Showstopper

28

Diamond read the headline upside down: BATH TEC FOILS MURDER SCAM. The paper was lying across Georgina’s desk. Her coffee mug was resting on it, hiding his picture.

“Congratulations are due,” she told him.

“No need, ma’am,” he said, “unless you’d like to speak to the whole team. This wasn’t a one-man show.”

“The newspaper seems to think it was.”

“I’ve been around too long to care what they print. One day I’m a disgrace, the next all is forgiven. Thank the Lord I know how I stand with you, ma’am.”

She shifted her gaze higher and avoided eye contact.

“Tomorrow’s papers will have a different slant,” he went on, regardless. “I’m expecting the Met to get the glory.”

“For finding the killer?”

“Yes, once we told them what Deans had done and what he’s capable of, every bobby in London was given his picture and description. CCTV footage at Paddington station told us he was there. I suggested they concentrated the search in the West End, theatreland, because that’s where a man of his background would feel at home, mingling with the luvvies after the show in some Shaftesbury Avenue bar.”

“Is that where he was found?”

“No. I got that wrong. He was caught shoplifting in a Wembley supermarket. He’d run out of cash. He knew he’d be traced if he used his cards. When they searched him, they found the knife in one pocket and the Dinescu passport in another.”

“Simple as that?” She sounded disappointed, as if it was a pity Deans hadn’t gone berserk with the knife and charged up and down the aisles stabbing the terrified customers.

“Arrests of major criminals often are, ma’am. He’s locked up now, and that’s the main thing.”

“We can agree on that. Does he have anything to say for himself?”

“He’s in ‘no comment’ mode. But there’s enough DNA evidence to hold him and when the Met get serious and talk about extraditing him to Romania, he’ll sing. He’s had experience of their prison system.”

“They may ask our government to send him back, to serve the rest of his sentence in their country.”

“I expect they will.”

“You don’t really care, do you? I can’t blame you.”

“First, I want him put on trial for the murders he committed here. He’s the most callous and cold-blooded killer I’ve met. Intelligent, efficient and completely ruthless.”

“He’d better not ask you for a character reference.” Georgina cleared her throat before coming to the real reason why she’d called him to her office. “Peter, the Police and Crime Commissioner has asked to meet you. This headline seems to have pleased him. He’ll be here about three.”

“How nice. I’ll invite him to meet the team.”

“He didn’t mention that.”

“But I will. They deserve a collective pat on the back. Is that all, ma’am?”

“Not quite,” she said. “Early on, I believe I mentioned something about, em, your retirement.”

“You did,” he said. “Knocked me for six. You told me to drop the jinx investigation, think about retirement and send all my people on courses.”

“Is that what I said?”

“Almost verbatim. It sounded as if you wanted to close us down.”

“I didn’t go that far, I’m certain.”

“I seriously wondered if the damned jinx existed and had struck again — at us.”

“Oh no.”

“You changed your mind later when the Post ran the story that we were hot on the trail.”

Georgina seized on that. “So I came to my senses — and what a good outcome you achieved. I must have been at a very low ebb.”

“I can’t speak for you, ma’am, but I was.” By now, he knew exactly where this was going and he was starting to enjoy himself. “Are you telling me your remarks weren’t intended?”

“I couldn’t have been thinking straight.” She paused. “Forget that I ever said such things, would you?”

“Erase them from my memory?”

“Utterly.”

“A clean slate?”

“Totally. And if by some chance the PCC should ask you whether you can always rely on support from the top...”

“I know exactly what to say, ma’am.”

He came out smiling. Free to continue in the job he constantly complained about and truly loved. Quite unexpectedly, he felt tears on his cheek. They were tears of relief.