at?’ she hissed. ‘Thewhole reason Higgins put us into different teams was to make sure no one trod on anyone else’s toes. My team were assigned to CCTV duty, but then I get back here and find your little DC sticking her nose into our work.’
‘It’s not like that,’ Collins replied. ‘We’re following up a different set of leads, something that might have occurred just prior to the actual kidnapping.’
‘And you didn’t have the courtesy to ask me yourself?’
‘We’re on the same side, you know.’
‘Don’t give me that bollocks. We may be looking for the same guy, but we all want to be the one to find him first. Anyone who says different is just talking crap.’ Drabble leaned back in her chair. ‘I’ll let you have the tapes but only because my guys are busy going through the CCTV for every one of the stops the kidnapper sent us to during the money-drop.’
It suddenly occurred to Collins that she knew little about where the money-drop had been due to take place.
‘Where did it end up?’
‘Didn’t bother to read the briefing papers, huh? He started off at Embankment underground station and then gave our man about ten minutes to get to Holborn, then another ten minutes to King’s Cross. From there it was a run down to London Bridge and then an overland train to Peckham. The whole thing ended up at a tower block on the Blenheim Estate.
‘We figure he must have been near each stop, watching. We’re going through the footage to see if anyone is at more than one of the locations during the same time as our man. It’s the best lead we have.’
But Collins was no longer listening. She was staringinto space, her mind going over something Drabble had just said.
‘You okay?’ asked Drabble. ‘You look like you’ve seen a ghost.’
Collins swallowed hard before she spoke. ‘Did you say the Blenheim Estate?’
‘Yeah, our guy ended up there. He was told to drop the money into the lift in one of the tower blocks and press the button for the top floor. He did that and then the team moved in and cordoned off the area. No one could get in or out. When they were satisfied they had the whole place locked down, they moved in and that’s when they found it.’
‘Found what?’
‘The money. It was still there. The kidnapper never collected it. Guess the team must have spooked him or something.’
‘Do you think the kidnapper lives on the estate?’
‘Not unless he’s stupid, but they’re doing house-to-house anyway.’
‘Who else knows the estate was where they ended up for the drop?’
Drabble shook her head slightly. ‘No one apart from SCD7 and those working on the case; it’s one of the holdbacks.’
It was common practice in all major criminal investigations to hold back certain pieces of information as a way of sorting out the crank callers from those with genuine information or knowledge of the crime.
Yvonne Drabble blinked hard several times and looked at Collins strangely. ‘Something you want to tell me?’
‘It’s just that … I used to know the place pretty well.’
‘Doesn’t surprise me. I hear it’s a bit of a dump.’
Collins leaned over the desk and stared directly at Drabble. ‘Listen to me, you piece of shit: I get results and I don’t need to climb the same greasy pole as you. So carry on acting like a fucking man in a skirt, you fucking He-Bitch.’ Drabble was taken aback by the onslaught and noticeably embarrassed by the fact that those close to her had overheard.
Just then the sound of a small, slightly high-pitched cough came from behind Collins. ‘Excuse me,’ said Khan, looking from one woman to the other and finally fixing his gaze on Yvonne Drabble. ‘Excuse me, sir.’
Drabble’s eyes widened ominously. ‘Are you trying to be funny?’
Khan’s mouth opened and closed, but no words came out. It was obvious to Collins at least that he had no idea what he was supposed to have done wrong. DI Drabble finally lost patience and stormed
‘It’s not like that,’ Collins replied. ‘We’re following up a different set of leads, something that might have occurred just prior to the actual kidnapping.’
‘And you didn’t have the courtesy to ask me yourself?’
‘We’re on the same side, you know.’
‘Don’t give me that bollocks. We may be looking for the same guy, but we all want to be the one to find him first. Anyone who says different is just talking crap.’ Drabble leaned back in her chair. ‘I’ll let you have the tapes but only because my guys are busy going through the CCTV for every one of the stops the kidnapper sent us to during the money-drop.’
It suddenly occurred to Collins that she knew little about where the money-drop had been due to take place.
‘Where did it end up?’
‘Didn’t bother to read the briefing papers, huh? He started off at Embankment underground station and then gave our man about ten minutes to get to Holborn, then another ten minutes to King’s Cross. From there it was a run down to London Bridge and then an overland train to Peckham. The whole thing ended up at a tower block on the Blenheim Estate.
‘We figure he must have been near each stop, watching. We’re going through the footage to see if anyone is at more than one of the locations during the same time as our man. It’s the best lead we have.’
But Collins was no longer listening. She was staringinto space, her mind going over something Drabble had just said.
‘You okay?’ asked Drabble. ‘You look like you’ve seen a ghost.’
Collins swallowed hard before she spoke. ‘Did you say the Blenheim Estate?’
‘Yeah, our guy ended up there. He was told to drop the money into the lift in one of the tower blocks and press the button for the top floor. He did that and then the team moved in and cordoned off the area. No one could get in or out. When they were satisfied they had the whole place locked down, they moved in and that’s when they found it.’
‘Found what?’
‘The money. It was still there. The kidnapper never collected it. Guess the team must have spooked him or something.’
‘Do you think the kidnapper lives on the estate?’
‘Not unless he’s stupid, but they’re doing house-to-house anyway.’
‘Who else knows the estate was where they ended up for the drop?’
Drabble shook her head slightly. ‘No one apart from SCD7 and those working on the case; it’s one of the holdbacks.’
It was common practice in all major criminal investigations to hold back certain pieces of information as a way of sorting out the crank callers from those with genuine information or knowledge of the crime.
Yvonne Drabble blinked hard several times and looked at Collins strangely. ‘Something you want to tell me?’
‘It’s just that … I used to know the place pretty well.’
‘Doesn’t surprise me. I hear it’s a bit of a dump.’
Collins leaned over the desk and stared directly at Drabble. ‘Listen to me, you piece of shit: I get results and I don’t need to climb the same greasy pole as you. So carry on acting like a fucking man in a skirt, you fucking He-Bitch.’ Drabble was taken aback by the onslaught and noticeably embarrassed by the fact that those close to her had overheard.
Just then the sound of a small, slightly high-pitched cough came from behind Collins. ‘Excuse me,’ said Khan, looking from one woman to the other and finally fixing his gaze on Yvonne Drabble. ‘Excuse me, sir.’
Drabble’s eyes widened ominously. ‘Are you trying to be funny?’
Khan’s mouth opened and closed, but no words came out. It was obvious to Collins at least that he had no idea what he was supposed to have done wrong. DI Drabble finally lost patience and stormed
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