A Dog's Life (The Romney and Marsh Files Book 4) Read Online Free PDF

station, or any police station in the country for that matter, could be involved in the fabrication of evidence and the coercion of witnesses in order to get a conviction.’ Romney sat up and opened his mouth to speak. Vine gave him a look at the palm of her hand. ‘Wait. I haven’t finished. Those are the claims being made by Mr Savage’s legal representation. Those are the claims that we will have to refute when the IPCC become involved if and when the Professional Standards Department deem it necessary. Are we able to refute them?’
    ‘You are aware that Savage pleaded guilty? Is he saying we coerced him too? The Abominable Showman – that was the name he fought under. No one ever coerced Jimmy Savage into anything.’
    ‘We all know that people will plead guilty when there is a weight of evidence against them in the hope of getting a reduced sentence.’
    ‘He is as guilty today as he was then. He was positively identified by a member of the public who was not coerced to speak up. On top of that, he’d been involved in an separate altercation with the dead man earlier that evening in a different part of town.’
    ‘He is claiming that he was “fitted up” by CID. The report mentions you by name.’
    Romney’s jaw tightened. ‘I was the arresting officer.’
    ‘There is a suggestion that evidence was fabricated because of personal grudges.’ When Romney didn’t speak, she said, ‘Anything you want to say?’
    ‘How far along is this appeal?’
    ‘It’s coming. There is nothing official in the system, yet.’
    ‘He’s a liar. The only grudge we had against him was a professional one. He was a house-breaking, car-stealing, wife-beating scrote. A career criminal. The Savages are one of those families who have felt the need to live down to their name, although much of their behaviour, I’m sure, could also be attributed to their gene pool – think unfiltered urinal runoff. In case you’re in any doubt, the Savages of Tower Hamlets are a stubborn stain in the gusset of the underpants of society.’
    Boudicca was unmoved. ‘The witness you mention is, apparently, preparing to retract his statement.’ She snatched up her spectacles to read, ‘Bernard Stark is now wondering whether he may have been mistaken in his identification of Savage as the man involved in the altercation that left Stafford dead. There is a strong suggestion from Mr Savage’s legal counsel that this man Stark had been...’ she held up her glasses and peered at the page in front of her, ‘ “...coerced by the police to identify Mr Savage as the guilty party.” It seems that his conscience has finally caught up with him.’ She fixed Romney with her cold grey eyes again. ‘Anything you wish to say on that score?’
    ‘Is Bernie saying that I coerced him? Me, personally?’
    ‘I cannot go into details for obvious reasons but I should warn you that you should begin trawling your memory. When this matter becomes official, officers of Kent PSD, in the first instance, will want to speak to each and every one of you who was serving here at the time. In the meantime, I am instructing you not to discuss it amongst yourselves.’
    ‘You sound like you believe it, ma’am.’
    ‘It doesn’t matter what I believe, Inspector.’
    ‘Stark’s taken his time for an attack of conscience, don’t you think? Why now? That case is three years old.’
    She stared at Romney across the four feet of table that separated them. And waited. When Romney added nothing further, she said, ‘It’s not for me to make a judgement, Inspector. I leave that to the appropriate investigating bodies.’ Seemingly satisfied with her smart remark, she said, ‘I suggest you start giving some serious thought to your position. You can expect to have visitors who are going to have some tough questions. For now you can count yourself fortunate you have not been suspended subject to further enquiries. When the appeal is lodged officially that might still happen,