guy.’
Sperring snorted. ‘If you believe all that bullshit.’
Phil said nothing, scrutinised his junior officer. ‘That’s what this is all about, isn’t it?’ he said, voice dangerously low. ‘Once a villain, always a villain, right?’
Sperring shrugged. ‘Statistically, yeah. That’s right.’
‘And you don’t believe in the benefit of the doubt?’
‘If he can go all Damascan road like you said, let’s stick to biblical stuff and say I’m agnostic on that one.’
‘And now you’ve got Glen Looker involved,’ said Phil. ‘Jesus Christ. Birmingham’s biggest ambulance chaser. You know how many lawsuits he’s brought against us?’
‘Yeah, I do. And you know how many villains are walking around free because of him? Because he’s got them out on some fucked-up bullshit technicality? Just shows. That’s who Heap calls when he’s in trouble. Stick together, that lot.’
Phil’s door opened without a knock. Both men stopped talking, turned. DCI Alison Cotter, Phil’s immediate superior, entered.
‘What the hell is going on?’ she said, once the door had slammed behind her. ‘I’ve got a high-profile community leader talking about claims of police harassment and I’ve got his lawyer, that piece of shit scrote Looker, telling anyone who’ll listen that he’s going to raise a lawsuit against this department.’ She looked between the two men. ‘Would either of you care to explain what’s going on?’
Neither spoke. Eventually Sperring, throwing razor-tipped glances at Phil, opened his mouth.
‘Well —’
‘He’s got previous, ma’am,’ said Phil, before Sperring could say any more. ‘I know he’s whiter than white now, especially to the media, but there are too many similarities in this case. Too many coincidences. Moses Heap seems to know or be associated with the victims and Darren Richards. And he also has a previous conviction for using a crossbow.’
Phil didn’t actually know if it was a conviction or a caution but he had committed himself.
Cotter said nothing, looked once more between the pair of them.
‘He didn’t want to talk in front of his associates,’ said Sperring, ‘and we didn’t think it a good idea if he did. So he gave us no choice but to bring him in for questioning.’
Cotter took a deep breath. Held it. Eventually she nodded, expelled the held air.
‘And the harassment? The brutality?’
‘What d’you think?’ said Phil before Sperring could answer.
‘I know exactly what I think,’ Cotter said. ‘And I think I know exactly what’s happened.’
‘He’s got no case at all for harassment or brutality,’ said Sperring. ‘None whatsoever. And he knows it. He’s just talking out of his arse.’ Sperring stopped, stared at his superior. ‘Ma’am.’
Cotter sighed. ‘I suppose you’re right. Okay. Leave it with me. I’ll go and make penitent noises to Looker and let Heap go. And hope all this blows over.’
‘Thank you, ma’am,’ said Phil. ‘It’s appreciated.’
Cotter nodded. ‘I don’t suppose he confessed, did he?’
‘Didn’t get that far,’ said Sperring.
‘Pity. Would have made things a lot easier. Don’t worry. We can spin this. A woman and her daughter have been murdered. If Heap wants to make this all about him and be seen as getting in the way of finding the real killer, then we can get very nasty with him. Very nasty.’
‘Thank you,’ said Phil.
Cotter left the room, closing the door behind her. Neither man spoke.
Eventually, Sperring broke the silence.
‘Why’d you do that? Take a bullet for me?’
‘What should I have done?’ asked Phil. ‘Thrown you under the proverbial bus?’
Sperring shrugged. ‘What I expected.’
Phil’s features were impassive as he spoke. ‘We’re a team, Ian. You, me, Nadish, Imani. And the rest. A team. And we back each other up. Even if we don’t agree with what the other one says or does, we back them up. Right?’
Sperring took his time but
Sperring snorted. ‘If you believe all that bullshit.’
Phil said nothing, scrutinised his junior officer. ‘That’s what this is all about, isn’t it?’ he said, voice dangerously low. ‘Once a villain, always a villain, right?’
Sperring shrugged. ‘Statistically, yeah. That’s right.’
‘And you don’t believe in the benefit of the doubt?’
‘If he can go all Damascan road like you said, let’s stick to biblical stuff and say I’m agnostic on that one.’
‘And now you’ve got Glen Looker involved,’ said Phil. ‘Jesus Christ. Birmingham’s biggest ambulance chaser. You know how many lawsuits he’s brought against us?’
‘Yeah, I do. And you know how many villains are walking around free because of him? Because he’s got them out on some fucked-up bullshit technicality? Just shows. That’s who Heap calls when he’s in trouble. Stick together, that lot.’
Phil’s door opened without a knock. Both men stopped talking, turned. DCI Alison Cotter, Phil’s immediate superior, entered.
‘What the hell is going on?’ she said, once the door had slammed behind her. ‘I’ve got a high-profile community leader talking about claims of police harassment and I’ve got his lawyer, that piece of shit scrote Looker, telling anyone who’ll listen that he’s going to raise a lawsuit against this department.’ She looked between the two men. ‘Would either of you care to explain what’s going on?’
Neither spoke. Eventually Sperring, throwing razor-tipped glances at Phil, opened his mouth.
‘Well —’
‘He’s got previous, ma’am,’ said Phil, before Sperring could say any more. ‘I know he’s whiter than white now, especially to the media, but there are too many similarities in this case. Too many coincidences. Moses Heap seems to know or be associated with the victims and Darren Richards. And he also has a previous conviction for using a crossbow.’
Phil didn’t actually know if it was a conviction or a caution but he had committed himself.
Cotter said nothing, looked once more between the pair of them.
‘He didn’t want to talk in front of his associates,’ said Sperring, ‘and we didn’t think it a good idea if he did. So he gave us no choice but to bring him in for questioning.’
Cotter took a deep breath. Held it. Eventually she nodded, expelled the held air.
‘And the harassment? The brutality?’
‘What d’you think?’ said Phil before Sperring could answer.
‘I know exactly what I think,’ Cotter said. ‘And I think I know exactly what’s happened.’
‘He’s got no case at all for harassment or brutality,’ said Sperring. ‘None whatsoever. And he knows it. He’s just talking out of his arse.’ Sperring stopped, stared at his superior. ‘Ma’am.’
Cotter sighed. ‘I suppose you’re right. Okay. Leave it with me. I’ll go and make penitent noises to Looker and let Heap go. And hope all this blows over.’
‘Thank you, ma’am,’ said Phil. ‘It’s appreciated.’
Cotter nodded. ‘I don’t suppose he confessed, did he?’
‘Didn’t get that far,’ said Sperring.
‘Pity. Would have made things a lot easier. Don’t worry. We can spin this. A woman and her daughter have been murdered. If Heap wants to make this all about him and be seen as getting in the way of finding the real killer, then we can get very nasty with him. Very nasty.’
‘Thank you,’ said Phil.
Cotter left the room, closing the door behind her. Neither man spoke.
Eventually, Sperring broke the silence.
‘Why’d you do that? Take a bullet for me?’
‘What should I have done?’ asked Phil. ‘Thrown you under the proverbial bus?’
Sperring shrugged. ‘What I expected.’
Phil’s features were impassive as he spoke. ‘We’re a team, Ian. You, me, Nadish, Imani. And the rest. A team. And we back each other up. Even if we don’t agree with what the other one says or does, we back them up. Right?’
Sperring took his time but
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