‘Absolutely not.’
‘Can I speak to Ben?’
‘I’ll get his details from HR. He left a couple of weeks ago – I’m afraid we have a rather high turnover of staff here.’
‘How did the client pay?’ Kelly said.
Tamir consulted the notes written on her pad. ‘By credit card. We can let you have those details, and the address of the client too, of course, but I’ll need a data protection waiver from your side.’
‘Of course.’ Damn. Tamir Barron had agreed to see Kelly so readily, she had been holding out hope that the other woman would simply hand over the file. A data protection waiver would need an inspector’s signature, which Kelly wouldn’t be able to get without coming clean about her extra-curricular investigations. ‘In the meantime, perhaps you could let me have copies of the adverts; both those you’ve run, and those waiting to run?’ She held Tamir’s gaze as confidently as she could.
‘A data protection waiver—’ she started.
‘Is necessary for personal details such as addresses and credit cards. I quite understand. But there are no personal details in those adverts, are there? And we are talking about a potential crime series.’ Kelly’s heart banged in her chest so loudly she was surprised Tamir couldn’t hear it. Did she need a data protection waiver for the adverts too? She couldn’t remember, and she mentally crossed her fingers that Tamir wouldn’t know either.
‘A series? Have there been other robberies?’
‘I can’t tell you anything else, I’m afraid.’ Data protection, Kelly wanted to add.
There was a pause.
‘I’ll get copies made of the adverts and have them sent down to reception. You can wait for them there.’
‘Thank you.’
‘Needless to say we’ve spoken to all our staff about the importance of adhering to procedure.’
‘Thank you. You’ll cancel the remaining adverts, I presume?’
‘Cancel them?’
‘The adverts that haven’t run yet. You can’t put them in the paper. They could be facilitating crimes against women.’
‘I sympathise, DC Swift, but with the greatest respect, it’s your job to protect the public, not mine. Our job is to print newspapers.’
‘Could you stop for a few days though? Not cancel the adverts altogether, but …’ Kelly tailed off, aware she sounded unprofessional. She needed concrete proof the adverts related to criminal activity. The link between Cathy Tanning’s keys and her advert was clear, but Zoe Walker hadn’t been a victim of crime. It wasn’t enough.
‘I’m afraid not. The client has paid in advance; I’ll need to get permission from my boss before I can cancel the contract. Unless of course you have a court order?’
The expression on Tamir’s face was neutral, but her eyes were hard and Kelly decided not to push it. She mirrored the other woman’s polite smile.
‘I don’t have a court order, no. Not yet.’
No sooner had Kelly pressed the doorbell than she heard the excited shrieks of her nephews, running to greet her. Five-year-old Alfie wore a Spiderman outfit, teamed with a plastic Viking helmet, while his three-year-old brother Fergus ran towards her on podgy bare legs, his T-shirt sporting the Minion figures he adored.
‘What’s this?’ Kelly said, feigning amazement as she looked at Fergus’s lower half. ‘Big-boy pants?’ The boy grinned and lifted his T-shirt to better show off his briefs.
‘Early days,’ Lexi said as she appeared behind the boys. She scooped up Fergus and kissed Kelly in one fluid movement. ‘Watch where you step.’
Lexi and her husband Stuart lived in St Albans, in an area teeming with yummy mummies and their buggies. After leaving Durham, Lexi had done a PGCE course, finding a job teaching history at the local secondary school. She’d met Stuart – the deputy head – there, and they’d been together ever since.
‘Where’s Stu?’
‘Parents’ evening. I did my lot yesterday, thankfully. Right, you two: pyjamas. Go.’
‘But we want to play with Auntie Kelly!’ Alfie moaned. Kelly dropped to her knees and gave him a squeeze.
‘Tell you what: you two go and do your PJs and teeth double quick, and then we’ll have tickle time. Deal?’
‘Deal!’ The boys ran upstairs and Kelly grinned.
‘It’s a doddle, this parenting lark.’
‘You wouldn’t say that if you’d been here about half an hour ago. Melt-down central. Now, the boys have eaten, so I thought we could put them to bed then eat in peace once they’re asleep; I’ve done a mushroom risotto for us.’
‘Sounds perfect.’ Kelly’s phone beeped and she frowned at the screen.
‘Something wrong?’