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Both deviated away from Reilly. “No you don’t,” said Gates, “these are all ours.”
“So much for team players,” muttered Reilly, making his way to the coffee machine.
“It’s not all bad,” said Longstaff, dropping a couple of chunky KitKats on the table in front of him, creating a smile as wide as the Liffey.
“I take it all back.”
“Please tell me some good news,” said Gardener.
“I wish we could,” replied Gates, taking a seat.
Longstaff joined her and took a sip of coke. “We’ve just come from the bank.”
Reilly sat down, placing bottled water in front of Gardener, with a coffee for himself. “Knowing what we know about banks and how secretive they like to be, I guess it didn’t go well.”
“Actually,” said Gates, “it depends on how you look at it.”
“Go on,” said Gardener.
“Cyber crime is all over this one,” said Longstaff.
“Cyber crime?”
Gates nodded. “They’ve been at it for a few days. It appears that there are some irregularities in bank procedure.”
“Yes,” said Longstaff. “Brian Jennings, the manager, isn’t quite sure what’s happened but it involved David Hunter. There wasn’t a lot more they could – or would – tell us.”
“I’d look at that as positive,” said Paul Benson.
Gardener shook his head. “If cyber crime are involved there must be a whole side to this story that we know nothing about.”
“Which means we’re going to need your help, sir,” said Longstaff. “We’ll need you to contact them and see if you can get them to cooperate.”
Chapter Nine
Four days after the attaché case had been discovered – seven following the hit and run – two cyber crime team officers from Bradford walked into Millgarth police station in Leeds and asked to speak to DI Gardener. They were shown into his office.
“Grab a seat,” said Reilly.
The Bradford Two introduced themselves as DI Steve Winter and his partner, DS Shona Pearson. Winter was a thin, fresh-faced youth with a head of spikey black hair and wire-rimmed glasses. If he turned sideways on, Gardener would have trouble seeing him. Shona Pearson was a pretty woman, also slim, late twenties, with olive skin and almond eyes.
Gardener stood and, shaking hands with them, he introduced Reilly, who took an order for drinks and swiftly returned with them.
“I have to say,” started Gardener, “that when one of my officers informed me that cyber crime were already involved in a murder case we were investigating, it more than piqued my curiosity.”
“And ours,” replied Winter, “but from what we’ve learned about the case, we figured it wouldn’t be long before something serious happened.”
“Would you mind telling us your involvement, Mr Gardener?” Shona Pearson asked.
Between them, he and Reilly explained the strange events of the hit and run. The Bradford Two listened without interruption and then came straight to the point.
“How much do you know about computers, sir?” Pearson asked Gardener.
“A little,” he replied, “but I’m certainly no expert.”
“Mr Reilly?” she inquired.
“Less than him.”
