‘And she’s a DI, correct?’
‘Yes.’
‘Acted as SIO on murder cases?’
‘Yes. Good clearance rate, too.’
‘Well, there you go then. Problem sorted.’
‘Sorry?’
‘The Cobb case. Give it to Hannah.’
‘Hannah? Well, I’m not sure that—’
‘You said it yourself, Ray. You need to put on a show. Your spin on this is that an experienced and senior detective with an excellent clearance rate has been assigned to the case. If she solves it, then good for her. On the other hand, if she cocks it up, then it’s no great loss, is it? You and your team will be free to concentrate on all those other cases you mentioned. Meanwhile, Cobb will be six feet under where he belongs, and the world will be a happier place.’
Not for Hannah, Ray thought. The stress of a case like this will be bad enough. Failing to solve it could finish her.
‘Another glass of Merlot?’ Fletcher asked.
‘Um . . .’
‘And by the way, if you’re not too snowed under, I’m looking for an opponent to thrash at golf next weekend. Fancy it?’
Ray smiled.
Fiona would be proud of him.
The phone call was brief and to the point, with no doubt left in Hannah’s mind that Devereux was not asking her but telling her. When she re-entered the living room, Ben looked up inquiringly from where he was lounging on the sofa. He was already in his dressing gown and his ridiculous fluffy mouse slippers.
‘Well?’ he asked. ‘Are you going to tell me, or will you have to kill me if you do?’
‘Don’t tempt me. I’m in the mood for killing someone.’
‘Ah. One of those calls. Devereux?’
‘Yes, Devereux. He’s just made me SIO on a murder that landed this afternoon.’
Ben looked understandably puzzled. ‘That’s good, isn’t it?’
‘It should be, but it isn’t.’
‘Now I’m really confused. Sit down and explain it to your simpleton of a husband.’
He budged up and she plonked herself down next to him.
He said, ‘You’ve been complaining for ages about the crap cases you’ve been getting. And now you’ve just been made the senior investigating officer on a murder case. So what am I missing?’
‘The victim is a man named Joey Cobb. Local villain and all-round dirtbag. Drugs, guns, prostitutes – you name it, he had a finger in it.’
‘He had a finger in prostitutes?’
She frowned at him. ‘Don’t make a joke out of it, Ben. I’m not in the mood.’
Ben dropped his smirk. ‘Sorry. You were saying.’
‘Cobb’s body had been chopped into pieces and dumped in the rubbish.’
‘Nasty.’
‘Yeah. Not a surprising end for someone like that, though.’
‘So it’s a gang thing, then?’
‘Very probably, but that’s not my point.’
‘Okay, so what is?’
Hannah took a deep breath. ‘Up until a few hours ago, they wouldn’t have let me within a mile of a murder investigation, and now they’ve suddenly decided I’m the ideal SIO. Don’t you think that’s a little suspicious?’
‘No. Should I? What could possibly be underhand about it?’
‘They want to use it to get rid of me.’
‘What? Don’t be ridiculous. Why would they—’
‘I’m not being ridiculous! It’s the opportunity they’ve been hoping for. They’re waiting for me to balls this up so that they can chuck me out.’