Jane laughed. ‘Everyone born in the East End seems to have known them.’
Eddie gave her a sidelong glance. ‘No, he really did, and I think when he was a youngster a lot of his mates got drawn into a life of crime.’
They pulled up outside Jane’s house and, always the gentleman, Eddie opened the passenger door to let her out. He then locked the Mini and gave her the keys.
‘Do you want to come in for a coffee?’ Jane asked.
‘Can I take a raincheck on that?’ Eddie said. ‘I’ve got to pick up a couple of the guys early tomorrow to get them to work on time.’
Jane opened the front door as Eddie reached forward and cupped her face in his hands. He gave her a sweet, gentle kiss.
‘See you tomorrow.’
Jane closed the door, feeling disappointed to be ending the night alone. She put her briefcase on the stairs by the telephone and went into the kitchen to get a glass of water. She noticed that the folder she had put all the invoices in after her breakfast with Eddie’s dad was open and two of them were on the floor. She picked them up and put them back in the cardboard folder, then noticed that the back door was ajar.
She assumed one of Eddie’s guys had left it open accidentally, and made a mental note to tell Eddie to remind them to lock it in future, before closing it and pushing the bolt firmly across. By the time she headed upstairs to her bedroom, the warm feeling from dinner with Eddie’s parents had gone, replaced by a vague feeling of unease.
Chapter Fourteen
The following morning Jane got to work early, finding the squad room in a self-congratulatory mood as Sergeant Hunt explained that more stolen property had been retrieved and matched to various thefts over a lengthy period of time. It was as if DCI Carter had captured Al Capone and his mafia mob instead of seven adolescent gang members, and Jane tried not to show her irritation. Everyone seemed to have forgotten about the Stockwell case, so when at twelve o’clock Superintendent Beattie arrived at the station and requested a meeting with her, she was expecting the worst.
She was pleasantly surprised when he told her that closing the case in a satisfactory manner was essential to counteract the bad press the investigation had generated so far. ‘So, Detective Inspector Tennison, I am giving you permission to travel to Australia, accompanied by another officer, to question Beatrice Thorpe with reference to the infanticide murder.’
‘Thank you very much, sir,’ she said, feeling her cheeks flushing. ‘I will do my best to get the answers we need.’
‘Good,’ he said, abruptly, heading to the door. ‘I will leave you to run through the itinerary with DCI Carter. You should go as soon as possible, but obviously you need to ensure you have a visa and that your passport is up to date.’
Jane would have liked to let out a yelp of excitement, but instead she took a deep breath to calm herself down. The only downside was having to discuss her trip with DCI Carter.
Emily Thompson called Arnold Hadley’s office, her hand shaking slightly as she dialled.
‘This is Miss Thompson from the care home, with regard to Helena Lanark, it is very urgent.’
‘I’m afraid Mr Hadley recently retired and is no longer working with the company,’ the secretary who answered informed her. ‘I’m sorry I can’t help you, Miss Thompson, but if he should call here, I will forward your message.’
‘Thank you, please do,’ Miss Thompson said, her voice catching. ‘And please do remember to tell him it’s urgent.’
DCI Carter was having lunch in the canteen when Jane approached his table and asked if she could have five minutes of his time when he was finished. He answered without looking at her.
‘Give me half an hour and I’ll be down.’
Jane got herself a cup of coffee and a sandwich and went back to her office. It was considerably over half an hour later when Carter entered without knocking.
‘I know what this is about,’ he said, and with his hands in his pockets walked around her desk and sat on the edge nearest to her. ‘So you reckon this woman Beatrice Lanark is going to tell you what exactly happened in that shelter...’ he cocked his head to one side with a sly smile, ‘even though it was thirty years ago?’
Jane knew he was trying to undermine her and found his closeness slightly unnerving. ‘I think that the birth of a child is something you would not forget.’
‘So, you’re suggesting that it could be Beatrice’s baby?’
‘It’s a possibility,’ Jane said. ‘But I feel it is more likely to have been the very young sister, Marjorie, who subsequently committed suicide. Although we cannot establish the length of time between the birth of the baby and the suicide, DS Lawrence and the pathologist felt they could be close together.’
Carter started swinging his right foot. ‘Really? So, you wouldn’t say that the belt buckle with the initial HL is enough evidence to accuse Helena Lanark of infanticide?’
‘Well, it’s obviously evidence implicating Helena but...’
Carter reached forward and touched Jane’s arm. ‘But due to her dementia it would be difficult, if not impossible, to actually determine whether it was her child and if she actually killed it.’
Jane found herself squirming as he leaned over her, disdainfully giving his view of her investigation. Then, to her relief, he uncrossed his legs and folded his arms.
‘Helena Lanark didn’t actually speak to you at all, did she?’
Jane hesitated. ‘No, she did not. In my report I clearly stated that she has been in the care home for a considerable time and is in a completely uncommunicative state.’
Carter nodded. ‘So, then you took her photo album?’
‘Yes, I did.’
‘Without permission or a warrant...?’
‘I don’t quite understand where this is going, sir? I did take the photo album because I felt it would be important to understand the Lanark family—’
Carter interrupted her. ‘Then we get the nephew making complaints against you for taking the album, but thanks to me we were able to put the situation to bed.’ He reached out and took her hand. Jane wanted to remove her hand, but he held on tightly, and then to her consternation began to stroke it. ‘I think I’m going to have quite a time before any of my arrests get to court and I wouldn’t mind a nice, relaxing trip away — a couple of nights in a good hotel in Sydney... maybe take in a few sights, the Opera House...’
Jane could not believe what was happening. With his other hand Carter had moved on to her knee, pushing up her skirt as his fingers inched towards her crotch. He moved even closer and she could see he had an erection pressing against his trousers. ‘It would be a good career move, Jane.’
Jane dug her heels into the carpet and pushed her desk chair back on its wheels. She was shaking.
‘A good career move?’ she repeated, her voice trembling. ‘If you lay one hand on me ever again, I will make sure your career is finished.’
Carter had the audacity to laugh as he pushed himself off her desk.
‘You thought I wanted to fuck you? You’re a stuck-up little bitch. Get your arse off to Australia, then. You can get a flight there and return the following day and you had better get something useful while you’re out there. I’m going to make it clear that I think it is an unnecessary expense.’
He walked out of the office as Jane pulled down her skirt. She took a deep breath. It wasn’t the first time she had been harassed by a higher-ranking officer, but Carter’s clear sexual intention had disgusted her.
Minutes later Sergeant Hunt was at her door. ‘You should have seen the look on Tim Taylor’s face when they told him he’d be going to Australia with you! He’s never been further abroad than Jersey.’