.

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After she had finished gulping down her toast Barbara grabbed her coat and bag, checked for her keys and went to her car. A quick glance at her watch told her she was a bit late but Nkata would not mind, Lynley was not there and unless there was an emergency the Chief Superintendent would not leave her office until about ten. Barbara had plenty of time to drive a detour and avoid the most heavy traffic jam spots. On her way she switched through her radio, skipping from channel to channel to find the best music but nothing seemed to fit her good mood and when the news time was there she finally put in a CD. With the windows wide open she drove down another small road, entertaining the few passers-by with loudly singing the best of Billy Joel. When she kept that brilliant mood the paperwork will be done in a wink and maybe even before the DI would show up.

A police motorcycle passed her with horns and lights and a few turns further the traffic was diverted. Barbara did not bother to check what it was. If there was a murder and Lynley's team would be given that case she would hear of it soon enough and probably it was just another car accident. She already had passed two of those. Today London seemed to be a dangerous place for drivers. Fortunately she would be at New Scotland Yard in a few minutes. Her mood turned even better when she found a space for her Mini right in front of the exit to the elevators.

The new adjuvant PC Thwaites arrived at the door in the same time and at the moment Barbara was in the best of moods to have another little flirt with the young and eloquent man. He was a freshman straight from the Police School and still barely had fluff in his face. Everybody knew that he adored DC Fernwick and Barbara only had feelings like a big sister for Thwaites but still both always enjoyed their flirtatious encounters. Lynley seemed to dislike him although Barbara could tell no reason for that. He always furrowed his brows when the young man comes around.

In the office Barbara was greeted by Nkata who had just returned from the kitchen with two mugs of coffee.

"Hiya, Barb! You're quite early!" he said.

"Stop being sarcastic, Winnie. It doesn't suit you." She took the offered coffee and dropped her bag onto her desk. "Ta."

"I'd never try to steal your crown, my Queen." Plonking down in his chair Winnie laughed.

With all the time in the world Barbara booted up her computer and checked her e-mails and a funny video of the officers on the Isles of Scilly showing another silly dance before she turned her attention towards the solved case. Everything was like it was when they had left yesterday night. In front of the file shelves the huge white board still stood with all its pictures and maps and notes. This was the first thing that had to be sorted and put in Manila folder format so it could be used in the final interrogations and later the trial. It took them not as long as they had guessed.

Eventually Barbara went to the kitchen to get some cookies. On her way she turned on the big TV that was there to watch the news if necessary but when they were alone like now the befriended officers sometimes watched different and definitely more entertaining programs. Apart from the voices on TV Barbara could hear that it went totally quiet in the office. There were not even paper shuffling sounds and with the open biscuit package in her left and a chocolate cookie in her right hand she curiously returned to Nkata's desk. Mesmerised he was staring at the screen.

"What is it, Winnie?"

He pointed with his chin towards the screen. "A bank robbery with hostage taking. Right here around the corner."

"Good gracious." While she took another sip of her coffee Barbara recognised the filmed street. "Oh, I was driving there this morning. They had diverted the traffic but I didn't bother to ask why. You know how many diversions there are in London all the time."

"Yah, when I passed that street I still was able to drive through. I wonder if the robbers already had been in there."

For a while they watched what the media showed.

"Isn't this the posh bank where the DI always went to 'run his errands'?" Winnie asked. Barbara paled. A million worst case scenarios rushed through her head but her colleague went on with his casual babble. "He might try to appear as a common man but when it comes to putting ordinary cash into his wallet he has to meet his 'personal financier'. I'm glad I can use the hole in the wall. Spares you so much- ...Barb?" Finally he had looked at his senior officer. "Are you okay?"

"He had called earlier to tell me he'd be late to 'run some errands'." she croaked.

"What? And now you think...?" Barbara only nodded towards the screen while she fetched her mobile from her pocket. "Barb, if he's in there you shouldn't call him." But it was too late, Barbara already had dialled his number, her eyes still fixed on the screen. The blurry picture of the camera, obviously positioned in a big distance, was not very steady but now slowly zooming in through a window. It also was not very sharp but one of the men shown there, a man with a very well known figure and a very familiar mop of dark hair, quickly shoved his hand in and out of the pocket of his coat.

The number you have dialled is temporarily not available. Please try again later.

Even Winston had heard it over the silence in the office. In that moment another camera, more steady, showed the first police vans with the armed officers arriving and the comment in the off told them the basic facts of police work that the two Detectives already had learned many years ago at Police School. A third handheld camera approached the blue and white police line and suddenly the shown picture jerked when a shot was heard. A second shot came straight after the first one and zooming closer the camera steadied again. Everybody in that bank had gone down to the ground.

Before a police officer pushed the camera away and ordered the press people away from the scenery the last pictures showed Lynley's face staring motionless out of the window.

Barbara's coffee mug burst on the floor.

.

...