Chapter Four

 

Emma stood outside the neat front door of the detached house in a nice suburb of Bradwick. She'd last been here several weeks before, when she had started a train of events that had torn Rob Haines' world apart. And had turned her own professional life on its head. Now she was back to atone for her sins.

She knocked on the door.

Jem Haines, all dark curls and effortless chic opened it, nervously at first, then flung it wide. 'It's Emma Angel isn't it? From Rob's work? Is everything all right?'

'Yes, yes, it's all fine,' Emma said. 'It's just a social visit.' She had to explain. It was the curse of the police officer – her arrival anywhere usually heralded bad news. 'I wanted to see how he is.' She caught something flicker across the other woman's face but couldn't identify the emotion. 'It's just that Professional Standards have been investigating and while that was ongoing, I've not been allowed to contact any of my colleagues. But I went back to work today, so here I am.' She stopped again, aware that she'd been talking away but something was wrong.

'Not to worry, you're here now, do come on in,' Jem said. She went back into the house, calling out, 'Rob! You've got a visitor.'

Emma was shown into a living room where Rob was sat on a sofa. He paused a black and white film as she came in. He looked up for a moment, and focused on Emma and his wife. Something flickered across his face, but Emma couldn't read it. Was it fear, or frustration or incomprehension?

Somehow though, Jem picked it up. With false brightness she repeated, 'Rob, look, it's Emma Angel from your team, from CID.'

Emma didn't know what was going on but was distracted when she properly saw Rob. She was shocked by his appearance but tried not to show it. His hair was no longer curly – instead he had a fuzz of even dark hair right across his scalp. He was wearing a baggy dark grey T-shirt and tracksuit trousers. He was even wearing slippers. He'd lost weight but in a way that made him look gaunt instead of healthier. All the time she'd known him, he'd been in the office, with shirt and tie. Now she was unsure how to deal with him looking so different.

'Oh yeah,' Haines said, catching her staring. 'The hair. They kept shaving bits here and there to see how the cut above my ear was healing and to stick electrodes on and look inside my head. As soon as I got out of the hospital, I had it all shaved off, nice and even. It'll grow back.' He ran his fingers over it, lingering above his right ear where a cut was almost totally healed.

Emma nodded. 'I was just saying to Jem that we've all been under investigation so I wasn't allowed to contact anyone from CID so that's why I haven't been round earlier. How are you? Did they keep you long in hospital?'

'Nearly a week all told. Apparently I had swelling on the brain and they wanted to keep me under observation until it sorted itself out. But I'm home and fighting fit now!' Emma could tell forced jollity when she heard it.

'So, you're recovered?' DC Angel asked, sitting on the sofa. 'Will we see you back at the office? What have you been doing with your time?'

'He's been cluttering up the place, watching old films and shouting at the TV,' Jem said, coming back in. 'The kettle's on and I can rustle up some biscuits. What do you want to drink?'

'Milky tea, one sugar,' DC Angel said automatically.

The silence stretched out, only punctuated by the sounds of Jem making tea that floated in from the kitchen. Finally Haines said blankly, 'I can't come back to work.' He paused and Emma was about to ask him to explain when he continued. 'I'm trapped. The hospital say that I've got retrograde amnesia. It means I can't remember anything for several days before the attack and my memories start again the next day, lying in a hospital bed.

'Professional Standards can't interview me while I'm on medical leave as the doctors will say that my memory is unreliable.' He stopped and looked a bit uncomfortable. 'But I can remember most of it, going back years, all that's still up here.' He tapped the side of his head. 'The problem is that if they declare that I'm fit to return to work, I'll be suspended from duty before the doctor's ink is dry on the form.'

The mood was broken as Jem came back into the room with a tray of drinks and a plate of biscuits.

'You said you couldn't recall the days before the attack, sir,' Emma said carefully, sipping her tea even though it was too hot. 'But you remember everything before that?'

'Oh yes. I remember that very well. Some days it seems that the further back I go, the clearer the memories are. Me and Billy King. Hargreaves and Patterson.' He stopped and stared into space.

'But those last few days?' DC Angel prompted.

'Nope.' He shook his head. 'I remember we had a third victim who survived and you went to interview her in the hospital. Then I met with Billy and he gave me the information to set up that big raid on the industrial estate outside Bradwick. After that, nothing until I woke up in hospital.' He stopped and frowned. 'You know that I was working with Billy King, don't you? Information from him in return for protection from me? And of course, we'd split whatever we could skim off the raids on other dealers. All fairly done, cash to me and the team, product to him.'

Even Rob Haines sensed the mood in the room. Emma and Jem looked at each other nervously.

'I've done it again, haven't I?' Rob asked. 'The doctors say it will get better, but I don't have any filter. I just think something and I say it. That's the real reason I'm not going back to work. I know that Professional Services will crucify me. If they catch me on a bad day and ask the right question, then I'll just tell them everything. I'll ride out the medical leave as long as it takes for the Police Federation to work out a deal.' He looked downbeat. 'I've come to accept that the best outcome for me will probably involve leaving with my pension and honour intact and not having to answer any questions.'

DC Angel felt the ground being cut out from under her. She hadn't known what to expect when she went round to see her former boss, but it wasn't this. All those events from weeks earlier crowded back in on her. Patterson, Dark Car Man, Hargreaves and Garoza all jostled for space in her head, but she couldn't say anything for fear of blundering in. Haines was unaware of everything that had happened.

She looked at Jem for help and she responded by subtly shaking her head and warning with her eyes.

