Shot of Silence (Justice Again Book 3) by M Comley (best contemporary novels txt) 📗

“It would be better to keep them in one place. Maybe we could send a couple of uniformed officers over there, make sure no one enters the building who could put them in jeopardy,” Charlie suggested.

“I think you’re right. Can you arrange that with the desk sergeant, Charlie?”

“On it now.” Charlie raced over to her desk and contacted Mick who promised to send two men out to Zedex immediately.

Roberts seemed thoughtful upon her return.

“Everything all right, sir?” she asked.

“Yes, sort of. Recalling what Maria said about when she’d placed the call. I need to look into that, make sure we’re not dealing with anything more sinister than we first thought.”

Charlie gasped. “Someone on the inside?”

“Why not? We’re talking guns again. You know what happened regarding another recent case where a gun was used. I need to get on to Patti or Forensics to see what they’ve come up with, if anything.”

“God, I hope you’re wrong.”

“So do I. I’ll be right back.” He headed into Katy’s office. “A coffee would be most welcome,” he threw over his shoulder on the way.

“Coming right up.”

He disappeared into the office and closed the door.

“Shit! He never bloody puts his hand in his pocket. I’m going to be broke by the end of the ruddy week at this rate.”

Graham dug into his pocket and slapped a handful of change onto the desk. “There you go, it shouldn’t always fall on your shoulders, Charlie.”

Charlie pinched his cheek. “You’re a gent.” She slotted the coins into the vending machine and took the coffee in to Roberts. One look at his face, and she could tell he was livid. Charlie tried to retreat, but he gestured for her to take a seat. She sat there for the next five minutes squirming on behalf of the person receiving a bollocking on the other end of the line.

Roberts hung up and sat back. He blew out an exasperated breath. “What the fuck! I’ve heard some trivial excuses in my time on the force, but that has to be right up there with the worst of them. Why can’t every new recruit be as enthusiastic about their role as you are? To some of them it would seem that getting a monthly salary for sitting behind a damn desk all day is the answer to their problems.”

“I’m sure that’s not true, although it might appear to be the case, sir.”

“Well, she’s got an official warning coming her way. I refuse to put up with that sort of tardiness, not on my watch.”

“Sorry it happened, sir.”

“So am I. Thanks for the drink. I feel a lot calmer now than I did a few minutes ago. My one bugbear doing this job is dealing with ineptness. There’s no bloody need for it, is there? We’re talking about supposedly intelligent people here, aren’t we? What’s your opinion on the new crop of recruits we’ve been laden with this year?”

“Gosh, I’d rather you didn’t put me on the spot like that, sir.”

“May I ask why?”

Why? Because you’re asking me to spy or tell tales on my fellow officers. How do you think that’s going to make me look? She couldn’t help feeling torn. Damned if she answered him truthfully and damned if she let things ride. “I didn’t see any problems during my training assignments, sir.”

He narrowed his eyes and tilted his head. “You wouldn’t be trying to pull a fast one on me, Simpkins, would you?”

“No, sir. It was a genuine answer. You know me, I prefer to keep to myself, knuckle down and get the job done.” She hoped her answer would appease him. If not, she didn’t know which way she should turn next.

“Okay, whilst I admire your loyalty, I would hope that if you saw anything not quite right in the system, you would let me know.”

“That goes without saying, sir. I promise you.” Charlie’s phone rang. Embarrassed, she glanced at the caller ID, willing it not to be Brandon. It wasn’t, it was Katy. “Can I take this, it’s Katy?”

“Stay there, put it on speaker, if you would?”

And what if Katy didn’t appreciate me doing that?

“Hi, Katy, you’re on speaker. I’m with DCI Roberts.”

“Oh, of course. I’m sorry, have I called at an inappropriate time?”

“Not at all, Katy. How’s Georgie?” Roberts jumped in.

“The signs are good. They’ve said they’ll be keeping her in for the next week or so. Before you say it, AJ and I have spoken about this, and we’ve agreed that I should return to work tomorrow.”

“Are you sure?” Charlie asked. Putting herself in Katy’s position, she’d want to remain at the hospital with her child until the danger had passed at least.

“I echo what Charlie just said. We’re fine at this end, don’t go rushing back if things are still fraught at the hospital.”

“I’m getting the impression that I’m not wanted there.” Katy sounded subdued.

“Don’t be silly,” Charlie was quick to add. “All we’re saying is take care of Georgie’s needs first.”

“I know you both care, but I think it’s for the best. AJ is fed up with having me under his feet, or he will be by the end of the day. The medical staff are keeping her sedated for now, allowing her body to heal itself without putting extra strain on her heart. It seems to be working. The rash is still prominent in some areas but has vanished in others. The nursing staff told me it varies from patient to patient. Here’s hoping she’s over the worst of it.”

“Sounds good, a steady progress anyway.” Relief flooded through Charlie.

“So, don’t keep me in suspense, what’s going on there?”

“Nothing much.” Charlie tried to keep the investigation advancement to a minimum on purpose, but Roberts had other ideas and opened his big mouth.

“Charlie held a press conference.”

“Wow, go you, Charlie. How did it go?”

“It went exceedingly well,” Roberts added before Charlie had a chance to answer for herself.

“We’re just waiting on the results from that. I was a tad nervous but not as bad as I