Cooper and Fry Crime Fiction Series Books 1-3: Black Dog, Dancing With the Virgins, Blood on the Tongue. Stephen Booth

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СКАЧАТЬ water under the bridge. She’s different now. You should see her.’

      ‘Oh, but I have seen her. She’s a teacher at Amy and Josie’s school now. We talked to her at a parents’ evening not so long ago. I hate to give away my secrets, but that’s how I know about her dad and all that. We talked for quite a long while, actually. Some of it was about old times, some about the Vernons too.’

      ‘Well then. You know what she looks like. She’s probably got half a dozen blokes she’s sleeping with. Why should she bother with me?’

      ‘Do I detect a hint of bitterness? Is it a case of a heifer in heat and too many bulls to choose from?’

      ‘People aren’t like cattle, Matt.’

      ‘It’d be better if they were sometimes. Come to think of it, it’s a pity you can’t put raddle on people like you do on rams, then you’d know straightaway who was tupping who.’

      Matt looked at his brother expectantly, raising his eyebrows, but saw he hadn’t even raised a smile.

      ‘But there’s more still, isn’t there? Problems at work, is it?’

      ‘Yeah, you’re right. I’ve made a couple of bad cock-ups in the last few days.’

      ‘They’ll understand you’re under a lot of stress, though, won’t they?’

      Cooper fished the keys of the Toyota out of his pocket and looked at his watch. It was past the time he should have been setting off for Edendale to start his shift. But the chance to try Matt’s new shotgun had been too much of a temptation.

      ‘You’ve told your bosses about Mum, haven’t you?’

      ‘No, I didn’t think they needed to know.’

      ‘But you have got time off this morning to go to the hospital?’

      ‘I just told them I had a doctor’s appointment.’

      ‘Bloody hell. They probably think you’re going to see a psychiatrist or something, the way you’ve been these last few days.’

      ‘I’d rather keep the police force out of Mum’s life, that’s all.’

      ‘I see. Things are a bit bad, then.’

      Cooper sighed. ‘Let’s put it this way – I’d much rather stay here shooting rabbits with you, Matt, than go into the office this morning.’

      Matt walked back with his brother to his car, parked in the crewyard. ‘I take it the Vernon case isn’t sorted out yet, then?’

      ‘It feels as though it’s running into the ground, Matt. We always dash round like mad at the beginning, of course. We collect masses of information, do dozens of witness interviews, house-to-house surveys and TIE enquiries, getting background detail. God, there’s so much in the computer after the first few days. Usually you get some clear lines of enquiry opening up that you can follow. But sometimes every one seems to be a blind alley and you get nowhere. Once a murder enquiry stalls, you can be looking at months and months before you get a result. If ever.’

      ‘And this is one of those, is it, Ben?’

      Cooper paused with his hand on the car door. ‘I don’t know, Matt. Maybe it’s just me. But don’t you ever get the feeling that you’ve been banging your head against a brick wall and didn’t realize it?’

      ‘It’s a tragedy about the young girl. There’s a bloke somewhere who shouldn’t be running round loose.’

      ‘That’s what keeps us going, I suppose.’

      He got into the driver’s seat and lowered the windows. The interior of the car was already warm, though the morning had hardly begun.

      Matt rested a brawny forearm on the door. ‘Still, the Vernons are no example to anybody, are they?’

      ‘They’re not my idea of good company.’

      ‘More than that,’ said Matt. ‘They create trouble for themselves, with what they get up to. Those orgies and things up there. I’m all for a bit of fun, but that’s just sick.’

      Cooper looked at his brother, frowning, wondering what on earth he was talking about.

      ‘Oh, I see. Well, if you don’t believe me,’ said Matt, ‘you just ask Helen Milner.’

      

      By the time Cooper reached the outskirts of Edendale, he knew he was going to be late for the second time in a week. Another black mark. But he found he didn’t really care. There was a dull pain throbbing at the front of his head, just behind his eyes, like the warning of an approaching thunderstorm.

      At eight o’clock in the morning it seemed as though every few yards along the road there was someone clutching a dog lead. Their pets were nose down in every clump of grass, stopping to examine every lamppost and tree. It would be a rash murderer who tried to hide a body in this neighbourhood. The search parties were out permanently.

      The first person he saw on the second floor of Divisional HQ was Diane Fry. She was heading for the briefing room with three other DCs. They were laughing at something, and Cooper began to flush immediately, not doubting that it was him they were laughing at. Fry, though, saw him coming and stopped to let him catch up.

      ‘You’re late again, Ben. You’ll be up on a charge if you’re not careful.’

      ‘Doesn’t matter,’ he said. ‘Have a good trip to Yorkshire?’

      ‘Not particularly. I’d rather have been here.’

      ‘Waste of time, then?’

      ‘Yes, as a matter of fact. There was no need for anyone to go, let alone two of us.’

      Cooper sneered before he could stop himself. ‘What a surprise. Still, I suppose you had a good time together.’

      Fry’s nostrils flared. ‘I don’t know what you’re getting at, but I’ll ignore it just this once.’

      He inclined his head, his shoulders slumping. ‘Sorry, Diane. I shouldn’t have said that.’

      ‘Are you all right, Ben? You’ve got some funny ideas, but you’ve managed to restrain yourself from the snide comments so far.’

      ‘Yeah. I’m fine. It’s this endless heat, it’s wearing me out.’

      ‘Only I’ve been hearing something about some pigs …’

      ‘Yeah, yeah, don’t tell me.’

      He saw Fry studying him. Her eyes travelled from his dull eyes to his hastily combed hair and down to his badly shaved cheeks, his crumpled shirt. He was suddenly aware of the smell of stale sweat from his body, and the way his hand shook when he rubbed his temples where the pain was beginning to throb again.

      ‘Ben – what I said about your father. I did apologize. If there’s anything else I can say …’

      ‘I СКАЧАТЬ