‘Fuck you,’ Donovan said as he spat bloody saliva at Eastwood’s feet.
‘You need stitches,’ Eastwood said as the tissue Pellacia was holding to his face turned red.
‘I’m fine,’ Pellacia replied, his gaze fixed on the police van transporting Donovan Hernandez to Croydon police station.
‘You’re not bloody fine. You’re bleeding all over the place and,’ she dropped her voice, ‘you nearly beat the shit out of Hernandez.’
Pellacia stared at Eastwood stony-faced. ‘Did you really expect me to go easy on him?’ he asked.
Eastwood raised her head to the overcast sky and took a breath. ‘I’ve called Stanford and told him to meet me at the station. There’s no way you’re sitting in that interview room with Hernandez.’
‘Are you forgetting who’s in charge of this unit? It’s not your—’
‘I have not forgotten and if you want to stay in charge of this unitandkeep your job, you’ll stay away from Croydon police station.’
56
Pellacia groaned in pain as he exited the police car that had escorted him from King’s College Hospital to the SCU. No one trusted him not to go to Don Hernandez’s cell at Croydon police station and finish what he started. He groaned for a second time when he saw Ramouter cross the car park on his way to the SCU entrance.
‘Ramouter,’ Pellacia called.
Ramouter ignored him and kept walking.
‘For fuck’s sake,’ Pellacia muttered. He jogged and stopped in front of Ramouter. ‘Did you not hear me?’ he asked.
‘What can I do for you, guv?’ Ramouter asked with clear disdain.
‘I just … last night or this morning. Neither of us were ourselves,’ said Pellacia, fighting to keep his tone conciliatory. ‘We both said things that we—’
‘No,’ Ramouter said firmly. ‘I meant everything I said.’
Pellacia tutted. ‘I didn’t realise you were so hardheaded.’
‘You’re a fine one to talk,’ said Ramouter, inching closer to Pellacia. ‘If your priorities were in order Ezra wouldn’t—’
Ramouter paused as the door creaked open behind him.
Pellacia turned around to see Henley staring intently at the pair of them.
‘Ramouter, you’re needed upstairs,’ Henley commanded. ‘Now,’ she said more forcefully as Ramouter showed no signs of moving.
‘Yes, boss,’ Ramouter said bitterly.
Pellacia silently watched as Ramouter made his way into the building.
‘Was it your plan to end up in a hospital bed next to Ezra?’ Henley asked Pellacia. ‘And then have to explain yourself in a misconduct hearing?’
‘Please don’t start,’ said Pellacia, placing an arm on the safety railing. ‘I’ve already had an earful from Eastwood.’
‘An earful wasn’t enough,’ Henley replied as she stepped down. ‘I saw the body worn camera.’
Pellacia’s face fell. ‘Whose?’ he asked.
‘Does it matter?’
‘I’m going to lose everything,’ Pellacia said. He sat down on the step. ‘I can’t even say that I saw red. I saw Hernandez and then Ezra and that … It’s like I blacked out.’
‘You’re going to need to come up with something better than that,’ said Henley, joining him on the step. ‘Hernandez was screaming about police brutality all the way to the station.’
