The front door slammed, knocking a canvas print of the New York skyline off the living room wall. Buzzing with adrenaline, Baxter increased the speed of the treadmill, put her earphones back in and turned up the volume.
Wolf was in a foul mood by the time he reached the office and stormed over to Finlay’s desk, where his friend was eager to hear all about his date with Ashley.
‘What the hell did you go and do that for?’ Wolf snapped.
‘Come again?’
‘Telling Baxter about my dinner with Lochlan.’
‘Tried not to, but she knew I was hiding something.’
‘Then you should have made something up!’
‘Should I now?’
Wolf watched as Finlay, ever the source of joviality and positivity in the department, transformed back into the brawling Glaswegian bobby he had once been. Wolf took his hands out of his pockets in case he needed to react quickly – Finlay’s left hook was legendary.
‘It’s what a friend would do,’ said Wolf.
‘I’m Emily’s friend as well.’
‘All the more reason. Now you’ve hurt her feelings.’
‘Oh, I’ve hurt her feelings? I have?’ Finlay was talking very quietly, which was never a good sign. ‘I’ve watched you lead that poor lass on for years. Whatever’s going on between you two already cost you your marriage and yet you’re still at it now, which either means you actually do want her but are too gutless to take the plunge or you don’t and are too gutless to cut her loose. Either way, you’ve got four days left to man up.’
Wolf was speechless. Finlay had always fought his side over everything.
‘I’ve got a lead to follow up on. I’m heading out,’ said Finlay, getting up.
‘I’ll come with.’
‘No, you won’t.’
‘We’ve got a progress meeting at ten,’ said Wolf.
‘Cover for me,’ smiled Finlay bitterly.
He slapped Wolf sharply on the back and walked away.
At 9.05 a.m. Wolf ignored another call from Dr Preston-Hall and expected to hear the commander’s phone ring at any moment. Finlay had left in a temper and he had already heard Baxter yelling at someone from across the office.
Edmunds was oblivious to all of this. He had spent the last ten minutes preparing the documents that he wanted to discuss with Wolf and was excited to see his reaction. He gathered up the papers and ran through the opening lines that he had been practising in his head as he made his way over to Wolf’s desk.
‘Gabriel Poole Junior, 2009,’ announced Edmunds.
He thought he saw a fleeting look of recognition, but Wolf just sighed heavily and looked up at him impatiently.
‘Is that supposed to mean something to me?’
Wolf’s lack of reaction had been disappointing, but Edmunds continued on enthusiastically.
‘I was hoping that it might,’ he said. ‘Heir to an electronics empire, vanished from a hotel suite, body never recovered. Any of this ringing any bells?’
‘Look, I don’t want to be rude, but isn’t there anyone else you could talk to about this? I’m not much company.’
Edmunds’ confidence had been shaken by Wolf’s disinterest. He realised that he had not explained himself very well.
‘Sorry, let me start again. I’ve been looking into archived cases—’
‘I thought I told you not to.’
‘You did, but I assure you, I did it all in my own time. Anyway, I found someth—’
‘No. Not “anyway”. If a superior officer instructs you not to do something, you don’t do it!’ Wolf yelled, attracting the entire office’s attention to Edmunds’ dressing down. Wolf got to his feet.
‘If you’ll just g-give me a chance to explain,’ Edmunds stammered. He could not understand how the innocent conversation had deteriorated so drastically, but he was not prepared to walk away either. He had important questions that needed answering. ‘I found something really promising.’
Wolf came round to the front of the desk. Edmunds took this as a sign that he was willing to listen and held the first document out to him. Wolf slapped the entire pile out of his hands and onto the floor. There were schoolyard jeers and laughter at the insult. Baxter was on her way over to them and Simmons, reverting back into chief mode, was on his feet.
‘I need to know why you booked out the Poole evidence,’ said Edmunds. His voice was raised, but the tremble betrayed his nerves.
‘I don’t think I like your tone,’ said Wolf, squaring up to the gangly young man.
‘I don’t think I like your answer!’ replied Edmunds, surprising everybody, including himself. ‘Why were you looking into it?’
Wolf grabbed Edmunds by the throat and slammed him back against the meeting room wall. Black cracks forked outwards through the tinted glass.
‘Hey!’ yelled Simmons.
‘Wolf!’ shouted Baxter, running over to them.
Wolf released Edmunds, who had a trickle of dark blood running down his neck. Baxter stepped between them.
‘What the hell, Wolf?’ she shouted in his face.
‘You tell your little lapdog to stay away from me!’ he bellowed.
She barely recognised the wild-eyed man in front of her.
‘He’s not mine any more. You’re losing it, Wolf,’ she told him.
‘I’m losing it?’ he screamed, red-faced and intense.
Baxter understood the unspoken threat. He was a hair’s breadth away from exposing the secret that she had concealed for years. She braced herself, actually feeling relieved that she could finally stop pretending.
But he hesitated:
‘Tell him he’d better have something concrete if he’s going to start throwing accusations around,’ said Wolf.
‘Accusations about what?’ asked Baxter.
‘I wasn’t accusing you of anything,’ snapped Edmunds. ‘I just wanted your help.’
Vanita, having missed the beginning of the disagreement, emerged from her office.
‘With what?’ Baxter barked at both of them.
‘He’s been wasting time on my old case files rather than doing his job!’
‘Oh, piss off,’ spat Edmunds uncharacteristically. Blood was running between his fingers where he held his head.
Wolf lunged forward, but Simmons blocked him. Baxter leaned in to whisper to Edmunds.
‘Is that true?’ she asked him.
‘I’ve found something.’
‘I told you to leave this alone,’ she snapped.
‘I found something,’ he repeated.
‘I can’t believe you’re taking his side,’ said Wolf.
‘I’m not! I think you’re both dicks!’ shouted Baxter.
‘Enough!’
The office went deathly silent. Vanita was livid as she marched up to the squabbling group.
‘Edmunds, get that head seen to. Baxter, go back to your own team. Fawkes, you’re suspended as of this moment.’
‘You can’t suspend me,’ he said dismissively.
‘Try me. Get out!’
‘Commander, I have to agree with Wolf,’ said Edmunds, leaping to his attacker’s defence. ‘You can’t suspend him. We need him.’
‘I will not have you tearing my department apart from the inside,’ she told Wolf. ‘Get out. You’re done.’