Blood Work

'Like I give a fuck what you see me as.'

Delaney leaned in. 'We can do this down the nick if you prefer it?'

The man shrugged. 'Community service.'

'What?'

'With the CAB, helping people with their finances.'

Delaney turned to Sally. 'He's a semi-qualified accountant. Left university with a degree, a bad haircut and a habit.'

'Fuck the habit, I left university with fifteen thousand pounds' worth of student loans to pay off.'

Sally flashed him a less than sympathetic look. 'So, you're telling us you weren't flashing the wiener this morning.'

Chemical Andy flashed his teeth again and pumped his groin forward. 'I told you, sweet cheeks, this here ain't no chipolata. I'm talking jumbo sausage, darling, you bring your own sauce.'

Delaney glared at him. 'Just answer the question.'

'What, you serious? You think I'm some kind of pervert?'

Sally nodded. 'Yeah. We do. Why did you take off when you saw us otherwise?'

Andy Ware shook his head. 'Because I know the way you people work. You be putting something on me.'

His eyes slid sideways a little, not holding Delaney's gaze.

Delaney sighed and turned to Sally. 'Look in his briefcase.'

Andy Ware struggled futilely against the grip of the uniformed officers as Sally opened the case.

'No way, man. That's my private property. That's cold, man. You got no cause. You got no right.'

Sally opened the briefcase and pulled out several packs of white powder. 'And you got the right to remain silent.'

'Fuck that.'

'And the right to brag about the size of you hot dog to the boys of E Wing. I'm sure they'll have plenty of sauce for you.'

Delaney nodded to the uniforms. 'Take him to the car.'

The uniforms led him off cursing. Sally smiled and looked at Delaney. 'You think he's good for it?'

'Doubt it somehow.'

'So where does that leave us?'

Delaney let out a long painful sigh and let the pain show on his face. 'In need of a drink.'

'What's up, boss?'

'I've dislocated my shoulder.'

'Shall I take you down to the hospital?'

Delaney held his right hand out, wincing. 'Just take my arm, both hands, and hold it tight.'

'Sir?'

'Just do it, Sally.'

Sally, puzzled, did as she was asked.

Delaney took a quick, sharp breath then wrenched his shoulder, snapping it back into place. 'Jesus, Mary, and all the sweet saints!' He staggered backwards, Sally still clinging to his arm. 'All right, you can let go now.'

Sally released her grip and Delaney put his left hand against a lamp post.

'You all right, sir?

Delaney nodded at her, breathing deeply. 'You get off to the pub, I'll process laughing boy back at the factory.'

'You going to join us later?'

'Yeah, I reckon I've earned a pint today.'

'Or twenty.'

'You're getting the idea.'

He watched Sally walk away, waited until she had turned the corner then staggered to a bus shelter, leaning against it with his good arm, fighting hard not to throw up as he took great gulping breaths and waited for the agony in his shoulder to subside.

Kate closed Helen Archer's file and pushed it to the back of the desk as Caroline Akunin came into the room. 'When's the trial coming up?'

'A few days.'

'Not easy for her. Having to relive that all over again in court.'

Caroline sat opposite her and took her hands. 'How are you doing?'

Kate shook her head, blinking back tears.

'He's not going to get away with it.'

Kate gestured at the blue folder. 'How confident are the CPS on this?'

Caroline shrugged. 'As confident as they can be in these cases. There is physical evidence.'

'That he drugged her?'

'Not of that. But bruising. DNA. Semen secretions on the carpet.'

'So he'll go down for it? For her at least?'

'He claims it was consensual. That she said she regretted the split. She asked him round, they drank a lot of brandy and then made love on the carpet in front of the fire.'

'You're joking?'

'No. He admits it was rough sex, but entirely consensual. It's what you would expect him to say, Kate. You know that. If he is going to deny rape, then he has to play the consensual card, given the physical evidence.'

'So it's his word against hers?'

Caroline nodded sadly. 'Always is. That's why only six per cent of them get prosecuted successfully.'

The phone on Caroline's desk rang and Kate gestured towards it. 'You better get it.'

Caroline answered the phone. 'Hello. Speaking.' She listened for a while. 'Okay, thank you.'

He face was impassive but Kate could see something was worrying her as she hung up the phone. 'Bad news?'

'It's your blood work, Kate.'

'Go on.'

'There's no evidence of Rohypnol.'

'Which doesn't mean to say there wasn't any.'

'No, of course not. Depending on the strength of whatever it was he used, it could have been flushed through your blood and out of your system before the tests.'

'I know.'

'There's something else . . .' Caroline hesitated.

'What?'

'You're pregnant, Kate.'

Delaney pulled his car into the White City car park, and, as he stepped out of it, he had to shield his eyes from a bright light suddenly shining at him.

Melanie Jones from Sky News stepped forward, smiling like an evangelist, and looked over at the long-haired cameraman who had his video camera on his shoulder and pointed straight at the policeman as though to launch an RPG. 'We running?' she asked him.

The cameraman nodded and Melanie turned back to face Delaney. 'Melanie Jones, Sky News. What can you tell us, Detective Inspector Delaney, about the dead woman who was found on South Hampstead Heath this morning?'

Delaney was too long in the tooth to be caught on the back foot like that. 'It's an ongoing investigation, I'm afraid. I'm not in a position to comment at present.'

'Sky News has learned that there was mutilation of the body. Was this the work of a serial killer?'

'When we have information, we'll call a press conference.' He made the words a dismissal.

Melanie Jones called after him as he walked away. 'What is the significance of the belt buckle, Inspector?'

Delaney's turned back to look at her, his eyes hardened. 'I beg your pardon?'

'The Green Man belt buckle? What's so special about it?'

Delaney walked towards the police station entrance. 'Come with me.'

Melanie enjoyed matching her long stride to his. His reaction had pretty much told her that her source was genuine. The cameraman dropped his camera from his shoulder and followed at a more sedate pace. Delaney walked through reception and up to the security door. He quickly typed in the code on the small pad and opened the door. Melanie Jones walked through, but as the cameraman went to follow Delaney blocked his path. 'Not you.' He called across to the desk sergeant. 'Keep an eye on him for me, will you, Dave?

Slimline Matthews nodded tersely and came around from behind the desk, showing his massive frame. 'Sure thing, Jack.'

Delaney closed the door behind him.

'What the hell do you think you're doing?' The reporter's normally smooth voice had nothing honey-like about it any more.

'Come with me.' Delaney took her none too gently by the arm and marched her along the corridor. He opened the door to an interview room and pushed her into it, closing the door behind him and leaning against it. He crossed his arms. 'Start talking.'

'No, I won't start talking. Who the hell do you think you are?'

'My name is Jack Delaney. I'm a policeman.'

Melanie snorted. 'I know who you are, for fuck's sake, what I want to know is what the hell you think you're doing?'

'You kiss your mother with that mouth?'

Melanie took a deep breath and smiled, full wattage. 'I tell you what, let's go back outside, let my cameraman through and we'll do this properly.'