‘What exactly are you asking for?’ McNair said, looking over her desk at Dani, somewhat suspiciously.
Dani sighed. She thought she’d been clear enough. It had almost got to the point in their relationship now where Dani felt McNair had to be initially obstructive whenever Dani asked for something, or updated her boss on something, purely out of habit.
‘I think we’ve got enough here to suggest that Nicolae Popescu is somehow involved in Clara Dunne’s death,’ Dani said.
‘Enough? You have nothing!’
‘No, Ma’am, I don’t believe that at all. Popescu is a known violent criminal. We have a witness statement saying he’s still in the UK, despite having been officially deported several years ago. Pictures of him were all over Clara Dunne’s wall. And I’ve seen the way people react when his name his mentioned.’
Dani expected a bite back from that last comment. Something along the lines of someone’s facial expression isn’t evidence of murder, but actually McNair didn’t say anything at all for a good while.
‘But it’s not Popescu you’re suggesting we set up surveillance for,’ was McNair’s eventual response.
‘Only because we don’t know where he is,’ Easton said.
‘Which is a big flaw, don’t you think?’
‘Not really,’ Dani said. ‘We could set up surveillance at his grandmother’s house. At Victor Nistor’s house, his place of work too. Eyes and ears. I think we’ll soon figure out what these people are up to, and whether and how they’re involved in Clara Dunne’s death.’
McNair rolled her eyes. ‘Dani, this is all just so… limp. You must see that?’
‘That’s what I’m trying to rectify. We need to know more.’
‘Have you spoken to DCI Fairclough?’ McNair asked.
Fairclough being McNair’s equivalent within the Organised Crime team.
‘I spoke to him briefly,’ Easton said. ‘Before we went to Tipton to interview Nistor and Crisan.’
‘A trip which sounds like a complete mess all on its own,’ McNair said, holding Dani’s eye as she spoke.
‘Fairclough knew of Popescu,’ Easton said, ‘and agreed that back in the day he’d been involved in a gang who had something of a racket going. Drugs, prostitution, extortion. Popescu’s jail sentence was for attacking the leader of a rival gang from Poland. But Fairclough said they weren’t big players back then. Just a bunch of local thugs, and they haven’t had an active investigation in the Tipton area for years. He’d never even heard of Victor Nistor.’
‘Which could be for a very good reason,’ McNair said. ‘There’s nothing for us to be interested in.’
‘Or it could be because nobody has bothered to look properly until now,’ Dani said. ‘Nistor’s record is clean, but I’ve spoken to people on the streets around where he lives, around where his business is located…’
McNair looked incredulous now, as though what Dani and Easton had been doing was ridiculous.
‘Do you know how many people claimed they knew Popescu? Knew Nistor?’
‘Tell me.’
‘Not a single one. But it was the way they said it. And yes, I know I can’t use something so basic as evidence, but – Easton will back me up on this – based on the reactions we’ve seen again and again today, people are scared of these guys. Scared enough that they won’t even acknowledge they know of them.’
McNair was still staring at Dani. No one spoke for several seconds. Which was good, Dani realised, because it meant McNair was giving the idea serious consideration now.
‘Let me speak to Fairclough directly,’ McNair said. ‘I find it hard to believe his team have completely missed Nistor if he really is what I think you’re saying he is. I’ll put a call into Baxter too.’
Chief Superintendent Baxter was both Fairclough’s and McNair’s boss.
‘But it’s four p.m. on Friday night,’ McNair added, ‘so even if they agree to anything at all, it’s unlikely to be concluded and in place until next week.’
‘I can live with that,’ Dani said.
‘And I won’t make any promises about what level of surveillance they’ll agree to, if any at all. I can tell you now, it’s highly unlikely to be covert eavesdropping GCHQ style. More likely a copper in a car nearby each of the addresses you’ve given, and a bit of a more thorough background check than you’ve already done yourselves.’
‘Every little helps,’ Dani said.
‘Something like that. Is there anything else?’
‘Not for today. Thank you.’
‘I suggest you both go home and take a break and enjoy your weekend.’
Dani and Easton both got to their feet and thanked McNair again before they headed out of the office. Dani closed the door behind her and let out a big sigh.
‘You’re beginning to make a habit out of this,’ Easton said.
‘What’s that?’
‘Getting McNair to actually agree with you and give you what you ask for.’
‘Tell me about it. It’s almost as if she trusts my instincts these days.’
‘Even if you are going to completely ignore her advice.’
‘I am?’ Dani said, eyebrow raised.
‘She suggested relaxing and enjoying your weekend. Only I can’t imagine you spending the next two days with your feet up and the TV on.’
‘Sounds like hell,’ Dani said with a wry smile.
And he was absolutely right, she had zero intention of taking the next two days off.
Not while there was still a killer out there.
And one way or another, there always was.