Free The House of Women by Alison Taylor

cars?’
    ‘ They’ve been asked.’
    ‘ So what about coincidences in the history of the bent cars? Were they sold on by the same dealer, serviced at the same garage, ever owned by the same person?’
    ‘ No, sir, and we don’t know the extent of the problem. Trading Standards or us only get to hear when something happens, the insurance companies and DVLA don’t keep the sort of information we need, and even though we liaised with other forces and DVLA over the false MOT certificates, we didn’t learn anything new.’
    ‘ I think we’ll target six of the vehicles,’ Rowlands decided, ‘re-interview the previous owners, and see if we can turn up Mr X. And although we’ll have to go into other force areas to do it, I’m sure Bradshaw won’t object to the extra costs. She’s very anxious to chalk this up as her first successful detection.’
    *
    ‘With respect, ma’am, this is your first time in charge of a station.’
    ‘ I know chaos when I see it!’ Diana Bradshaw snapped. ‘And bad discipline! Why didn’t you stop Rowlands moving out of his office?’
    ‘ He’d already moved, and now, instead of all of us playing musical offices, I need only move once.’ McKenna paused, then said: ‘I asked you to bring him up to date on the Jones case, but he tells me you left while he was out.’
    ‘ I’m not here to nursemaid CID! I went to a planning meeting at divisional HQ.’
    ‘ In future, ma’am, I’d appreciate knowing your plans, as I’m responsible for the station in your absence.’ Rising to his feet, he added: ‘And as good forward planning is crucial to crime management, you’ll need my quarterly report for the next planning meeting. While reported rapes and burglaries were well below expectations, our projections on homicide and crimes against children were quite unrealistic.’
    *
    Placing a mug of fresh tea on McKenna’s desk, Dewi said: ‘Inspector Rowlands wants permission to re-interview some of the former owners of the duff cars, only it means travelling.’
    ‘ How far?’
    ‘ Chester. The Wirral. Maybe Liverpool.’
    ‘ Then tell Cheshire and Merseyside you’ll be on their patch.’
    ‘ Why?’ Diana Bradshaw stood imperiously at the door.
    ‘ Re-interviewing former car owners, ma’am.’ McKenna rose to his feet. ‘It could be more cost-effective than chasing aimlessly around North Wales.’
    ‘ I’m surprised you know the meaning of the term!’ She moved aside to let Dewi pass, then faced McKenna. ‘I’ve just seen the overnight incident reports.’
    ‘ None of which concerns CID, ma’am. I checked, even though divisional HQ classify all incoming reports.’
    ‘ They may not concern you, but they certainly bother me! I’ve never come across such waste of police time and public money!’ She stared at him, eyes hard. ‘I may not be able to shut the stable door on this particular horse, but in future, I intend to make sure the horse stays put, along with the smallest item of police property!’
    ‘ Ah, I see.’ McKenna smiled. ‘The donated toilet roll.’
    ‘ It is not funny when some stupid woman calls us on her mobile phone at midnight because there’s no toilet paper in the public lavatory.’
    ‘ Well, it was arguably an emergency for her, and the loos are only across the road.’ He sat down, bored with her carping. ‘And we shouldn’t let concerns about forward planning and cost-efficiency obscure our primary function of public service.’
    ‘ Our primary function is keeping the Queen’s Peace,’ she said, ‘and I don’t think you’re making a very good job of it at the moment.’
    *
    As one woman left his office, another waited in the doorway, her face miserable, her mouth drawn in a sharp line, and he felt wearied by the sight of her, drained of energy and interest. ‘Yes, Janet?’
    ‘ Inspector Rowlands told me to take Mrs Harris’s statement, sir. Shall I confine it to her tidying up the body?’
    ‘ Use your initiative,’ McKenna