Page 42 of The Truth Will Out
“Likewise, and that’s because I didn’t give it. I’m Nigel Bowman.”
“Forgive me, Mr Bowman. I’m Detective Inspector Sam Cobbs. Can you tell me what all this commotion is about?”
“The men are keen to get back to work. We’re on a tight schedule, and they’re worried their bonuses will be affected.”
“Ah, I see. Whilst I can understand where they are coming from, until the pathologist and his team have carried out the necessary work at the crime scene, the site is going to be off limits to everyone.”
He growled and shook his head. “I hope you’re ready for the uproar that’s going to cause when I break the news to them.”
“Surely, that’ll be down to you to control your men, won’t it?”
“I’ll do my best. The thing is, I’ve only just been promoted and…”
“You haven’t earnt their respect yet. Is that what you’re hinting at?”
“Yes, that’s it in a nutshell.”
“And what if your boss was down here, telling you to pack up and leave? Would they still be standing their ground?”
“No, they wouldn’t. Sorry, I’ll send them home. Any idea how long your team are going to be on site?”
“For as long as it takes. I suggest a minimum of two days.”
Bowman ran a hand through what little hair he had left. “Jesus, that’s taking the piss.”
“Let me put it this way: if it were a member of your family who had been murdered, you’d expect the experts to carry out their jobs efficiently and quickly, wouldn’t you?”
He raised a hand and turned to walk away. “Enough said. I’ll give them their marching orders.”
“Thank you. We really appreciate your cooperation.”
“I’ll do my best and hope that anarchy doesn’t break out. I must have been an idiot to have accepted this job at the end of last week,” he muttered as he walked away.
“Everything all right?” Bob asked as he joined her.
“We’ll soon find out. Poor bloke has his back against the wall. Be prepared to intervene. He’s new to the job and is about to tell them to go home and risk losing their bonuses.”
Bob shrugged. “Not everything in life is that cut and dried, is it? Sometimes people throw a spanner in the works.”
“So true.”
They watched as the foreman called for the group’s attention and issued the bad news. The crowd of men surged towards him, but Bowman stood firm and ended up shouting at them. A few of his colleagues instantly backed down; the others needed to think it through first.
“Crisis averted,” Bob whispered.
“We’ll see how long that lasts.”
“Ah, here’s Des and the team now. Let’s help to disperse this crowd quickly.”
Bob jumped into action and assisted the foreman with his authoritarian voice in full swing. “Come on, gents. Do as you’re told now. The professionals are waiting to get to the crime scene. The sooner you allow them access, the quicker you’ll be able to get back to work, right?”
The men released a mixture of groans and murmurings of discontent, until they reluctantly gave up the fight and drifted off.
Relieved, Sam and Bob slipped on their protective suits but left their shoe coverings off until they were closer to the scene. Bob handed Sam a pair of gloves, and they made their way over to Des’s van.
“Good morning. Don’t ask; we haven’t had a chance to view the body yet. We’ve been too busy negotiating with the workforce. Don’t shoot the messenger, but they’re working on a tight schedule and have been promised a bonus if they finish early.”
“Not my problem. We’ll take as long as necessary to assess the crime scene. You know that as well as I do, Inspector.”
