Blue Team Major Investigation Room
November 20, 2.23 p.m.
Harper took the script from the printer and held it up. He felt a sense of pride. He and Denise Levene had sent the draft backwards and forwards all morning, trying to get every word right on the button. And now it was ready. What’s more, it was going to be used, live on air. Harper and Levene’s long shot was nearly set up and ready to go.
It was going to be a difficult day. Harper had put his reputation on the line by insisting the department try this technique to lure the killer into speaking to them. It had taken every second of his time to make sure it happened. Everyone needed convincing.
The previous day, Harper had worked until midnight putting together the operation they were now calling ‘Janus’. The most difficult person to convince had been Williamson. He didn’t believe it was right to put out a false report. It wasn’t in the spirit of the homicide squad. It smacked of the kind of thing the Feds would do and boast about endlessly.
In the end, Lafayette overruled Williamson and sanctioned it at Homicide. He knew that even if it failed, it gave the executives down at headquarters a sense that something was happening. He gave Harper the green light and that gave Harper only a few hours to put together the operation, get it approved and set up a press conference.
The idea of putting the same thing out to the press via Erin Nash died at the first phone call. The Daily Echo wasn’t going to lie to its readers. End of story.
Everyone in the homicide bureau knew that they had to be quick. Since the murder of Grace Frazer, the killer had struck every second day; if he was consistent, he’d be planning to hit again.
Harper took the script across to Nate Williamson. ‘Do you want to see it, Nate?’
‘No.’
‘If it doesn’t work, we’ve lost nothing,’ said Harper.
‘I’m okay with it, Tom,’ said Williamson. ‘I’m just not the innovative type, but you’re right to try. I’ve been going over the autopsy protocols again, seeing if we’ve missed anything. Looking at what this guy did to these kids. He’s evil. You understood that straight away, didn’t you? You saw it.’
Tom reached out and put his arm on Williamson’s shoulder. The man was fifty-four. His own daughter must be in her mid-twenties. ‘We’ll screw this bastard into the ground, Nate.’
‘Yeah, well I hope I’m there to see it. I want to put my heel in.’
‘Listen, Nate, I think I ought to do the press conference.’
‘Fuck that, Tom.’
‘This is going to rile him. He might react. It’s dangerous. It was my idea, I’m happy to front it.’
‘I’m lead, Tom, I lead. No question. If he wants to come and get me, I’ll be ready for him.’
Harper worked until the press release was ready to go, then he sat down alone in the bunkhouse and tried to get a few minutes of sleep before the evening sitting by the phone lines.
In the cold, drab room, Harper felt a sudden loneliness. For three months, there hadn’t been anyone to open up to. Lisa had been the only person he’d confided in, and now he didn’t know where to turn. He pulled out his phone and scrolled down to her name. He looked at it for a moment, then pressed call. She picked up.
‘Lisa. It’s Tom, you got a moment?’
‘I’m on my way out, Tom.’
‘Where are you?’
‘Not your business, remember.’
‘I just…’
‘What, Tom? How is this going to help?’
Welcome to my life, he thought. He loved Lisa, sure. And he knew he’d messed the whole thing up. It had gone wrong so slowly, almost invisibly, and then suddenly they didn’t know each other.
‘I love you,’ Harper said. There was a pause. ‘Don’t be angry.’
Lisa’s voice came back all calm and slow: ‘Tom, I know you think you do, but you don’t. You just don’t like to lose, Tom, and that’s ego — not love.’
It didn’t matter what she was saying. For a moment, it was just good to hear the way she spoke in nice neat sentences.
‘I’ll prove it to you.’
‘No. Listen. I don’t want you to prove it to me. It’s not the point. Listen to me. It’s hard. I know it is, and we’ve been doing this the hard way. You know. Love you, love this — just wrong time, wrong place… whatever.’
‘What are you saying?’
‘Tom, I don’t love you. This isn’t hard for me. This is good for me. I’m happy. I don’t have to go through it with you any more. I’m not in love with you. I don’t think about you. I’m not waiting. I’m not looking to move backwards. And another thing… I don’t think you can love…’
There was a silence. Lisa knew she had hit out but she knew the big hit was to come. That was all just padding. He knew it too. He sensed what was coming. He’d known for some time now. But he wasn’t going to let it happen.
‘Right,’ said Tom. ‘I’ll get off. Sorry I called. I gotta-’
She interrupted. A second later and he’d have ended the call.
‘I’m seeing someone, Tom. I’m seeing a guy I met. He’s a nice guy.’
‘Don’t lie to me, Lisa. You’re not seeing anyone.’
‘It’s goodbye, Tom.’
She hung up. He threw his phone hard across the room.