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Pushing away the fear, Jennie tries to keep her voice calm, her reasoning objective. ‘We’re making progress, sir. Surely that’s what matters most? So what if I knew the victim a little – it just makes me want to catch her killer more.’
‘I said no.’ Campbell is red-faced, adamant. ‘That’s the end of the conversation. DI Strickland is going to take the lead from here.’
‘Strickland?’ Panic rises in her chest. This can’t be the end. She has to pull this back. She knows if she’s going to get her case back she’s going to have to play dirty. ‘How will it look to the press if I’m pulled off the investigation at this stage?’
Campbell frowns. ‘What are you—’
‘When the press ask what made you take me off the case, what will you tell them? Will you tell them it’s because I took a photograph of some fellow students when I was a kid at the school?’
The DCI is clearly angered by her sarcastic tone but says nothing. At least now she’s got his attention.
‘They won’t buy it, which will make them suspicious. And angry. This case means a lot to the people of White Cross. They want justice for Hannah – one of their own who was failed by the authorities before. The community, and the press, have placed their trust in me, the top-ranking female DI at this station.’ She shakes her head, disbelieving. ‘And you’re thinking of replacing me with Strickland? A male DI with a chequered record who’s already under investigation for his handling of the teen abduction case?’
‘Where are you going with this?’ growls the DCI.
‘Think of the optics, how the media, and the local community, will react. There’ll be lots of bad press, a slew of negative headlines, more ill will towards us from the community …’
There are several pings from the DCI’s computer as new emails land in his inbox. He doesn’t seem to notice, his attention fully on their conversation. ‘What happened with the abductions wasn’t DI Strickland’s fault.’
‘I think we both know that’s not true.’
‘What are you implying?’ The DCI’s voice is gruff but Jennie detects a whiff of fear too.
‘Strickland got the call right after those girls were offered cash to get into that car, but he stayed at the Long Service Awards drinks for another 50 minutes, only leaving when the second call came in.’
‘Jennie, let’s not get into—’
‘The details? Why not? If he’d left immediately it might have prevented those same men trying to abduct another teen less than an hour later.’
The DCI is silent. A muscle pulses rapidly in his jaw.
‘A child could have been abducted or worse, yet you fobbed off the media with a bunch of lies – Strickland was on another case, staff shortages, blah blah. You got a lot of bad press, and the community believe we’re all incompetent now, but it could have been much worse for you personally, couldn’t it?’ She narrows her eyes. ‘You were covering yours and Strickland’s arses and we both know it. You were at those same Long Service Awards drinks and you knew he’d been called, but you told him to finish his drink.’
The DCI’s nostrils flare. He crosses his arms. ‘I didn’t know he’d been called to something so time-sensitive.’
‘Didn’t you? You were complicit, negligent even.’
Campbell jabs his finger towards Jennie. Fury in his eyes. ‘How dare you suggest—’
‘Imagine how awful it would be if the press knew the full story,’ continues Jennie, raising her voice to be heard. ‘Think how the community would react. Think how the top brass here would react.’
‘Are you threatening me, Jennie?’ Campbell splutters, red-faced and clearly furious.
Jennie puts her hands up. ‘I’d never do that, sir. I’m just saying that the media trust me. Replacing me without proper explanation, with an incompetent misogynist, will inevitably result in a slew of difficult questions. It could seriously damage public confidence in this force, in you, even more.’
‘You are trying to blackmail me.’
Jennie’s tone is earnest. ‘I care about the force, and this murder case. I want a great result for us and justice for the victim. I just want you to see that.’
The DCI shakes his head. ‘Jesus, Jennie.’
Jennie glances out through the glass and wonders if the team are watching. Being in the office feels even more like being in a goldfish bowl than usual, especially as this time it feels like there’s an invisible piranha in the bowl with her. ‘Just let me do my job. Please, Dave. I can do this.’
She watches as her clearly conflicted boss wrestles with the decision. She hopes that she’s done enough, said enough, to win him round.
‘Fine.’ The DCI fixes Jennie with a stern gaze. ‘Stay on the case, but if you put one foot out of line, then you’ll be off it for good.’
Jennie feels relief flood through her. ‘Thank you, I—’
