‘It won’t be pleasant, but you’ve got no choice. You have to kill this right now.’
Sanderson stared at Gardam, wondering whether his choice of words was deliberately graphic. Could it be that he was enjoying himself? Sanderson certainly wasn’t – she had joined the police to catch the bad guys, not to sit in judgement on fellow officers.
Sanderson had not seen eye to eye with Charlie for some time, but there was no denying they had history. Charlie had joined Hampshire Police a little before her and had been kindness personified in showing her new colleague the ropes. As far as Charlie was concerned they were all in it together – she had never let her own hopes or ambitions colour her relationship with fellow officers. Sanderson couldn’t say the same and now felt a twinge of shame, as she recalled how she had crawled over Charlie’s back, then Helen’s, to get to the top job. Put in the same position, Charlie would have behaved with more … grace.
‘If you don’t get rid of her, then the team will think there’s something in what she’s saying. More than that, they will think that you’re weak.’
‘They know me a little better than that, I think.’
‘They all witnessed the confrontation. They probably heard her ultimatum. If you back down now, what does that say about you?’
‘I understand that, but surely we need to take a moment to consider the evidence?’
‘What evidence? DS Brooks can pursue her vendetta against Robert Stonehill all she likes, but it doesn’t mean there’s a grain of truth in what she’s alleging.’
‘He attacked her, fled the scene –’
‘Because he’s a crook. A benefit scammer and a thief who is being pursued remorselessly by an obsessive, unstable officer. There is no evidence at all to connect him with the murders and frankly I’m surprised that you’re allowing a junior officer to lead you by the nose like this. What has Brooks actually proved so far? That Stonehill exists. We knew that already. He has a penchant for petty crime. Again this is not news –’
‘But if we could talk to him, question him properly then we would at least have a chance to put this to bed once and for all –’
‘You put this to bed twenty-four hours ago, in case you’d forgotten. “Case closed,” you said. And that is the way I’d like it to remain. Let Brooks ruin her career if she wants to, but don’t let her drag you down with her.’
Sanderson wasn’t sure what to say in response, but Gardam hadn’t finished yet.
‘Her time is over. Yours is just beginning. So do the right thing, Joanne.’