He dropped his feet off the desk and back on the floor and leant forward, not hiding the fact he was staring at her chest.
‘I shouldn’t even be on call, I’ve been rubber dicked into covering one of Chris’s. It would have been easier if Kym had kept me free for this warrant, whatever it is, rather than paying for you to come in on overtime,’ he whined. ‘What’s the score with it anyway?’
Maya shrugged. ‘They haven’t told me anything. I was told what time to come on duty and that I’d be escorted to an address. I don’t know anything more than that.’
‘So, you don’t even have an address?’ She shook her head and Andy stared levelly at her, weighing up whether she was telling the truth. ‘Actually, Maya, I’m glad I’ve seen you. Just wanted a quick word about yesterday, like.’
‘Oh?’ Maya raised an eyebrow quizzically as she assessed him. Was he going to apologise?
‘Yeah, it’s just that sometimes I might stay stuff and that. Stuff that you lot might not find “PC”,’ he said, using his fingers as quotation marks. ‘I just wanted to make sure we were all right, darlin’, and to tell you that there’s no need for you to go running to Kym about anything you might get in a huff about. It’s just the way I am, so no offence meant or anything.’
Maya was aghast. ‘You really are an arrogant bastard, aren’t you? Just so you know, any racist, bigoted shite that comes out of your mouth in my direction will be dealt with as I see fit, whether that’s “running” to Kym or going straight to human resources. If you treat me with respect, I’ll do the same to you.
‘I appreciate I’ve not been here that long, but don’t for one minute think that I’m a walkover, okay?’ She jabbed her finger in his direction, punctuating the words as she spoke. Her mouth curled with disgust as she turned away from him. She was fuming but determined to rise above it. She had dealt with bigger bullies than Andy Carr and she’d be damned if she would let him know he had rattled her.
‘Oh, right. Time of the month is it, love?’ he sneered as he turned his attention back to his precious phone.
Maya refused to bite at this last comment. Instead, she took deep, calming breaths and turned to the computer. Rather than allowing herself to be riled by a shit like Andy, she was going to focus her thoughts and attention on the warrant ahead. She was determined to make a good job of it and win herself some brownie points from Kym.
Just as she was gathering her keys, police radio and camera kit, there was a knock on the door frame by way of introduction. An officer from the Tactical Aid Unit filled the doorway, his large hand open in a welcoming gesture.
‘Good morning, SOCO, who’s with me for the warrant?’
‘She is,’ Andy snarled, not even bothering to look up from his scrolling.
‘Hi, good morning, I’m Maya. Maya Barton.’
‘Cliff Mitchell,’ he replied as they shook hands. Maya turned to Andy. ‘See ya then.’
‘Yeah, whatever,’ he replied, still not bothering to look up.
‘Blimey, is he always that warm and fluffy?’ Cliff quipped as they made their way down the corridor.
‘Mmm, don’t ask,’ Maya replied with a shake of her head. She followed Cliff as he whistled his way down the stairs. He jaunted ahead of Maya, swinging open the fire doors so she could pass through with her camera kit. Once outside, they settled themselves into the SOCO van and watched as the arrest team clambered into the waiting police carriers.
‘It might look a bit over the top, but our suspect, Aiden Donnelly, is known to be a nasty piece of work, so we’re not taking any chances. We’ll follow the convoy as they set off and keep at the back. When we get to the location, wait at the end of the road in the van until the address and the suspect are secured, okay?’
Maya nodded. She felt exhilarated with the drama of the situation. She had never accompanied officers on a warrant before. Normally, the warrant had already been executed and the property secured before SOCO were requested. Having her in attendance and ready to be deployed showed the severity of the suspect they were dealing with. They needed to get in and secure any evidence as quickly as they could before anything could be compromised.
While they trailed behind the convoy, Cliff told Maya that several other officers were preparing to strike on other addresses on the neighbouring divisions once their suspect was detained. They believed it was possible that his associates might be tipped off about the raid and try to get rid of any items of interest they might be storing in their properties.
She followed the line of police carriers as they snaked down the dual carriageway before eventually turning off one of the A roads which led toward the leafier side of town. Unlike the estates which rooted close to the city centre, here the roads were wider, boasting tree-lined avenues. Grass verges had been neatly cropped and railings were adorned with tubs spilling summer blooms.
Rather than scatterings of litter, loose petals from the floral displays adorned the clean streets like confetti. Instead of the graffiti tags which stained the sides of buildings in town, the library and post office had purpose-built display cases which housed an array of leaflets advertising anything from toddler groups to Tai Chi sessions.
The police vehicles certainly seemed out of place in such a serene setting. The growling of the diesel engines sounded almost offensive as they punctured the sleepy stillness of the early hour. Eventually the convoy slowed to a stop in the middle of an impressive housing estate which backed onto the canal, near the moorings. The area boasted an array of large houses, some with electronic gates and impressive water features, as well as a
