The Nothing Job by Nick Oldham

Author:Nick Oldham [Oldham, Nick]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Mystery; Thriller & Suspense, Mystery, Hard-Boiled, Police Procedurals
ISBN: 9781780105666
Amazon: B00QSBNYVM
Publisher: Severn House Digital
Published: 2015-02-01T11:00:00+00:00

ELEVEN

He was hot-desking again. In other words using somebody else’s desk, a bit like a cuckoo but without any of the benefits. This time it belonged to the DI who ran the Intelligence Unit at headquarters. Henry knew he was on leave for a week, so that’s where he parked his rear end whilst he worked out what to do with the remaining name on his wanted list, Jane Kinsella.

However, as he pushed papers around the pristine surface, he was unable to rid his mind of what had happened in Cyprus over the last month. Meeting Georgia – and Tekke, of course; being shot at, arresting Scartarelli; the legal to-ing and fro-ing and being shot at again. And a dead cop. He ran things continually through the mush that was his grey matter, eyes squinting as he tried to make sense of it all, then finding that he came to no real conclusions, although he was haunted by the words Scartarelli had spoken to him on the plane.

What in hell did he mean?

That Henry was a target? That Georgia was a target? Maybe the dead cop was the intended target.

Of course Henry could only speak for himself. There was no reason why he should have been the target, other than he was the cop charged with bringing Scartarelli back to face the British courts. Georgia said she was as puzzled as he was and could see no reason for her to be the target and the background of the dead cop had been investigated and he was found to have led a blameless existence.

And if Henry or Georgia had been the target of an assassin’s bullet, it made no sense. Even if they’d been killed, it would have made no difference to the eventual disposal of Scartarelli. He would still be in custody and killing one or more of his arresting officers would have achieved nothing. If his underworld colleagues had wanted him free they would have been better to arrange a prison break, or an ambush on the way to the airport.

Which brought Henry full circle.

The target had to be Scartarelli. That was the only hypothesis that hung together. Someone wanted him dead.

And yet … did the drive-by shooting have any connection?

Henry exhaled. Too many questions.

His brain hurt and none of this really mattered now. He was back on home turf and still had a third felon to apprehend. One who was supposed to be in Australia. He imagined a long – maybe three-week – chase across the outback, being guided by some cop who looked like Crocodile Dundee. Maybe not …

He looked down the office and saw Jerry Tope’s back was towards him. Tope had been pretty aloof since he had returned full time from Cyprus and Henry hadn’t had much time to sop up to him.

Maybe now was the moment.

Henry picked up the desk phone and dialled Jerry’s extension. He watched him answer his phone.

‘Jerry, it’s me, Henry.’

Tope twisted and half-looked over his shoulder down the office. ‘What?’

‘Can we be friends?’ Henry said.

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