Devil in the Detail by A.J. Cross (love letters to the dead .TXT) 📗

Index finger poised, he said, ‘Listen. Say nothing.’

He activated the recording. The words of the ambulance call-taker came again, followed by those of the victim, weighted with fear and pain. He watched her face change as the recording ran on. It ended with a sharp click.

She looked up at him. ‘Word upstairs is it’s a carjacking turned bad.’

‘That’s one possible theory.’

‘What are the others?’

‘There aren’t any yet.’

She pointed to the machine. ‘More than one victim?’

‘Yes. Her name’s Molly Lawrence. The male in the car is her husband.’

‘Where are they now?’

‘Hospital.’ He looked at her. ‘You’ve attended some carjackings.’ He nodded to the recording. ‘What do you make of it?’

‘From what I’ve seen, they vary, like the one that happened a day or so ago, or the drivers are dragged out of their cars and the vehicles taken, but this … It’s way different.’

‘It is. Both of them were shot.’

‘Shot?’ She stared at him. ‘If I didn’t know you, I’d say you were having me on.’

‘Wish I was. Brophy wants the investigation kept non-emotive.’

‘Yeah? I want to be five-eight. Something else that’s not going to happen.’

‘Here.’ He pushed his written notes towards her, pointed. ‘That’s everything I know so far from observing the scene, the actual vehicle and talking to SOCOs and the forensic team. Read it, ASAP.’

She took the notes. ‘So, where’s the scene, exactly?’

‘Forge Street. On the fringes of the inner city, not far from the Bristol Road intersection. It’s a scruffy brick-and-asphalt hellhole, part of the city the planners developed amnesia for over a lot of years.’

‘Off the beaten track, then?’

‘More a case of separated by neglect rather than distance. Jones, Kumar and I were there, first with paramedics, then with SOCOs and forensics.’ He took a gulp of coffee. ‘The good thing is there’s a bullet, a bullet casing and a watch—’

‘A watch?’

‘The motive looks to be robbery. It probably belonged to one of the victims. It’s all in what I just gave you, plus all other known details so far.’

She nodded, watched him stand, hitch his trousers. ‘Where are you going?’

‘Upstairs to have a word with Jones and Kumar who should be back from the scene by now, then to Brophy to make a few demands, none of which he’ll like. After that, I’ll be in the squad room to talk to officers up there, you included.’

Having gained nothing from Jones and Kumar which he didn’t already know, Watts was now in Brophy’s office being stared at across the desk.

‘If you’re planning to drop those six November carjackings I gave you, think again. They and the attack on this couple have “similar transaction” written all over them.’

‘I see what—’

‘I want your investigative plan.’ Brophy sat, pen poised, eyes fixed on Watts.

Here goes, thought Watts. Now for the fracas. ‘I want the Lawrence shootings designated a category-A inquiry.’

Brophy’s eyes narrowed. ‘Reason?’

‘A double-shooting of two people, one of them male, moves the shooter straight to the high-risk category. My thinking is that he’s an impulsive, antisocial type and he’s out there, free to do it again. I want the squad room as the major incident room.’

Brophy nodded. ‘If that’s it—’

‘No. We’ll be using HOLMES so we need more terminals.’ Seeing Brophy frown, he added, ‘Home Office Large Major Enquiry Sys—’

‘I know what it means.’ Brophy drummed his fingers on his desk. ‘Just a minute.’ He opened a drawer, took out a file and rummaged through it. ‘We sent half a dozen computers over to North Birmingham three months ago for use in that kidnap case which is now finished. I’ll have them sent back immediately. How many can you get by on?’

Watts met Brophy’s eyes. Having anticipated resistance to all he was now demanding, he realized how rattled Brophy was. ‘Six, minimum, plus we’ll need more space. I want the double doors to the room next door to the squad room opened up.’

Brophy’s lips almost disappeared. ‘That’s the formal function room!’ Watts’ eyes stayed on him. Brophy sighed. ‘That it?’

‘Going back to HOLMES, sir. I’ve asked Sergeant Miller to take a major role in its operation. She’s agreed.’

‘Is she any good?’

‘Yes,’ said Watts, swallowing his immediate response that Miller was bloody useless, which was why he’d selected her. Almost eighteen months since Brophy had arrived at headquarters and he knew the value of hardly any of the officers there. At least when Gander was the chief, he knew his personnel. ‘Miller’s got a mind like a steel trap for detail. PC Judd’s got a nose for details linkage. I want both of them evaluating leads. The rest of the time, Judd will be with me as part of the direct investigation. I need every available officer on this.’

Brophy was looking increasingly harassed. ‘My understanding is that the scene of the attack is small and contained.’

‘Yes and no. The actual attack occurred in a small area but the scene itself extends once we factor in how the attacker arrived there.’

‘A vehicle, is my guess.’

‘No forensic indication of that so far. Unfortunately, there’s no CCTV in the immediate area.’

Brophy sighed, shook his head. ‘Anything else?’

‘Yes. I want Judd to maintain the decision-making record for the investigation. She did it for the investigation last summer. Her memory is first class.’

The corners of Brophy’s mouth headed south. ‘Before we know it, PC Judd will be managing this whole investigation single-handed.’ He looked across at Watts. ‘I saw her earlier. She needs a tight rein. She needs to know her place.’

‘Sir.’

If Watts knew of one attribute which Judd lacked, it was a sense of place. ‘Finally, sir, I want four officers on Intelligence, looking for possible new avenues of inquiry as the investigation gets underway. I’ve given Jones and Kumar a heads-up on that.’

‘Why four?’

‘The other two officers will also be searching for potential angles via victimology re the Lawrences, their families, their social contacts.’

Brophy looked up at him. ‘Why? These shootings are a clear case of attack by stranger.’

‘Yes, but we need to start out