Mike says he’s going over to the car lot for a showdown after some meeting at the community centre. That gives the red mist a couple of hours to clear, which is the last thing we want happening. Chloe’s gonna crank up the pressure on Tarasov. I need you to head over to the community centre and wind up Patel.’
‘How?’
James was grinning after John explained. ‘That is so gross, John.’
‘What’s funny?’ Hannah asked, as James came back into the room and shut his mobile.
‘Nothing,’ James said tetchily.
‘I thought your social worker was called Zara.’
‘She is.’
‘But you were talking to someone called John. And why did you have to leave the room?’
‘I couldn’t hear with the music on,’ James said.
‘You’d better tell me what’s going on, James. Are you seeing someone else?’
‘Don’t be daft …’ James said, wishing he’d made some excuse not to let Hannah in earlier on.
‘You’re lying to me about something, James, and I don’t like it.’
James turned back angrily. ‘Well I don’t like you spying on me. For your information, that was an old mate from when I was in foster care. I’m going out to meet him down the West End.’
Hannah looked pissed off as she slid her feet into her sandals and set off towards the front door. ‘James, if you’re gonna start treating me like an idiot, you can stick it.’
James didn’t want to upset Hannah, but he had to get rid of her fast. ‘Look, I haven’t got time right now. I’ll call you later.’
Hannah stopped briefly as she stormed down the hallway. ‘Don’t bother.’
As the front door slammed, James raced into the kitchen and found a couple of Sainsbury’s carrier bags. He grabbed his keys, mobile and two-way radio before heading out on to the balcony. He caught a glance of Hannah, angrily fumbling with her front door key and disappearing into her flat.
James ran down to the ground floor, wondering if he’d blown it with Hannah Clarke. Two days earlier that would have made him sad, but the kiss off Kerry had changed everything.
11:21
Back in the hotel suite there’d been a scramble to make Chloe look like a police officer. They didn’t have a uniform and even if they’d been able to get one of Millie’s, they wouldn’t have had time to alter it for Chloe’s much shorter figure. Making a warrant card was easier. John had a shoebox packed with wallets and insignia that could turn you into anything from an emergency repairman for Thames Water to a captain in the Royal Marines.
Lauren snapped Chloe’s photo with her digital camera, while Kerry typed a name and number into a warrant card template on one of the computers. By the time Chloe emerged from her room across the hallway, dressed in flat shoes and a plain blue skirt, John had printed, trimmed and laminated her police ID, before slipping it into a fold-out wallet printed with a Metropolitan Police crest.
Nobody had told Dave what was happening, so he was surprised to see Chloe pull on to the lot in the yellow Mitsubishi he’d used to take Kerry home the night before. Leon came down the steps of his cabin with his special customer grin.
‘Good morning, my dear,’ Leon said, as Chloe stepped out of the car. ‘How can I help you? If you’re looking for something bigger than the Colt, I’m sure I could do you an excellent trade-in.’
Chloe put her handbag on the roof of her car. She felt like an idiot as she rummaged for the warrant card. It didn’t seem like the kind of thing a real police officer would have done.
‘Sergeant Megan Handler,’ Chloe said, as she flipped open the warrant card. ‘Vehicle inspectorate, Bow Road.’
Leon’s expression drooped. ‘What can I help you with, officer?’
‘A little bird told me that some of the cars you’re selling here might not be kosher,’ Chloe explained.
‘Did he now,’ Leon said, shaking his head knowingly. ‘I wonder who might have done that.’
Dave smiled discreetly as he overheard. This hadn’t been part of the original plan, but he immediately realised that it was a neat way of making Patel and Tarasov even madder at each other.
‘Do you mind if I have a little look at your stock?’ Chloe asked.
‘Have you got a warrant?’
‘No, but if you make me get one I’ll come back with three uniformed officers and I bet you won’t sell a single car while they spend half a day poking around.’
Leon stepped back and spread his arms out wide.