Page 79 of Copper Script
“But he didn’t,” Joel said.“And it would be quite a rubbish effort, wouldn’t it, if he couldn’t provide any proof.Who do you believe?”
Challice regarded him levelly.“Well, that’s the thing.You see, DS Fowler tells me that the charges against him are all based on your testimony.”
“Mine?”
“DDI Colthorne says that you have accused DS Fowler of sharing confidential evidence relating to active investigations—”
“Did he, by God,” Joel said.“Didhe.We’ve got the swine.”
She raised a questioning brow.Joel said, “The people leaning on me?One of them was Darby Sabini.He called me in to demand dirt on DS Fowler, so Fowler told me to say that he’d given me confidential evidence relating to active investigations.Only, he never did that, and I haven’t claimed he did to anyoneexceptDarby Sabini.So how come your DDI Colthorne is accusing him of exactly that?”
Challice took that in.Then she said, “The DDI also said you accused the DS of indecent behaviour.”
“I did not!Sabini wanted me to—told me to, even—but I didn’t, so that’s a sodding lie.Excuse my French.”
Challice considered him.For a fresh-faced young woman, she had the eye of an inquisitor.“So you think the Divisional Detective Inspector is corrupt, and he’s making Mr.Fowler a scapegoat to avoid exposure.”
“Yes!”
She let out a breath that sounded long-held.“So do I.That man gives me the screaming ab-dabs.”
The knuckles and joints of her interlaced fingers were white, Joel saw belatedly.God knew what guts it must have taken for a young woman to join CID, how precarious that particular experiment was, how much she might feel riding on her success or failure.How unpleasant a lot of people probably made her life.
“Do you want to be involved in this?”he found himself asking.
“I don’t imagine any of us do,” she said.“If you haven’t made personal accusations against Mr.Fowler—”
“I have not!Can you please tell him, I havenot.”
“He asked me to tell you he doesn’t believe it for a second.”
That was a punch to the heart.“Really?”Joel asked like a fool.“That is—did he mean it?”
“I suppose so, since he said it.But the DDI presumably expects you to back up his story if it comes to the crunch.”
“I won’t.”
“DS Fowler says, either you’ll be forced into it or you won’t be in a position to speak at all.”
“What does that mean?”
“He thinks you should get out while you still can.He said to tell you, ‘We tried’.”
“We havenottried,” Joel said, suddenly furious.“We certainly haven’t tried everything, and now I’ve got proof your precious Divisional Detective Inspector is getting information from Sabini, so I am not running away and letting him win!”
“Good.What do we do about it?”
“We, you and Mr.Fowler?”
“We, you and me, Mr.Wildsmith,” Challice said crisply.“Mr.Fowler is in deep trouble and it would be a very bad idea for him to embroil himself further in the Marks case, speak to Darby Sabini, or contact you.That leaves us.Given you seem to be in this to your eyebrows, I was rather hoping you’d be able to give me some ideas.”
“Me?You’re the police!”
“Yes, and look how well we’ve done,” Challice said.“Mr.Fowler’s the most honest and decent man I’ve met in—well, in the Met—and the DDI intends to ruin him.I don’t want that to happen but I’m dratted if I know how to avoid it.I asked DS Fowler and he told me not to get involved for my own sake.”
“He would,” Joel said.“Stupid pri—uh, prig.”
“Quite.Talk to me, Mr.Wildsmith.I didn’t have long with the DS, so you’ll need to fill me in.”
