On Borrowed Time

Chapter 4

4

As if a murder case on a Monday morning wasn’t enough for Caroline, she arrived at work to a note on her desk asking her to head to Chief Superintendent Derek Arnold’s office. Arnold point-blank refused to phone or email anyone in the same building, and was frequently seen roaming the corridors in search of whoever he was looking for. Caroline, on the other hand, preferred a bit of space and thinking time — something that wasn’t possible when under the pressure of an unnecessary face-to-face meeting.

Arnold’s way of doing things meant she had no idea what he wanted to talk about until she was seated at his desk — by which time it was too late. It was something else which made him appear daunting and formidable, although Caroline was starting to see something else under that exterior.

She knocked on the door of his office and waited to be called in.

‘Ah, morning. I won’t keep you long,’ he said. ‘I hear you’ve got a bit of a job on your hands. How’s it all shaping up?’

‘Very early days, but we’re making fast progress. I think once we’ve got an ID we’ll be a lot closer.’

‘Is there still a possibility it wasn’t murder at all?’

‘Well, yes. Sort of. There are fresh tyre tracks. I suppose they could’ve been there longer, but you’d expect them to be gone by then due to the amount of foot and bike traffic that path gets. Besides which, we’ve had rain over the past few days, so I’d expect them to have been washed away if they were any more than a day or so old. He obviously didn’t drive himself up and then drive his own car away.’

‘Fingers crossed there’s another answer. Last thing we want is another murder on our doorstep. That won’t do the crime figures any good at all.’

Nor the families of those who’ve lost loved ones, Caroline wanted to say, but didn’t.

‘But anyway,’ he said, changing the subject. ‘How are you getting on otherwise? With the… you know.’

‘Cancer.’

‘Yeah, that.’

‘It’ll be a long haul, but I’m doing alright.’

‘I’ve noticed the… you know.’

‘The hat.’

‘Yes.’

‘I’ve been getting some hair loss. Bit of a temporary measure, really.’

‘I see. And do you think you’ll be getting a… you know.’

‘A wig.’

‘Yes. One of those.’

‘I don’t know. Maybe. Part of me wants to cling on to what I’ve got and carry on as normal, and the other half wants to say “sod the lot of you”, shave it all off and stick a finger up at anyone who takes a second glance.’

‘Well, there are probably other ways of fostering better community relations, but I see your point. And what about energy levels and things? How are you coping?’

‘Fine.’

‘Because I was thinking, if this does turn out to be a murder case after all, it might be an idea to pass it on to EMSOU. Purely because of the timing, I mean. The last thing I’d want is to create unnecessary pressure for you.’

‘It’s not unnecessary. It’s literally my job.’

With Rutland Police being the smallest force in the country — by quite some way — it was usual for major crimes to be handed to the East Midlands Special Operations Unit. Caroline, though, being an experienced detective who’d worked for the Metropolitan Police in London, had other ideas.

Arnold shuffled in his chair. ‘I mean, by rights we should be handing it over anyway. It’s highly irregular for Rutland to be taking on its own murder cases.’

‘It’s highly irregular for Rutland to have murder cases full-stop. But I’ve got the experience and the track record.’

‘Yes, well I think it’s probably best we don’t talk about track records. You know how intensely uncomfortable Operation Forelock was.’

‘I certainly do.’

‘Which is why I think it might be best to at least provide you with some additional support from EMSOU. That’s not to say you can’t be involved. I just think it would be a dereliction of my duty as your superior if I let you take this on alone, considering the circumstances.’

‘I told you the circumstances. I feel fine. With respect, you don’t get to decide how I feel or what I’m capable of.’

Arnold sighed. ‘Listen, there’s no need to overreact. If we’re still investigating the suicide angle and there’s a good chance this chap killed himself, it doesn’t need to be an issue at all. You know, maybe it would be best if it did turn out to be a suicide after all.’

‘Even if it isn’t, it still doesn’t need to be an issue. You’re the only one who seems to want to turn it into one.’

‘I just want what’s best for you and the rest of the team, Caroline.’

Caroline stood up. ‘Good. In that case, I’ll get back to work.’