Dark Mirror by unknow

Author:unknow
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781741757415
Publisher: Allen & Unwin Pty Ltd

sixteen

Brock stood at the window on the sixth floor of the headquarters building and stared impatiently out across the roofs to his own office, two hundred yards away. The door opened behind him and his boss, Commander Sharpe, strode in.

‘Sorry to keep you, Brock. Lot to catch up on. So where were we?’

‘Personnel.’ Brock resumed his seat. ‘I think we’ve just about finished.’

‘One other matter.’ Sharpe drew a document from his file and handed it over. The letterhead was Metropolitan Police Service: Directorate of Professional Standards, and the subject title, ‘Complaint against Detective Inspector Katherine Kolla, Homicide and Serious Crime Command’. The complainant was Keith Rafferty, represented by Julian Fenwick.

Brock skimmed the document, then handed it back.

‘That’s your copy, Brock. You’re familiar with the circumstances?’

‘Oh yes. The man’s a thug, both him and his friend Crouch. They were in the army together. Apart from the matters on his police record, it’s highly likely that they raped a woman in Belfast. DI Kolla had grounds for suspecting Rafferty’s involvement in the death of his stepdaughter, Marion Summers.’

‘Yes, but Fenwick makes a strong case that she mishandled the investigation. You see there, where he charges her with provocation, intimidation, entrapment and fabricating evidence.’

Brock was tired of this. He’d spent the past three weeks covering Sharpe’s back. ‘Look, Dominic’—Sharpe looked startled, as if unaware that Brock even knew his first name—‘Kolla is a first-rate officer and we’ve been working under extremely difficult circumstances while you were away, with an acute shortage of manpower. She used her initiative under intense pressure. This . . .’ he waved the document, ‘is crap.’

‘Nevertheless, David . . .’ Sharpe gritted his teeth, ‘Fenwick has a habit of making such cases stick, as we know to our cost. He says he will seek an injunction if we don’t immediately prevent Kolla from making further contact with Rafferty or Crouch, pending a full investigation of their complaint. I believe we should comply.’

‘That would be tantamount to an admission of fault.’

‘I don’t agree. I think it would be a prudent precaution, and I want you to see to it.’

Brock sighed. ‘Very well.’

‘There’s no question of her being suspended from duty at this stage,’ Sharpe went on. ‘Just a transfer to other inquiries.’

•

‘A cat’s head in your bed?’ Bren raised his eyebrows. ‘Who’s this, the kitty Godfather?’

‘It’s Keith Rafferty, that’s who it is.’ Kathy glanced at Pip, who was listening with a look of disgust on her face. ‘His style, wouldn’t you say, Pip?’

‘Yeah, absolutely. What a creep. But how did he get into your flat?’

‘Yes, how did he manage that?’ Bren looked concerned.

‘That’s what I’d like to know. I’ve changed all the locks, and tried again to get our manager to install CCTV, but he says he’s too heartbroken to deal with things like that at the moment. You should be careful, Pip. He might have a go at you too.’

‘Are you sure it’s Rafferty?’ Bren said.

Kathy shrugged. ‘Maybe it was just the tooth fairy having a bad day.’ She sighed and ran a hand over her face.

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