Bradfield was pacing up and down the old lady’s living room, cursing under his breath as she shuffled behind, desperately trying to hand him two buttered scones on a plate. Gibbs took the plate from her and said Mr Bradfield wasn’t hungry but he was and wouldn’t let them go to waste.
Bradfield watched Silas leave the café, worried that he might have seen or heard Mannie Charles arrive and was going over to speak to him. If Mannie mentioned anything about his and Kath Morgan’s visit the other night it could result in everything going wrong. If they did a runner he didn’t even have arrest teams in place yet. He thought about calling them at the station to take up positions nearby but decided to wait. The officers in the shoe shop were warned Silas was on the move.
Bradfield watched anxiously as Silas went to the shoe-shop window and pausing briefly looked in whilst shading his eyes with his hands. Silas moved on and Bradfield could feel his blood pressure rising as he got nearer the tailor’s shop. It nearly exploded when Mannie and his wife walked out and stopped to have a chat with Silas. Thankfully it appeared to be a brief hello before they got into the van and drove off.
The sound of Clifford’s voice came over the radio asking where Silas was going and Danny told him it was to check out the shoe shop and get fish and chips. Clifford said that the tailor had pissed off and he hadn’t seen anything at the shoe shop and told them there was no time for food.
Silas went into a phone box, picked up the phone book and started to flick through the pages. He then dialled a number and held the door open with his other hand as it was so hot inside. In the shoe shop the officers heard Hebe’s phone ringing. It wasn’t the one they had installed for the observation so they knew not to pick it up and simply let it ring, which it did for almost a minute.
Silas left the phone box, content that Hebe was not there and he must have been mistaken about the toilet flushing. He continued down the street and turned left entering a fish-and-chip cum kebab shop. The undercover officer tailing him went in behind him and pretended to be looking up at the prices on the illuminated menu positioned above the fryers. Silas ordered a large doner with chilli sauce and two portions of fish and chips. He chatted with his fellow countryman in Greek as he prepared the order. Silas was so engrossed that he didn’t even glance towards the undercover officer. He asked for salt and vinegar on the fish and chips and watched the food being wrapped in paper and placed into a plastic bag. He paid at a till at the end of the counter whilst the undercover officer ordered sausage and chips.
It was coming up to five thirty when Frank, who was twiddling the dials on the CB radio, indicated that he had picked up something. Bradfield rushed over and pulled the headphone jack out so he could listen on the loudspeaker. Clifford said a woman walking a dog was passing and asked how much longer they would be. John said that due to the number of stoppages they had been forced to make it would be an hour or two after midnight, at the earliest.
Bradfield was no longer frustrated at having to play the waiting game, and he was glad to hear from the shoe shop that Silas had returned and the drilling had started again. He took Gibbs to one side and spoke quietly.
‘I’m popping out for a bit and will be back a little later with Kath Morgan...’
‘What’s the secrecy for?’
‘If you let me finish I’ll tell you... I’m going to get the bank manager, Dunbar, and bring him to the op so he can hear what’s going on for himself.’
‘Is that a wise move?’ Gibbs frowned.
‘I need him to open the vault when they get in. I’m also concerned there may be someone at the bank giving the Bentleys inside information and if it’s Dunbar the look on his face and reactions on the plot here may well give him away.’
Unseen by Clifford, Bradfield left the op via the staircase at the rear of the building and got into an unmarked car waiting in a side street. Gibbs, Frank and the other officers positioned in the flat remained, monitoring the radio action and the café.
Bradfield returned to the station and bumped into Kath on the landing as she was returning from the canteen.
‘Tell Tennison I want to see her in my office,’ he said bluntly.
‘Why, what’s she done wrong now?’
‘Nothing, just go and tell her,’ he said and walked off, but a suspicious Kath followed.
‘She’s my friend, not to mention an innocent naive probationer, and some of the team are beginning to notice the infatuated way she looks at you. She doesn’t take her eyes off you, and I’ve seen your little flirty glances to her. They’ll start makin’ jokes about it, the smutty bastards.’
‘Leave it out, Morgan. It’s my problem to resolve, not yours. Now do as I asked and tell Tennison to come to my office.’
Kath wished she could have said that she knew more, but not wanting to betray Jane’s trust she kept her mouth shut and went to find her.
Jane knocked on Bradfield’s door before going in, anxiously wondering if she was going to be on the arrest team.
‘Kath said you wanted to see me.’
He drew her by her hand into the room and closed the door.
‘Listen, I want to have a chat with you. Right now I have to be really on the ball and I need to iron a few things out with you.’
She smiled and kept hold of his hand.
‘You know what went down the other night — it shouldn’t have happened. And I think you should know that as much as I would like it to continue, it has to stop,’ he said, and released her hand.
‘Like I said, I have to be totally focused right now and you are a distraction. So I have made a decision. We agree that it was something that shouldn’t have happened and as you’ve done more than eight hours today you can book off duty and have a few days off.’
‘I don’t understand. I thought you liked me, and I want to stay on and see this case through.’
‘I do like you, Jane, but you really need to get some rest, you look exhausted. Why not get away from the section house? Maybe pop home and spend some time with your family?’
‘I would like to remain at the station, at least for tonight, please,’ she said quietly, hardly able to take on board what he was saying.
‘I have just given you an order. You’re officially off duty, so go home, and no arguments, all right?’
Her deep breaths made him feel really guilty and he couldn’t resist gently touching her cheek.
‘Come on, it’s for your own good. I’m sorry, but it’s not going to go any further between us. I should never have allowed it to get this far.’
She pursed her lips, trying desperately not to burst into tears. She swallowed and waited as he opened the door to usher her out.
No one but Kath noticed a forlorn-looking Jane picking up her handbag and leaving the incident room. Her heart went out to her and she followed Jane down to the ladies’ locker room.
‘Are you all right, Jane love?’
‘I’m fine, thank you... I’ve been told I’m off the investigation and to take some time out.’
Kath couldn’t help herself as she put her arms around Jane and hugged her. She suspected this was Bradfield’s way of stopping Jane getting too infatuated with him.
‘He’s only looking out for you as a probationer, Jane. The long hours are taking their toll on the experienced guys, so God knows what effect they must be having on you.’
Jane nodded, but was close to tears. She just couldn’t understand how he could have been so dismissive about their night together. She couldn’t look Kath in the eye for fear she could tell that it was not about being sent home but how hurt and humiliated she felt by Bradfield’s rejection. Kath lifted Jane’s head up, looked at her and sighed.