Ruby’s heart felt like it was going to pound its way out of her chest as she sidled into Worrow’s office. Situated on the fourth floor, it was where all the higher ranking officers kept a safe distance from their minions. The ‘ivory towers’, as Downes called it, with primrose-scented tissues and a newly installed air-conditioning system. She swiped a jelly baby from the glass bowl on Worrow’s clutter-free desk, casting her eyes over the expensive leather chair and top-of-the-range computer. In comparison, Ruby’s office looked like it had been furnished from the remnants of a warehouse closing down sale. She brought her focus to the task in hand, trying not to look as guilty as she felt. She couldn’t believe that she was doing this, but what choice did she have? It was for the greater good, she told herself, and Downes would be a hypocrite to criticise her. Lenny must have known something was going down on his patch. The Crosbys’ ability to spot a plain clothes police officer had always amazed her, but she had not been privy to the information he sought. It had to be something to do with a drugs deal and a possible police raid.
As loath as she was to help him, she was left with little choice. Passing information on to Lenny might help her catch the murderer, or, at the very least, find Lucy. But getting caught was not an option. Ruby shuffled the mouse on the desk, her eyes flitting to the open office door. The password request box popped up, but there was no way she was going to leave a digital footprint by typing in her own. She had noted Worrow’s keystrokes plenty of times during the conversations when she logged on, and quickly typed in ‘Miss Marple’: the name of Worrow’s pug. Bingo. She was in. Her breath accelerated as she looked up the briefing online, her eyes darting from the open door to the screen.
Worrow was entitled to read the latest operational command, but it was not in Ruby’s remit. And even if it was, she did not want a record made of her search. She quickly accessed the information she needed, scribbling down the date and time. She had been right. Intelligence stated that a furniture lorry was destined to enter the port of Harwich from Holland in two days’ time – believed to be carrying class A drugs. Ruby bit her lip. This was big. Much bigger than she anticipated. A shipment like this could be worth a small fortune, and here she was about to pass on information, jeopardising any possible raid. Footsteps echoed in the hall, eliciting a flurry of panic inside her. Trying to exit the programmes all at once had caused an egg timer to pop up, and Ruby moaned under her breath as the footsteps approached. It was Worrow: she could tell by the tone of her pernickety voice. ‘Hurry up, hurry up,’ Ruby whispered, as the clip clop of Worrow’s sensible shoes echoed in the corridor. A red flush spread across Ruby’s chest as she clicked out of each site in turn.
The log off screen flashed up, but it was too late to leave the office now. Ruby grabbed her scrap of paper and pen just as Worrow walked in. Ducking down behind a filing cabinet, she wondered what the hell she was going to say when she was found. A lost contact lens? A missing earring? She slid her reading glasses into her breast pocket. Lame excuses, but ones she was willing to use. But as Ruby’s DCI entered the office the phone on her desk rang. Ruby exhaled. Saved by the bell. Worrow was too engaged with her telephone call to notice her presence. Her voice was hushed now, and Ruby peeped out to see her close the door. So much for open door policy, Ruby thought.
‘I’ve told you before, don’t ring me at work,’ Worrow said, her back to Ruby as she leaned against her desk, pausing as the buzz of a raised voice was returned. ‘I know… no I… no, of course I don’t want that… ’ Worrow exhaled sharply as the voice on the line voiced their displeasure. ‘I’m not answering my mobile because I’m busy.’ Worrow ran her fingers through her hair, clasping a handful at the top of her scalp. ‘You’ll have to sort this out on your own.’
Ruby kept her breath soft and shallow, terrified that her superior would find her when the conversation ended.
Worrow took a deep breath, exhaling loudly. ‘Because I value my job, that’s why.’
Ruby’s legs began to fizz with the onset of pins and needles as her blood supply was compromised from her cramped position behind the cabinet.
‘There won’t be any disrepute. What you do in your own time is your business. As for the rest of it… I’m not being tetchy. No, you listen to me, it’s your mess, you sort it out.’ The conversation ended and Worrow fell silent.
This is it, Ruby thought, waiting for her superior to turn her head. But luck was on Ruby’s side. Worrow’s mobile phone rang. It was a job call, and Worrow spoke for all of two seconds before hanging up and striding back out. Heaving a sigh of relief, Ruby straightened herself up. She had got more than she bargained for, in more ways than one. What was going on with Worrow to make her react that way? Ruby’s fingers lingered over the phone keypad before dialling 1471. Noting down the phone number, she bit down on her bottom lip. It was one she recognised. Just what were they playing at, ringing Worrow for help? And how much trouble were they in if it would risk Worrow’s job?
Ruby would think about it later. Right now she had to organise her meeting with Lenny. She descended the stairs, hating the sickly feeling of being on the wrong side of the law. She’d joined the police to protect people and to uphold order. There was never any intention for personal gain – even though she’d had plenty of opportunities to turn crooked and help the criminals she grew up with. Such endeavours would have given her a nice income, and she certainly would not have been the only one. But Ruby was not a dishonest person, and her team meant everything to her. She would have given up her life rather than turn bent like some of her predecessors.
But now she was forced to make this deal with Lenny because she could not bear to have another life lost. It was a trade-off; sacrificing a considerable drugs find in order to take a killer off the street. There would be other drug busts. She was going to find Lucy and she was going to take her in. At least she knew why Worrow had been so stressed lately. Ruby nibbled the skin around her thumbnail. For now she would hang tight and not make any rash decisions. The caller was yanking her chain, and brought with them a problem that Worrow was working hard to shake off. What did they mean ‘disrepute’? And what had that got to do with risking Worrow’s job?
Standing in the stairwell, Ruby slid out her phone and sent a quick text to Lenny, asking to arrange to meet. The thought of obtaining her daughter’s details brought discord. It would be hard enough speaking to her, but what if she had to make an arrest? A ripple of anxiety rose up inside her. She had no choice. Contact would have to be made. Time was running out, and she could not afford to waste another second.