Following every other Op Eradicate arrest day, Bob and DS Luke Spencer had relished briefing the Crown Prosecution Service on the quality and quantity of evidence they’d amassed on each suspect. The undercover officers’ evidence, shored up with volumes of technical and physical surveillance, rendered top-end charges inevitable. As before, some were charged on the day, others relied on drug analysis, but it was a foregone conclusion that all would have their day in court, then prison.
Bob’s team had become so expert at these operations that all those they caught pleaded guilty. In some ways he was staggered that the tactic of embedding covert cops into a criminal network then watching as they were gleefully sold drugs still worked. But work it did, not least due to the ingenuity and courage of the UCs, but partly down to the stupidity and greed of their targets.
Today had been different though. Whilst it didn’t affect the strength of the cases, Lizzie’s death brought a sombre mood to the meeting. Due to the guilty pleas, she had never appeared as a prosecution witness in any Op Eradicate trial. But she had given character evidence on many occasions, 53describing to the judge how well the defendant was progressing through treatment and asking them to consider non-custodial sentences to allow them to continue their path to recovery. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t. But, given the overall Op Eradicate objective was to get people off drugs, the police were more than happy for those who had strayed into low-level dealing to be handled leniently and get back into treatment.
So far as the cases themselves were concerned, the CPS lawyer was as happy as ever. The undercover officer who went by the name of Ged was particularly strong in tying together the higher echelons of the organised crime group. True to type, the prosecutor was keen they eke out more regarding the controlling mind – but Bob had explained that not only had the original covert objectives been met, but Ged was going off on paternity leave so would be heading back to wherever he came from for a good few weeks. He overlooked the fact that he’d agreed to have one last go and was already embedded and making promising progress around Lizzie’s murder.
As they handed in their visitor’s passes at the front desk and bade the receptionist goodbye, Bob held the heavy glazed door for Luke and followed him out. ‘We should do something, you know,’ he said, partly to the DS and partly to himself.
‘Eh? About what?’
‘Lizzie. We should have a memorial or something. Not sure what though. She never struck me as religious.’
‘Ask Scotty.’
Bob paused to allow a car to reverse out of a space in the tiny car park. ‘What would he know?’
‘You’re kidding me,’ said Luke. ‘You know they were an item, don’t you?’
‘He never said.’
‘Of course he didn’t. He’s not told anyone, especially not his wife. They were seeing each other for months.’
‘How did you know?’ asked Bob as they walked down Dyke Road towards where they were parked. 54
‘Blimey, guv. Call yourself a detective? Have you never heard them called Charles and Camilla?’
‘What are you on about?’
‘It’s like them two. Everyone knew they were having an affair but no one mentioned it. And the size of Scotty, there’s no wonder.’
‘I definitely need to get out more,’ muttered Bob as Luke chuckled to himself.
‘We’d have been better off walking from the nick,’ said Luke as they turned yet another corner.
‘Sorry about that. I remember when you could reserve a spot at their office but apparently that might impinge on their independence, so now we battle with the great unwashed for a space. The walk will do us good though.’
Once they were close to where Bob thought the car was, he zapped the key so he could spot where they’d parked. The car crawling behind him was no doubt cruising for a rare place and Bob could imagine his optimism when it became clear from the flash of lights on the opposite side of the road that he’d strike lucky soon. He didn’t look round but subconsciously quickened his pace so as not to keep the other driver waiting.
‘Do you need to grab a sandwich on the way back?’ Luke asked.
‘Not for me,’ said Bob. ‘I’m on a fasting day today. I don’t mind stopping off if you need to though.’
‘Cheers, boss.’
Bob still sensed the car. He’d give them a nod when he was opening the door. When he was about ten yards away, he spotted a gap between a parked van and car he could squeeze through to cross over. He stepped off the pavement, Luke following a pace behind. The trailing car was a good fifteen yards away and, given this was a narrow one-way street, Bob didn’t glance up. There would be no other cars coming.
The next five seconds seemed to take thirty.
First the scream of the engine. Then the screech of tyres clawing for grip. Finally, the eyes above the driver’s mask. Naked rage. He didn’t feel 55the car smash into him at all, just heard the thud, then the sensation of tumbling up, over and down. That and Luke screaming for someone to stop.
He had no idea how long he’d been knocked out but was woken by his right arm being squeezed. He thrashed against it until he heard someone say, ‘Mr Heaton, you need to keep still while we take your blood pressure.’ He opened his eyes to blinding fluorescence.
‘He’s coming round,’ said the same soft Mancunian accent. ‘Mr Heaton, you’ve had an accident. You’re in the ambulance. Can you tell me where it hurts?’
‘Where’s Luke?’
‘Is that the other officer you were with?’
‘Yes, is he OK?’
‘He’s with your colleagues outside.’
‘How is he?’ Bob twisted but his ribs had other ideas. ‘Shit.’
‘You’re better off staying still until we get you checked out. Your colleague is fine, if a little sweary!’
‘What about the other car? Did it stop?’
‘No. I think your lot are looking for it now.’
‘They better bloody find it,’ muttered Bob, before the lights went out again.