Read Online Dead Man's Wharf by Pauline Rowson - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Pauline Rowson
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help,' he said, wondering if he was and noting that she had skipped answering a question. She'd told him nothing of what she had done at HQ. He could press her, but he didn't think it was worth it at this stage.
His phone rang. She made to leave, but he forestalled her with a wave of his hand.
Horton was surprised to hear Corinna Denton's voice and even more surprised when she told him that Perry Jackson had received another threatening telephone call, this time warning him that if he didn't resign from the programme by the end of the week he'd be dead meat. Why were they persisting in this charade? he thought angrily. Surely they had achieved their aim of getting publicity. The small voice in the back of his mind nagged at him that he could just possibly be wrong. But he'd been around too long and heard too many lies not to smell this one. For appearances' sake, though, he supposed that they had better go through the motions.
He told Corinna Denton that an officer would be with her in fifteen minutes and rang off. Quickly explaining the situation to Lee, he ended with, 'Get over to the hotel and talk to Jackson. Pick up a guest and staff list while you're there. And ask Corinna Denton for that list of family and friends she was compiling for us. People who know they're staying at the Queen's Hotel.' As Lee reached his door, Horton added, 'Take Walters with you.' He would get the update on the nursing home from Cantelli.
He watched her go. She walked purposefully, confidently. Then he picked up his telephone and dialled a number. It was answered on the fourth ring with an impatient, 'What?'
Horton smiled. Ray Ferris had never been known for his courteous manner, but he'd been a whizz at research, much like Sergeant Trueman, who was now with the Major Crime Team and whom Horton would dearly have loved to get working with him alongside Cantelli. 'That's no way to greet a member of the public.'
'Public? You? Andy, what the hell do you want? I'm up to my armpits in paperwork.'
'Told you that you should have refused promotion.'
'And have ended up shovelling shit in CID and having drunks spew up over my best suit? Not bloody likely.'
'Then stop moaning and give me some information. DC Harriet Lee – what do you know about her?'
'Never heard of her.'
'She works in your building.
'So do another hundred people. What does she do?'
'At the moment she's seconded to my team, but before that she was pushing paper around like you.'
'Which department?'
'No idea. That's what I'd like you to find out.'
'Why don't you just ask her?'
'And spoil all the fun?'
After a moment, Ray said, 'Leave it with me.' And he hung up.
Horton wondered if Ray would discover the truth or find what he was expected to find. Now for stage two. Uckfield might have heard of, or even know, who this Superintendent Warren was. And he was back from his holiday. So were Catherine and Emma, Horton thought, pushing back his chair, and no phone call from his solicitor yet.
He made his way to the major crime suite where he found the inscrutable and reassuringly dependable Sergeant Trueman.
'How are things?' Horton greeted him, with half an eye on the office next to Uckfield's where he could see DI Dennings, with the phone pressed to his ear and a deep scowl on his squashed-up face.
'It's pretty quiet for a change. Reckon all the criminals are still recovering from too much Christmas pudding. What about you, Andy? I hear you're looking into the death of an old lady at a nursing home. Anything funny about it?'
Trueman didn't miss much. 'I don't know,' he answered truthfully. 'I just don't like the fact her son has also died – and in prison. Do you remember Peter Ebury, armed robbery, killed a security officer called Buckland?'
Trueman threw himself back in the chair and nodded. 'I do. Buckland was ex-job.'
'A copper?' Horton asked surprised. Cantelli
His phone rang. She made to leave, but he forestalled her with a wave of his hand.
Horton was surprised to hear Corinna Denton's voice and even more surprised when she told him that Perry Jackson had received another threatening telephone call, this time warning him that if he didn't resign from the programme by the end of the week he'd be dead meat. Why were they persisting in this charade? he thought angrily. Surely they had achieved their aim of getting publicity. The small voice in the back of his mind nagged at him that he could just possibly be wrong. But he'd been around too long and heard too many lies not to smell this one. For appearances' sake, though, he supposed that they had better go through the motions.
He told Corinna Denton that an officer would be with her in fifteen minutes and rang off. Quickly explaining the situation to Lee, he ended with, 'Get over to the hotel and talk to Jackson. Pick up a guest and staff list while you're there. And ask Corinna Denton for that list of family and friends she was compiling for us. People who know they're staying at the Queen's Hotel.' As Lee reached his door, Horton added, 'Take Walters with you.' He would get the update on the nursing home from Cantelli.
He watched her go. She walked purposefully, confidently. Then he picked up his telephone and dialled a number. It was answered on the fourth ring with an impatient, 'What?'
Horton smiled. Ray Ferris had never been known for his courteous manner, but he'd been a whizz at research, much like Sergeant Trueman, who was now with the Major Crime Team and whom Horton would dearly have loved to get working with him alongside Cantelli. 'That's no way to greet a member of the public.'
'Public? You? Andy, what the hell do you want? I'm up to my armpits in paperwork.'
'Told you that you should have refused promotion.'
'And have ended up shovelling shit in CID and having drunks spew up over my best suit? Not bloody likely.'
'Then stop moaning and give me some information. DC Harriet Lee – what do you know about her?'
'Never heard of her.'
'She works in your building.
'So do another hundred people. What does she do?'
'At the moment she's seconded to my team, but before that she was pushing paper around like you.'
'Which department?'
'No idea. That's what I'd like you to find out.'
'Why don't you just ask her?'
'And spoil all the fun?'
After a moment, Ray said, 'Leave it with me.' And he hung up.
Horton wondered if Ray would discover the truth or find what he was expected to find. Now for stage two. Uckfield might have heard of, or even know, who this Superintendent Warren was. And he was back from his holiday. So were Catherine and Emma, Horton thought, pushing back his chair, and no phone call from his solicitor yet.
He made his way to the major crime suite where he found the inscrutable and reassuringly dependable Sergeant Trueman.
'How are things?' Horton greeted him, with half an eye on the office next to Uckfield's where he could see DI Dennings, with the phone pressed to his ear and a deep scowl on his squashed-up face.
'It's pretty quiet for a change. Reckon all the criminals are still recovering from too much Christmas pudding. What about you, Andy? I hear you're looking into the death of an old lady at a nursing home. Anything funny about it?'
Trueman didn't miss much. 'I don't know,' he answered truthfully. 'I just don't like the fact her son has also died – and in prison. Do you remember Peter Ebury, armed robbery, killed a security officer called Buckland?'
Trueman threw himself back in the chair and nodded. 'I do. Buckland was ex-job.'
'A copper?' Horton asked surprised. Cantelli
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