'What? What are you two doing? All those sideways looks, I'm bloody sick of it.' Haines was already shouting. 'Weeks I've had! Stupid woman won't even let me have a paper to read. My daughters turned up but as soon as it was clear I wasn't about to die, they scurried off back to university. Fuck this! Now you're keeping secrets from me in my own home.' He threw the TV remote across the room with a flick of his wrist and it exploded against the opposite wall. All three of them watched the batteries roll across the floor, one disappearing under the TV.

Emma instinctively tensed up and prepared to defend herself before logic kicked in. Could she really use her self-defence skills against her former boss? In front of his own wife?

Luckily it never came to anything – Jem moved to sit beside Rob. Instantly the tension drained out of him.

'Hey. The doctor said you're not to get upset.' She leant into him and he put an arm around her. 'Don't let it worry you, we'll see what the doctor says next week.' She stroked his arm.

'Yeah, sorry,' Rob said softly. 'I know you're not stupid, didn't mean it. It's just so frustrating, all of it.'

It was an intimate moment but Emma didn't feel that she was intruding.

'I wouldn't get upset if I knew what was going on. I can't be having these secrets.' Rob had calmed down now, his anger come and gone like a flash flood.

Emma looked between Jem and Rob. Jem gave a slight nod. Something was needed.

'Sir, I know you said that you didn't remember anything about the raid. But what do you know? Have you seen the news?'

'I've been trying to avoid the news but you know what it's like. I've heard bits and pieces and my fed rep told me a few things.' He paused, obviously trying to remember. 'I saw obituaries for both Billy and Reg Patterson. That was a shock.'

'But no details?' Emma asked.

'No, the press reports don't go into detail, especially when court cases are pending. And my fed rep knows but he's not saying.'

As gently as she could, Emma went through what had happened in the alley before she'd triggered the raid.

He sat back and rubbed his chin, obviously trying to take it in. 'So, the two bodyguards were actually trying to kill me and Billy?' Emma nodded and Rob continued. 'So, I've got you to thank then. You must have saved my life.'

'I wouldn't say that.' Emma shook her head. 'We were in a situation. I'd have done the same for any officer.'

'And Hargreaves? I do remember that I'd had doubts about him in the last few weeks.' He stopped and tried to gather his thoughts. 'I don't mean the last few weeks I've been stuck here. I mean the weeks before. Before everything happened. I was keeping an eye on him – he was always having meetings, disappearing and not telling me where he was going.'

Emma nodded. 'I haven't been given the whole story. But he was seen leaving the operation before it started, with Pietr Garoza. Hargreaves was arrested with five thousand pounds in cash and Garoza had two kilos of cocaine on him.'

Rob struggled to understand all this information. 'So... Hargreaves? He must have planned it? Paid off the bodyguards? I mean he was always slated to take over.'

'Looks like he wanted to start with a blank page. A whole new plan working with Garoza and you and King permanently out of the way.' She silently prayed that Rob wouldn't ask too much about how Hargreaves had been caught. She wasn't sure she could dissemble well enough to explain how Professional Standards had been there at just the right time to catch Hargreaves.

'Wow.' Haines was wide eyed with wonder as he tried to figure out everything. 'You know, I think that might help. With the memory, you know. I wasn't sure what I remembered about Glen Hargreaves. Whenever I thought of him, I had an uneasy feeling, but I didn't know why.' There was another pause. Then Rob said, as it occurred to him. 'What happened with those murders? Two girls and one who survived? Who took that over?'

'Well, I think they closed the case, while I was off. I've had a look but the CPS won't action it.' She didn't want to say too much – as little as possible was her basic rule when lying. But she also couldn't resist point scoring. 'I think it was the Dark Car Man in the end. But he killed himself before we could bring charges. And with no one else involved, the case is closed.' She held her breath. He knew that Reg was dead and she now prayed that Rob wouldn't connect the dots.

More confusion clouded Rob's face. After a second he gave up. 'There was something. Dark Car Man. I know you were looking for him and I was annoyed with you about it. But it's gone now. Like trying to grab fog.'

Emma caught a look from Jem. She looked back at Rob. He was looking tired and distracted. He had retreated into an interior world as he processed everything that he had just been told.

'Listen, boss, I just popped round to see how you were. I ought to, you know, get myself off home. Don't worry too much about the memories, they'll come back when they're ready.' And hopefully, I'll be ready as well, she thought.

Jem picked up the thread. 'And the doctors said there's no point in trying to force yourself to remember. You'll just tire yourself out. It's probably time you had a rest, anyway.'

'Yeah, yeah,' he said distractedly. 'It was lovely of you to drop by though, Emma. For all the doctors say, I think I needed to see some of the old guard. Next time though, come over for a couple of hours. We can watch a film or something.'

'I'd like that,' Emma said. Jem led her to the door. When they were alone, Emma said to her, 'Was that okay? I don't know how much he knew or what I should say?'

'No, no, that was fine,' Jem said. 'I'm sorry about the outburst. He's either been like that or just sits there saying nothing. I'm out of my mind with worry but the doctors say it's all normal and will get better with time.' She paused, as if deciding what to say next. 'Listen, do come back. He meant it. And he's been more interested today than since, well, you know, since it happened. Could you put up with watching a classic war film from the sixties? Or maybe James Bond?'

'Actually that might be nice. Be a bit less confrontational than just sitting there talking. I could do with finding out what he knows about the people I'm working with now too.'

'I would really appreciate it and that would really help him as well.'

Emma went down the road and got back into her car. What had become of her former boss, Rob Haines? And what had she just agreed to?