City of Dreadful Night Read Online Free Page B

officers hunkered down in black swat team T-shirts and trousers. Two groups of four men, talking in low rumbles at the far end of the van. That loudmouth Finch among them.
    By the door, two women. I recognized one as DC Franks. She was pale, tense and dry-eyed. She was being comforted by another woman, who was whispering in her ear. The other woman turned her head to look at me and my heart sank. DS Sarah Gilchrist was the last person I wanted to see there.
    I left Milldean at three in the morning. The situation on the street had been tense and there had been some stand-offs but no real problems had developed. When I climbed into bed beside Molly she didn’t stir. The smell of alcohol was heavy in the room, a bottle and a half-empty tumbler of whiskey by the bed.
    I was up again by six. The phone rang just as I was on my way out of the house. I hurried back in to answer before it woke Molly. William Simpson’s velvety voice was distinctive.
    â€˜Bob, terrible business.’
    â€˜I thought I should alert you to the situation—’
    â€˜Quite right, quite right. Well, it’s a tragedy but something can be salvaged if we act quickly. The press conference at noon – announce your resignation then.’
    I was too surprised to speak for a moment.
    â€˜My resignation?’
    â€˜Your position is clearly untenable.’
    â€˜William, it was an operation by one of my divisions. Responsibility—’
    â€˜Is ultimately yours. It wasn’t a Kratos operation. You know that rules drawn up by the Association of Chief Police Officers says shots can only be fired to stop an imminent threat to life and, I quote: “Only when absolutely necessary after traditional methods have been tried and failed or are unlikely to succeed if tried.”’
    â€˜I’m aware of that—’
    â€˜The guidelines also say that officers are not above the criminal law.’
    â€˜William, I could refer you to section thirty-seven of the 1967 Criminal Law Act, the bit that reads: “A person may use such force as is reasonable in the prevention of crime” – but what’s the point? I intend to stay to find out exactly what happened and make sure it can’t happen again.’
    Simpson sighed, almost theatrically.
    â€˜Bob, the press are going to have a field day. Think about it.’
    I had been thinking about it, trying to figure out some way I could keep the government on my side.
    â€˜I know you’re going to have a hell of a time spinning this,’ I said.
    â€˜We don’t spin any more, Bob – didn’t you read the papers? In any case, the only spinning to be done here is out of control. The most outspoken proponent of routinely arming the police authorizes an operation involving armed police that turns into a bloodbath. Post-Menezes it’s an absolute catastrophe.’
    â€˜You have excellent contacts in the press . . .’
    â€˜Bob, of course, unofficially I’ll do what I can.’ Simpson could actually purr sometimes. ‘You know there was a brief period post 9/11 when gung-ho was good. But then 7/7 came along and the shooting of Menezes. And the lies . . .’
    â€˜I know all that—’
    â€˜You being opposed to a national force hasn’t helped.’
    â€˜Jesus, William – the inefficiencies of any one force replicated at a national level.’
    He wasn’t purring now.
    â€˜I’ve been charged with damage limitation on this. The government can’t be seen to appear foolish. I’m afraid your position is too exposed. It’s important that you act quickly to avoid us getting drawn into this mess.’
    Of course. This government, careering from disaster to disaster, was so terrified of accusations of sleaze or incompetence it readily abandoned those closest to it at the first hint of impropriety. And this was much more than that. I realized that Simpson, friend or no friend, had