Brook’s secretary refused to put Cross through the next morning which, though he found it annoying, he thought was completely understandable. He told her who he was and that it was urgent. Ten minutes later Brook was on the phone.
‘Sergeant, how can I help?’ he asked with the perfected equanimity of a civil servant who, although irritated at being pulled out of an important meeting, gave no indication of it whatsoever.
‘I need to speak to you again,’ Cross informed him.
‘Which is why I’m on the phone.’
‘In person.’
‘When?’
‘Today.’
‘Well let me look at my diary for the day. How long will it take you to get to London?’ he asked.
‘In Bristol,’ Cross answered.
‘What? No. That’s impossible. You’ll have to come to me, I’m afraid.’
‘You need to come to Bristol, Sir Richard,’ Cross said with a neutral calmness that implied there was no room for negotiation here.
‘Why?’
‘I will tell you why when you get here. By my estimation if you left fairly promptly, you could be here by twelve. That’s on the assumption you’re driven here. I’d need to recalculate if you were to come by taxi and train.’
‘You don’t seem to understand. I deal in government business at the very highest level, Sergeant Cross. My day today has been planned months in advance. I can’t just drop everything with no notice.’
‘I think the lack of understanding seems to be on your part, sir. You have a choice. You can either be driven down here with the minimum of fuss, or you can be arrested in your office and driven down by my colleagues in the Met.’
‘What?’ the civil servant replied in disbelief. Cross said nothing as he was happy he’d made himself perfectly clear. ‘DS Cross, I had nothing to do with Alistair Moreton’s death.’
‘Murder,’ Cross corrected him. ‘Which is it to be?’
‘I’ll be with you by twelve. Text me the address,’ he said tersely before ending the call.
*
DI Bobby Warner had answered every question put to him during his interview with a ‘no comment’. He obviously intended doing all his arguing, or have it done for him, in court. Statements had now been obtained by the three alleged rape victims and others were in the process of giving their statements about various assaults and harassment at his hands. He was formally charged and, when he appeared in court later, bail was denied. He was remanded in custody till his trial, which wouldn’t be for several months.
Carson had been summoned to the chief constable’s office. He was questioned about the whole Mackenzie incident and his handling of it. As to whether the chief and his surrounding council of senior officers thought he had acted as he should have done, they kept very close to their chests.
Carson had then called a meeting of the whole department to brief them in full about the Warner situation. He also made his unease clear. His unease that harassment and inappropriate behaviour might exist in the Avon and Somerset Police. He himself wouldn’t tolerate it and wanted both women and men to feel comfortable in going to their immediate superiors with any concerns or complaints. They would be taken very seriously and confidentially.