations for you.’
‘At least I’ll have company,’ Goddard said.
‘Is that insubordination?’ Davies said. Isaac could see that the man was pleased with himself. Isaac looked across at his DCS, could only see a defiant man. He knew that he’d be the better man for being unceremoniously dumped.
‘Not from me, sir. I’ll go quietly. DCI Cook will solve this case, and I’ll make sure that he receives the credit. If you are intent on following this course, then it will be your responsibility if anything goes wrong.’
‘That’s a threat,’ Davies said.
‘It’s not, sir. It’s a reality. There are decisions in life which are key turning points. You, sir, have just made one of those. I hope that you are able to deal with the consequences.’
‘Goddard, you’ll roast in the fires of hell for this. And you, DCI Cook, mention one word of this outside of this office, and you’ll be back out on the beat in uniform.’
‘I will do my duty, sir. Seth Caddick will have no reason to complain about my policing. He will be welcomed with all the due deference that his position deserves.’
‘Garbage. You’ll be doing whatever you can to get him out of Goddard’s chair.’
Both Isaac and Goddard sat quietly. Two minutes later, after a final blast of invective from the commissioner, they were both preparing to leave the building.
‘Tough, sir,’ Isaac said to his DCS.
‘He’s exceeded his authority,’ Goddard said.
‘You’ll take action against him?’
‘I’ll register a case. In the meantime, find out who these murderers are.’
‘And you’ll be on leave.’
‘Not me. I’ll be down in Public Relations. This is the best thing that could have happened. The gloves are off. Once Davies stands up to move forward to strike the first blow, he’ll realise that his opponent is twice the size of him.’
‘He’s already struck the first blow,’ Isaac said.
‘That wasn’t the first blow. That was the verbal sparring at the weigh-in.’
Chapter 18
Isaac, smarting from Davies’s drubbing but still the SIO of Challis Street Homicide, had only one option: wrap up the current investigation. His senior, Detective Chief Superintendent Richard Goddard, did not even have that luxury: he was out, and Caddick was in.
Both Isaac and Goddard knew that the man was a walking disaster, and his being in charge of Homicide was going to cause problems.
‘Don’t rile the man when he appears. Davies’s days are numbered, he knows that,’ Goddard said.
‘But why, and why you?’
‘I’m the conduit to Lord Shaw. Davies believes that if he isolates me, then he’s secured extra time. And he’s made a tactical error. I didn’t feed anything to Brice; I barely know the man. It would have to be coming from someone higher than me.’
‘Lord Shaw?’
‘Not likely. He wouldn’t sully his hands with such matters, and besides, the man’s ethical. He’ll play it by the book.’
‘But if others do it?’
‘Then he’ll probably sit back and enjoy the ride.’
‘And see the Met go down the drain?’
‘It’s not going down the drain; it’s going through a period of change, that’s all. Davies is an unfortunate consequence.’
‘What will you do, sir?’ Isaac asked.
‘I’ll go and clear my desk and report to Public Relations.’
‘Are you still in line to take over Counter Terrorism Command?’
‘That’s the word. If it’s going to be rough for a while, I’ll just hang on tight. I suggest you do the same.’
The two men separated on their arrival at Challis Street – Goddard to his office to tidy up, although Isaac knew the man would finish his current work and ensure a comprehensive handover to his successor, and Isaac to his office to tell his team what was about to happen.
The team were in the office; Isaac had phoned ahead to ensure they would be there. Larry
