Читать книгу City Of Shadows - M. J. Lee - Страница 17

Chapter 7

Danilov could feel the tension in the detectives’ office as soon as he stepped through the door.

He sat down at his desk. His pens, telephone, and desk pad were nowhere to be seen. The games had already started.

The other detectives stood in the corner of the room, staring malevolently at him.

Strachan leant across. ‘Shall I get some new stationery from Miss Cavendish, sir?’

‘Don’t bother, Strachan.’ Danilov took out his tobacco pouch and rolled another cigarette. God how he hated these games. Children all of them with not a brain cell between them.

‘Did you find out anything else about the case, Strachan?’

Strachan looked over at the group of detectives surrounding Cowan as he rang for the doctor. ‘Not much, sir. Four murders; a man, his wife and two children, all from the same family, killed in their home last night. I managed to talk to one of the photographers.’ He handed over a brown envelope. ‘These are from the crime scene, sir. Apparently, the call came in at 9.47 pm. Moore took it.’ He indicated another policeman standing off to one side, not a member of Cowan’s group. ‘They took half an hour to find Cowan. Moore wanted to call you, but Cowan said no. He decided to investigate the case himself.’

‘When did they arrest Kao?’

‘This morning, sir. Cowan received a tip-off from an informant.’

Danilov lit the roll-up, watching the end flare in the flame of the lighter. ‘He moved quickly. Not like Cowan at all.’

‘Hear the noise, sir?’ Strachan gestured towards the window. ‘The gentlemen of the press. All waiting for Kao.’

Danilov sucked in the sweet smoke of his cigarette. Immediately his body relaxed and he felt a mild tingle, tremor through his bones. Even after years of smoking, he never tired of this moment when, for a brief second, the terrors of the day were forgotten.

‘How is he?’

‘Who, sir?’

‘The prisoner, Kao.’

‘He’s sleeping. One of the constables is sitting with him in a cell. And a lawyer has turned up.’

‘Really? Kao didn’t strike me as a man who knew any lawyers. Who called him?’

‘That’s the point. They think you did, sir.’ Once again, Strachan indicated the group of detectives who were still staring at them, anger etched into every line on their faces.

The clamour from the reporters outside the window grew louder.

‘Get your coat, Strachan.’

‘We’re going out, sir?’

Danilov took the brown envelope off his desk. ‘Kao is being looked after, the best way we can help him is to find out more about these murders.’

‘But I thought it was Inspector’s Cowan’s case?’

‘Not any more. Get a move on.’ Danilov was already going out of the door. Strachan grabbed his hat and coat off the stand and rushed after him.

‘This case smells higher than a troop of Cossacks. I’m not going to let a man die just to keep Cowan happy. Not today. Not any day.’

‘Do you want me to drive, sir?’

‘No, I’ve asked an elephant to do it. Don’t ask stupid questions, Strachan.’

‘No, sir. Not today, sir.’