Линда Ла Плант - Good Friday

‘Do us a favour and call the fire brigade… I don’t fancy going back the way I came to get down.’

The vicar, a small balding man, was rigid with shock.

‘Officer…’ he stammered. ‘There is a roof edge that we had reinforced and if your c — c — c — colleague follows it round to the left he’ll find a bell tower with a d — d — d — door where he can let himself in.’

Stanley looked up. ‘Did you get that, Dex?’

By the time Dexter was down from the roof several uniformed officers were at the scene, dealing with the small but distraught group of people who had been rehearsing for the Easter Service. A uniformed officer approached Dexter and handed him his radio.

‘The duty inspector wants to speak to you, sir.’

Dexter spoke into the radio. ‘Go ahead, DS Dexter receiving… over.’

‘We found a radio-controlled bomb in a rucksack. It was left with the hotel reception staff by the suspect PC after the first search.’

‘Jesus Christ, I’ll be right there.’

‘No, no, it’s OK… The device has been successfully defused by one of your colleagues.’

‘Did you evacuate the hotel?’

‘No. Everything is now secure and there was no need for an evacuation.’

‘Yes, but where’s the bloody bomb now?’

‘It’s been taken back to the explosives lab for further examination and fingerprinting.’

‘Have you informed DCI Crowley?’ Dexter asked.

‘Yes, and after consultation with the Bomb Squad Commander it’s been decided that the ball’s going ahead… they’ll be summoning all the guests for dinner in fifteen minutes.’

Dexter handed the radio back to the PC. ‘What a wanker…’ he remarked, and the PC nodded.

Stanley tapped Dexter on the shoulder. ‘I’m sure the suspect threw something away in the basement area of the flats in Castle Lane.’

‘How big was it?’ Dexter asked Stanley.

‘I didn’t get a good look… it wasn’t big, but it kind of jangled…’

‘You know what it could be? A backup radio transmitter for the rucksack bomb. We’d better instruct a couple of uniformed officers to go and search the area.’

They didn’t have to wait long before two SOCOs arrived to bag the body and have it removed to Westminster mortuary. Dexter had searched the pockets, but he found nothing more than a wallet with a few one and five pound notes in it. He turned to one of the SOCO officers.

‘Can you do me a favour and get me a dead set of fingerprints? I’ll get someone to take them straight over to the Yard’s fingerprint bureau so we can check them against the prints we found at the Kentish town flat and criminal records.’

The young PC gestured to Dexter.

‘Excuse me, sir — DCI Crowley wants to see you and DS Stanley in his office now…’

Stanley raised his eyes to the vaulted ceiling.

‘Oh, shit! My wife’s going to file for divorce if I miss this dinner with her…’

Dexter and Stanley stood the other side of the two-way window looking into the interrogation room. Outside the room was a uniformed officer. Inside, Crowley, like the two of them, was wearing evening dress with a large black velvet bow tie. It looked odd to see him dressed so formally opposite Natalie. Two uniformed officers stood at either end of the room and DCI Church sat beside Crowley making notes.

This was the first time that Dexter and Stanley had seen Natalie Wilde. She was wearing a police issue overall and was looking remarkably unruffled.

‘Well, she’s no Maureen O’Hara, is she?’ Stanley commented.

‘Who?’ Dexter looked at him.

‘You know, the red-headed Irish movie star… Natalie just looks pretty ordinary.’

‘That’s the whole point, Stanley. She just fits into everyday life. Just a cashier in a bank.’

They watched for a while longer. Crowley was repeating the same questions over and over again. Natalie kept saying ‘No comment’ to everything she was asked.

Dexter spoke to the officer outside the door. ‘Can you get DCI Crowley out for us?’

‘She’s a nasty little bitch…’ Crowley said to them as he emerged from the interrogation room.

‘Well, maybe she’ll react when you tell her that her partner’s dead,’ said Stanley. ‘We found the rucksack planted at the hotel, and when he tried to make his escape he fell through a church roof and split his head open. He’s a goner.’

‘It’s a shame I won’t be able to question him about the ASU safe house and other IRA members…’ Crowley loosened his bow tie. ‘But if he’s anything like that bitch he probably wouldn’t tell me anything. You two did a great job tonight… not to mention risking your own lives.’ He took a ten-pound note out of his pocket and handed it to Dexter. ‘Go and enjoy your evening — you deserve a stiff drink on me. I’ll join you after I’ve finished questioning her and then I’ll have her taken to Paddington.’

Dexter slipped the note into his pocket. ‘Thanks. I’ll have a large Scotch waiting for you, and Church as well.’

As Crowley re-entered the interrogation room, Natalie pointedly turned her face away from him.

‘Well, Miss Wilde… we found the bomb in the rucksack at the hotel. Seems your intention to harm as many of our officers as possible has failed.’ He leaned across the table but Natalie didn’t react.

‘And your partner, attempting to escape arrest, had an unfortunate fatal accident…’

This was the only time Natalie showed what lay beneath her controlled demeanour. She sprang forward and spat at Crowley, directly in his face. It took every ounce of control for him not to slap her for her smirking arrogance. She was pure evil.

Dexter and Stanley returned to the hotel just as pudding was being served. Stanley had lost his bow tie and a cufflink, and Dexter’s white evening shirt had dark stains all over it and the caps of his shiny shoes were badly scuffed.

‘It’s all over!’ Stanley raised his hands in the air.

Jane still had Dexter’s evening jacket and was waiting anxiously in the empty bar.

‘Didn’t you go in for dinner?’ Dexter asked.

‘No… I couldn’t eat a thing… I was too worried.’ She handed him his jacket. ‘Is it really all over?’

‘Yeah… we got him, but we won’t be getting anything out of him. The madman fell through a church roof and broke his neck on the altar.’

Stanley smiled. ‘They were singing “All Things Bright and Beautiful” and literally on the words “How great is God Almighty” the suspect fell through the roof… His face was smashed to pieces, and—’

Dexter held up his hand. ‘That’s enough, Stanley.’

Jane moved closer to Dexter. ‘What about Natalie?’

‘Crowley’s been interrogating her… he said she’s a hard nut to crack.’

‘Did she say anything about me?’ Jane asked, anxiously.

‘Not as far as I know.’

Despite their air of bravado, Dexter and Stanley ordered stiff drinks. They were on their second Scotch when Crowley and Church both joined them. Dexter pointed to the bar where their drinks were waiting for them. Crowley raised his glass.

‘I’d like to propose a toast to Dexter and Stanley for their brave and unselfish actions… Mind you, the Commissioner may be a bit miffed if he has to donate a couple of grand to the Westminster Chapel roof fund.’

They all laughed and raised their glasses. They could hear the noise coming from the busy banqueting room, which was buzzing with chatter, laughter and the clinking of glasses and crockery. Everyone was in a good mood, all getting along and having a laugh at each other’s expense.

‘Come on, you lot… if we don’t get in there we won’t get anything to eat,’ Dexter said. He was about to go to the banqueting room when the duty inspector walked in.