Daisy in Chains(31)

‘Five out of seven will make her f*cking invincible.’

‘No offence, but how is that anything to do with us?’

‘Back to what I asked you at the outset. Where are the weaknesses? If I’m going to defend your work against the likes of Maggie Rose, I need to know what I’m up against. If I’m going to cover your f*ck-ups, I have to know what they are.’

Would he just lose his job if he landed Latimer one right now, or face criminal charges? One would probably be worth it. The other . . .?

‘No f*ck-ups,’ Pete says. ‘No weaknesses, chinks, flaws or loopholes. Wolfe did it. We have physical evidence, a technology trail and witness statements. Not to mention motive and opportunity.’

Latimer, too, gets to his feet. ‘Exactly. There’s only one way the physical evidence can be bogus, and that’s if it was planted.’

‘Excuse me?’

‘Oh, come on. You wouldn’t be the first. Noble cause corruption. We all know of coppers who’ve bent the evidence trail to convict someone they know to be guilty.’

Maybe a short spell in prison wouldn’t be too bad. He’d have a very nice memory to console him: that of Latimer, blood spurting from his broken nose, falling back against the partition wall and crumbling to the ground.

‘I think I’d like legal representation if this conversation is to continue.’

Latimer’s eyes narrow. ‘Got something to hide, Weston?’

‘Oh, use your f*cking brain, Latimer. That’s if my wife hasn’t shagged it out of you.’

‘Hang on a—’

‘We found the dog hairs and the carpet fibres on Jessie before Hamish Wolfe was a suspect. No one had even mentioned him in connection with the case until he was spotted on the CCTV camera weeks later.’

‘His car was spotted. Not him.’

‘And at what point did I sneak into his house, guess the passwords for his computer and post on Jessie Tout’s Facebook page?’

Latimer is holding up both hands. ‘Keep your voice down, Pete. Half the department are poised to rush in here and stop you thumping me.’

Pete spins round to see several heads turn quickly away. ‘Trust me, they wouldn’t exactly rush.’

Latimer gives a quick, sharp exhale of breath. ‘Possibly not. But personal animosities aside, that’s the route Maggie Rose will go if she takes this case on. The evidence is strong. She can only discredit it by claiming it was planted. That someone framed Wolfe.’

‘Wolfe had no enemies that we found.’

‘From what I know of that woman, she’ll find one. And we know she’s already working on the case. She’s been phoning around, asking questions. And now this visiting order request.’

‘It’s what she does. She told me last night while we were walking round the Bishop’s Palace beneath the stars. Cases spark an interest and she learns more about them. She has umpteen books that never got more than a third of the way written. I’m sure the one she’s started on Wolfe, if she’s even started it, will end up the same way.’

‘I need to know if there’s anything you wouldn’t want to see held up to scrutiny.’

‘Nothing. And the killings stopped, remember? No women have been killed in even remotely similar circumstances since Wolfe was put away.’

‘Won’t be enough. She doesn’t have to find the real killer, she just has to throw enough doubt on your investigation for his conviction to be overturned. If she gets Wolfe out, she ruins you.’

Latimer is right. He’s a git, but he’s right.

‘Has it occurred to you that this personal interest she’s showing might be a ruse to get closer to the investigation?’

‘Yes, that has occurred to me.’

‘And?’

There is a knock on the door.

‘Sorry, sir, Sarge.’ Liz’s voice. ‘I thought you’d want to know there was a disturbance reported at Maggie Rose’s house last night.’

Pete watches Latimer think for a second or two, before nodding at Liz to go on.

‘She didn’t report it herself,’ Liz says. ‘It was a neighbour, by all accounts, who saw someone hanging round in the garden and called the police. Uniform attended, looked round a bit, spoke to Miss Rose and went away again.’

‘What do you think?’ Latimer says to Pete.

Still Pete doesn’t turn round to look at Liz. ‘I think I’d better go and find out what’s going on,’ he says.

They wait until the door closes behind Liz.

‘Will that be all?’

Latimer, distracted, nods briefly. Pete turns to leave.

‘Pete.’ Latimer calls him back just as he is about to step out. ‘Something I’ve been meaning to mention. Have you considered taking your inspector’s exam?’

‘Not sure I’ve done the time.’

‘If you were successful, I’d be happy to recommend you for promotion. As long as Wolfe stays safely inside, I can’t see any reason why it couldn’t happen.’

And a promotion to Detective Inspector will almost inevitably mean a transfer away from Portishead station. He and Latimer will no longer have to see each other every day. It has to be worth thinking about.

It can also be seen as a veiled threat. If anything goes wrong with the case that made him, promotion might be beyond his reach for ever.