‘I meant what’s going to happen to Operation Hemslow?’
‘I don’t know.’
‘You don’t want my badge?’ he asked quietly.
‘No, Peterson. You don’t look like someone who’s taken this flippantly.’
‘I haven’t.’
‘Now, go on. Go home. I’ll see you here tomorrow, with your head screwed on properly. You’ll be given a formal warning. Luckily, it’s your first.’
Peterson stood, picked up his jacket and left without saying any more. Erika watched the door after he’d left, concerned. She spent another hour at the police station, sorting things out as Gary Wilmslow was formally cautioned for abusive and racist language towards a police officer.
Erika was having a cigarette out on the front steps when Gary emerged with his solicitor, an expensive-looking man in a grey pinstripe suit. Gary hung back at the top of the stairs. When his solicitor was out of earshot, he said, ‘Thanks for getting me off. Talking of getting off, what are you up to? You look fucking tasty.’
Erika turned and looked up at where he was leering down the front of her dress. She climbed the steps and came level with him.
‘Attempted rape is as far as you’ll get with me, as I’m sure is the case for you with most women,’ she said, leaning down towards his face.
The solicitor was halfway across the car park before he realised Gary was missing. He turned back, saying, ‘Mr Wilmslow.’
‘Bitch,’ muttered Gary.
‘Takes one to know one,’ said Erika, holding his gaze. He turned and went off down the steps to join his brief.
Marsh’s car pulled up beside the steps and he got out. He didn’t look happy.
‘We need to talk. My office. Now!’ He stormed past her up the steps.
Erika watched as Gary and his solicitor pulled out of the car park in a black BMW. She had a horrible feeling she’d released something dangerous back into the wild.
24
‘You need to control your bloody officers, Erika. What made you leave them at the scene?’ demanded Marsh, pacing up and down his office. She remained standing.
‘There wasn’t a scene when I left, sir. Peterson and Moss were waiting with Estelle Munro for a fingerprint technician… Wilmslow barged into the house afterwards.’
‘Well, I’ve just had a bollocking from Oakley at SC&O.’
‘Specialist Crime and Operations know they have a potential conflict with our case.’
‘Yes, and thanks to DI Peterson the two have now clashed.’
‘Sir, nothing was mentioned to Wilmslow or his brief about Operation Hemslow. None of my officers know about it. So Peterson was…’
‘Bloody stupid. That’s what he was.’
‘I sent Wilmslow off packing with a caution,’ said Erika.
‘And you don’t think he’ll find that suspicious? We’ve been cracking down hard on black-market cigarettes and evading customs. We busted him with twenty thousand fags, and he nutted a bloody police officer. Isn’t he going to be suspicious we sent him on his way with a slap on the wrist?’
‘I can’t tell you what he’s thinking, but he’s a career criminal. They spend their whole lives lurching between paranoia and elation.’
‘Erika, Wilmslow is the only member of the child-abuse network that we’ve managed to get close to. Millions have been spent on Operation Hemslow, and if they lose him…’
‘They won’t lose him, sir.’
‘You’re heading Operation Hemslow now, are you, Erika?’
‘No, sir. Still waiting to hear about the promotion…’
Marsh paced up and down. Erika bit her lip. Why can’t I just shut up sometimes? she thought.
‘What’s your progress with the Gregory Munro murder?’ Marsh asked, finally.
‘I’m waiting to see if we have any prints from a picture frame in the Munro house. It seems his GMC certificate went missing during the break-in. It was only reported when we turned the house back over to Estelle Munro after forensics was done. Also, the neighbours opposite are back from holiday. In the two weeks leading up to the murder, they witnessed a few young guys going into the Munro house. Rent boy types. I should have e-fits tomorrow.’
Marsh paused and looked at her. ‘I want you to get this case ready to hand over to one of the Murder Investigation Teams who specialise in sexually motivated murders.’
‘What?’
‘We’ve got gay porn at the murder scene, a gay dating app on the victim’s phone, now we have neighbours who’ve seen rent boys going in and out…’