‘I can’t believe we’re going with this. If we’re wrong, it’s going to mess his life up.’
‘What if we’re right? I’d rather be wrong and look like an idiot than do nothing and Angela ends up dead.’
Morgan couldn’t say what she really thought – that it was already too late for her friend and they had severely misjudged Scotty’s character.
‘Do we need a negotiator?’ Morgan asked Ben. ‘You know, just in case.’
‘Crap, is Caz on duty? She’s excellent, or what about Stan, isn’t he one? Where is he anyway? I thought he was on his way before us.’
Bigfoot came marching towards them, his cheeks flushed red. He was angry.
‘Can someone tell me in the name of God what is happening here?’
Ben began to explain, ending with, ‘I think we need a negotiator just in case. Isn’t Stan one? Where is he?’
‘I dropped him off at home, he said his stomach is a bit off. Told him someone would pick him up in twenty minutes, give him chance to sort himself out.’
Ben looked at Morgan. ‘Go get him, please, I’ll keep trying Caz in the meantime, but chuck a couple of Imodium at him and tell him we have work to do and he might be needed.’
Ben usually wasn’t so heartless, but this was a tense situation, and she could tell he was trying his best to hold it together.
‘Yes, boss.’
Morgan jogged back to the car; her own stomach was churning wildly at the worry she was about to ruin Scotty’s life for no good reason. Her phone connected to the Bluetooth in the car, and she drove the short distance to Stan’s flat.
Caz’s name flashed across the dashboard display, and she pressed the green button.
‘Hey, what’s going on? I got a jumbled voicemail off Ben that sounds as if he’s underwater and he’s not answering now.’
‘Oh, it’s complicated. Are you busy? They think they might need a negotiator.’
‘At Lauren’s partner’s house, the Co-op funeral care have just been to visit him about making arrangements. I felt bad leaving him on his own.’
‘Oh, poor guy. Stan said you talked to him about Lauren’s long-lost brother, it’s a no go then? He doesn’t know anything about it, they never talked about it, or he didn’t meet him?’
Morgan parked the car at the end of the street and was striding down towards the flats. She banged on the communal front door and tried the handle, pleased that it opened so that she could knock directly on his door.
‘Stan said what? I haven’t spoken to him; in fact, I’m not even sure I know who he is to be fair.’
Morgan paused. ‘He was supposed to ask you to ask Joey Baker about Lauren having an adopted brother or half-brother, that kind of thing. He told Cain he’d spoken to you, the idiot. That’s just lazy. I think it might be okay about the negotiating, I’m at Stan’s now picking him up, and he’s supposed to be trained, or do you think he lied about that on his paperwork?’
‘I don’t know the guy; hopefully not. Listen, if Ben needs me, I can come. Message me. I’ll keep checking my phone.’
Morgan hammered on Stan’s door and heard a dog bark. Footsteps hurried towards the door and as it opened a small brown dog escaped and ran towards the communal door. Morgan swore under her breath and dived to grab its collar and drag it back inside. She didn’t have time to be chasing a dog around the streets when there was so much at stake. Stan was staring at her dragging his dog.
‘What are you doing here?’
‘That was close, he could have escaped. Why did you let him out?’
‘He pushed between my legs. I didn’t. He’s a pain in the arse.’
‘Oh, right, well, Ben needs you like now. They have a bit of a situation going on. He thinks it would be best to have a negotiator on standby.’
‘I came home to walk the dog, and I was on my way back to work. I’ll meet you there, wherever it is.’
She was shaking her head. ‘Bigfoot said he dropped you off. Ben will go insane if I turn up without you. How’s your stomach? Bigfoot said you felt a bit off, are you okay now?’
He squinted and then nodded. ‘Oh, yes. I get IBS sometimes. Do you want to wait inside then, whilst I quickly sort it out.’
