‘Didn’t we find a few Wiley Fox mobiles using EncroChat earlier in the year?’ DC Gratton asked. ‘Mainly by that drugs gang we helped bust.’
‘You’re bang on,’ Bliss told him. ‘But we’re not seeing any connection between the two.’
A Netherlands-based encrypted phone system, used mainly by organised crime gangs, had been hacked, exposed and brought down following a lengthy police investigation. It was widely believed that a coalition of anarchist groups was already hard at work developing a replacement solution.
‘Have somebody find out the name of Parkinson’s daughter, please,’ Bishop said, turning back to Ansari. ‘When you have the details, add her phone and Troy’s to the list. I want to know what this bunch have been up to. If they’ve been in communication with Majidah Rassooli, I want to know about it.’
It was good work, but they all knew how long it could take for the phone company to come through with the data. Bliss was keen to get out of the building to clear his head – but before the briefing broke up, he made sure everybody knew that Bishop was too nice a bloke to insist on being regarded as the unit’s leader under such trying circumstances. Nevertheless, Bliss demanded, they should do so from that point on; Bishop was their boss unless DCI Warburton was present.
‘Temporary or not,’ Bliss concluded, ‘Bish deserves the respect he has earned. This team has a great reputation for keeping things relatively relaxed. I know the top brass hate that, but it suits us. So I’m no longer the boss. I’m Jimmy unless formality is required. If so, it’s plain old DS Bliss.’
Their DCI wanted an update afterwards, having been attending a course in Huntingdon for most of the day, so she invited Bliss, Bishop and Chandler for a drink. As usual, she left it to Bliss to decide where they should go.
Its stone-built structure swaddled with ivy, the Botolph Arms had originally been built as two fairly large and grand separate dwellings. They had remained that way for over two centuries before being converted into a pub. Set back from the main road in pleasant grounds, the Botolph was regarded as a local family pub, its interior warm and inviting. Warburton bought them each a drink before settling down to the day’s final business.
‘I wanted you all here because Bish is going to have to rely on you two quite heavily in the coming days,’ she said. ‘I was collared by DCS Feeley as I made my way out of Hinchingbrooke; his opposite number in central Cambridge had been in touch. Apparently, Inspector Kennedy remains keen to see this case back under his wing. I have a feeling that unless this Lewis Drake angle can be confirmed within the next forty-eight hours, it’ll be taken from us. Jimmy, where are we on that score?’
Bliss took a long pull of his Old Brewery ale, decided it was all right, and had another. When he replied, his tone reflected his sombre mood. ‘In truth, I’m not confident. As I mentioned at the briefing, I don’t regard the murder as the work of a private punter. But this eastern European agency is a possibility we can’t ignore. Majidah turned out for both of them, it seems. Without further details, we can’t know which of them was responsible for bringing her over here. That’s about the only thing stopping me going harder at Drake’s business.’
‘Plus, there’s the possibility that this other agency is also run by Drake’s OCG,’ Chandler said. ‘It’s been buried deeper and seemingly with no UK contact base.’
‘And the NCA?’ Warburton asked. ‘Organised crime gangs are their bread and butter. How much use has Ashton been?’
‘He’s done okay,’ Bliss said reluctantly. ‘All that he can do, in fact. Time is the key element here: we need it, but we don’t have it. Whichever way this op leans, I keep coming back to our victim having my card on her. I keep changing my mind about who did what, but if I had to guess, I’d say it was our Somalian girl who gave up hers. I don’t know how the two met, nor where, but I think they did. And I think she handed the card over because she was leaving the area and decided Majidah needed it more. The most logical place for us to start trying to run down the connection between them is the home in which our Somalian girl was living before she absconded.’
‘But Majidah couldn’t have been living there as well, otherwise we’d have her on our system,’ Bishop pointed out.
‘True. But the two might have met elsewhere and struck up a relationship.’
‘It’s thin,’ Warburton said.
‘But quite possibly our only real lead to follow up on, at the moment. However, I think we should run her photo in the local papers and the TV news, asking for anybody who knew her or recognises her from somewhere to come forward. The girl had a life outside of what she did, and somehow we have to find a way to it.’
All eyes turned to their DCI. Hers fell upon Bishop. ‘Do you want to take that on, Bish? For reasons we’re all familiar with, Jimmy is no longer considered for media briefings. As DI and deputy SIO on this, however, it’s something you ought to handle. It’d go down well when the time comes for you to take the step up for real.’
Bishop looked uncomfortable, and Bliss thought he knew why. ‘I think Bish might need some clear guidelines as to what his response should be if my demotion comes up. This is our biggest case since then, and I don’t see how it
