All the Rage

Adam Fawley
9 April 2018
12.17

When I push open the door, Somer is already there, watching on the video screen.

`˜Sorry, I didn't realize anyone was in here.'

I shouldn't be in here either, as I'm sure Somer knows. She looks as if she's tempted to say something but evidently decides against it. I move closer to the screen and frown a little.

`˜It's just Quinn and Baxter doing the interview? Didn't Gallagher want to be in on this?'

I glance back at her and realize she's gone very red. `˜Oh,' she says, `˜didn't DI Gallagher say?'

`˜Say what?'

`˜We ruled Scott out. There was no DNA in his car `“ either from Faith or Sasha. It wasn't him.'

I turn back to the screen so she can't see my face. I know Gallagher didn't do it deliberately but no one likes being made to look like a prat. Not in front of their own team. My team. Not hers; mine. The one I'm going to have to carry on running, long after she's hauled her wretched stack of files back to Major Crimes.

`˜I'm sure she meant to tell you, sir. It's just, well, things got a bit crazy this morning.'

`˜It's fine, Somer. Really.' But I don't turn to look at her. And I'm not going to. Not until I feel the heat on my face subside. But then I realize what's quite literally staring me in the face and turn back to her again.

`˜Sorry, I don't get it. If Gallagher's ruled Scott out, why are you bothering to interview him at all?'

She holds my gaze this time. `˜DI Gallagher may want to charge him with stalking.'

I frown. `˜Even though the person he stalked is dead? That's not going to be easy to prove.'

`˜I know, sir, but she's worried he'll do it again. And given that he's a teacher `“' She shrugs. `˜DI Gallagher's hoping that what Mrs Parker told us might be enough to persuade the CPS it's worth a try.'

All of which makes sense. But the `˜us' is still painful. Because I'm not part of it, even though it was me Victoria Parker came to see. It's them and me right now, not `˜we'.

Somer turns back to the screen and sighs. `˜But even with a witness it's going to be yet another case of he said/she said.'

I'm still watching the screen.

`˜Give the Blavatnik a call,' I say slowly. `˜And ask them about their CCTV.'

* * *

GQ: So, do you remember now, Mr Scott?GS: I suppose I may have been there. I shop in Jericho quite a lot.GQ: Like I said, this was outside the Blavatnik building. You know where I'm talking about, right?GS: Of course I do `“DO: What relevance does this have, Officer?AB: Our witness saw Mr Scott outside the building that morning. He was sitting in his car.DO: There's no law against sitting in your own car. Or was he on a yellow line, is that it? You've run out of other options so you're resorting to minor parking infractions?GQ: According to our witness, Sasha Blake was also on Walton Street that morning. But you already knew that, didn't you, Mr Scott?GS: I told you `“ I go there quite often at the weekends.GQ: Our witness was in a coffee shop opposite the Blavatnik, waiting to meet her daughter. She was at a window seat and she remembers seeing a car just like yours parked on the other side of the road. And let's face it, we're not talking about a bog-standard Ford Mondeo here, are we? Your car is extremely distinctive.DO: But it's not unique `“ was your witness able to identify who was driving? Because I have to tell you, I very much doubt it.GQ: Oh, she can identify him all right. Because she's met him before, more than once. He teaches her daughter.DO: [pause]

All the same `“GQ: So let's try the question again, shall we, Mr Scott? Where were you on the morning of Saturday 17th March?* * *