‘Something bizarre did happen last night though.’
‘Go on.’
Gina placed her elbow on the desk and leaned on her hand, knowing what would come next. Briggs gave her a friendly pat on the shoulder. She knew she should have updated the system as soon as she’d got home last night but she hadn’t managed it. Her mind had been everywhere. ‘Oh no, I haven’t told them.’
Briggs’s shoulders dropped. ‘Damn it, Gina. You must have known that would come out. You’re normally so hot on the updates. The fact that he recognised you wouldn’t have mattered but they should have known that before going in to this interview.’
She’d stuffed up, she knew she had. ‘I’m so sorry, sir. I didn’t expect an attack to occur last night and when it had, I was all-consumed with finding out what had gone on. I hardly slept and was then called out soon after going to bed. I’ve been up all night, been to the hospital, attended a crime scene, already conducted an interview and I haven’t even had breakfast. I’m running on nothing here.’
‘I’m sorry. I know we all are, but you can’t let things stop you doing your job and jeopardising the rest of us. Stay on the ball or you’re off the case, I mean it.’
She felt a tear force its way out of her eye. He was right. She had let important information slip through the net and now Wyre and Jacob were about to find out.
Rex leaned forward and smiled. ‘I saw one of my exes alongside the river with a new man. Maybe they did it, you should look them up. She was probably jealous that I was getting on with my life. Maybe she thought I’d hooked up with this Sophie.’
‘Who did you see alongside the river?’
‘DI Gina Harte.’ He leaned back in his chair and grinned.
‘Interview terminated at eleven sixteen.’ Jacob pressed the button on the recorder.
Tears fell down Gina’s cheeks.
‘Harte, you have to control this. You had no idea that he’d be there. He has ended up embroiled in our investigation. There was no way you could have known he was the one masquerading under the name Hot Rod on Swap Fun. I have to question your taste in men though. We’ll deal with this but you will remain at a distance from him and Steven, do you comprehend?’
She wiped her face and nodded. ‘Totally. I best apologise to Wyre and Jacob. I owe them an explanation and I need to update the system straight away. I am so sorry.’
Jacob entered. ‘Guv, I could’ve done with knowing that you knew him. Do you know how stupid we looked in there?’
She knew exactly how they felt and for that she was totally ashamed. Another tear slipped down her cheek.
‘Steven Smithson and Dawn Brown are here now too. No time to rest on this one. Can we catch up later?’ Jacob said as he glanced at his phone.
‘Of course,’ Gina replied and Jacob left.
She leaned on Briggs and he folded a firm arm around her and sighed.
‘Gina. I need you to go to the kitchen, have a coffee and get your notes up to date. Do it now.’
‘But, sir, I need to be here to see Steven being interviewed. Don’t shut me out of the case.’
He let out a frustrated groan and pulled away from her. ‘I’m not shutting you out. I’ll be here. It’s being recorded and I’ll fill you in straight away. You’re getting too involved. Go and have a coffee and something to eat. That is an order. You messed up and you need to go and put things right.’
She almost knocked the chair over as she stood and slammed the door. She’d totally blown it.
Forty-Nine
Gina leaned against the worktop, nervously tapping what remained of her fingernails on the chipped empty mug of coffee that she’d finished drinking ten minutes ago. She’d tried to eat a biscuit but had found herself gagging on it. She felt far from hungry even though her rumbling stomach was clearly protesting against that thought. She flinched as the incident room door pushed open, then her shoulders dropped as the cleaner wheeled a vacuum through, quickly leaving through the far door. What was taking them all so long? She wanted and needed to know what Steven was saying. Maybe he was talking about her, telling them of things he thought he knew that weren’t true. If so, that may deem the end of her presence on this case. She’d be holed up in her office sifting through CCTV while the others took a meatier role in the investigation. Her fingers began to tremble and her head throbbed with the pressure of built up tears.
‘Gina?’ She dropped the mug and it shattered all over the tiled floor. Briggs bent down to pick up the pieces. ‘Too much caffeine?’
He could tell she was jittery. ‘No. I just, I don’t know. I’m being sidelined here.’
‘It’s for your own good. I said I’d fill you in and as your superior, as one who cares I could see you needed a break. Whether you like it or not, you are now, at the very least, emotionally involved in this case. I can’t have that fact clouding your judgement. Look at me.’
She did. There was no malice in his actions, she could tell that much.
‘You’re a good detective. I need it to stay that way. I need you to be focused, don’t let your heart cloud your sense of logic. Sometimes, a little time out is needed. You know you could take some holiday—’
