Next in Line (William Warwick, #5)(6)

‘However,’ said William, ‘when we do eventually report for duty, you can expect to be ignored, insulted, even ridiculed, by officers who don’t realize they may not be there in a few months’ time. But try to remember they won’t all be corrupt; some may well feel the same way about Milner as the Commissioner does, while I fear others will be beyond redemption. Team meetings will continue to take place here at the Yard every morning between eight and ten, when we can share our latest findings, and hopefully find out exactly what we’re up against, even before we turn up. Any questions?’

‘You didn’t mention what role I’d be playing,’ said DI Hogan, trying to look offended.

‘That will depend on whether she offers you the job.’

‘She?’ said Ross.

‘Her Royal Highness, the Princess of Wales,’ said William, turning to face his old friend, ‘has requested we join her for tea at Kensington Palace at three o’clock tomorrow afternoon.’

Ross was silenced for a moment, unsure if this was William’s idea of a joke.

‘Sadly, I can’t make it,’ he ventured casually. ‘I have a more pressing engagement tomorrow afternoon. I need to get my hair cut.’

The rest of the team waited for the Hawk’s response.

‘The only pressing engagement you’ll have tomorrow afternoon, Inspector, should you fail to turn up at Kensington Palace on time, will be at the Tower of London, where you’ll find I’ve put DCI Warwick in charge of torture. DS Roycroft will operate the rack, and DS Adaja the thumb screws, while DC Pankhurst will have the difficult task of finding a large enough block to put your head on. And you needn’t ask who the executioner will be. Any more frivolous questions, DI Hogan?’

This time the laughter was supplanted by even louder banging on the table. After it had died down, William was the first to speak.

‘You can all have the rest of the day off before we begin working on our new assignments. However, I’ll expect you to be in my office by eight tomorrow morning for a full briefing on your individual roles. Just make sure you’ve read these carefully before then.’ He passed each of them a thick file.

Paul glanced briefly at his file, before saying, ‘Can I point out, chief, for the sake of evidential accuracy – something you’ve always felt strongly about – that if we all turn up at eight tomorrow morning, having read our files carefully, we won’t actually have had any time off?’

‘You’re quite right,’ said William not missing a beat. ‘But should you fail to be on time and have not read all the documents, DS Adaja, we will have two Detective Constables in our ranks, and I may decide that one is surplus to—’

‘I’ll be on time, sir,’ said Paul, picking up his file before William could complete the sentence.

‘I’m glad to hear it,’ said the Hawk, ‘but for now, you, Jackie and Rebecca can leave us, while I have a word with DCI Warwick and DI Hogan.’

The Hawk didn’t speak again until the door had closed. ‘Now, as you both well know, we have an even more serious matter to discuss. Miles Faulkner is back in prison, resuming the sentence for fraud and deception he was serving before his escape, but there are going to be some very serious questions about how you got him back from Spain to Belmarsh. I assume,’ he said, leaning forward and placing both elbows on the table, ‘that you both have a credible explanation for the extra-curricular activities you got up to in Spain, which Mr Booth Watson will certainly describe to the jury as kidnapping and theft, not to mention a gross violation of his client’s human rights?’

‘Theft, sir, in legal terms, is when you take something which you have no intention of returning to its rightful owner,’ said William. ‘I admit to removing a Frans Hals portrait from Faulkner’s home in Spain, but I immediately handed it over to its rightful owner in England. A fact that has been confirmed in writing by Faulkner’s ex-wife, Christina,’ he continued as he handed over a letter to the commander.

‘So where is the painting now?’ asked the Hawk, after he’d read the letter.

‘At the Fitzmolean Museum where it will be displayed as part of their Frans Hals exhibition next year.’

‘It doesn’t help that your wife is the curator of that exhibition,’ said the Hawk, looking directly at William.

‘She and Christina have been friends for several years,’ William reminded him. ‘But then Beth always sees the best in people.’

‘A fair-weather friend,’ said the Hawk. ‘Mrs Faulkner would switch sides faster than a spinning coin if it suited her purpose.’ Neither officer commented. ‘That doesn’t alter the fact that we’re still stuck with the kidnapping allegation. Would it be too much to hope you also have a credible explanation for that?’

‘I saved Faulkner’s life,’ said Ross with some feeling. ‘What more does the damn man want?’

‘A get-out-of-jail-free card, I expect,’ came back the Hawk’s immediate reply. ‘Whatever happens, the jury will want to know how and why you ended up saving Faulkner’s life.’

‘Faulkner somehow managed to lock himself into his own safe, and I was the only other person who knew how to open it,’ said Ross. ‘In fact I got there just in time, otherwise Faulkner would sadly have died,’ he added, not sounding at all sad.