Need You Dead

  ‘Magic!’ she said.

  ‘I don’t think so,’ Bruno replied. ‘But he’s fine now, he’s OK.’

  They both walked to the door. ‘You seem to have an amazingly calming effect on him, Bruno,’ Kaitlynn said quietly.

  ‘Maybe. Perhaps.’ He turned the dial, dimming the light in the room low. Then they both went out.

  A few minutes later, as Noah slept, a spider with a two-inch span crept slowly up the inside of the cot. It had a brown, shiny abdomen, and a white marking that looked a little like a skull. There had recently been an invasion of them due to the milder climate. It was a Noble False Widow, the most poisonous spider in the UK.

  But fortunately for Noah, its bite is seldom fatal. And it would only bite if attacked.

  Noah slept on, oblivious to the creature.

  115

  Sunday 1 May

  Grace and Cleo stood in the rammed upstairs room. Against the backdrop of a huge Jack Daniel’s sign, the musicians were playing a crowd-pleaser. The whole room swayed to the rhythm of the song, ‘Furr’.

  Roy had his arm round Cleo. They both sang along to the lyrics.

  ‘When suddenly a girl, with skin the colour of a pearl,

  Wandered aimlessly, but she didn’t seem to see,

  She was listenin’ for the angels, just like me.’

  He kissed her on the cheek and she squeezed him back hard.

  These were the moments, he thought. Listening to great music, with the person you loved, surrounded by happy people all enjoying the same thing, the same feeling.

  The moments when you forgot about all the evil that was out there in this city and in the world beyond.

  He was thinking about an interview he had read with Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon. The astronaut had said that looking down at Earth, just an incredibly beautiful sight, it was almost impossible to imagine or understand all the evil deeds that happened on that planet. Why couldn’t everyone just enjoy it?

  Then he felt his phone vibrating in his pocket.

  Still with an arm round Cleo, he pulled it out and peered at the display. There was a text message from Glenn Branson, whom he had this morning appointed his deputy SIO.

  Call me as soon as you can, Roy, it’s urgent.

  Tempted to ignore it, he jammed the phone back in his pocket. Then, moments later, he felt it vibrating again. This time it was ringing. He pulled it out again, signalled an apology to Cleo and squeezed through the crowd to the back of the room, putting the phone to his ear.

  ‘Roy Grace,’ he answered.

  But the sound of the music was too loud to hear anything.

  ‘Hold on a sec!’ he said.

  He hurried downstairs, through the bar and out onto the street. ‘Sorry about that!’

  ‘Where are you?’

  It was Glenn.

  ‘At a concert.’

  ‘Shit, old-timer, at your age?’

  ‘Sod off! This had better be good.’

  ‘Roy, this is important. I’ve just had a call from Panicking Anakin at John Street nick. He’s—’

  Branson’s next words were drowned out by a police car on blues and twos ripping up the road past him. He had to wait until the siren had faded before responding.

  ‘Sorry, mate, lost you after Panicking Anakin!’

  ‘Happens at your age. Hearing goes first, then everything else.’

  ‘Yeah yeah. Listen, I’m missing a very good concert so this had better be worth it. What’s happened?’

  ‘Anakin’s had a call from the hospital.’

  ‘Sussex County?’ Grace felt a stab of panic. Had Guy Batchelor killed himself?

  ‘Our friend Tooth. He’s vanished. Done a runner.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘He was improving, apparently, so because of a shortage of beds in Intensive Care they moved him yesterday into the High Dependency ward. A nurse went to give him his medication a couple of hours or so ago, and he wasn’t there.’

  Despite the seriousness of the situation, Roy Grace found himself grinning. He couldn’t help it. He was remembering that at Sandy’s funeral, ACC Pewe had delighted in telling him he had ordered the guard on Tooth to be removed.

  ‘Have they searched the hospital, Glenn?’

  ‘Three response units have attended. They’ve searched it top to bottom. Just like the times he’s disappeared on us before, he seems to have done it again. You all right, Roy? You don’t sound very worried.’

  ‘Worried? Me? I’m having a night off.’

  ‘Yeah? Well I think you’d better cancel that.’

  ‘No way, life’s too short. You sort it out. Go find him. Don’t forget the all-ports warning.’

  ‘You can’t be serious.’

  ‘Listen, mate, trust me, I’m serious.’

  He ended the call and hurried back upstairs to join Cleo.

  ‘Everything OK?’ she asked.

  Blitzen Trapper were playing ‘Not Your Lover’.

  He stood listening to the song.

  Thinking and smiling. He should not be thinking like this, but he could not help it.

  He was smiling about the phone call he would make in a few minutes, after the song had ended, to ACC Cassian Pewe.

  Yes!

  There is a God!

  GLOSSARY

  AD – Attention Drawn. Typically how an urgent radio message is prefaced to alert officers that they are about to receive details of a vehicle or person that is of police interest. Also used to describe that such a circulation has been or will be made.

