Miss No One Mark Ayre (children's books read aloud TXT) 📖

Again, Christine was looking into her empty glass. Frustration spread across her face like a fast-developing rash.

"The young are idealistic," she said, parroting her earlier comment. "That definitely applies to me. All I ever wanted was to become a cop, and I wanted to become a cop because I wanted to help people. As far as I'm concerned, people who abuse their police position are worse than the criminals they protect. I forgot that for a time while I was here because I was so desperate to go home. I became content to find enough information to put Hammond and Davesh away. I suspected there were more corrupt officers in my sight, but I was happy to let them go if it got me home to my boyfriend and family."

"Understandable," said Abbie. "But I'm guessing that changed when you spoke to your superior officer after Hammond's death."

Christine's look of frustration turned to one of anger. "They called to say they were pulling me out. They'd let a few weeks pass, so no one suspected my departure was linked to Hammond's death, but as far as they were concerned, it was job done."

Looking into her empty glass again, Christine half rose, preparing to cross the room and get a refill. Then the need to finish talking overcame her, and she fell back into her seat.

"I asked what was going to happen with my evidence. Know what my superiors said?"

"Nothing," said Abbie. "By which I mean not that they blanked you, but that they told you nothing was going to happen to your evidence."

"Spot on," said Christine. "Everything I'd gathered would be filed away. Hammond was dead, so there was no need to upset anyone by revealing the truth of what he had been. Never mind that outing him might have sent a message to other officers; that it might have served as a warning not to follow in his footsteps. No, because we can't afford to upset his family or the people who idolised this corrupt man, we'll brush it all under the carpet. I found that hard to swallow, but what could I do? Nothing, so I asked about Davesh and the hundred grand bribe. Would the evidence I had gathered on the former be used to have the car dealer arrested and jailed before his cut-and-shuts killed someone? As for the bribe, would someone look into what that had been about? What kind of illegal activity could entice crooks to hand such a sum of money to a serving police officer? I bet you can guess what they said to that, as well."

"That they couldn't use any evidence you had gathered because it might inadvertently reveal what kind of a man Hammond had been," said Abbie. "Then they would have tried to placate you by saying that, without Hammond around to protect Davesh, he would soon be found out and arrested anyway, and that with Hammond's death, whatever he had been paid to do would probably be put on hold and cancelled as well. That's what they would have said, and it wouldn't have placated you at all. I know because it wouldn’t have placated me.”

Now Christine did stand with her empty glass. "It didn't placate me. It made me sick. It made me hate the organisation I'd wanted to join since I was a child. It made me hate myself, though I know that doesn't make any sense."

Tears in her eyes, the young detective rushed to the kitchen, yanked open the fridge, and grabbed the wine.

"I didn't argue," she said as she unscrewed and then all but tore off the bottle cap. "Maybe they would have pulled me out sooner if I had or sent someone to monitor me. I pretended to play ball, and once they'd hung up, I endeavoured to discover the truth of what Hammond had been up to, root out any other corrupt officers, and get Davesh sent down. I knew I didn't have long, but I was determined. I wouldn't give up, and I was sure I'd get results."

Abbie was playing the situation through in her mind. They were almost up to date now, to the point where Abbie had arrived in town. Because of that, she decided to start with the third of Christine's three objectives.

"You still couldn't get anyone interested in investigating Davesh?"

Christine shook her head while tipping the bottle towards her glass. Wine slopped onto the counter as it sloshed free. Christine didn't seem to notice.

"No chance," she said. "It was exactly as I feared. No one was willing to discredit Hammond, so his influence remained. He'd convinced enough people Davesh was clean that no one was interested in listening to my evidence, compelling as it was. This wasn't just the corrupt cops either. It was everyone.”

Which led Abbie neatly onto point two. "And did you find many other officers on the take?"

"No," said Christine, replacing the cap on the wine bottle, having forgotten this time to offer around the drinks. "A couple of uniformed officers and another detective. DS rank. That's one above me, but one below Ndidi and two below Hammond and Kilman. Hammond was the big fish."

"These uniformed officers," said Abbie. "Evans and Franks?"

The wine was back in the fridge. Christine paused a moment, then returned to the living room.

"I was going to ask how you knew," she said, "But they were the ones you found you with Ndidi, right? They gave false statements?"

"That's right," said Abbie as Christine sat. She was thinking of Ndidi again. Was this a case of three corrupt officers working together, or was Ndidi innocent. For fear of his daughter being left alone, had he allowed the two corrupt constables to lead him into illegal action?

“Well, you’re spot on,” said Christine. “Franks, Evans, and a DS Moore are the ones I found. I don’t think any have taken money from Davesh—Hammond’s support was enough for him to stay out of the trouble—but they all take bribes