Читать книгу Dead Wrong - Noelle Holten - Страница 17

DI Abigail Rutherford looked around the open-plan office. ‘Anyone seen Maggie?’

The small team of officers that formed Staffordshire’s Major and Organised Crime Department looked at each other before DS Nathan Wright piped up. ‘I think she’s on lates today, ma’am.’

Abigail looked at her watch. ‘Damn. OK, thanks Nathan. When she gets in, can you tell her I need to see her? It’s urgent.’ The CCRC were investigating Raven’s appeal and needed to speak to Maggie.

She shook her head at the thought that Raven was now claiming that he was unlawfully arrested and imprisoned. The worst thing was he may have grounds for that appeal after all. She was under a lot of pressure both at work and at home. With her second divorce looming, her head was a mess. Her only saving grave was that she’d never had children with either of her husbands. She couldn’t think about that now. Instead, Raven’s situation and the predicament her team currently found themselves in had to take priority.

Abigail was torn between viewing Raven as a potentially dangerous offender and needing to keep an open mind that he could be acquitted and released.

She loaded up the details on her computer and began to trawl through the original statements taken by Maggie. She had no doubt that Maggie did everything by the book, and as the Crown Prosecution Service, or CPS as they are better known to those in the criminal justice services, believed there had been enough evidence to charge and convict Bill Raven, she had no cause to be concerned. At least she hoped she didn’t. But she also knew that if Maggie let her obsession with Raven continue, it could lead the whole department into a nightmare.

She was startled by a knock on her door and nearly jumped out of her seat. Seeing Nathan, she smiled.

‘Sorry, ma’am. Maggie texted to say she’s meeting up with some of her old colleagues from the DAHU – sorry, Domestic Abuse and Homicide Unit – and then heading to the Crown Courts to speak with someone in the CPS.’

‘Did she say who? Or why?’ Abigail frowned.

‘Sorry, ma’am. She didn’t. Do you want me to get back to her and ask?’

‘No. That’s fine. I’ll speak to her.’

Although Maggie needed some time to readjust, Abigail wouldn’t tolerate having her instructions ignored. Their DCI was already on the warpath for reasons yet unknown to her and he’d come down on her like a ton of bricks if she didn’t keep her team in line. The Chopper case had almost destroyed Maggie the first time around, and Abigail wouldn’t let it happen again. Reaching for her phone, she dialled the only person at the CPS she knew to have any influence and hoped that Maggie got the message.