Unnatural Justice by Su Ridley

Author:Su Ridley
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: REFERENCE / Genealogy & Heraldry
Publisher: Kenton Publishing
Published: 2012-11-14T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

* * *

GARY’S POOL car swung into the station car park entrance to be met by a barrage of flashlights and shouting reporters. They yelled at the car, ‘DI Blackburn, are you going to make a statement? Can you tell us how DS Cheney died? Has his body been found?’

The baying pack surrounded the vehicle and followed it into car park. Two police constables manning the gate were swallowed by the tide. More officers ran out of the station, closely followed by the desk sergeant. All Jane could see were the bright lights and a sea of screaming faces.

Gary got out of the car first and fought his way around to her side.

He shouted to the officers in the yard. ‘Get that lot out of here now! If they won’t go quietly, arrest them.’

Slowly the small force of policemen shoved back the crowd and Gary opened the car door, unceremoniously pushing Jane up the steps and into the station.

‘God, it didn’t take them long. Are you all right, Jane?’ he asked, gasping for breath.

‘I’m fine. Let’s get this over with.’

She walked quickly past the front desk, along the corridor and up the stairs. She hesitated for a split second outside the CID room door and took a deep breath. With a final glance at Gary, she walked in.

Nothing had changed. Steve was dead and nothing had changed. Jill noticed her first and jumped out of her chair.

‘Jane!’ she said, as if she’d seen a ghost.

The room fell silent. She looked around, letting her eyes rest on each face. Her gaze eventually fell on Steve’s empty desk. She felt her chest tighten. The feelings of helplessness she had tried to wash away in the shower at Shannon came flooding back.

‘Jill, could you please make me some coffee?’ she asked.

Gary pushed past her, ‘Are you all right? Wait here a moment, Jane.’

Closing the blinds, he said, ‘It isn’t just the local rags we’ve got out there.You’ve got the whole damn national Press as well.They’ve got lenses on those cameras that could pick out a boil on a gnat’s arse.’

‘Thank you,’ she said numbly and sat down.

‘Will somebody please tell Benson I’m…’ She didn’t get to finish her sentence.

‘I think he’s already here, Jane.’

The Superintendent was striding across the office. He looked at Johnson but spoke to Jane. ‘I told your DS to let me know as soon as you were back. I want to speak to you.’ As Johnson left the room, Benson slammed the door shut.

Jane said nothing as he exploded in a fury of accusations, every word carefully chosen to hurt and humiliate. She clenched her fists, her whole body, still aching, stiffened with anger.

Eventually, the Superintendent drew breath.

‘Have you finished?’ Jane asked, holding her anger in check. ‘Anne was my priority at that point, not you. Anne is still my priority.’

Benson saved his most cutting jibe to last, ‘I’m also informing you that I intend to have DS Johnson brought before a disciplinary committee for direct disobedience of a senior officer’s command.

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