‘How long have you had these photographs?’

‘Just a few days.’

‘A few minutes was long enough. You should have given them to me.’

‘I couldn’t have told you how I got them. It would have put you in a bad position.’

She couldn’t help but laugh. ‘And I’m not now? Have you any idea how much pressure I’m under and how many people are just dying for me to fall flat on my face? Forget that though, forget that I could lose my job and the case. Think about what this could do to you and me. Have you stopped to think about that at all?’

‘Yes! Of course I have.’

‘Good, because, God help me, I love you. If I had to choose between you and keeping my job, then, even though it probably makes me crazy, I’d choose you. But I’d really rather not have to choose. You understand that, right?’

He was stunned. He honestly didn’t think she would choose anyone or anything over her job with the possible exception of her dad and his health. He nodded without being sure he really did understand.

She put her hand against his injured side and pushed, hard enough for it to hurt. It showed on his face and she nodded in satisfaction.

‘Remember how much it hurts. People are getting killed, Tony. You can’t put yourself in the way of that.’

‘It’s because they’ve been killed that I’ve got to do this.’

‘No, no way. You’re not going all John Wayne on me. I’ve no time for a dead hero right now. I need you alive and well and I need you to remember what I’ve said. This is about us. Do not mess it up. Do not do something so stupid that we can’t get back from it.’

‘I won’t.’

‘Don’t keep trying to get involved in this. Do not lie to me. Do not go behind my back. Do not break the law. If you do, we’re done.’

‘I won’t.’

The words sounded hollow in his own head so he could only guess how they sounded to her.

She didn’t believe him. She was sure he wanted to mean it but it didn’t sound like he could keep that promise, to her or himself. Got to do this: that’s what he’d said. Promises were easy after that but they didn’t come with the same feeling. She felt sick. Deep in her stomach it felt like something had ended.

Chapter 52

Narey dragged herself back into the station where the team had gathered to be brought up to speed with the events of the night before. Exhausted and nursing emotional bruises, she ached for the comfort of a hot bath or her bed but she had time for neither. Everything was on the line.

Addison was waiting for her outside the door to the incident room and took her by the arm into a corner. ‘Okay, what the fuck is happening?’ ‘That’s what I’m about to tell everyone.’ ‘You can tell them what you like but tell me what is going on. What are we looking at here? I don’t want questions from Crosby I don’t know the answers to. Are we looking at six murders? Because if we are then you’re taking a back seat, whether you like it or not.’ She really didn’t need this. ‘I don’t think so. I think it’s three and I’m getting a lot closer to getting a handle on it.’

‘You sure about that? Because all I see are bodies piling up. Give me what you have. I’m on your side, remember.’

‘It kicked off with the murder of Jennifer Cairns in the Odeon and the other two, Hepburn and Feeks, were done to cover it up. The killer is running scared and was worried they were a threat to him.’

Addison digested the information. ‘And the other three that you brought to me? Wharton, McGlashan and Hart?’

‘I don’t think they’re connected. Certainly not Wharton and Hart. Whatever it’s about, it’s happening now. Hepburn had been at the Odeon and photographed Cairns’ killer. Feeks found the body in the Molendinar.’

Addison’s eyes narrowed. ‘How do you know Hepburn was there?’

‘I’ve got his photographs.’

‘What? How? Where the hell did you get them?’

She hesitated. ‘An informant. Someone who can be trusted. The photos are genuine.’

He wasn’t happy with that. It was nowhere near enough and they both knew it. He was trying to work out what she wasn’t saying and whether he dared let her run with it. She hoped he couldn’t read her mind but feared how well he knew her.

‘You’re taking chances, Rachel, and it’s not like you. Are you sure about what you’re doing? Don’t leave yourself somewhere I can’t help you.’

‘I need to clear this case.’

His voice hardened into a fierce whisper. ‘If you’re gambling your career on this because the pressure’s got to you then you’re not the person I think you are. You’re better than that, Rachel, so act like it. Use your head and do the right thing. What do I need to know?’

He was right, about all of it. In the instant of realizing that, she felt a relief she hadn’t known all morning.

‘The photographs came from Tony.’

Addison said nothing but just looked at her, waiting for the rest.

‘He had been best friends with Hepburn years ago and he . . .’ She paused. ‘He felt the need to find out what happened. He found Hepburn’s camera. He also went out with a group of urbexers to the old railway line at the Botanics and got photographs of them.’

Addison rubbed at his eyes and swore quietly under his breath. ‘Remind me to kill him if you haven’t already done it. Where is the camera now?’

‘Back where he found it in Hepburn’s flat. He just took copies from the memory card.’

‘Did he wear gloves?’

She nodded.

‘Okay, so your informant told you where the camera might be. Go get it and find the photographs for yourself. Anything Tony took at the Botanics is fine - he did it as a member of the public. And as a twat.’

‘What about the briefing?’

He looked at his watch. ‘Get back here in an hour and I’ll postpone it till then. They can moan all they want. Just make sure you get this right.’

She was back in forty-five minutes, the camera found and bagged, the relevant photographs made ready to show to the troops on the PowerPoint. The break, and Addison’s words, had given her back some control. The pressure was still there but she was in slightly better shape to handle it. She had to do her job.

DCS Crosby was there, standing at the back of the room with his arms crossed and a sombre expression. She avoided his gaze and tried to forget he was there at all.

She took the squad through everything they had on Remy Feeks and where she thought he fitted into the timeline. She laid out her theory and watched them take it in. One murder, two more as cover-up. It was her best guess, her gut feeling and the logical conclusion.

Not everyone was impressed and she saw the same sceptical faces wrinkle in doubt: Petrie, Storey and McTeer chief among them. There was chatter and shoulders being shrugged, whispers and shared looks.

It was Storey, not surprisingly, who stood and challenged her. He made a point of looking troubled but she could see he was loving it.

‘What about these other deaths?’ He pointed over to the three faces to the right. ‘Last time we were all in here you were telling us how they were all part of this and now we’ve to forget about them. I’m a bit confused. How much are you just guessing here?’

‘DI Storey!’ Heads turned to see it was Crosby who was shouting at him. ‘If you were listening you’d know the answer to your question. DI Narey is giving you the best analysis she can of a changing situation. If you’re taking advantage of that to score some points then maybe this team isn’t the place for you. Is that what you’re doing?’