The Creeper by Tania Carver Page A

beginning. Start again. So that’s it, is it? You come in and take it away from me.’
    ‘That’s not the way it works. You know that.’ Phil’s voice calm and even, trying to talk down her anger.
    ‘MIS comes in and we just roll over. And you glory boys get your collar and make us ordinary CID plods look like brainless shits.’
    Phil managed not to rise to her words. He knew she was upset and angry and looking for someone to lash out at. ‘You’re part of the team. We need you here. I need you here.’
    ‘Yeah.’
    ‘Why don’t you take a couple of hours off? Get your head together. Because you’re no use to me like this. And you’re no use to Julie Miller either.’
    Rose didn’t get the chance to answer as two men came hurrying round the corner, up the drive. One of them trailing behind the other, weighed down by camera equipment.
    ‘Shit,’ said Phil, standing up.
    Rose joined him. ‘You know them?’
    ‘Dave Terry and Adrian Macintyre. Freelancers. Both obnoxious twats.’
    Rose smiled. ‘Is that your professional opinion?’
    ‘On every level. They’re local but they sell to the nationals. Trying to beat the competition to it. Wondered who’d be the first to work out where we were. Come on.’
    Phil stepped in front of the two journalists, stopping their progress. The one with the camera, Adrian Macintyre, tried to dodge round him. Rose grabbed him.
    ‘Whoa there,’ she said.
    ‘Look, we’re just doing our jobs,’ said Dave Terry. ‘We’ve got as much right to be here as you two.’
    ‘No, you don’t,’ said Phil. ‘We haven’t confirmed that the body is Julie Miller so the last thing the family needs is you two pestering them. There’s no story here.’
    ‘Yeah?’ said Terry, a snide grin appearing on his face, ‘then what are you two doin’ here?’
    ‘Stopping people like you harassing innocent citizens,’ said Rose. ‘Now back off.’
    ‘Sorry, darlin’.’ Macintyre slipped Rose’s grasp and was round her.
    ‘Hey . . .’ She turned, gave chase up the drive, grabbed him easily. She turned him to face her.
    ‘Get your hands off me or I’ll do you for assault . . .’ He slid the camera bag from his arm, struggled to free himself. His face twisted with anger.
    ‘Want to get arrested? Yeah?’ Rose’s voice was rising.
    ‘Get your fuckin’ hands off me!’ Camera down, his fists were raised to reply.
    ‘Rose . . .’ Phil turned, made to go to her, but didn’t get that far.
    From out of her pocket she produced a small canister and sprayed it in Macintyre’s face. His hands went immediately to his eyes and he fell to his knees, screaming.
    Phil stared. She looked at him, anger still dancing in her eyes. ‘You saw what happened,’ she shouted. ‘He assaulted me. I was within my limits and defending myself. Right?’
    Terry was standing open-mouthed. A smile crept over his features, his eyes still glassy. Phil could see the journalist’s mind working. Terry knew as well as Phil that DS Rose Martin had been not only out of order but also out of control. And that meant money.
    Phil had to take action. He couldn’t give Rose a bollocking in front of the two journalists but he couldn’t let them get away to tell what had happened. He turned to Terry. ‘There’s no story here, right?’
    Terry looked at him as if he was breaking a spell.
    ‘Right?’
    He gave an ugly laugh. ‘Really? You don’t think so?’
    Phil’s eyes hardened, his body language became tense, threatening. ‘At the moment your little mate is looking at assaulting a police officer and trespassing. What about you? Want to join him?’
    ‘There was only one person doing any assaulting here.’ Terry’s eyes were lit by a nasty light. He had found an even better story. ‘That’s how it’s going to read.’
    Phil sighed. ‘I’m warning you . . .’
    Terry laughed. ‘What you gonna do, Officer? Hit me as well?’
    Phil sighed. ‘Here we go . . .’ He grabbed hold of Terry, turning him