set me up. Do you realise how horrible that was? Did you pick the worst possible death you could find to test me with? You’re sick.’
He was panting with the effort of catching up to me. A sheen of sweat beaded his brow. ‘I didn’t think it would really work. I needed to know if you were legit. It was never reported that the vic died inside the restaurant and it’s an unsolved case. I was hoping that if you did see something you might be able to give me a description of the killer.’
‘I don’t help people who deceive me.’ I scowled so fiercely my face hurt.
‘Come on, let me buy you lunch somewhere else. I really do want to talk to you. Will you at least listen to what I have to say?’ I glared at him. His comb-over was flapping in the breeze and his chest was heaving.
I wanted to tell him to go fuck himself but a little voice of reason was asserting itself in the back of my mind. This was Ed’sboss. I couldn’t afford to be too rude, no matter how much he deserved it. Plus, my legs were so wobbly I was worried I’d fall down if I didn’t sit before the adrenaline wore off completely.
The light changed to green. ‘All right, I’ll listen.’
A steaming bowl of pasta and two glasses of red wine later I was feeling much calmer, but desperately in need of a nanna nap. I could feel my eyelids sinking to half-mast. The buzz of the Italian café we’d stumbled into had settled into a contented murmur as lunch patrons either left to go back to work or settled in for another glass of wine. The soothing ebb and flow of conversation took the final edge off my anger.
‘You’d better tell me what it is you want before I fall asleep in my Shiraz,’ I said. ‘Visions suck up all my energy and if I go to sleep you might not be able to wake me for a while.’
‘Really?’ I could see him trying to work out how he’d get me back to the car. I guessed the heaviest thing he’d lifted in a while was a slab of beer.
‘It’s OK, I won’t pass out on you. I’ll be all right for a bit longer yet, but I really need to go home and sleep.’
He sat back in his chair, the buttons on his shirt straining with the pressure. I was worried one might fly off and take my eye out. He adjusted his tie and ran his hand over his head, smoothing the long strands carefully into place. I tried not to stare. Though his wardrobe hailed from a different decade, heclearly cared enough about his appearance to try and hide his baldness. I didn’t get it.
‘I want to know if you’ll join my team as a consultant.’
‘Huh?’ I’d expected him to want my help with a case, not to ask me to join his team.
‘I’m happy to negotiate your contract. I was thinking something like paying you a retainer for your services and then maybe an hourly rate when you’re helping with a case.’
‘What do you expect me to do?’
‘How does your, er, ability work?’
‘Ed didn’t tell you?’
‘I preferred not to know on the last case. Your assistance was strictly off the books.’
‘And this time?’
‘I’d prefer that it was low-key. The MCIB staff will know but I’ll kick their arses from here to kingdom come if they talk to the media about you. Excuse the French.’
Our waitress came over and cleared the last of the dishes away. Arnott ordered a coffee and I followed suit, hoping the caffeine would be enough to keep me semi-alert till I got home.
‘I experience how someone died if I stand in the spot where it happened. It only seems to work if they died suddenly or violently. It also works if I touch their body.’
He stared at me. I met his eyes, refusing to look away first. It felt a bit like a pissing contest but somehow I knew it was important. Eventually, he blinked and looked away. ‘So why haven’t you had a gig working with the police before now?’
‘I helped Fairfield with the —’
‘Yes, yes, the Fleurieu serial killer. I’ve spoken to Sorenson about that case and what you did.’
‘You have?’
He was panting with the effort of catching up to me. A sheen of sweat beaded his brow. ‘I didn’t think it would really work. I needed to know if you were legit. It was never reported that the vic died inside the restaurant and it’s an unsolved case. I was hoping that if you did see something you might be able to give me a description of the killer.’
‘I don’t help people who deceive me.’ I scowled so fiercely my face hurt.
‘Come on, let me buy you lunch somewhere else. I really do want to talk to you. Will you at least listen to what I have to say?’ I glared at him. His comb-over was flapping in the breeze and his chest was heaving.
I wanted to tell him to go fuck himself but a little voice of reason was asserting itself in the back of my mind. This was Ed’sboss. I couldn’t afford to be too rude, no matter how much he deserved it. Plus, my legs were so wobbly I was worried I’d fall down if I didn’t sit before the adrenaline wore off completely.
The light changed to green. ‘All right, I’ll listen.’
A steaming bowl of pasta and two glasses of red wine later I was feeling much calmer, but desperately in need of a nanna nap. I could feel my eyelids sinking to half-mast. The buzz of the Italian café we’d stumbled into had settled into a contented murmur as lunch patrons either left to go back to work or settled in for another glass of wine. The soothing ebb and flow of conversation took the final edge off my anger.
‘You’d better tell me what it is you want before I fall asleep in my Shiraz,’ I said. ‘Visions suck up all my energy and if I go to sleep you might not be able to wake me for a while.’
‘Really?’ I could see him trying to work out how he’d get me back to the car. I guessed the heaviest thing he’d lifted in a while was a slab of beer.
‘It’s OK, I won’t pass out on you. I’ll be all right for a bit longer yet, but I really need to go home and sleep.’
He sat back in his chair, the buttons on his shirt straining with the pressure. I was worried one might fly off and take my eye out. He adjusted his tie and ran his hand over his head, smoothing the long strands carefully into place. I tried not to stare. Though his wardrobe hailed from a different decade, heclearly cared enough about his appearance to try and hide his baldness. I didn’t get it.
‘I want to know if you’ll join my team as a consultant.’
‘Huh?’ I’d expected him to want my help with a case, not to ask me to join his team.
‘I’m happy to negotiate your contract. I was thinking something like paying you a retainer for your services and then maybe an hourly rate when you’re helping with a case.’
‘What do you expect me to do?’
‘How does your, er, ability work?’
‘Ed didn’t tell you?’
‘I preferred not to know on the last case. Your assistance was strictly off the books.’
‘And this time?’
‘I’d prefer that it was low-key. The MCIB staff will know but I’ll kick their arses from here to kingdom come if they talk to the media about you. Excuse the French.’
Our waitress came over and cleared the last of the dishes away. Arnott ordered a coffee and I followed suit, hoping the caffeine would be enough to keep me semi-alert till I got home.
‘I experience how someone died if I stand in the spot where it happened. It only seems to work if they died suddenly or violently. It also works if I touch their body.’
He stared at me. I met his eyes, refusing to look away first. It felt a bit like a pissing contest but somehow I knew it was important. Eventually, he blinked and looked away. ‘So why haven’t you had a gig working with the police before now?’
‘I helped Fairfield with the —’
‘Yes, yes, the Fleurieu serial killer. I’ve spoken to Sorenson about that case and what you did.’
‘You have?’
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