Shadow of a Shadow by Crispin Keith

Author:Crispin Keith
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Thriller
Publisher: Troubador Publishing
Published: 2023-06-28T00:00:00+00:00

Lydia and Sergeant Beamish got little sleep. At 3.30am two Met Police detectives from Ealing arrived to reinforce Beamish. They stood around chatting. Lydia positioned her plastic chair between them and the door to her mother’s room – she wasn’t confident that these coppers wouldn’t try to take her mother away for questioning. The detectives’ phones kept up a barrage of ringtones.

Lydia, too, had been on her phone back to MI5, requesting back-up, but Perry was unresponsive. He sounded very tired and stressed. He said he had no one to spare from Internal Security, and Special Operations were unlikely to lend any of their staff, considering who had been shot dead. When Lydia asked him to explain what he meant, he refused to answer.

It wasn’t until 4.45am that three officers from the Counter Terror Command arrived. Two were in full combat gear and carried machine guns. Their leader wore an expensive overcoat. They presented their ID cards and then had a short but noisy argument with the three Met Police detectives before persuading them to stand down. Sergeant Beamish said this wasn’t a terrorist matter, but the man in smart coat said it wasn’t for the plod to judge matters of terror.

Sister Ngidi hissed at them all to keep their voices down. The Met officers went, grumbling that ‘all sorts of shit would be hitting the fan’, while the Counter Terror boys told them to think of their overtime payments. The doors shut behind the detectives, and Lydia closed her eyes.

“Miss Twomey, I need to have a word with you.”

Lydia opened her eyes. She really didn’t need to have a word with the man with the gelled black hair and the camel coat. She restrained herself from telling him she was Ms, not Miss. “How can I help you?” She struggled to an upright position.

“We’ve received information from Ealing Met Police ballistics that a 9mm Glock was the murder weapon in this case.”

“Very quick work.” She knew what was coming.

“It’s a very sensitive case, as I’m sure you’re aware. The owner of the gun in question has been identified: it’s you, Miss.”

“So? It’s my MI5 service gun. It’s my mother in there. She’s been shot too, most likely by the so-called victims, the Turkish gangsters.”

“In light of this new revelation, I have orders to escort you down to your driver, who is waiting outside the hospital. He will drive you back to Thames House.”

“Ridiculous. I’ve come here as a daughter to see my mother, and I’ve come here as an MI5 officer to interview a witness in a serious case. I am not a suspect – I was at Thames House all day yesterday.”

“I have my orders, Miss; I am merely carrying them out.”

“Who gave you this order?”

“I am not at liberty to say, Miss.”

“Can you let me see my mother first, please?”

He shook his head. “I’ve been told specifically not to let you discuss the case with your mother – contamination of evidence.”

“She’s heavily sedated, for Christ’s sakes! She hasn’t said anything since she was admitted.

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