Darren’s life was on hold. When he’d left home for university, he had no reason to think he’d ever live back here. As the years passed, the very thought of it brought him out in hives. Now though, it was his only sanctuary. Whilst he couldn’t see, even speak to, his wife, Ciaran and Liam were allowed to visit and his mum made it as homely as possible for him. But still, on days like this which stretched out ahead interminably with nothing but daytime television and the odd bit of cleaning the already immaculate bungalow to occupy him, he wondered whether life was worth living.
Just before midday, he’d flipped the channel to catch BBC News in the sure knowledge that nothing much would have changed since the 11.30 a.m. update, when there was a ring followed by a rapid knock on the front door. ‘I’ll get it, Mum,’ he called as he heaved himself up from his chair and ambled to greet what was no doubt yet another impatient delivery driver.
Unhooking the chain and turning the deadlock key, he looked for the already dumped parcel but saw instead a familiar, smartly dressed woman and bull of a man stood shoulder to shoulder in front of him. 182
‘Good morning, Mr Howe,’ said the woman. She and her partner needlessly showed him their Metropolitan Police warrant cards; he’d already met DS Julia Shiel and DS Ian Jones across the interview table at Worthing Custody Centre.
Icy goosebumps erupted on his skin. ‘Yes?’
‘Darren, I’m arresting you on suspicion of corruption.’ She rattled off the caution but Darren was too dumbfounded to take it all in.
Darren stretched his arm across the open doorway. ‘Hold on a second, I’ve got a bail date. You can’t just come and rearrest me before then. Surely I have some rights.’
‘Do you really want to do this on the doorstep?’ said DS Jones, nodding to the barrier that Darren had created.
He dropped his arm, then stood to one side while the two detectives squeezed past and found their own way to the lounge. ‘Mind turning that off?’ said Jones, helping himself to the remote control. Darren snatched it out of his hand and pressed the off button.
‘Gentlemen, please put your willies away,’ said Shiel. She turned to Darren. ‘I know this is a shock but if we have new evidence, we are perfectly entitled to rearrest you.’
‘What new evidence?’ Darren’s head swam. He’d expected them to realise it was all a terrible mistake by now, yet here they were saying they had even more on him.
‘All in good time,’ said Shiel softly but firmly. ‘Now we’ve got a long drive ahead so we’re going to have to handcuff you. For everyone’s safety.’
Darren stepped back and found DS Jones’s bulk blocking his way. ‘Surely that’s not necessary. Worthing’s not that far and I promise I’m not going to fight or try to escape.’
‘Like to see you try,’ muttered Jones.
‘Enough, Ian,’ Shiel said to her partner. ‘Health and safety,’ she continued, to Darren. ‘We’re not going to Worthing, we’re taking you to London.’
Darren wasn’t sure whether to cry or run. ‘Why? Can’t we do this in Sussex?’ 183
‘Nope,’ said Jones.
‘Can I speak to my solicitor then?’ said Darren.
‘When we get to the custody centre. In the meantime, if you can put your hands out like this.’ DS Shiel stacked her arms in front, about six inches apart. Obediently Darren copied. Jones produced a pair of rigid cuffs and fixed them to Darren’s wrists.
‘It could be worse mate,’ said Jones. ‘Often we cuff to the rear and you’d bounce around the back of a van like a frog in a box.’
Just then Darren’s seventy-six-year-old mum appeared in the doorway. ‘What’s going on?’ she said to Darren but looking directly at the two detectives.
DS Shiel stepped towards her. ‘I’m sorry to disturb your day but we’ve arrested Mr Howe and we’re taking him to custody now.’
‘I don’t understand. He’s done nothing wrong.’
‘Said every mother, every time,’ muttered DS Jones.
‘You can’t take him. Don’t you know who his wife is?’ she said, becoming hysterical.
‘Mum, it’s fine,’ said Darren. ‘I won’t be long.’
‘I wouldn’t bet on that,’ said Jones. With that, DS Shiel ushered Darren by the shoulder to the door and whispered to Jones, ‘Can’t you shut the fuck up?’
As Darren was helped up into the waiting van, he was sure he could hear his mother’s howls from behind the front door.
When he was appointed to the force, ACC Leon Mills had been a breath of the freshest air. A born and bred gentlemen, he treated his chief superintendents with the utmost respect and, unlike some of his predecessors, valued their dignity, even in troubled times.
