Page 68 - double revenge 3.

I waited for Thomas to make his way back to the ops room and headed for Barker.
Barker’s office confirmed what his suit had told me, he was on a much higher salary scale and must
have a seniority I had never imagined.

‘What have you got for me Bryant?’

‘Did you know that Anne had been murdered? Did you know that Frank Furlong’s report had been
doctored?’

Barker sat for a while as if unsure what to say but I recognised genuine remorse when he eventually
spoke.

‘Yes I did know and I am really so sorry, you deserved to know the truth but it was felt that if we
made it known that we knew it was deliberate, the perpetrator would back off, disappear and we
would lose the chance of bringing them to justice. We are actively looking for Anne’s murderer I can
assure you. C has prioritised this. How did you find out?’

‘I went to see Frank and he told me about his investigation.’

‘One day I will have to explain to him what happened. I would not want people to think he had
made an incorrect investigation.’

‘It’s too late for that. Within hours of speaking to me he was killed.’

‘Damn! Damn!’

Barker thumped his desk and got up to spend a long time looking out of his window.

‘Did you know Anne had a meeting scheduled the night she was killed?’ I asked.

Barker continued to stare out of his window. ‘Yes I did, according to Thomas the meeting was
cancelled.’

‘Did you know that Anne started for home in a taxi but changed her mind and returned here to pick
up her car?’

Barker turned back from the window.

‘No. I didn’t know that. Thomas’s report only went as far as the contact never showed. Is the fact
she changed her mind and went back for her car important?’

‘Yes, I think it is. Thomas said he offered Anne a lift to fetch her car but she declined and said she
would take a taxi home. Either something happened on her way home in the taxi or she suddenly
remembered something and headed back to her office. I would like to see the duty officer’s report
for that night.’

‘Very well.’ Barker moved back to his desk and typed into his computer.

‘There’s the log for that evening.’

I scrolled through and could find nothing unusual. Eventually Anne’s return to the building was
logged, as was her departure from the car park. The times clearly indicated that she went straight
for her car and did not have time to go to her office. My first instinct that something had happened