knee. The old fool blushed slightly. This poor guy had never had an orgasm with any other living, breathing being within one hundred yards of the event.
‘I think that’s the right decision, Malcolm. Now you go to bed and I’ll talk to David for you.’
Alex sighed deeply as Malcolm left and David re-entered.
‘How did it go?’
Alex blew out air. ‘Well, it took a lot of persuasion but he’s not calling the police.’
David’s face crumpled with relief. ‘Thank God. Shane is so sorry for what he’s done. He knows it was wrong and we both know that returning to prison would kill him. He really isn’t a bad kid.’
‘However, Malcolm’s one condition for not calling the police is that Shane has to leave.’
David swore under his breath.
‘I know it’s difficult and I tried to change his mind but he wouldn’t budge. I suppose you can see his point. He would be terrified.’
David shook his head. ‘I just don’t know what got into him.’
Alex shrugged. ‘That’s the problem. There’s no way to ensure it won’t happen again. You can’t guarantee Malcolm’s safety if Shane stays.’
David dropped his head into his hands.
Alex reached over and touched his bare arm. ‘There’s nothing more you can do, David.’
It was maddening that the only fault she could see in this man was his ability to empathise with the hopeless charges within his care. Just a touch of ruthlessness or a devious mind and he’d have been her perfect match.
He moved his arm beyond her reach.
‘Jesus, David, I tried my best you know,’ she snapped, smarting from the rejection. He didn’t know that she had manipulated the situation to keep the authorities away. For all she cared Shane could be thrown back in prison and abused every day of his life. Whatever her motives she had saved this situation and still this man rebuffed her.
‘I know, Alex, and I really appreciate it. I just need to figure out what I can do to help Shane.’
She stood up and brushed past him as she reached into the cupboard for two cups.
‘How’s Barry getting on, I thought he’d have been gone by now?’ she asked for the sake of conversation. One last coffee and it was goodbye. David’s indifference to her advances was the final straw. She had better ways to spend her time.
David shook his head. ‘Poor guy suffered a major setback. Heard from a friend of a friend that his ex-wife and brother got married last week. Barry’s daughter was a bridesmaid. He had a major meltdown and smashed up some stuff. He’s not ready to go yet.’
Alex felt the smile begin low in her stomach. Luckily she had turned away by the time it reached her face. She might have just been offered a reason to stay.
‘Oh dear, that’s such a shame. I’ll make the coffee and you can tell me all about it.’
ELEVEN
Kim seated herself at the spare detective’s desk. ‘Hope you all got a bit of sleep, because there won’t be any more until we make some headway on this case.’
Personally, she’d had very little herself. She had eventually drifted off, only to be woken two hours later after dreaming of little Daisy Dunn. She had often fallen asleep thinking about a case, and even more often a suspect had been the first thing she’d thought of in a morning. But the vision of Daisy had unsettled her; she’d watched her being led away, but Daisy was pulling back, refusing to go, staring back at her.
Kim shook the vision away. The case was over and it was on with the next. She had done her part and now she just had to hope it made it to court, despite the stupidity of Jenks and Whiley.
She tuned back just in time to catch a grumble from the other side of the room. It originated from Dawson’s corner.
Her eyes challenged him. He looked away.
Kim didn’t operate to a rota and their rostered working hours were viewed in an advisory capacity only. If a witness needed to be interviewed she didn’t care if it was five minutes before the end of shift. The job got
‘I think that’s the right decision, Malcolm. Now you go to bed and I’ll talk to David for you.’
Alex sighed deeply as Malcolm left and David re-entered.
‘How did it go?’
Alex blew out air. ‘Well, it took a lot of persuasion but he’s not calling the police.’
David’s face crumpled with relief. ‘Thank God. Shane is so sorry for what he’s done. He knows it was wrong and we both know that returning to prison would kill him. He really isn’t a bad kid.’
‘However, Malcolm’s one condition for not calling the police is that Shane has to leave.’
David swore under his breath.
‘I know it’s difficult and I tried to change his mind but he wouldn’t budge. I suppose you can see his point. He would be terrified.’
David shook his head. ‘I just don’t know what got into him.’
Alex shrugged. ‘That’s the problem. There’s no way to ensure it won’t happen again. You can’t guarantee Malcolm’s safety if Shane stays.’
David dropped his head into his hands.
Alex reached over and touched his bare arm. ‘There’s nothing more you can do, David.’
It was maddening that the only fault she could see in this man was his ability to empathise with the hopeless charges within his care. Just a touch of ruthlessness or a devious mind and he’d have been her perfect match.
He moved his arm beyond her reach.
‘Jesus, David, I tried my best you know,’ she snapped, smarting from the rejection. He didn’t know that she had manipulated the situation to keep the authorities away. For all she cared Shane could be thrown back in prison and abused every day of his life. Whatever her motives she had saved this situation and still this man rebuffed her.
‘I know, Alex, and I really appreciate it. I just need to figure out what I can do to help Shane.’
She stood up and brushed past him as she reached into the cupboard for two cups.
‘How’s Barry getting on, I thought he’d have been gone by now?’ she asked for the sake of conversation. One last coffee and it was goodbye. David’s indifference to her advances was the final straw. She had better ways to spend her time.
David shook his head. ‘Poor guy suffered a major setback. Heard from a friend of a friend that his ex-wife and brother got married last week. Barry’s daughter was a bridesmaid. He had a major meltdown and smashed up some stuff. He’s not ready to go yet.’
Alex felt the smile begin low in her stomach. Luckily she had turned away by the time it reached her face. She might have just been offered a reason to stay.
‘Oh dear, that’s such a shame. I’ll make the coffee and you can tell me all about it.’
ELEVEN
Kim seated herself at the spare detective’s desk. ‘Hope you all got a bit of sleep, because there won’t be any more until we make some headway on this case.’
Personally, she’d had very little herself. She had eventually drifted off, only to be woken two hours later after dreaming of little Daisy Dunn. She had often fallen asleep thinking about a case, and even more often a suspect had been the first thing she’d thought of in a morning. But the vision of Daisy had unsettled her; she’d watched her being led away, but Daisy was pulling back, refusing to go, staring back at her.
Kim shook the vision away. The case was over and it was on with the next. She had done her part and now she just had to hope it made it to court, despite the stupidity of Jenks and Whiley.
She tuned back just in time to catch a grumble from the other side of the room. It originated from Dawson’s corner.
Her eyes challenged him. He looked away.
Kim didn’t operate to a rota and their rostered working hours were viewed in an advisory capacity only. If a witness needed to be interviewed she didn’t care if it was five minutes before the end of shift. The job got
Similar Books