Those who didn’t know him well mistook these traits as weaknesses. That was forgivable, given their experiences with previous chief officers. Jo knew different. A raised eyebrow, a disappointed look or a quiet razor-edged question from him stung sharper than the hairdryer treatment. 184
However, she had never been summoned to his office – ‘in person and immediately’ – before, and something told her she might be about to see another side to him. On the journey up she’d called the renowned gossip-sponge, Gary Hedges. If there was anything afoot, he’d know. Unfortunately he didn’t pick up but flicked a text to say, In meeting. Call you later unless urgent.
She left it.
Having snaked around the HQ complex for the miracle of a parking space, she thanked the Lord she wasn’t sure she believed in when a blue Lexus pulled out of one on the far side of the campus. With a wave, she thanked the driver and dodged in.
Five minutes later, she was outside Leon’s office, still none the wiser. Although the door was open, she tapped lightly and expected an effusive welcome. Instead the ACC looked up from his desk, and with no hint of a smile said, ‘Come in. Close the door.’
Jo was grateful for small mercies when he deigned to move round to the easy chairs. She followed suit and sat opposite him, facing the window which elegantly framed the South Downs beyond. Before she could break the ice with small talk though, Leon launched into her.
‘Have you heard?’
Jo’s mind raced, frantically flipping through its filing systems to wonder what on earth he was talking about. There was plenty they didn’t see eye to eye on, but what had triggered this now?
‘I’m sorry, sir, I’m not sure …’
‘Your husband? Darren?’
‘We’ve spoken about that nonsense with Darren, which by the way has the potential to breach our human rights to a family life, but …’
Leon turned a colour she’d never seen before. One so like the previous chief constable’s that it struck terror through her. ‘How dare you start quoting human rights to me. You’ve no idea the efforts I’ve gone to so that you can still sit there in that uniform. Your human rights should be the least of your concerns after this morning.’ She looked at him blankly and 185saw a minute softening in his eyes. ‘You don’t know, do you?’
Jo’s mind raced with possibilities, each one coming back to Darren and the conspiracy he had been sucked into. ‘Know what?’
Leon shuffled in his seat, eons outside his comfort zone. ‘You don’t know that Darren was rearrested this morning?’
‘What, Darren? There must be some mistake.’
‘No mistake I’m afraid.’ The ACC recounted the new evidence, or the version that a Metropolitan Police deputy assistant commissioner had given to him. He was careful in couching the story in caveats such as ‘so it seems’ and ‘allegedly’, which to Jo indicated that he might be harbouring some doubts as to its authenticity. When he finished he waited in silence.
‘Boss, you’ve obviously got your doubts. Thank you for that.’
‘Maybe, but all this is becoming rather a distraction. We still need to discover how it was your husband who broke the news about DC McElroy being an undercover officer. A fact only a few of us knew.’
‘Sir, I have nothing to hide.’
‘Of course, but due process must follow. However, the work you’re doing in Brighton is crucial – but sometimes we have to compromise, and you’re becoming the story.’
Jo was terrified that as well as losing her family, she was about to once again lose the job she loved more than any other.
‘If you’ve got a direct instruction for me, please spell it out?’
Jo could see Mills was struggling. For the first time she was convinced he was someone else’s mouthpiece here. She’d had first-hand experience of being temporarily relieved of her command when she didn’t toe the chief officers’ line, and they all knew how that had ended. She hoped they’d not be stupid enough to do so again.
‘We’re giving you four weeks to wrap up Op Eradicate.’
‘Four weeks? This is a long term—’
Leon raised his hand. ‘I’m going out on a limb here. Others would have shut it down straight away. Four weeks, then it’s over. Unless something dramatically changes in that time, you then move on to other things.’ 186Something in the way he looked at her confirmed her earlier thoughts. Whoever was pulling the strings wanted her blood on the carpet, but Leon must have grabbed the initiative and insisted he speak to her. Only he would have the decency to give her a chance and a way out. ‘Consider the message passed.’
‘Are we done, sir?’
‘You know, I think we are.’
It was only on the way back to Brighton that it dawned on her what a crucial ally Leon Mills could be – or what a lethal enemy, if she crossed him.