Читать книгу City Of Shadows - M. J. Lee - Страница 27

Chapter 17

Danilov pushed through the door leading to the reception room.

Immediately, the noise in the room tripled. The press were surrounding the Chief Inspector and Sergeant Wolfe, shouting and waving their arms.

Flashbulbs exploded. Young reporters jostled old hands. Elbows and voices were raised.

A tall, well-dressed Chinese man bent over a much shorter photographer to shout in Shanghainese, ‘We want to get out, now.’

Above it all, but part of it, Chief Inspector Boyle was trying to maintain order. ‘One at a time, one at a time,’ he shouted over and over again in English. ‘You all need to be interviewed and then you can go.’

For a moment, the crowd of reporters quietened down as the interpreter repeated what he had said in Mandarin and Shanghainese. Before he had finished speaking, the shouting began again, but louder, more insistent.

Danilov walked over to the Sikh Sergeant. ‘Where’s the usual crowd?’

‘Scared off by the shooting, sir. They believe the ghost of the dead man is still around here somewhere, waiting to take human form, so they won’t be anywhere near the station today. They’ll be back tomorrow, you mark my words. What are we going to do with this lot?’

‘Start by herding them into the interview rooms.’

‘Easier to herd cats.’

Boyle was shouting again, standing on top of the desk, flapping his arms like a flightless bird trying to take off.

‘Listen to me,’ he shouted. ‘A man has been murdered on the steps of Central. You are all potential witnesses.’ He turned and pointed at Danilov. ‘This inspector is in charge of the investigation. He will interview you as quickly as possible and then you will be free to go.’

As the interpreter was translating his words into Mandarin and Shanghainese, Boyle stepped down from his platform.

He walked over to Danilov, leaning in to whisper in his ear. ‘Solve it quickly, Danilov.’

‘I’ll start right away. Interview the reporters. Somebody may have seen something.’

‘I doubt if they’ll tell you anything.’

‘How did they get here so quickly?’

’Beats me. Even the bloody walls have ears. Sometimes, the press finds out I’ve scratched my arse before I do.’

Boyle walked past Danilov, heading back to the safety and security of his office.

‘Thank you, sir.’

‘For what? Just solve it quickly, Danilov.’ He was about to escape from the madness in the reception area when he turned and pointed his finger at the inspector. ‘Don’t go anywhere near the Lee murders. That’s an order. Cowan can finish the paperwork when he comes back.’

‘But Chief Inspector…’

‘But me no buts, Inspector. Find Kao’s killer.’ He walked back to Danilov, speaking through clenched teeth, his anger like a black cloud above his head. ‘Do you realise how embarrassing this is for the Shanghai Police? A man, a suspect, shot dead on the steps of the station. Scandalous.’ The Chief Inspector raised his voice. ‘My bloody head is on the chopping block. And I don’t like being bloody Anne Boleyn.’

The reporters, photographers and assorted hangers-on had fallen silent, all staring at the Chief Inspector. Then the shouting and mayhem began again.

Boyle leant in and whispered harshly in Danilov’s ear. ’Just find the killer. Quickly.’