Straight Back by David Menon Read Free Book Online Page A

absence.          
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    SIX
    The next morning Jeff walked into a situation that, if he didn’t get control of, would begin to threaten the integrity of his team. He’d gone into work early – a combination of jet lag not letting him sleep and an eagerness to get back to work. He took the notes on the case with him to a meeting with Chief Superintendent Chambers and then went back to the squad room where the rest of the team had arrived for work and clearly gone into a sharp row. 
    “I’m just saying that, on reflection, the decision perhaps wasn’t the right one,” DC Adrian Bradshaw insisted as he appeared to be locking horns with DI Rebecca Stockton. DC Joe Alexander was looking on but in the restless state he appeared to be in, Jeff didn’t think it would be long before he waded into the battle.
    “So you’re saying I screwed up then, Adrian?” Rebecca demanded.
    “I’m saying we all make mistakes, ma’am but Ellie Taylor on the news this morning seemed genuinely upset and angry that we seemed to have wasted those hours when we could’ve been out looking for her daughter.”
    “So you are saying I screwed up?”
    “If that’s how you want to take it, ma’am, but that’s up to you.”
    “The DI has no choice, from the way you’re sounding, Adrian,” Joe sneered. “So don’t come all this ‘you’ve chosen to take it the wrong way’ bullshit because that’s exactly what it is.”
    “And this poor wretch of a girl who everyone is falling over themselves to protect the reputation of had just murdered someone! Are you forgetting that little detail, Adrian?”
    “Of course I’m not, ma’am,” said Adrian, in as firm a voice as he thought he could use against a senior officer. “But it’s no good us all thinking we didn’t make a mistake when, in my opinion, we did and we missed a potential opportunity to find her alive.”
    “It’s easy to throw wisdom at the fire after it’s been lit in the wrong place,” said Joe. “We’re a team here, Adrian, and we take collective responsibility.”
    “Don’t you dare think you’ve got to remind me of the nature of teamwork, Joe,” Adrian shot back. “You know, as well as I do, that I’ve never been one to fly solo on any investigation. Whatever I’ve done has always been for the benefit of the team.”
    Joe knew Adrian was right on that one. “Except in the case of the argument we’re having now.”
    “There wouldn’t be an argument if you stepped back just a little and tried to understand what I’m saying.”
    “You’re saying that I did wrong, DC Bradshaw,” said Rebecca. “Well, at least I know where I stand with you.”
    Jeff took great delight in taking advantage of the fact that they hadn’t noticed him standing in the doorway of the squad room. “Good grief!” he exclaimed.
    It was pathetic the way their three heads swung round displaying three sets of rabbit eyes caught in the headlights. He really had to struggle not to laugh.
    “Look at you lot. Can’t I leave you lot for two weeks without you falling out? I’ve seen Toby and his mates act better than that and they’re only six years old. Now grow up, the lot of you!”
    They all apologised and then wished Jeff ‘welcome back’ from his holidays with the broadest smiles any of them could manage after the heat of the previous moments. Rebecca then glared at Adrian. She wasn’t going to forget this.
    DS Ollie Wright then came in. “Ah, sir, welcome back,” said Ollie. “How was your trip?”
    “It was wonderful, Ollie, thank you,” said Jeff who was glad to see Ollie hadn’t been part of the circus a few moments ago. It wouldn’t have been like him anyway. “Now Ollie, I want you to look at the staff lists of the schools that Sheridan Taylor attended and see if there’s anyone who taught there when she was a pupil and who subsequently ended up on the sex offenders list. See if she was ever part of any