Cold Times by Wendy Cartmell

Author:Wendy Cartmell [Cartmell, Wendy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Costa Press
Published: 2024-01-04T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 20

‘I need a room,’ said Crane to Billy.

‘A room? Isn’t your desk good enough anymore?’

‘What? Yes, yes, but I need a room to put in all the files that are going to be arriving.’

‘Files?’ Billy looked as though his head was elsewhere.

‘The Owain Deans murder, Billy. Have you forgotten already?’

‘Oh, right, yes, find one and leave me alone.’ Billy looked down at the papers in his hand.

Crane hesitated, stumbled, unsure as to whether to go forwards or backwards.

‘Well? Don’t you understand? How about this - bugger off!’

‘Fine. Okay. Sorry.’ Crane backed out. Wondering when Billy had turned into Crane. Or at least the Crane he used to be. These days he didn’t have any staff to be rude to.

‘Dudley-Jones,’ Crane called as he rapidly exited Billy’s office. ‘I need a room for the Owain murder case.’

‘Take this one,’ Dudley-Jones indicated his head left. ‘The one on this side of my desk, it runs the length of the offices, if I remember rightly. I don’t think anyone has ever used it.’

Crane walked over and opened a door he hadn’t noticed before. The room did indeed run the length of the barracks and already had several trestle tables in it that he could use.

‘Dudley-Jones, I could kiss you,’ Crane said.

‘Don’t you bloody dare,’ Dudley-Jones said and threw a ball of paper at his old boss.

Grinning, Crane hit the phones.

He firstly rang the police. ‘Good morning,’ he told the telephone operator. ‘I’m trying to trace the paper files of an assault you prosecuted some five years ago.’

‘Oh.’

‘Is that it? Just Oh?’ Crane was flustered. ‘What on earth is the problem?’

‘Five years ago, you said?’

‘Yes. Five. Years.’ He decided to speak as though the person on the phone didn’t have English as their first language.

‘It’s just that we’ve changed our file management systems.’

‘And that means what?’

‘I’m not sure where your files are stored.’

‘What are my files?’

‘I beg your pardon?’

‘You haven’t asked me what case I’m looking for! Isn’t that a bit odd? I’d say that was very relevant, wouldn’t you?’

‘Well, there’s no need to be rude!’

‘I wasn’t trying to be rude.’ Of course, Crane was. ‘Let me put it another way. How do I get the files for case number A1543 John Berry assault on Owain Deans.’

‘I don’t know.’

Crane wanted to tear his hair out. ‘Then who will?’

‘I don’t know.’

Now Crane wanted to tear his hair out by the roots. One strand at a time. ‘Is there anyone else I can speak to?’

‘Try the File Storage Department.’

‘Good. Can you connect me?’

‘No, they finish at 2pm on a Friday. Please call back on Monday.’

And the phone went dead. Not a good start. At this rate his lovely room was going to stay very empty.

‘Dudley-Jones,’ Crane called.

‘Yes, Crane,’ came the fed-up sounding reply.

‘How do I find the files of John Berry assault on Owain Deans A1543.’ Crane took a stab in the dark and used the CPS reference number.

Dudley-Jones clacked keys. ‘That our case MPA 1511.’

‘OK and where is that?’

‘What?’

‘The file!’

‘On the One Drive system.’

‘No, I mean the paper files.

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