Page 104 of End Game
‘The suspect and his two associates have already been charged, but the question remains: how was it possible for this crime to be carried out right under your nose? With that in mind, I need to ask you a few questions, so I fear you’ll have to take a later flight.’
As pompous as ever, thought Ross, but simply said, ‘If you say so, sir.’
‘Can I begin by asking you to confirm you were on duty at the Olympic Stadium yesterday evening?’
‘As I have been for the past six weeks, sir,’ replied Ross.
‘And you allowed a fellow officer to leave her post early. Is that also correct?’
‘Yes, it is, sir. Inspector Pankhurst hadn’t had an evening off during the Olympics, and as it was her partner’s birthday yesterday and she’d booked a restaurant and tickets for the cinema, I allowed her to leave a little earlier than usual. As the senior officer, I take full responsibility for my decision.’
‘And you expect me to believe that it’s no more than a coincidence that during that period of time, just after Inspector Pankhurst left and before Chief Inspector Adaja came on duty, the murder took place?’
‘What are you suggesting, Commander?’ asked Ross, his voice rising with every word.
‘I wasn’t suggesting anything, Inspector,’ said Sinclair calmly. ‘I was simply asking you a question.’
‘That isn’t worthy of an answer,’ said Ross, barely able to control his temper.
‘Then let’s move on, shall we, to an equally unexplainable mystery, Inspector, namely that during the period of time when you were alone in the Gold Suite watching a murder take place on CCTV, you made no attempt to go to the victim’s rescue.’
‘There were five of them,’ said Ross, ‘while I was on my own.’
‘Only because you’d released Inspector Pankhurst early,’ Sinclair reminded him.
‘I immediately called my senior officer, Commander Warwick, as the phone records will show. He then called in the firearms unit, who arrived in time to arrest Longe and his associates before they could escape.’
‘Not all of his associates,’ Sinclair pointed out. ‘The mystery man, the one who turned up with two suitcases full of cash, somehow managed to escape.’ Sinclair paused, but Ross didn’toffer an opinion. ‘Perhaps you were expecting to get part of the proceeds for staying out of harm’s way,’ suggested Sinclair.
‘If I had,’ said Ross, ‘I wouldn’t have turned up for this interview, but got on the plane, never to be seen again.’
‘Let us, for the moment,’ said Sinclair, ‘give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you didn’t know a murder was about to take place, and despite having won the Queen’s Gallantry Medal for bravery, you thought it was no more than Faulkner deserved?’
Sinclair had a point. True, he was outnumbered, but would he ever be able to say, hand on heart, that his attitude might have been different had it been someone other than Faulkner?
Ross looked the commander in the eye but didn’t answer.
‘Given the circumstances, Inspector, it might be wise for you to leave now and catch your flight to Dublin, but we will, of course, reconvene as soon as you return,’ continued Sinclair, turning a page in his diary. ‘Shall we say next Thursday at ten o’clock, and perhaps this time you could come appropriately dressed?’
‘I’m afraid that won’t be possible, sir.’
‘And why might that be?’ asked Sinclair. ‘Another relation at death’s door, perhaps?’
‘No, sir. But I do have an appointment next Thursday at ten o’clock with someone who outranks you.’
‘I would point out, Hogan,’ said Sinclair, ‘that Commander Warwick doesn’t outrank me.’
‘I wasn’t referring to Commander Warwick,’ said Ross.
‘Then dare I ask who?’ said Sinclair, not attempting to hide any sarcasm.
‘Her Majesty the Queen, at Buckingham Palace, sir, and you can be assured I will be appropriately dressed to receive Sergeant Roycroft’s posthumous award of the Queen’sGallantry Medal on her behalf.’ He took the invitation out of his pocket and placed it on the Commander’s desk.
‘Then I’ll have to change the date,’ said Sinclair, trying to sound as if he was still in control.
Ross paused, before playing his trump card. ‘Perhaps it might be wise, sir, to postpone our meeting until after the Home Secretary has made her decision as to who she’ll be appointing as the next Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police. I only mention this, sir, because I think if you were to suspend your rival’s second in command, it might look personal.’
Sinclair made no attempt to hide his anger when Ross stood up, gave him a warm smile, and said, ‘However, Commander, shouldyoube appointed as our next Commissioner, you needn’t bother to try and suspend me, because I’ll resign the same day.’
