‘This gobby cow? She the one called the control room?’
Dixon shrugged. ‘Dunno.’
Gormley tutted. ‘Did you get a name?’
‘No, sorry . . .’ The PC was sweating. ‘Look, she refused to give it to me. I know I should’ve insisted, but I was in a hurry to get back to your crime scene. I was supposed to be guarding it . . .’ He looked at Daniels. ‘That’s how come I was first to respond when the call came on the radio. I was right there, y’know. I did what I could and then let the ambulance crew get on with it.’
‘What did the girl look like?’ Daniels asked.
‘She was a tart, boss. Short skirt, lots of slap and bling. She had a tattoo of a seahorse on her upper arm, if that’s any use to you. She lives close by, I know that much. She’s been hanging around the crime scene, talking to the press and stuff.’ Dixon came over all apologetic. ‘I wasn’t away from the crime scene long, ma’am.’
‘That’s not important.’ Daniels was quiet for a moment. ‘You did the right thing and used your initiative. Making accurate judgements is what being a copper is all about. That’s what I want you to do now. Do you understand?’
‘Not sure I do, ma’am.’
‘Let me put it another way then. What you do and say in relation to this matter is vitally important to your future in the police force . . .’ Her eyes never left his. ‘Now, do we understand each other?’
Dixon nodded, his face frozen with fear.
‘OK . . .’ Daniels searched for the right words, ones she hoped might elicit the truth. Ones that stopped short of a direct accusation. ‘Did you take possession of anything for safekeeping when you attended George Milburn?’
‘I don’t like what you’re implying, ma’am.’
Gormley intervened. ‘We’re not implying anything.’
Daniels sighed. Gormley’s timing was off. He’d reacted a little too quickly for her liking. She’d have preferred to let the officer sweat a moment longer. She stared at Dixon, trying to read him. Anxiety and guilt were often difficult to separate when accusations were being made. He certainly looked uncomfortable, but then so would she in similar circumstances. That didn’t mean he’d done anything wrong. The burden of proof was on her.
‘It’s a simple enough question,’ she said, finally. ‘One that requires an answer.’
‘No, boss.’ Dixon eyeballed her, a flash of anger creeping in. ‘I didn’t take possession of any items for safekeeping, never saw any money and wouldn’t have touched it if I had. I can assure you, I—’
‘Thank you,’ Daniels said. ‘You can go.’
Dixon didn’t move, despite the dismissal.
‘That’ll be all,’ Gormley said.
The constable stared at them both, then turned on his heels and left the room, not bothering to close the door behind him. They watched him walk the length of the incident room, no haste in his step, his head held high. He didn’t look back, just let himself out through the door at the far end.
Daniels tapped her teeth with her pen. ‘What do you reckon?’
‘Hard to say.’ Gormley looked at his watch. ‘Tell me to wind my neck in, but with three murders on the slate, have we got time for this?’
‘We’re making time, Hank. I gave my word to Elliot Milburn. If that means working even later than usual, then so be it. There’s something fishy going on here and I’ve got a feeling it’s about more than a few missing pound notes.’
‘You telling me the old man’s death wasn’t coincidental?’
‘You already theorized that he set the fire—’
‘Which you rubbished, as I recall! Look, I changed my mind, OK? Everything Elliot told me about Milburn points to him being a decent old man—’
‘What if he saw who set the fire, Hank? What if he was being paid to keep his mouth shut? Elliot thinks the money was his granddad’s life savings, but we’ve only got his word for it. It may not have been.’
‘Anything’s possible, I suppose.’
‘I entirely accept his death was from natural causes. Stanton’s clear on that score. There was no evidence whatsoever that he was mugged. Assuming for one moment that he did see the arsonist and was paid for his silence, maybe the stress of it all is what killed him. Maybe the arsonist took her money back.’
‘The girl with the tat you mean?’
Daniels just looked at him.