button to disconnect the AC from his phone call. Hillier snapped, "What the bloody hell do you think you're-"
"I said I want a word," Lynley cut in. "You and I had an arrangement, and you've violated it."
"Do you know who you're talking to?"
"Only too well. You brought Robson in as window dressing, and I allowed it."
Hillier's florid face went crimson. "No one bloody allows-"
"Our agreement was that I would decide what he saw and what he didn't see. He had no business at anyone's crime scene, but there he was, given access. There's only one way that sort of thing happens."
"That's right," Hillier said. "Keep it in mind. There's only one way anything happens round here and you are not that way. I'll decide who has access to what, when, and how, Superintendent, and if it comes to me that it might advance the investigation by having the Queen turn up to shake hands with the corpse, then prepare yourself to tug your forelock because her Roller's going to drop her off for a look. Robson's part of the team. Cope with it."
Lynley was incredulous. One moment the assistant commissioner was frothing at the mouth about locating leaks within the investigation; the next moment he was happily welcoming a potential snout right into their midst. But the problem went beyond what Hamish Robson might deliberately or inadvertently reveal to the media. He said, "Had it occurred to you that you're putting this man at risk? That you're exposing him to danger just for the hell of it? You're making yourself look good at his expense, and if anything goes wrong, it's down to the Met. Have you thought of that?"
"You're so far out of order-"
"Answer my question!" Lynley said. "There's a killer out there who's taken five lives, and for all we know he was standing behind the barrier this morning, among the gawkers, taking note of everyone who came and went."
"You're being hysterical," Hillier said. "Get out of this office. I've no intention of listening to you rant like a common lout. If you can't handle the pressure of this case, then take yourself off it. Or I'll do it for you. Now where the hell is Nkata? He's meant to be here when I talk to the press."
"Are you listening to me? Have you any idea..." Lynley wanted to pound his fist on the top of the AC's desk, just to feel something beyond outrage for a moment. He tried to calm himself. He lowered his voice. "Listen to me, sir. It's one thing for a killer to mark one of us. That's part of the risk we face when we take the job. But to put someone in the sight lines of a psychopath just to protect your political backside-"
"That's enough!" Hillier looked apoplectic. "That's bloody well enough. I've put up with your insolence for years but you're so far out of order at this point..." He came round the desk, stopping within three inches of Lynley. "Get out of this office," he hissed. "Get back to work. For the moment, we're going to pretend this conversation never happened. You're going to go about your business, you're going to obey every order that comes in your direction, you're going to get to the bottom of this mess, and you're going to make a prompt arrest. After that"-here Hillier poked Lynley's chest and Lynley's vision went red although he managed to restrain himself from reacting-"we'll decide what's going to happen to you. Have I made myself clear? Yes? Good. Now get back to work and get a result."
Lynley allowed the AC the last word although it felt like swallowing poison to do so. He turned on his heel and left Hillier to his political scheming. He used the stairs to descend to the incident room, cursing himself for thinking he could make a difference in Hillier's way of doing business. He needed to keep his focus on matters that counted, he realised, and the AC's use of Hamish Robson was going to have to be eliminated from that list.
All the members of the murder squad were in the picture with regard to the Shand Street tunnel body, and when Lynley joined them it was to find them as subdued as he expected. All counted, they numbered thirty-three now: from the constables on the street to the secretaries keeping track of all the reports and relevant documentation. Being defeated by a single individual when they had the power of