‘Yes. I mean, no… It wasn’t like that. You’re making it sound like something it wasn’t.’ She was aware her voice had risen and how guilty she sounded. ‘We recognised each other and started chatting. He joined me and my friends for a few drinks and then we all went our separate ways. That’s all that happened.’
‘You recognised each other how?’ Maya shrugged nonchalantly. ‘Where did you recognise him from?’
Maya faltered. She glanced pleadingly at Kym but was met with a blank expression. ‘From… the warrant. At The Farmhouse. He’d been arrested and was waiting for the van to take him to custody when I arrived.’ Maya let out a sigh, aware of how bad it sounded. ‘We got talking…’
‘And you just thought it would be a good idea to start socialising with a suspect you’d met during a warrant.’ DI Mitton let out an incredulous laugh before shaking her head in Kym’s direction. She glared at Maya acerbically. ‘Have you any idea how compromised that could make you, let alone the potential risk? Anything could have happened to you or your friends. These nominals involved in Operation Chrysalis are extremely dangerous people.’
‘But he’s not. He was released without charge. He had nothing to do with it. He has nothing to do with them.’ The words sounded puerile even to her own ears.
Mitton shook her head gravely. ‘I suggest you think very carefully about who you associate with in future, Maya. You can’t be a SOCO and spend your spare time associating with local criminals.’
‘But I don’t! I wasn’t…’
Mitton silenced her with a stare before turning to Kym. ‘I’ll leave you to it. Thank you for your time.’
Both Maya and Kym sighed with relief as the DI left. ‘Jesus, Maya,’ Kym said as she raked a hand through her hair. ‘If it isn’t one thing with you it’s another.’
Maya sat mutely. She did not have the energy to apologise or even begin to explain herself anymore. ‘I really do take a very dim view of this latest event. You’ve put yourself in a very embarrassing situation. Yet again.’
‘But, I…’
Kym raised a hand. ‘For the remainder of your probation period, I’ll be watching you like a hawk. I strongly suggest you keep your nose clean and keep your head down for the foreseeable. Both in and out of work.’
‘Understood.’ Maya bristled at being chastised like a child, frustrated at not being able to articulate her innocence.
‘Are you still in touch with this… this… suspect?’
‘No.’ Maya could sense by the expression on Kym’s face that she didn’t believe her. But how could she plead Spence’s innocence without sounding even more naïve and untrustworthy. The situation was too complicated.
‘Anyway, what’s done is done. Moving forward, how was the job?’
‘Seemingly straightforward.’
‘Seemingly?’
‘There’s no obvious signs of violence to the body. But we still can’t account for how a renowned former drug dealer ended up in the canal.’ Maya shrugged nonchalantly. ‘He could have jumped. He may have been pushed. We deal with scientific facts not my supposition.’
‘I don’t appreciate your tone…’
‘We’ll see what the post-mortem shows up…’
The friction in the room was electric. Maya was at the end of her tether.
‘I think you should go.’
‘So do I.’ Maya gave a double-clap and pointedly shut the door behind her as she left. Her head was spinning. If the bosses were so concerned with the fact she’d had a few drinks with Spence, then it certainly wasn’t the time to speak up about the fact that Marcus Naylor had arranged for somebody to break into her apartment overnight.
60
Nowak was raging. He had just had a meeting with his solicitor, and it had not gone to plan. He had expected to be told when he could pack up and get shipped out of this shithole. What he had been told instead was the suspect who was supposed to take the blame for the McCluskey stabbing had three cast-iron alibis and potentially the added support of CCTV coverage showing him in a crowded pub at the time of the McCluskey stabbing.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, when he found out exactly who the alibi was, the red mist had descended. His solicitor had been escorted out pronto while Nowak took his frustration out on the fixed table and chairs in the meeting room. His fists were swollen and bloodied where he had punched at walls and furniture. He was only marginally calmer now as he arrived back to his cell where Naylor was waiting for news of his friend’s release.
‘So, is this goodbye?’ Naylor said jovially, unaware of Nowak’s simmering rage.
‘Is it fuck!’ Nowak roared as he swept the contents of the table across the cell with one sweep of his meaty hand.
‘Woah, mate, keep it calm. What’s happened?’ Naylor said placatingly, his palms held up toward Nowak to show he was on his side.
Shaking with rage, Nowak plonked himself down on the bottom bunk and snatched at the roll-up Naylor offered him. When he eventually spoke, his voice dripped with venom. ‘That bitch of a daughter of yours. She’s only given a fucking alibi to that prick we’d set up for the stabbing.’
Naylor lit his own roll-up as he processed this new information. ‘Seems like my little girl just hasn’t learnt how to stop causing trouble for people, has she?’ he said eventually. His face was twisted in disgust and his rage was slowly building to mirror Nowak’s. ‘She just doesn’t know when to leave things alone.’
Nowak eyed him thoughtfully. ‘Aiden is already on it. Her mother should be getting a calling card anytime now and he’s got something very special in mind for your Princess Maya. She’s going to learn what it feels like to be locked up. That all right with you?’
Naylor