  ANPR – Automatic Number Plate Recognition. Roadside or mobile cameras which automatically capture the registration number of all cars that pass. It can be used to historically track which cars went past a certain camera and can also trigger alerts for cars which are stolen, have no insurance or have an alert attached to them.

  ARV – Armed Response Vehicle.

  BHIMS – Brighton and Hove Independent Mediation Service. Local specialists in community and workplace mediation, conflict resolution and training. They help resolve disputes between neighbours or residents, families in conflict, tenants and landlords and for businesses.

  CAA – Civil Aviation Authority. The statutory corporation which oversees and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the United Kingdom.

  CAD – Computer Aided Dispatch. The system where all calls from the public are logged and, if they require police attendance, the live time record of who is attending, how it is developing and what the outcome is.

  CID – Criminal Investigation Department. Usually refers to the divisional detectives rather than the specialist squads.

  CIM – Critical Incident Manager. Usually a Chief Inspector who takes control of critical incidents when they are assessed as being beyond the scope of Ops-1, either due to their seriousness or the complexity of the volume of other demands on Ops-1.

  Commanders

  Gold (or strategic) Commander – The gold commander sets the strategy and assumes and retains overall strategic command for the operation or incident.

  Silver (or tactical) Commander – The silver commander commands and coordinates the overall tactical response in compliance with Gold’s strategy, and is the tactical commander of the incident.

  Bronze (or operational) Commander – The bronze commander is responsible for the command of a group of resources, and carries out functional or geographical responsibilities to deliver the requirements set by Silver in their tactical plan.

  CPS – Crown Prosecution Service. The public agency that conducts criminal prosecutions in England and Wales.

  CSI – was SOCO – Crime Scene Investigators (Scenes of Crime Officers). They are the people who attend crime scenes to search for fingerprints, DNA samples etc.

  CSA – Command Secretarial Assistant. A secretary to senior officers.

  DSI – Death or Serious Injury. The most serious category of road-traffic crash or criteria for incidents that may require post-incident procedures.

/>   DV – Domestic Violence. Any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive and/or threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those aged sixteen or over who are, or have been, intimate partners or family members regardless of gender or sexuality.

  DVLA – Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority. The government agency that registers motor vehicles and issues driving licences. An important source of intelligence in many enquiries.

  Europol – The European Union law enforcement agency. Assists police and other enforcement bodies in EU member states in their fight against serious international organized crime and terrorism.

  FLO – Family Liaison Officer. The trained and dedicated officer deployed to work with a bereaved family to provide support, information and to identify lines of enquiry.

  FLUM – Flash Unsolicited Message. A direct short message sent between computer screens, mainly in the control room, to alert other controllers or supervisors to either a significant incident or an important update on an ongoing incident. It flashes up, alerting the recipient to its content immediately.

  GBH – Grievous Bodily Harm. Serious physical injury deliberately inflicted on a person by another.

  Gold Group – a senior group of police, local community, politicians and other stakeholders drawn together to manage the impact of a critical incident.

  Golf 99 – The call sign for the divisional duty inspector who is expected to take ground command of critical incidents, working usually in partnership with Ops-1 for the CIM.

  GPS – Global Positioning System. A satellite-based navigation system made up of a network of twenty-four satellites placed into orbit, which allows precise locations of a GPS-enabled device to be identified.

  HOLMES – Home Office Large Major Enquiry System. The national computer database used on all murders. It provides a repository of all messages, actions, decisions and statements, allowing the analysis of intelligence and the tracking and auditing of the whole enquiry. Can enable enquiries to be linked across force areas where necessary.

  HTCU – High Tech Crime Unit. Now renamed Digital Forensics. The body which examines and investigates computers and other digital advisors. Part of SCC.

  IDVA – Independent Domestic Violence Advisor. Specially trained advocates who work to enhance the safety of domestic violence victims and that of their children. IDVAs normally work with their clients from the point of crisis to assess the level of risk, discuss the range of suitable options and develop safety plans.

  IFA – Independent Financial Advisor.

  Intel Cell – Intelligence cell. A dedicated team of officers and staff who provide the intelligence research and analysis to a major crime or incident.

  Interpol – International law enforcement agency. It has 190 member states and assists in cross-border investigations, especially involving terrorism, cybercrime and organized and emerging crime.

  IPCC – Independent Police Complaints Commission. The body that oversees the police complaints system in England and Wales and sets the standards by which the police should handle complaints. Its decisions are made entirely independently of the police and government.

  ISA – Individual Savings Account.

  ITU – Intensive Therapy Unit. The ward in a hospital where the sickest patients and those requiring the most specialist care are treated.

  The Keep – the central records office for Brighton and Hove City and East Sussex County Councils.

  Letter of Request – the formal request sent by one country’s prosecution service to another asking for permission for the police to carry out enquiries and investigations within the other’s territory.

  LST – Local Support Team. The standing unit of officers who provide public order, search and low-level surveillance tactics on a division.

  MDT – Mobile Data Terminal. The in-car computer that officers use to access the CAD and other police databases.

  MetCU – Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) Image Circulation Unit.

