to see me in this Godawful place.’
‘It’s all right, guv. I’ve been wanting a word with you anyway. That Jessie Driver, she gets –’ Jones put his hand up. ‘She’s running the department like a despot, circumnavigating the press office, she’s –’
‘A different sort of detective to you and me, Mark, that’s all, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t, in her own way, as good. I need you in charge in my absence, not whipping up a battleground. I’ve got something important for you to do.’
‘Police a pensioners’ march?’
‘Mark, come on, I’m too ill for your shit. You are a good man, don’t make me have to convince her of that.’
Ward shook his head. This pep talk touched the surface of years of booze, boys’ club, marital break-ups, bodies. He’d given the Force too much to be passed over for a girl half his age with none of his experience. ‘Whatever.’
‘Please?’
‘What was this important case?’
Jones passed over the file. ‘Find Frank Mills. Use whatever means, do whatever you have to, but find him.’
‘Thought you put Miss Open University on the job.’
‘It was a mistake.’
Mark opened the file. ‘Well, well, well, your old friend Raymond Giles.’
‘Exactly.’
‘I remember him going down.’
‘Exactly.’
‘And coming out.’
‘Exactly.’
‘He shot this boy’s dad, and the boy disappears?’
‘Exactly.’
‘He’d be how old by now …?’
‘Exactly.’ Jones closed his eyes. When he opened them, Mark Ward had gone. He’d slept for four hours.
Jessie let herself into the flat, put her helmet on the wooden floor and walked through to the kitchen. There was a bottle of wine open on the table and singing coming from the bathroom. Jessie poured herself a glass and walked to the bathroom, with her foot she eased the door open. Maggie was lying in bubbles up to her ears, smoking a fag, singing to Heart FM and sipping from a half-empty wine glass.
She stopped singing and looked at Jessie. ‘Hey, Morse.’
‘Hey, Anthea.’
‘Ouch. You’re late.’
Jessie put the seat down and sat on the loo. ‘Yup.’
‘Boy or body?’
‘Latter, sadly.’
‘Anything you can tell me about?’
The sigh was uncontrolled and came from deep inside her. Jessie shook her head.
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