Unworthy: A chilling thriller with a great twist. (Detective Jason Smith book 8) (A DS Jason Smith Thriller) by Stewart Giles

Author:Stewart Giles [Giles, Stewart]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: STILL Books
Published: 2018-03-13T20:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT

“You’ve been clamped, Sarge.” Baldwin pointed out when they stood outside Kenneth Love’s apartment block.

The bright yellow wheel clamp contrasted dramatically with the red of Smith’s Ford Sierra. Smith looked around for the culprit but there was nobody there.

“Bastards,” he said. “This is what’s wrong with this country at the moment. We can’t even do our jobs without some jobsworth making life difficult for us.”

“They probably didn’t know it was a detective sergeant’s car.”

“I don’t care. How long were we in there?” he pointed up to the apartment. “Fifteen minutes, tops? This is bullshit.”

He spotted the reason for the offensive yellow wheel clamp fifty metres away. A short man in a green tracksuit was watching them closely. Smith approached him. “Could you get that monstrosity off my car right now?”

“You’re parked in Mrs Dunn’s spot,” the man said. “Rules are rules.”

“And who might you be? That tracksuit doesn’t look like a traffic warden’s uniform.”

“This is private land. The body corporate own the building and the parking area – it doesn’t come under the jurisdiction of the city council. I’m the caretaker here.”

Baldwin stepped in. “Sir, I assume you’re aware of the new legislation. Clamping on private property is actually against the law.”

Smith took out his ID. “Which means you’ve clamped the wrong car, arsehole.”

The little caretaker looked like he was about to cry. “I don’t make the rules. The body corporate are a rule unto themselves.”

“You’ve got two minutes,” Smith told him.

Smith drove off three minutes later leaving a very dejected looking caretaker behind him. He clutched the wheel clamp to his chest like it was a teddy bear.

“Is clamping on private land really against the law?” Smith asked Baldwin.

“It is. They passed a law a couple of years ago. Why, did you actually think I’d made it up?”

“It did cross my mind.” He turned right and drove across the bridge towards the city centre. “I’m starving. I haven’t eaten since last night.”

“We’ve got half an hour before the briefing, Sarge. And shouldn’t you phone Brownhill? The DI wanted to speak to you, remember?”

“It can wait. My stomach is growling at me.”

He parked on double yellow lines next to a bakery and left the engine running. “Stay here,” he said to Baldwin. “And keep an eye out for phantom clampers. Can I get you anything?”

“No thanks. I had a good breakfast.”

Smith returned with two pies and a sausage roll. The pies were gobbled down before they’d even reached the road that led back to the station. “That’s better,” he wiped the crumbs from the side of his mouth. “I’ll save the sausage roll for later. What time is it?”

“Almost three,” Baldwin replied. “We’re going to be late.”

“Detective work doesn’t work to a strict timeline. Brownhill knows that, and you’ll learn it in time.”

* * *

The look on Brownhill’s face told a different story. The DI appeared far from impressed. She sat behind her desk with her hands clasped in front of her. “Nice of you to join us. Where have you been?”

“All over,” Smith replied.

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