I am not lonely [Mystrade]

CHAPTER 178 : Not always the good guys

The atmosphere was electric when Greg entered the Yard on the  Thursday morning. Of course, the spirit in a building sheltering teams  working on crimes and violent offences every day was rarely light but as  far as he could remember, the detective had rarely seen the surrounding  people so tensed, half preoccupied and half hysteric. It didn't take  long before he was intercepted by Sandra Kenzel, his friend from Trident  who, as everyone else was looking strangely panicked.

"Why aren't you answering your phone ?" she wondered quite abruptly.

"My daughter sank it in her bath last night, need to ask for a new one." the inspector apologized, starting to feel strangely tensed himself.

"It's been ten minutes Jameson is looking for you." the woman nodded, walking with him to his office.

"Why that ?" Greg questioned finding all that very weird and frightening.

"Haven't you heard about what happened early in the morning ?" Sandra retorted, surprised as they were reaching the door.

The  detective hadn't had the opportunity to answer her as the Chief  Superintendent was waiting for him in front of his office, looking  rather cross. The policeman followed his boss to another cubicle and  took the seat he was offered.

"Lestrade, I want you to drop everything you are doing at the moment, I've got a case for you." Jameson informed him promptly.

"Will someone tell me what the hell is going on ?" the inspector started to lose patience.

"I thought you out of everyone would have followed the news." the other man replied, disappointed. "Joshua  Green, 17 have been shot around six this morning by a police officer  during an intervention linked to a manslaughter. Things are already  going nasty around the crime scene and the Met is concerned about  possible riots."

"What do you hope me to do exactly ?" Gregory wondered, finally understanding what was making everyone so tensed.

"You will be the senior officer in charge of managing the events happening in Hackney." the superintendent informed his adjunct. "DI Dimmock  is investigating the reason of the lethal shooting. You will supervise  the Met response's to any kind of violence and protest happening in the neighbourhood until the case is closed."

Jameson  handled him a file containing the first informations about the case and  dismissed him, being himself summoned to a meeting with higher officers.  The last time Greg had been in charge of such a case he had succeeded, if the Hyde Park events could be considered  a success, and his name had been the first one to come up when the Yard  needed someone to work with the Met. Once again, the detective was in  charge of nearly half London's police officers, and he was not feeling any more confident than the last time.

First  thing first, he rushed downstairs to the stewardship, in desperate need  of a new phone. Kids rarely chose the best time to ruin your  properties, but this time it was really the worst time not to be able to  be contacted. Thankfully enough, the woman behind the desk had some  smartphone in a drawer and three minutes later the detective was all  set.

Greg was just exiting the stewardship when his phone rang  for the first time. He had decided to go directly to Hackney's police  station to see by himself what was unfolding in the neighbourhood, and  he thought the caller might be the senior officer of station. He took  the call on the third ring as he ran through the car park's door.

"DCI Lestrade speaking." he introduced himself, looking for his car keys.

"Greg, it's Sally." his friend interrupted him.

"What's happening ?" the detective wondered, surprised by the woman's tone.

"The investigation that had gone wild this morning, it was under my supervision." Donovan explained, seemingly shaken.