Indefensible (DI Sara Ramsey Book 12), M Comley [world of reading TXT] 📗

you have a suspect in custody. I take it you were going to let me know at some stage, Inspector.”

“Umm… am I supposed to? In time, yes, but the second I step back into the station and before I’ve had the chance to fire a single question at the man?”

“All right, point taken. I presume you would have got around to it, eventually.”

“Too right, I would have. I wasn’t aware that I had to inform you of my every move. I must have missed that directive when it came down from Head Office.”

“Don’t you dare use that sarcastic tone with me, Inspector.”

Sara was confused by the chief’s overzealous reaction. “What’s going on, boss? You sound peeved with me. May I ask why?”

“Not really. Oh, I don’t know. Maybe I’m guilty of taking my bad mood out on you. I’m sorry.”

“Bad mood?”

“I tried to fight your corner for you, I swear I did, but I failed. No one at Head Office is prepared to listen to what I have to say on the cuts. In fact, I stirred up a hornet’s nest and now they’re insisting we give them a name by the end of the week.”

“That’s utter bollocks. Do they realise the intense pressure I’m going to be under in the next few days with a suspect sitting in the holding cells?”

“I think they’re perfectly aware of what goes on in our everyday lives.”

“Seriously? I doubt that much is true. They haven’t got a damn clue what stress we’re under from one day to the next. It pisses me off, a lot. To think we’re busting a gut, putting our lives on the line every single day, only to have this type of shit flung at us. I’ve had it.”

“Don’t overreact, Sara. You’re going to need to calm down. I’ve got your back and I promise, I’m still doing all I can to reverse the decision.”

“In the meantime, I’m expected to carry out my serious job while having someone’s future on my conscience. How do you expect me to deal with that type of stress, boss?”

“I appreciate how difficult all of this is for you, Sara, but it comes with the territory.”

Sara fell silent and sipped at her drink without uttering another word in case the wrong thing slipped out.

“Say something,” Carol demanded.

Sara hitched up a weary shoulder. “I’m done. I have nothing left to say on the subject because, to be honest, what’s the point? All we’re doing is going round and round in circles. It’s wearing me out. I can’t be arsed with all this bullshit bureaucracy any more. I told you this morning, the decision has to be yours, I refuse to throw one of my excellent detectives under the guillotine. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a very dangerous suspect to interview.” She downed her drink and pushed back her chair. The chief stared at her open-mouthed. Sara walked past her and cringed as she reached for the door handle.

“Stop right there. You leave this office and you might as well pack up your stuff and say goodbye to your career and the pension you’ve paid into.”

Sara closed her eyes. Realising, for the first time, she had overstepped the mark with her relatively new boss.

“Sit down. I’ll tell you when you can leave this office.”

Sara dragged her feet like a four-year-old child and plonked down in her chair once more. She opened her mouth to apologise, but the chief raised her hand to silence her.

“I think you’ve said enough, don’t you? I’m sick to death of you venting your bloody anger on me. Don’t shoot the ruddy messenger, lady. How many more times do I have to tell you I’m on your side? I’ve done all I can without putting my own job on the line to save someone else’s role on this team. These are tough times, surely you realise that?”

“I…” Sara began, but the chief glared at her, silencing her tongue.

“I don’t want to hear it. I’m fed up with you fighting me on this one, Sara. I’ve always considered you a pleasure to work with, until this particular conundrum started prodding us with a stick. I’m not the enemy, kindly remember that. I’m here to speak to you as a team member. To try and find a suitable solution that we can take back to Head Office.”

Sara raised her hand. “Permission to speak?”

“Don’t be childish!”

“I’m not.”

“Speak, make it worth listening to.”

“What are you suggesting by that, some sort of job share?”

The chief nodded. “If it comes down to it, yes. I believe Head Office would compromise if that option was put forward.”

Sara contemplated the development that had surfaced. “It might work. It’s difficult to say how it’s going to go down when I have to keep schtum about it.”

“I’m betting you’ve run this past Carla, don’t deny it if it’s true.”

“Only this morning, I’d kept it quiet until then. She’s as shocked as I am.”

“Maybe she knows something that you don’t.”

“Excuse me? I’m not sure what you’re getting at.”

“Carla knows the other team members better than you, perhaps she’s aware of their personal circumstances. What if a couple of the ladies on the team are thinking of having a child? It might be the solution to the problem.”

“Couldn’t that be classed as a sexist statement to make? What if some of the men were thinking of going down that route?”

The chief tipped her head back and sighed. “You’re missing the point.”

“Am I? I don’t think I am.”

“Maybe that was the wrong choice of scenario on my part. Help me out here, Sara. You know your staff better than I do.”

“That’s the trouble, I don’t. I turn up here to do my shift and work my butt off. I haven’t got a clue how many kids some members of the team have, even if half of them are married or not. Carla’s a different story, I’m with her most of the day, but as for the others, I never get the chance to