Free A Dog's Life (The Romney and Marsh Files Book 4) by Oliver Tidy

don’t contradict me in front of her. In fact, don’t speak unless spoken to. Got it?’
    Marsh watched as Romney and Grimes drove away. They were laughing and they shouldn’t be. That worried her. She turned her attention back to the little man in front of her who was waiting patiently and expectantly. ‘Right, Mr Gurung. Where were we?’
     
    *
     
    After Grimes had got over Romney’s ginger ninja comment he sat in serious silence as Romney related to him the reasons why they were taking themselves off the Bernie Stark investigation. When Romney told him they were heading back towards Boudicca’s lair to tell her that Grimes had gone to see Bernie Stark that morning, the big man started to feel like a sacrificial lamb. On top of that, she would probably also want to know why Grimes had failed to volunteer to her that information along with the surprise that Stark was the charred body they’d been staring at together like neighbours appraising a failed barbeque only an hour before.
    When Romney had finished, Grimes said, ‘I remembered something, gov, after you’d left me with the Ghurkha.’ Grimes interrupted himself with a sharp intake of breath as Romney almost clipped a vehicle at the roundabout. ‘After I left Bernie in The Eight Bells, I walked back to my car, which I’d left outside the Roman Quay. A big black Range Rover with smoked windows came too fast round the corner and parked up in a disabled parking space. Four blokes got out and headed in the direction of The Eight Bells. I called it in to see if there was anyone around to give them a ticket. Nothing disabled about the driver that I could see.’
    ‘Let’s hope that one of those little Hitlers could be bothered to get off his arse and get round there. Still, since the council put them on a commission-based pay scheme, I’ve noticed they’re certainly keener, more visible. I swear I saw a parking ticket on a mobility scooter last week. Find out if they did. And if they did, find out who the car belongs to.’
    ‘You want me to ask in the pub whether anyone came looking for Bernie?’
    ‘No. Leave it to whoever Boudicca wants to get in for it. Let’s not go making our continued interest obvious.’
    ‘We are going to have a continued interest then? Even though we shouldn’t?’
    ‘According to Boudicca, Jimmy Savage’s legal counsel is going to suggest he was fitted up by us. By me. That’s not the kind of thing I’m prepared to leave to someone from Area to investigate. Half of that lot couldn’t find their own arseholes with a mirror. If I need you to ask around about anything, I will. For now, let’s see what her ladyship has to say.’
    Romney swung into Ladywell across the path of a cyclist that Grimes noticed had to brake hard to avoid a collision.
    As soon as they were back in CID, Romney rang up for an audience. It was getting late. He was asked by Boudicca’s secretary – a crony the new station commander had brought with her – if it was important. Romney remained restrained when he indicated that it was. After a short delay, he was put through to Superintendent Vine.
    ‘Where have you been all afternoon, Inspector? You were needed.’
    ‘Communications black spot, ma’am. A few of those around here. I turned up just as you left.’
    ‘Really?’ She sounded sceptical but busy. ‘What is so important now?’
    ‘It’s about the dead man this afternoon, ma’am. Now that a positive identification of the body has been made we can be sure of something. We know him.’
    ‘And why is that particularly important?’
    ‘His name is Bernie Stark. He’s the man claiming to have been mistaken over the identity of Jimmy Savage as the murderer of John Stafford. You’ll remember we spoke about them this morning.’
     
    *
     
    Five minutes later, a furious-looking Superintendent Vine, a defiant-looking Detective Inspector Romney and an extremely uncomfortable-looking Detective Constable Grimes sat around the table in CID’s