‘Whenever you’re ready.’
He took his time over each photograph, giving them more consideration than she felt they needed. But people tended to in this situation, wanted to show they were taking it seriously, fulfilling their side of the social contract they had made with the police.
You either recognised a face or you didn’t, she thought. It was a split-second thing and it couldn’t be changed by extra exposure. In fact, she was sure the longer you looked the more likely you were to convince yourself you’d seen them before.
Which was part of the reason eyewitness reports were such bad evidence.
‘How well do you know Jack Saunders?’ Ferreira asked, as he was turning over an image.
His hand slowed. ‘I can’t talk about that, I’m sorry.’
‘This is just between us, Patrick,’ she said. ‘No tapes, no statement. I’m just asking you to give me some background on Saunders. We’ve heard he assaulted Josh after he was sacked.’
‘Yes, I heard that too,’ Sutherland admitted. ‘But I don’t know anything about it.’
‘Saunders is still maintaining that he was unfairly dismissed.’
Sutherland shook his head, turned another page, giving that photo less attention. ‘Saunders can deny it all he likes. The evidence was there. He was caught on camera, for God’s sake.’
His fingers curled away from the file and Ferreira saw the flicker of fear cross his face.
‘It was you, wasn’t it?’ she asked.
He pressed his mouth into a firm line.
‘You were the one who got that footage inside Long Fleet.’
‘I don’t know what you’re talking about,’ he said weakly, unable to meet her gaze. ‘My understanding is that an anonymous whistle-blower did it.’
Ferreira settled back in her seat, letting the silence develop, watching him sit perfectly still, staring through the photograph in front of him. She could hear the quickness of his breaths, smell the stale coffee on each exhalation and the mint he’d tried to freshen them with.
‘Look, as far as I’m concerned the person who got that footage out is a hero,’ she said. ‘I thought it might be Josh’s doing but the woman who handled it told us he wasn’t responsible.’
Sutherland risked a quick glance at her. ‘Please, don’t make me say it.’
‘It’s important I know, so I can disregard it as a factor in Josh’s murder,’ she told him. ‘It goes no further than this room if it isn’t a factor. You can just nod if that’s easier.’
He closed his eyes, nodded shortly.
‘Does Hammond know it was you?’
Another nod.
It wasn’t vital intelligence for the investigation but she felt better for knowing. One small mystery cleared up.
‘I’m surprised Hammond kept you on after that.’
‘He was brought in to clean up the place,’ he said. ‘Letting me go would have been punishment for telling the truth. And he couldn’t prove it. He just put two and two together. Hammond isn’t stupid.’
Why did that sound like a warning? she wondered. Was it simply that Sutherland and the rest of the Long Fleet staff were so terrified of breaking their contracts that every time they considered the potential fallout this fear clutched at their throats?
‘Do you think Saunders murdered Josh?’ he asked.
‘He’s made accusations about Josh’s behaviour inside the facility,’ Ferreira told him. ‘Accusations that Hammond had enough faith in that he told Josh to resign.’
Sutherland closed the file with a sigh. ‘This is what you wanted to talk to me about.’
‘No tapes,’ Ferreira reminded him. ‘No camera. You’re not here and we’re not talking.’
But he was getting to his feet. ‘You don’t understand what it’s like at Long Fleet. If I talk to you and you take anything that I’ve said to Hammond or anyone else, it’ll come back on me.’
‘This is a murder investigation.’ Ferreira stood, moved between him and the door. ‘Do you really think the NDA you signed is more important than finding out who killed Josh?’
‘We are subject to the Official Secrets Act,’ Sutherland said helplessly. ‘Even telling you that probably puts me in contravention of it.’
So that was where the fear came from. She was shocked but she realised this might be the last chance she got to speak to Patrick Sutherland, and she couldn’t let herself get sidetracked.
‘Is the allegation true?’ she asked.
He turned away from her on the spot, fingers running through his hair. ‘I can’t talk to you. If Hammond found out I’d come here … I don’t even want to think about it.’
‘You were there, Patrick. Did you examine Nadia Baidoo?’
Sutherland rubbed the back of his neck, staring down at the floor, muttering to himself. ‘I never should have come here. I wanted to help but I shouldn’t have risked it. What was I thinking?’
‘Someone must have verified her story,’ Ferreira said, taking another quick step as he made for the door. ‘It can’t have been Josh. That just leaves you.’
He reached for the handle.
Ferreira got there first. ‘Nadia’s disappeared, Patrick.’
‘I’m very sorry, but I can’t help you.’
They were inches away from one another; she could see how powerless he felt, the regret making him look nauseated and weak.
‘Did Josh attack Nadia?’
‘I can’t –’ He closed his hand over hers and opened the door, darted out into the corridor.
Ferreira followed, matching his fast stride as he aimed for the stairwell.
‘I know you’re scared,’ she said. ‘But you’ve made the right choice before. You were so brave to go into Long Fleet with that hidden camera.’
He ran down the stairs. She stayed at his heel.
‘This is no different to what you did then,’ she said. ‘I just need you to tell me the truth.’
He wrenched open the stairwell door and came to an immediate halt when he realised he couldn’t get through the one into reception. He looked at Ferreira’s pass.
‘Please,’ he said. ‘Please, can you let me out now?’
‘Hammond isn’t sure whether Josh attacked
