She called her only reliable contact—DS Marcus Webb, a grumpy but clean tech analyst. He met her in an all-night diner, reading the PDF over her shoulder.
Kate dialed a number she’d sworn never to use.
Below that, in red text: File location: Server 4. Passphrase required. Passphrase = “H” + [REDACTED].
On the desktop, a single folder: . Inside, no images, no bodycam footage, no witness statements. Just a table. Four columns: CASE REF , SUBJECT , ACTION TAKEN , OUTCOME . Thirty-two rows.
Row seven: LOD-007. SUBJECT: DI Priya Sharma (Met). ACTION TAKEN: OCG-funded holiday to Dubai. OUTCOME: Case re-assigned away from Sharma’s unit. Sharma now ACO.
Her stomach turned. Carl hadn’t been investigating criminals. He’d been investigating the investigators.
“H,” Marcus whispered. “Oh, God. He found the H.”
Row twelve: LOD-012. SUBJECT: Ch. Supt. Robert Hargreaves (AC-12 liaison). ACTION TAKEN: Leaked raid times to OCG. OUTCOME: Two witnesses killed. Hargreaves received £50k. No charges.
H + Ted = Hastings.
Detective Sergeant Kate Rainer found the file on a dead man’s laptop.
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