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Vehicles screeched to a halt, doors already open, uniformed firearms officers spilling out across the street, seeking the available cover.
At the rear, armed officers leapt from an unmarked van, quickly formed a crocodile and, with a shield man at the front, briskly walked along the alleyway until they reached the rear gate of number 15. An extendable ladder placed, one of them climbed up providing cover from the top of the wall. The rest, shield man in front, rapidly entered the garden, through its gate, fanning out as they did so.
Back at the front, the firearms Team Leader began to call out the occupants of number 15. Following the instructions being shouted at him, Jack reached the pavement to be whisked behind safe cover, searched and swiftly interrogated. A second crocodile formed up and strode to the entrance steps. A brief halt, then they entered and searched. After several minutes the TL appeared in the doorway. “Clear!”
Thurstan and Degsy stood in the living room.
“Are you sure you don’t want a cup of tea or something?” Jack called from the kitchen.
They politely declined. Thurstan looked around the room. Nothing seemed unusual. Dated, but comfortable furniture and a busy carpet, not new but serviceable.
“Look, Mr Hersh, I’m terribly sorry about all this but we had what we thought was very reliable information. I really can’t apologise enough.”
Jack strolled back in with his cuppa.
“Detective Chief Inspector, please don’t worry. It’s a long, long time since I’ve had such an exciting morning.” He placed his cup on a coaster. “And believe me when I tell you, it’s a great honour to have a man of your stature come to visit, although next time you could just ring the bell.”
He laughed. They produced awkward smiles. Thurstan looked down at the floor slightly embarrassed.
“Well, we’ll leave you to recover what you can of the day and sorry again for all the trouble.”
Jack closed the door behind them. He’d checked on Rose already. She was still sleeping peacefully. When she woke, he would have a tale to tell her. That was for sure. Smiling he returned to his armchair, cup of tea and the remote control.
Sat in the car Thurstan rubbed his eyes, ran his hands up and down his face, hard, then brushed his fingers through his hair and kneaded the back of his neck.
“Where to now, Boss?” Degsy looked at him sympathetically.
He said nothing. Staring out of the windscreen he looked blank. Eventually, he let out a heavy sigh.
“We have to speak to the surveillance TL, Derek. Then we have to stand them down.”
They travelled in silence. Apart from the ‘cock-up’ he’d organised, something else was troubling him but he didn’t know exactly what it was.
After five minutes, he said abruptly:
“Turn around, Derek. Go back. Number 15. Something’s not right.”
The bell ‘bing bonged’. After a few moments, the door opened and Jack greeted them.
“Chief Inspector, you haven’t just come back to practice have you? Come on in.”
In the living room, Thurstan explained. “I’m sorry for the intrusion but there’s something I wanted to check, if I have your permission?”
Jack nodded.
“You have your job to do, Chief Inspector.”
Thurstan moved the armchair and crouched down to the carpet. Degsy looked on intrigued. The DCI began to pull at the fibres, lifting a neatly cut square from the floor. He inverted it and placed it down. In the space created could be seen the underlay on which there was a slight, dark staining. Thurstan stood up and pulled the armchair over the gap.
He smiled politely at Jack then nodded Degsy in the direction of the settee. They pulled it to the side revealing a similar gap in the carpeting. Thurstan smiled at Jack again. He looked around the room intently. Suddenly he was down on his knees, peering under the sideboard in the back part of the room, closer to the French windows. He beckoned Degsy.
“Pencil or pen, Derek, please.”
After several seconds, he produced a 9mm empty shell casing. Degsy already had a small evidence bag open.
Standing up, Thurstan brushed his trousers and smiled again at Jack.
“I think we will have that cup of tea now Mr Hersh, if you don’t mind.”