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Chapter 10
‘Ican see how you might have a problem, Sergeant Poe,’ Tai-young Lee said. ‘I fail to see how I have one.’
‘You have a problem, ma’am, because the woman you’ve arrested is an NCA asset. She has been for some time now.’
Lee frowned. ‘I wasn’t aware of this,’ she said.
‘I’m making you aware. SCAS pay Professor Doyle an annual retainer. Technically she’s an employee, although I wouldn’t mention that to her if I were you.’
‘She’s been arrested for murder and, without appearing prejudicial, the evidence is overwhelming. Unless you’re about to tell me she has diplomatic immunity, she’s not walking away from—’
‘Are you ambitious, ma’am?’ Poe cut in.
Lee shrugged. ‘As any Korean whose parents wanted their only child to be a doctor.’
‘Then let me see her.’
‘Are you threatening me, Sergeant Poe?’
‘Of course not, ma’am. But maybe you should take five minutes to check me out. Decide how much of me you want in your life because I’m certainly not leaving this alone.’
She stood up, muttered, ‘I could really do without this right now,’ then stormed off.
Poe went back to his emails. Still nothing from Flynn or Bradshaw.
Tai-young Lee returned fifteen minutes later. She didn’t look happy.
This time she didn’t sit. Poe didn’t stand. If she needed to tower over him in a management powerplay, that was fine. He was there for Doyle, not his ego.
‘It seems my chief super knows of you, Sergeant Poe,’ she said. ‘He said you went toe-to-toe with the security services last year and came out on top.’
‘That’s been exaggerated,’ Poe said.
‘He seemed impressed.’
‘He really shouldn’t be.’
‘Good, because I’m not. All I see is someone trying to interfere in an active investigation.’
‘I promise you I’m not—’
‘But,’ she said, clipping his half-arsed protest, ‘as a courtesy to the NCA wewillallow you to see Professor Doyle. As it’s not a legally privileged meeting, the recording equipment will be switched on and I’ll be listening. If I think you’re about to disclose things we aren’t ready to disclose, I’ll stop the interview and arrest you for interfering in a police investigation. These terms aren’t negotiable.’
There was nothing to consider. ‘Fine,’ he said.
She sighed. ‘What’s this really about, Sergeant Poe? Why did she want you informed?’
‘No idea,’ he said. ‘But I think you’d better tell me what happened.’
