The undertaker driving the latest arrival got out and spoke with the mortician.
‘Bit of a jigsaw in this bag — it’s full of bits and pieces the forensic guys found in the vault. God only knows which bits are the police and which bits the bad guys.’
Jane felt as if she had been punched in her heart by what she’d just heard.
‘Body parts?’ she repeated breathlessly.
The head mortician looked at Jane. ‘You’re that probationer who was in here the other week to watch the post-mortem on the murdered girl. What’s this case got to do with you?’
‘It’s OK, she’s working on it as well,’ a voice said.
Jane looked and saw a dazed DS Spencer Gibbs getting out of the passenger seat of the undertaker’s van. He looked terrible. He had a dressing over the left side of his face and both his hands were bandaged. His jacket was blackened and singed and he was obviously in considerable pain.
‘My God, what happened to you?’
‘I was in the bank and got hurt during the explosion.’
Jane was still in shock. He glanced at her.
‘Have you been sick over yourself?’
‘No, it’s custard. Was Kath with you?’
Gibbs took a deep trembling breath and nodded.
‘Bradfield as well.’ His voice quivered and he started to walk off.
‘What happened, Spence?’
‘I need to get back to the station as I’ve got things to do.’
Jane felt more optimistic. Although Gibbs was injured he had survived. She followed him out of the mortuary and could see he was wincing and gritting his teeth as he walked. She stepped closer.
‘I’m confused, Spence, and really need to know what’s happened.’
He stopped and looked at her. His voice was sad.
‘Kath and Len didn’t make it—’
A shocked Jane shook her head as she interrupted him. ‘But you were with them, how did you...?’
‘I was behind the thick vault door with the bank manager when the explosion occurred so our bodies were protected from the fireball and flying debris. Our injuries are just heat-blast burns.’
Jane felt her legs begin to shake as she feared the worst.
‘They were standing by the entrance to the vault and took the full blast. They didn’t stand a chance, Jane,’ he said, welling up.
‘They’re dead?’ she asked disbelievingly.
‘Yes. I’m really sorry as I know how close you were to Kath.’
Jane felt as if her legs were going to buckle under her. Gibbs took hold of her arm to support her as they walked slowly back to the station.
‘For what it’s worth some of the suspects died. We don’t know exactly who yet due to the injuries, but from what’s left I think it could be John Bentley and the Greek. It seems Danny Mitcham escaped over the roofs and I’m going out to look for Clifford Bentley later.’
As they walked across the station yard Sergeant Harris approached them and told Gibbs that DCS Metcalf had been asking the surveillance officers and other team detectives awkward questions, wanting to know the ins and outs of Operation Hawk and why, once the suspects were in the vault, it was so long before they went in to make arrests.
‘Bastard’s looking for a scapegoat to blame already. I ain’t gonna let him blacken Len Bradfield’s name so I’ll take the rap.’
Harris took him to one side. ‘Are you sure that’s wise, Spencer? Metcalf hasn’t the bottle to blame a dead man who everyone respected and who had an unblemished career. If you say it was in any way your fault he’ll blame you publicly for Len’s death and that’s your career screwed. Do you really think Bradfield would want it to end that way?’
Gibbs shook his head and realized Harris, for all his many irritating faults, spoke with experience and sense.
‘You should go home, Spence, you look awful.’
‘I’m all right and I want to make the NOK call before Metcalf does.’
‘Are you sure that’s a good idea? He is the senior officer investigating this now.’
‘I was his friend so I’ll make the call, and if Metcalf doesn’t like it then tough.’
‘Don’t lose your head, you got to stay in control,’ Harris said.
Jane heard bits of what they were talking about but didn’t know what a NOK was and didn’t want to appear nosy or irritating by asking. She interrupted with a light tap to Gibbs’s arm.
‘Can I do anything to help?’
‘No, I got to do this myself,’ he said and walked off into Bradfield’s office.
Harris turned to Jane. ‘Canteen’s closed as it’s a bank holiday so make him a nice cup of tea,’ he said, and looked her up and down before continuing. ‘What’s that yellow stuff on your clothes? You look a mess.’
She apologized explaining that she had been off duty, but had come in after seeing the news. She asked him if she could stay on and work.
‘Yes, but put your uniform on as this station is going to be the focus of press and top-brass attention for a long while yet.’
She said she would make Gibbs a tea and then return to the section house to change.
Jane went into the small kitchen and put the kettle on before unthinkingly washing the usual array of dirty mugs that had been left in the sink.
When she took DS Gibbs a cup of tea he was sitting behind Bradfield’s desk, leaning forward with his arms on the table, his head resting between them. At first she thought he was asleep. He looked up and took out a handkerchief to wipe his nose.
‘Two sugars, right?’ Jane asked with a smile.
‘Thanks,’ Gibbs said.
‘Did your NOK call go OK?’ she asked out of politeness, still unsure what it meant.
‘I don’t think she could really take it all in, but I’ll go over to be with her later.’
‘I’m sorry, who do you mean by “she”?’
Spencer sighed. ‘Len’s wife. It was awful as I could hear their two small kids playing in the background, and now I gotta do Kath’s NOK call.’
Jane suddenly realized that ‘NOK’ was short for ‘next of kin’ and couldn’t believe what Gibbs had just said. Was Bradfield married? It wasn’t possible, it couldn’t be true, she thought to herself before speaking as calmly as possible under the circumstances.
‘Married. I didn’t know married officers could live at the section house.’
Gibbs sipped his tea, and gave a small shrug of his shoulders.
‘His wife was finding it hard to cope with all the late hours he worked. She’d get anxious, wondering if maybe he’d been hurt as he hadn’t come home when expected. Len told me she would often sit up waiting for him. He spoke with the section house sergeant who said he, and a few others, could use a spare room when things got busy. Len reckoned it would help stop all the anxiety at home and then a rumour goes round that they were splitting up. It didn’t bother him as he always felt that his private life was his own personal business and nothing to do with anyone else and...’ He bowed his head trying to stifle a sob. ‘God help me, I loved and respected that man so much and now I gotta tell poor Kath’s mum and dad she’s dead.’
Jane had to take deep breaths to steady herself. She gently patted his shoulder.
‘Sorry, Spence, so sorry.’
She turned away, knowing she was going to break down. She clenched her fists, digging her nails into her palms. She hurried out of the office, down the stairs and out to the rear entrance of the station in a state of denial.
With no handbag, warrant card or money she walked to the section house and had to ask the ‘old buzzard’ to let her into her room. She gasped for breath as she shut the door behind her. She stared at the big poster of Janis Joplin with her wild hair and the silly feather boa, her arms lined with bracelets and rings on her fingers. The scream came from the pit of her stomach.