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Authors: Lynda La Plante
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scene visit.’
Dewar ignored the comment. ‘I had all the scene photographs blown up to assist us. As I said earlier, Jimmy, there are some things that don’t quite add up regarding the position of the gun and the blood distribution.’
‘Barolli’s got plenty to do here, so you two visit the scene then interview Donna,’ Langton ruled. ‘It seems more sensible as you both did the Taylor interview. Travis can ask her the questions while you observe her micro-expressions. See if there’s anything that indicates she’s lying.’
Anna was unsure if Langton was having a joke, but felt she had been forced into a corner by Dewar and now had no choice but to agree, offering to ask Joan to get details of the new occupant of Reynolds’ old flat. Dewar said that she had already made some enquiries, and that the new owner was leasing the property. A Mr Dobbs from the letting agents would meet them there at midday.
Desperate to get away from Dewar, Anna went to break the revised plan to Barolli. He was not pleased at yet again being left out of an important witness interview because of Dewar.
‘You have every right to be upset, Paul, and I should have been more forceful with Langton and Dewar.’
‘Don’t worry about it – while you and Langton are gone and I’m SIO, she’ll have to do as she’s told,’ Barolli, resilient as ever, remarked with a smile.
Still keen to avoid Dewar, Anna then went to the ladies’ room. Having washed her hands and brushed her hair she was just opening the door to go back into the corridor when she caught sight of Langton and Dewar, with their backs to her, standing by the lift talking. Anna stepped back and held the door slightly open so she could eavesdrop on their conversation.
‘I’d like to speak with the forensic scientist who attended the scene and the pathologist,’ Dewar was saying.
‘That’s fine by me but let DCI Travis know as well,’ Langton instructed her.
‘Also, I’d like to sit down with DI Simms and go over everything in his report or more importantly, what he’s failed to put in it.’
‘I agree it wasn’t an in-depth investigation.’
‘A rookie could have done a better job.’
‘Go easy on Simms; he’s a delicate lad and as Travis said, hindsight is a wonderful thing. Don’t belittle him – that will only alienate everyone and you need the team on your side, not against you,’ warned Langton.
‘Well, I’ve not found it easy so far and Travis isn’t helping matters.’
‘In what way?’ he asked, clearly wondering what Dewar was implying.
‘Well, nothing directly other than a little hit list of things to discuss with me.’ Dewar tossed her head in irritation.
‘What did she say?’
‘She hasn’t as yet. I think she deliberately left it on her desk for me to find rather than confront me.’
‘Believe me, she’s not frightened of speaking her mind when she wants to,’ Langton said ruefully.
‘Her body language doesn’t help and the rest of them in the office can sense that.’
‘What about her micro-expressions? Langton asked, trying to make light of the situation.
‘Not funny, Jimmy. I made a casual quip about the prison staff yesterday and she nearly bit my head off.’
‘What the bloody hell did you say?’ Langton asked sharply.
‘I jokingly referred to them as pain-in-the-ass bureaucrats.’
‘She was engaged to be married to a prison officer who was murdered by one of the inmates,’ Langton said, clearly annoyed with Dewar.
‘She never said . . .’
‘She doesn’t talk about it but it still hurts her.’
‘I need to tell her how sorry I am.’
‘No. If she wanted you to know she would have said something there and then. As for her attitude, she wouldn’t bad-mouth you to the team, it’s not her style. Travis keeps things to herself because she sometimes doubts her own abilities, but she’s one of the best detectives I’ve ever worked with.’
Dewar, obviously embarrassed, was clearly wishing
Dewar ignored the comment. ‘I had all the scene photographs blown up to assist us. As I said earlier, Jimmy, there are some things that don’t quite add up regarding the position of the gun and the blood distribution.’
‘Barolli’s got plenty to do here, so you two visit the scene then interview Donna,’ Langton ruled. ‘It seems more sensible as you both did the Taylor interview. Travis can ask her the questions while you observe her micro-expressions. See if there’s anything that indicates she’s lying.’
Anna was unsure if Langton was having a joke, but felt she had been forced into a corner by Dewar and now had no choice but to agree, offering to ask Joan to get details of the new occupant of Reynolds’ old flat. Dewar said that she had already made some enquiries, and that the new owner was leasing the property. A Mr Dobbs from the letting agents would meet them there at midday.
Desperate to get away from Dewar, Anna went to break the revised plan to Barolli. He was not pleased at yet again being left out of an important witness interview because of Dewar.
‘You have every right to be upset, Paul, and I should have been more forceful with Langton and Dewar.’
‘Don’t worry about it – while you and Langton are gone and I’m SIO, she’ll have to do as she’s told,’ Barolli, resilient as ever, remarked with a smile.
Still keen to avoid Dewar, Anna then went to the ladies’ room. Having washed her hands and brushed her hair she was just opening the door to go back into the corridor when she caught sight of Langton and Dewar, with their backs to her, standing by the lift talking. Anna stepped back and held the door slightly open so she could eavesdrop on their conversation.
‘I’d like to speak with the forensic scientist who attended the scene and the pathologist,’ Dewar was saying.
‘That’s fine by me but let DCI Travis know as well,’ Langton instructed her.
‘Also, I’d like to sit down with DI Simms and go over everything in his report or more importantly, what he’s failed to put in it.’
‘I agree it wasn’t an in-depth investigation.’
‘A rookie could have done a better job.’
‘Go easy on Simms; he’s a delicate lad and as Travis said, hindsight is a wonderful thing. Don’t belittle him – that will only alienate everyone and you need the team on your side, not against you,’ warned Langton.
‘Well, I’ve not found it easy so far and Travis isn’t helping matters.’
‘In what way?’ he asked, clearly wondering what Dewar was implying.
‘Well, nothing directly other than a little hit list of things to discuss with me.’ Dewar tossed her head in irritation.
‘What did she say?’
‘She hasn’t as yet. I think she deliberately left it on her desk for me to find rather than confront me.’
‘Believe me, she’s not frightened of speaking her mind when she wants to,’ Langton said ruefully.
‘Her body language doesn’t help and the rest of them in the office can sense that.’
‘What about her micro-expressions? Langton asked, trying to make light of the situation.
‘Not funny, Jimmy. I made a casual quip about the prison staff yesterday and she nearly bit my head off.’
‘What the bloody hell did you say?’ Langton asked sharply.
‘I jokingly referred to them as pain-in-the-ass bureaucrats.’
‘She was engaged to be married to a prison officer who was murdered by one of the inmates,’ Langton said, clearly annoyed with Dewar.
‘She never said . . .’
‘She doesn’t talk about it but it still hurts her.’
‘I need to tell her how sorry I am.’
‘No. If she wanted you to know she would have said something there and then. As for her attitude, she wouldn’t bad-mouth you to the team, it’s not her style. Travis keeps things to herself because she sometimes doubts her own abilities, but she’s one of the best detectives I’ve ever worked with.’
Dewar, obviously embarrassed, was clearly wishing
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