Chapter 28
Chapter Twenty-Eight
It didn’t take long for Doctor Saira Mizra, known as Doctor Miz, to determine that smoke inhalation and the lack of oxygen had been enough to kill Stefan Taylor, the blow to the head traumatic enough to have knocked him out for a good few hours to begin with.
He’d never regained consciousness, but at least he’d made his stay on ICU short, so saving the taxpayer a bit of money at least.
It was a cold and maybe cruel thing to think, but I couldn’t find any empathy for a man who’d exploited a vulnerable girl, even if he’d had a difficult childhood.
I was glad he was dead, that if Lily ever did get to the point where she could be discharged, he wouldn’t be around to drag her back into her toxic past.
I got to the Fishbowl at lunchtime, having been given the heads up that this was when we were being introduced to our new DI.
One rumour was that it was Nick Sweeting; another was that it was Vinny, which had been ridiculed.
Someone had said that Carolyn Fisher was moving over from organised crime, but when she’d been asked she’d laughed in their faces.
I guessed we were that hot a prospect, whatever we liked to think.
We’d put a spread on for Wrigley, Alicia from reception who’d always had a soft spot for him organising it.
There was a cake with a figure playing cricket on it that I assumed was meant to be him, and platters of sandwiches and cakes, which would some be cleared like a plague of locusts had landed on them.
I filled a paper plate of them, pleased to be hungry and glad they were soft, then sat down at my desk, watching the rest of the room fill up with cops from different departments, here to celebrate a decent officer’s retirement and to find who was joining us.
“The favourite’s Jimmy Lawrence,” Vinny sat down next to me, stretching out. “But my money’s on Carolyn.”
“It’s definitely not her.” I nibbled at a prawn cocktail sandwich. “Are you going for drinks after?”
“Damn right. I’m off tomorrow as well. When are you off on your travels?”
I’d messaged him yesterday with where I’d booked. “Thursday.”
“You did well there.”
“I think there was an instruction to grant it. I’m actually off from tomorrow.” For once, I was looking forward to being away from the place. ‘You can let me know what the new DI’s like. Break them in before I get back.”
“I’d be more than happy to break Carolyn in.”
I smacked his arm with the back of my hand, dislodging a sausage roll onto the floor.
“Karma.” He bent down, picked it up and threw it in his mouth. “Five second rule.”
“Idiot.” I shut up as Wrigley entered to a huge cheer, a few people standing up. I dragged myself up to join them, aching at the thought of missing the man who’d guided me through so much of my career.
“Well, well. This is a bit nice, isn’t it?
” He stood at the front, commanding the room for the last time.
“First of all, well done on both the cases we’ve concluded in the last week or so.
You’ve worked hard, got results, and all done the right way.
I’m proud of this team and what you’ve become, but I’m also really fucking glad that after today you won’t me my fucking problem.
” There was another cheer, a few calls. I ate another sandwich.
“It’s been both a pleasure and a curse. For thirty-five years, I’ve worked as a cop, always in Manchester and the place has changed a bit.
The city’s just as much glass as dirt and the buildings have grown a bit taller.
The price of a pint’s a bit steep too, but that won’t matter today because they’ll all be on you.
” He looked around the room. “I’m not a sentimental sod, and as much as I’ve enjoyed most of my career, I’m glad this is the last day of it.
Enjoy it, take pride in it, but don’t forget to live outside of it.
” He looked at me. “To Manchester’s finest.”
We all stood, holding up drinks or sandwiches or something random – a stapler in Lachy’s case. A dark-haired man, who I didn’t recognise had come into the room, his back to us. His shoulders were broad, hair slicked back and neatly cut.
“New DI?” Vinny looked irritated. “Another bloke.”
“I don’t see any woman wanting the pleasure of managing you. You’re a promotion deterrent.” I took another bite of my next sandwich. Alicia had excelled herself.
“Appreciated.” He nicked another sausage roll off my plate.
Wrigley coughed loudly, the room almost instantly silent as we waited to meet his successor. “So the only person we could find brave enough to wrangle you lot had to be dragged out from an undercover op. He begged to stay where he was, but it didn’t work, so meet your new DI, Tadeusz O’Sullivan.”
I watched as the new DI turned round. Short hair, tamed curls on top and clean shaven, with dark eyes that found me straight away.
I stood up, the room around me blurring.
Tadeusz O’Sullivan.
A man I knew as Taz.
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