Page 20 of Slack Tide Kill

"I'm suggesting nothing of the sort," Palmer said. His tone had shifted now, becoming haughty. "Simply that the system is old and has faults. We will conduct a complete internal investigation, I assure you. Reactor Logistics, you said? We'll look into it. Now, if you don't mind, I have a reactor to decommission."

He waved a hand and the monitors reverted to blanks.

"Decommission away," Sally countered. "You've got 20 years, so there's no rush. In the meantime, we'll need a full duty list for every person and entity on the reactor's grounds yesterday and this morning."

Palmer's face turned to ash. "Of course, we will comply with any legal request."

"You mean a warrant? What happened to 'alacrity'?"

"We will move as swiftly as possible. Now, my associates will show you out."

He turned to the blank screens. The underlings waved toward the corridor. Sally took one last look around the control room then strode out.

10 LETHAL OVERSIGHT

They exited the reactor in silence. Outside, the wind bit with a constant low roar, the rain slashing in near horizontally. Sally started back toward the beach, a range of thoughts spiraling in her mind.

The CCTV mishap. Palmer. Reactor Logistics.

At the fence a hand caught her elbow. Mayhew. She turned.

"You were out of line in there, Rogers." Mayhew's face was flat, her tone cold. "This is exactly what I warned you about."

"It's how I operate," Sally shot back. "I call out bullshit, and that guy, Palmer? He's full of it."

"You implied he's the killer. That's not a responsible investigation. He's a pillar of the local community, and–"

"And right now he's our only suspect! If that means rattling his cage, so be it."

"Rattling his cage? This is not America, and you are not a 'special agent' here. There is a procedure and a way of doing things. We had access to the reactor, and now we don't. I'll file a warrant, but their solicitors will slow walk it, and it could take days. Is that what you wanted?"

Sally opened her mouth, but bit back a retort. Days was too long. A silent moment stretched.

"I asked him about Reginald Rook. You reacted, DCI. Why?"

Mayhew glared, seemed to consider withholding, then relented. "Rook's the man Nancy Cagen has always blamed for the original murder. There was a time she couldn't stop talking about it." She eyed Sally. "Why do you have that name?"

Sally weighed the benefits of mentioning Rook's ownership of the Crab Shack. If she said it, Mayhew would doubtless insist they go together.

She didn't want that.

"Somebody said his name. One of the door knocks."

Mayhew eyed her like she didn't quite believe it. "Rook was well known around here. Not anyone's idea of a good man, but he was looked into for the murder. There was nothing to it. His alibi was rock solid."

Sally absorbed that. Some exchange of information; that was good. She needed everything she could get.

"What was his alibi?"

"In a pub, a lock-in that went all night, and half of Lydd swore to it."

"OK. And in what way, not a good man?"

Mayhew sighed. "Lots of things. All cautions and fines, going back well over 30 years, but no arrests. Scrap licensing errors. Accusations of fly-tipping waste, but unsubstantiated. Several minor environmental breaches and a caution for domestic battery."

Sally wondered how far she could push it. "Any family?"

Mayhew frowned. "You think there's some kind of generational murder plot here? One of the sons carries on what the father started? I don't think the Rooks are sophisticated enough for that."