In Dark Water (Detective Shona Oliver 1)

‘Do you know how far this goes? Hanlon’s connected and Campbell boasted he had judges and cops in his pocket.’

‘Let me tell you about Campbell. He was Hanlon’s man, but Baird brought him in originally as an informer, codenamed Archer. He was with an Edinburgh county lines set-up, a disaffected grunt with notions of grandeur. There’s no institutional corruption, just straightforward greed and stupidity. It gets people into bother more often than you’d think. Baird played this close to his chest. His officers are loyal to him, but I saw nothing in the file to suggest they knew about Hanlon. Did you?’

‘No sir.’

‘Good, let’s keep it that way. There will be scrutiny, internal and from the media. Let’s stick to the facts.’

‘The children Sami Raseem said were being trafficked?’

‘It’s more likely they were mules, county lines kids, but I’ve asked the child protection team in Edinburgh to go through what we have, just in case.’

Shona nodded.

‘One more thing.’ Munroe continued placing his cup and saucer carefully on the glass-topped table. ‘I’d like you to take Baird’s job.’

Shona stared at him. ‘Me?’

‘You’ve got the experience. All that time in the City of London force, you’re a bit wasted down in Dumfries. I’ll back you, it’ll go before an interview panel, but you’ll get it. I want you here running the big cases. You can pick your team.’ Munroe sat back and folded his arms, confident that the deal was done. ‘You’d need to move closer to Kilmarnock. It would be less hands-on, but that happens to everyone eventually.’

Shona thought of her young officers, Kate and Ravi. They’d be thrilled and rise to the challenges. She could bring Dan in full-time and show Murdo that promotion hadn’t passed him by. She could give good, solid Murdo a role that played to his strengths and kept everyone’s feet on the ground. She saw it all. This could work. But then the dark mass that had hovered by her shoulder ever since her husband’s drunken confession stepped forward.

‘Sir,’ Shona began; her hand shook as she replaced her cup in its saucer, the china chiming like a passing bell. Her whole world was about to come crashing down, all she’d worked for – career, reputation, financial security. It was over. ‘Sir, I don’t think I’m the right person for the job.’ She told him of Rob’s gambling and the Milton McConnell bank fraud. How Hanlon knew of this and might use it at the trial.

Munroe’s face clouded. ‘I see. Thank you for telling me.’ He paused and shook his head. Shona knew her chief inspector prospects had gone for good. ‘This is bad, Shona. Your husband,’ he continued, ‘will need to report this to the City of London police right away. I said I expect scrupulous honesty in my officers and you’ve just proved yours. Providing no blame attaches to you, and I don’t expect it will, I’m still offering you the job.’

She could just nod, walk out a DCI with a pay rise, God knows they needed it. It would mean choosing between her work, her family life and the lifeboat. A move closer to Glasgow. Becca might like that. A fresh start, another one. But the shadow by her shoulder hadn’t gone. It lingered. How many times did she have to start over before it ended up being the same? The gambling, the running, the lies.

‘Sir, there’s something else.’ Shona swallowed hard. No more running away. This was her chance to face up to the past and take the consequences. She might leave this office without a job, but the prospect of finally laying down the guilt she had carried for two years rushed over her like a wave. ‘I left the City because DSU Delfont gave me no choice.’

Munroe shifted uncomfortably in his chair, but Shona could see he was listening intently. She hurried on; there was no going back now. ‘I was caught drunk at the wheel of a car, although I think, in retrospect, my drink was spiked. He told me I could leave or be charged.’

Munroe folded his hands and bowed his head for a moment. ‘Shona,’ he said gently. ‘Are you aware that DSU Delfont was arrested recently on charges of corruption and sexual misconduct? Two female officers alleged he drugged them and filmed himself sexually assaulting them.’

The darkness rushed to fill her vision. Shona dug her fingernails into the palm of her hand. She remembered waking up, her car pulled over on the hard shoulder of the Docklands expressway, a traffic officer tapping on her window. She’d been at a leaving party and had one drink, wanting to get home early, but had woken up with no idea how she got there. At the station she’d gone to the bathroom and found her underwear was on back to front. Delfont had bought the drinks. Did he assault and film her while she was drugged? It was what she’d always feared. She let out a shuddering sob. She’d had no physical injuries, but that didn’t mean it hadn’t happened.

Munroe leaned forward and put his hand over hers. ‘Delfont will go to jail, lass. You’ve nothing to fear from him and nothing to repent for yourself.’ Shona nodded, the biblical language recalling Munroe’s status as a teetotal church elder. But she did repent. She’d made a bad decision. Two women had been brave enough to come forward. The fear was ebbing, anger was flooding into its place. Well, now there would be three women standing up to the bastard. She would have to talk Rob and Becca first, but it was time to set everything straight, everything she could. Munroe was handing her a tissue.

She took it and rubbed her nose. ‘I’m all right, sir.’

‘That man, a police officer. He’s a disgrace.’ Munroe was grim. ‘If he’d laid a finger on one of my girls, I’d have strung him up myself. I understand why people take the law into their own hands, I really do.’

‘You said corruption charges. Why corruption?’ Shona had worked for Delfont for two years. She knew the rumours and had flagged a couple of case anomalies which she was convinced led to Delfont targeting her.

‘It’s alleged he was helping drugs gangs launder money through City companies. It involved buying gold, I don’t know more than that.’

Buying gold. Untraceable. That’s what Rob said. It was Delfont. Had he set them both up? If Rob revealed the money laundering fraud, Delfont could use Shona’s alleged drunk driving to keep him quiet. If Shona threatened Delfont, he’d make sure Rob went to jail. She must talk to Rob.

‘Listen, Shona.’ Munroe was getting to his feet. ‘I’ve got to go, but you’ve had a shock. Sit here till you feel better, my secretary’s just down the way if you need anything.’

‘Thank you, sir, I’m fine.’ Shona gave him a weak smile. ‘I’d just like to get back home.’

‘Of course, of course.’ He patted her shoulders. ‘Listen, you did a brave thing telling me this. I believe you’re a fine officer and I’d still like you to consider the job.’

‘Thank you, sir. I’ll think about it,’ Shona said, but she already knew what she wanted to do.

* * *

Shona took Rob’s hand. ‘I made a really bad decision once.’ She saw the look of apprehension in his eyes. ‘It was when Becca was expelled and you left the bank.’ She felt him try to pull his hand away. ‘