“And Mr Marlowe has requested he join us.” Miller stood and stared at their cuffed suspect. “He has a USB stick stashed away somewhere with information we need to prosecute the fat cats in these companies. We’ll be going with a fully armed response unit. He won’t be any trouble, will you, Marlowe? If he is, he knows we’ll have him on his arse so fast his head will spin. Isn’t that right?”
“Fine. You’ll be travelling with an armed response unit anyway.”
65
“You’re not going without me,” Charlotte insisted. “That’s my brother’s legacy, his invention. I’m coming with you.” She picked up the rucksack and put it on her back, threading her arms in the strap holes. She was met by both detectives shaking their heads.
“What do you think you’re doing? You’re not bringing the battery with you,” Miller barked. “It’s too dangerous; we don’t know what resistance we’re going to be met with, Mrs Edwards. You can come with us, but leave the battery here.”
The audacity of the woman. “You’re kidding, right? Don’t get me wrong, you two seem genuine enough, but if you think I’m leaving this here, think again. My brother’s been set up by your lot, and the NCA, and don’t say he wasn’t. He was no paedophile. They just wanted to smear him, make him fearful of his life in prison as a nonce, so that when they went in and killed him, they could blame it on suicide. This battery is never leaving my sight.” She shifted the weight of her bag further up her back. “Shall we?”
Gillan walked towards her, carrying his mobile. Charlotte was ready to go, but it seemed they were waiting on something, or someone.
Hayes stood from her chair. “What’s the plan, sir? Are we taking the battery out of the car, or driving the Fiesta back here? What do you need us to do?”
“I’ve just spoken to the Superintendent, who’s agreed for us to drive the Fiesta from Perivale to Charlton. We have a safe space to store it there until we can set up a press conference. This conglomerate doesn’t want to go public, so we’ll keep the Fiesta under armed guard until it does. As soon as the journalists get a whiff of this, the conglomerate’s failed. There’ll be no need for the mercenaries to hang around after that.”
“You underestimate the colonel at your own risk, Inspector.”
Charlotte hadn’t noticed the black sergeant walk over with a handsome man in cuffs. “Who the hell’s this?”
“The only way to ensure against reprisals is with my USB stick. I have intel on everyone, including the colonel.”
She glared at Hayes. “Who’s he?” It didn’t take her long to work it out. “Oh my God! This is one of them, isn’t it? You said you had two in custody? You’re one of the animals who murdered my baby brother, aren’t you?” She felt nauseous.
“Hey, I didn’t enjoy it, if that makes a difference.” Marlowe raised his cuffed hands. “It was just business.”
Through an angry red haze, Charlotte launched herself at him, clawing at his eyes. “I’ll kill you, I’ll kill you, you bastard!”
Detective Miller pulled her off him so easily Charlotte was shocked at the Amazonian’s strength. Since their first meeting, Charlotte had been impressed by her. Everything about Miller screamed strong and independent, both of which she aspired to be. “Stay away from me, you hear? Or I will hurt you.” The acid in her voice shocked everyone.
“Right, Mrs Edwards will go with Hayes and Miller. Marlowe, you can sit in the back of one the armed response units.” Gillan nodded.
“Be careful, guys,” Travis added. “Any sign of trouble, leave the car, get yourselves back here safely.”
Charlotte saw the nervous smile on Miller’s face.
“Relax, we have backup. Before you know it the blue Fiesta will be safe at Charlton Car Pound.”
When Hayes called everyone together, Miller said she would be down in a couple of minutes, so Charlotte went downstairs with Hayes and the bastard who’d killed her brother, who had cuffs around his wrists and ankles. He wasn’t going anywhere fast. When they descended in the lift, she daydreamed about kicking him down the stairs, or better yet, dropping him down the empty shaft. “Why is he here with us?”
“I’ll explain on the way, okay? For now, though, let’s focus on getting to the pound. The only thing that matters is making sure that car’s safe.”
66
Miller watched Hayes take Mrs Edwards and Marlowe out of the office, then took out her mobile. It was already five o’clock, and she’d not heard any whispers about Luke’s unit being suspended yet, which was odd in itself, because cops loved gossip. She couldn’t understand it. The IOPC would act on the information Luke gave them immediately; it certainly wasn’t a complaint they would sit on. “Damn it, Luke, answer!” she muttered.
His phone went to voicemail after five rings. “Where the bloody hell are you?”
“Miller, are you going, or what?” Gillan gestured the doors.
“On my way, sir,” she shouted, putting her mobile in her jacket pocket and heading for the doors. At the lift, she hit the button, then decided to take the stairs instead, which she did, two at a time until she arrived at the fire exit.
Coming from the rear of the building, she surprised Hayes, opened the passenger door and sat down, clipping her belt in place.
“All set?” Hayes switched on the engine of their Peugeot.
She turned and regarded Mrs Edwards, before going back to her partner. “There’s something I need to tell you, but it’ll wait until later.”
“Don’t mind me; I’m not listening.” Their passenger put earphones in.
With an armed response vehicle in front of them, and one behind, Hayes took them on the road to Perivale Car Pound. The officers in front didn’t turn their lights or sirens on, so her partner didn’t either. Hearing Mrs Edwards’ music blaring out of her headphones, Miller checked she wasn’t listening. She opened her mouth, but no words came out.
