‘Can I thank you for your cooperation, sir?’ Mellor handed Finlay’s mobile telephone to his Sergeant, who placed it carefully into an open evidence bag. With the interview concluded, the Superintendent had requested they return to the Commander’s office to discuss developments.
‘How long will you need it for?’ asked Grahamslaw as he sat down behind his desk. ‘We don’t exactly have a large number of spares these days.’
‘If it’s clean, just a few days. If it reveals anything we need to speak to Mr Finlay about, then I couldn’t say.’
‘Very well. I thought you might have been a little more helpful when he asked about that PC from Kentish Town, the one who held the WPC at knifepoint.’
‘None of his business, with respect, sir. That officer will face charges and get everything due to him. People like that have no place in this job and shouldn’t be any concern to us.’
Grahamslaw bit his tongue as, for just a second, he felt a rush of temper. ‘Finlay made him some promises,’ he said, firmly.
‘As part of the negotiation to secure the release of a hostage and surrender of a weapon. He did that job fairly well until his insubordinate response at the point where I had ordered an immediate arrest.’
‘Which he pointed out was unnecessary,’ Grahamslaw replied, tersely.
‘In his opinion. Finlay might do well to remember we have a rank structure in the police service.’
‘Yes … as should we all, Superintendent. Your report did reach me by the way.’
‘And you canned it, I heard.’
‘I discussed it with your Commander. We were both of the opinion that your publicly expressed opinion on the decision last year not to prosecute Finlay may have influenced the impartiality of your conclusions.’
Mellor huffed just as a tap on the door indicated that Mick Parratt had returned. He walked straight in. ‘Here’s the charger,’ he said, placing the device on the desk in front of Mellor. ‘I’ve told him to take the rest of the day off.’
Mellor handed it to his sergeant.
‘Can you give us a minute, Mick?’ said Grahamslaw.
Parratt didn’t reply. He nodded and, ignoring the two complaints unit detectives, left the room, closing the door behind him.
‘Thank you,’ said Mellor. ‘But my opinion on that decision is most unlikely to change.’
‘I’m aware of that, Jim. I didn’t ask Mick to step out for your benefit. I want to know what else you have on Kevin Jones.’
‘Only what was mentioned in interview, so far. He’s regained consciousness but we have yet to talk to him formally. The gun we found in the boot of his car has gone off to the lab for analysis. All I can say for certain at this time is that it looks like a case of either murder-suicide or manslaughter-suicide. Jones killed his girlfriend and then decided to end it all.’
‘Cause of death?’
‘Looks to be a ligature around the neck. Either they were indulging in a bit of autoerotic asphyxiation to heighten the sexual experience and he killed her accidentally, or he did it deliberately for reasons we have yet to establish.’
‘She was suffocated?’
‘Post-mortem will confirm that, I expect.’
‘Tidy that he had a supply of horse tranquilisers at hand, don’t you think?’ Grahamslaw commented.
‘Don’t think we hadn’t considered that, sir. We’ll ask him what he was doing with those when we question him, but we’re aware that ketamine can be used as a recreational drug as well as being a powerful sedative.’
‘I’d also be asking myself why he didn’t shoot himself when he had that gun available.’
‘Again, that’s something we plan to put to him. Now, with your leave, we’ll be heading back to Barkingside.’
‘Is that where they’ve based the murder squad?’
‘It is.’
Grahamslaw shook hands with the two detectives before they left and, with his office vacated, telephoned Parratt.
In less than a minute, his Superintendent was at the door with Robert Finlay.
‘Come in, both of you … and shut the bloody door.’
As the Inspector sat in front of him, he loosened his collar.
‘You OK, Finlay?’ Grahamslaw asked.
‘Never better,’ he said, although the irony in his voice was crystal clear.
‘They want you suspended from duty.’
‘On what grounds, guv?’ Parratt interjected.
‘Material witness to a murder? Maybe as a suspect? I’ve known people suspended for a lot less. I told them to fuck off and come back when they had something more than guesswork and theory.’
‘Thanks,’ Finlay responded weakly.
‘You’re not out of the woods yet,’ Grahamslaw answered as he turned to him. ‘Mellor clearly wants your scalp and he thinks he’s close. He’s trying to rattle your cage to see what drops out.’
‘Did you find out any more about what’s happened to Kevin?’
‘He’s back in the world of the living, if that’s what you mean. But Mellor hasn’t had clearance to interview him yet. That won’t be long coming, mind. Later today, possibly.’
‘No way he killed Sandi.’
‘Maybe not deliberately, no. But from what I’m hearing, it sounds like a sex game gone wrong.’
‘I still can’t believe it.’
‘Well, for now that doesn’t matter. All that does matter is you keep your fuckin’ nose out of the enquiry.’
‘He’s a mate, and if he needs help…’
‘Then he’ll get it from a solicitor, not you. And I’ll tell you this: if your mate has been keeping trophy weapons then no solicitor on this earth is going to be able to help him. He’ll be going away for a fuckin’ long stretch. Any – and I repeat, any – cop caught doing that kind of thing would be for the high jump, understood?’
Finlay nodded, and Grahamslaw hoped the message got through to him.
‘Right, now leave Mr Parratt and me to get on with what we’re supposed to be doing.’
Finlay stood and was just opening the office door to the corridor as Grahamslaw spoke again. ‘Don’t forget what I said about Jim Mellor, he’s like a dog with a bone. You’ve made an enemy you’d be wise to treat with respect.’
The Inspector paused for a moment before replying.
‘I know that, guv. I know that.’