Blackstone and the Endgame Read Online Free PDF Page A

there and find out what’s happened,’ Brigham screamed.
    They found the two constables – who should have been on duty at the dock gates – behind one of the cranes. They had been securely bound and gagged, but they were still conscious, and the moment they saw their rescuers approaching, they began to kick their legs and grunt as loudly as they could.
    â€˜Get these lads untied,’ the inspector said to the two sergeants.
    â€˜There’s no time for that!’ Brigham screamed. ‘We have to find Blackstone and the money.’
    â€˜It’s below freezing now, sir, and if we don’t untie them, they’ll probably die of exposure,’ the inspector said in a voice as cold as the air – a voice that suggested he was perfectly prepared to disobey his superior, should that prove necessary.
    â€˜Very well, then, untie them – but make it quick,’ Brigham said. ‘And then go and find that bastard Blackstone.’
    The constables needed assistance to stand up, but once they were on their feet, they did not seem to be in any danger of falling over.
    â€˜Go!’ Brigham told his team. Then he turned his attention to the constables. ‘What the hell happened here?’ he demanded.
    â€˜There were these two blokes with guns, sir,’ said one of the constables, rubbing his wrists in an attempt to improve his circulation. ‘They came out of nowhere. They told us that they’d kill us if we didn’t surrender immediately. We didn’t have any choice.’
    â€˜You didn’t have any choice!’ Brigham barked, as a voice in his head screamed that someone would have to take the blame for this fiasco, and that – unfairly – it would probably be him. ‘
You didn’t have any choice!
’
    â€˜No, sir,’ the constable mumbled.
    â€˜You’re supposed to be members of the finest police force in the world,’ Brigham ranted. ‘You should have used your moral authority to make the men put down their guns. And if that didn’t work, then you should have unsheathed your truncheons and charged them.’
    â€˜But … but if we’d done that, they’d have shot us down like dogs, sir,’ the constable protested.
    â€˜Well, at least then you’d have died with honour,’ Brigham said. ‘As it is, you’re nothing but a disgrace to your uniform.’
    It was ten minutes before the inspector and the two sergeants returned.
    â€˜Have you found him?’ Brigham asked.
    â€˜The docks are a big place, sir,’ the inspector said. ‘We’ll have to wait until it gets light before we can carry out a proper search.’
    â€˜In other words, you
haven’t
found him,’ Brigham said bitterly.
    â€˜No, sir.’
    â€˜Have you found
anything
?’
    â€˜We found this, sir,’ said one of the sergeants, holding up a warrant card.
    â€˜Is that … is that …?’ Brigham gasped.
    â€˜It’s Inspector Blackstone’s, sir.’
    â€˜So how is it you couldn’t find a big man like Blackstone, but you managed to come across a small thing like his warrant card?’ Brigham demanded.
    The sergeant looked to the inspector for help, and the inspector nodded that he’d be glad to oblige.
    â€˜We don’t think Inspector Blackstone is still here, sir, but the warrant card was lying right there in our path,’ the inspector said. ‘And no doubt the thing that’s concerning you the most at the moment is whether or not there was any blood on the warrant card.’
    â€˜What?’ Brigham asked, as if he had no idea what the inspector was talking about.
    â€˜Blood,’ the inspector repeated. ‘You’ll be eager to find out if an officer under your command has been injured.’
    â€˜Yes, yes, of course,’ Brigham said. ‘Was there any blood?’
    â€˜No, sir, there wasn’t.’
    â€˜Then if he