  MIR-1 – Major Incident Room 1. One of the large rooms in the Major Incident Suite where most of the investigation team work and brief.

  Misper – short for ‘missing person’.

  Murder Investigation Manual – the College of Policing Authorized Professional Practice document that provides structure, advice and guidance for the investigation of murder.

  MO – Modus Operandi (method of operation). The manner by which the offender has committed the offence. Often this can reveal unique features which allow crimes to be linked or suspects to be identified.

  NPAS 15 – the call sign for the helicopter that provides air support to Sussex Police.

  NPT – Neighbourhood Policing Team. A team of officers and Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) who are dedicated to a particular geographical area, primarily to reduce crime and improve people’s feelings of safety.

  Ops-1 – the call sign of the Force Control Duty Inspector, who has oversight and command of all critical incidents in the initial stages.

  PCSO – Police Community Support Officer. These are uniformed neighbourhood officers who work in communities but do not have police powers such as arrest, search, use of force etc.

  PIM – Post Incident Manager. A senior officer who is trained and deployed to facilitate, manage and assure the integrity of the post-incident procedures and to ensure that officers’ needs are addressed in a manner which does not compromise the investigation. Post-incident procedures are carried out following an incident where a firearm has been discharged, which has or may have resulted in death or serious injury, revealed failings in command or caused danger to officers or the public. Also used following incidents involving some other form of contact with the police whereby a member of the public suffers death or serious injury.

  POLACC – Police Accident. A crash involving a police vehicle.

  POLSA – Police Search Advisor. A trained and accredited officer who provides advice on where to search for something or someone, and how, in any given circumstance. Will often supervise the teams used in such searches.

  PPE – Personal Protective Equipment. Police-issued equipment used to protect officers or to allow them to control suspects. For example, body armour, handcuffs, baton, pepper spray.

  PSD – Professional Standards Department. The internal department that investigates allegations of police misconduct, whether from the public or identified within. Separate from the IPCC but works closely with them.

  RISE – freedom from domestic abuse charity. Provide support to victims of domestic violence and their children through an IDVA and other services.

  RPM dial – Revolutions Per Minute displayed on a dial found in motor vehicles.

  RPU – Roads Policing Unit. The new name for the Traffic Division.

  RTC – Road Traffic Collision (commonly known as an ‘accident’ by the public, but this term is not used as it implies no one is at fault when usually someone is).

  RV Point – Rendezvous Point. The designated location where emergency services meet prior to deploying to the scene of a crime or major incident. Used when it would be too dangerous or unwieldy for everyone to arrive at the scene at the same time in an uncoordinated way.

  SCC – Specialist Crime Command. The new name for CID HQ. The department that provides the specialist crime services such as major crime and public protection, and acts as the professional lead for detectives across the force.

  SIO – Senior Investigating Officer. Usually a Detective Chief Inspector who is in overall charge of the investigation of a major crime such as murder, kidnap or rape.

  SNAFU – Situation Normal, All Fucked Up. This is a military slang expression with the F standing for ‘Fucked’ or ‘Fouled’.

  SSU – Specialist Search Unit. The team who provide expert search skills such as searching underwater or in confined places or at height, as well as locations where a high degree of search expertise is required, such as large or complex crime scenes.

  TFU – Tactical Firearms Unit. The small, per
manently armed department of the police that responds to firearms incidents. They often deploy in ARVs, and also have other specialist capabilities.

  TPAC – Tactical Pursuit and Containment. Describes a range of methods for managing and terminating police pursuits, including boxing-in the target vehicle using police cars and, where necessary, causing it to stop by use of controlled collision.

  UC – Undercover Officer.

  SLANG AND PHRASES

  ABC – Assume Nothing, Believe No One, Check Everything. The Senior Investigating Officer’s mantra for maintaining an open and enquiring mindset in investigations.

  Beep test – the fitness test all officers are required to pass. It is a multistage aerobic fitness test in which officers must complete twenty-metre shuttle runs in time with the recorded bleeps until the bleeps get too quick for them.

  Bosher – the heavy metal handheld ram used to force open doors and allow officers to enter a locked premises or room swiftly and with the advantage of surprise.

  Bundle – a fight, or a file of documents prepared and presented at court or to the Crown Prosecution Service for advice.

  Copper’s Nose – a police officer’s instinct. The sixth sense which often guides an officer’s suspicions.

  Go bag – a pre-prepared bag containing essential equipment. Commonly kept by officers on call who may need to deploy to a scene of a crime or an incident quickly, knowing that they have all they will need with them – within reason!

  Golden Hour – the first hour after a crime has been committed or reported when the best chances of seizing evidence and/or identifying witnesses exist.

  PC Rain – so called as a good downpour has a greater chance of clearing people, including drunks and criminals, off the street than any number of police officers can!

  Policeman’s chair – the location where police officers like to sit in pubs or restaurants when on duty. Usually this is with their back to the wall, giving them a clear view of the main entrance and exit so they can see all the comings and goings and not be taken by surprise.