What Will Burn by James Oswald (ebook reader web .txt) 📕

different. Honest. They deserved it, like you say. I meant you seemed, I don’t know, frightened when you caught up with me out on the street. And your injuries . . .’ She raised a hand tentatively towards Izzy’s face, but didn’t touch her.

‘Like I said, they jumped me. Stupid, really. I should have been paying more attention, but I was that pissed off with the bloody politicians refusing to see me. If I’d been thinking straight those two would never have got anywhere near.’ Izzy clenched her hands into tight fists, the grazes on her knuckles beginning to ooze a little fresh blood. ‘I legged it while they were down. Knew the police station you worked out of was close by and hoped you’d still be at work. Saw you just leaving, didn’t I? Had to run to catch you up.’

Janie reached into her pocket and pulled out her trusty notebook. Most policing was done with electronic PDAs these days, but technically she was off duty, and the batteries were always flat when you most needed them not to be. Flicking forward to an empty page, she opened it up on the table.

‘These two men who attacked you. I know you said you couldn’t identify them, but can you give me a few more details?’

‘Yeah, I guess so. Don’t know if it’ll be easy to press charges, mind you. Men like that . . .’ Izzy tailed off, her eyes going to a faraway place Janie couldn’t even imagine. She took another swig of her wine to fill the silence, and something of the motion must have brought the young woman back to the here and now.

‘Maybe not. But if you can give us a detailed description of the injuries you inflicted, then that might be interesting if any of Fielding’s associates turn up limping, or with a bandaged hand, wouldn’t you say?’

Izzy’s face brightened at the thought. ‘That would be something, wouldn’t it? Yes. That’s a great idea.’

It took the best part of an hour, going back and forth over the details. Janie knew that she should really have walked Izzy back to the station, lodged a formal incident report and taken a statement from her there. But she also knew the connection with Fielding was entirely conjecture, and that an attempted attack on a young woman wouldn’t get the full attention it deserved. If they’d found her body in one of the narrow closes off the Royal Mile, then there would have been a full investigation, but Izzy had escaped relatively unharmed. Any search for her assailants would be cursory at best.

‘Where are you staying at the moment?’ Janie asked as they picked at the remains of their fourth packet of crisps and second glass of wine. As she’d expected, once you’d had one, the next didn’t taste so bad. Or, indeed, of anything much at all. Still, she was aware that the time was marching on, her night in front of the telly disappearing rapidly.

‘That’s the thing. I was staying with Con’s friend, Rose? You know her?’

‘Aye, I know Rose. You want me to arrange someone to take you back there?’

‘Christ, no. I don’t think I can bear to stay in that house any longer. It’s too weird. She’s too weird. And all those cats, always watching you. Swear they’re all reporting back to her the whole time.’

Janie wanted to laugh again, except that everything Izzy said was true.

‘Do you not think she’ll worry, if you’re not there?’

‘Nah. I left a note. Half expect to see one of the cats sitting on a wall outside keeping an eye on me anyway. Told her I’d find digs somewhere else, but that was before all this happened.’ Izzy indicated the notebook, the wine, the packets of crisps. ‘I’m not really in a position to turn up at the North British and get myself a room for the night.’

‘Really? I thought you were loaded. What with . . .’ Janie left the sentence unfinished, suddenly embarrassed.

‘I wish.’ Izzy didn’t seem to have taken offence at the statement. ‘Maybe someday. Right now all the DeVilliers money is locked down tight in all manner of legal cases. Charlotte, my half-sister, she’s doing her best to sort it all out, and she’s way better at it than I’d have ever believed possible. Mum’s moved in with Con’s dad, which is all kinds of awkward, let me tell you. Long and short of it is I used to be a trust fund kid in a posh private school and now I’ve barely two beans to rub together.’

Far from being upset by it, Janie could see that Izzy was happy at the freedom not being one of the country’s wealthy elite brought to her. Perhaps it was the folly of youth, although she wasn’t that much younger than Janie. Not really. If you squinted. Maybe it was the certain knowledge that she’d be rich again soon enough. Whatever it was, she didn’t seem bitter about it, which given all the things that had happened in her life showed a remarkably wise head on those young shoulders. Christ, she was beginning to sound like her mum.

‘Don’t suppose you know anywhere I can crash?’ Izzy asked. ‘Sure I’ll find somewhere tomorrow, but it’s getting kind of late now.’

For a moment Janie thought about the boss, with his big old house and all its spare rooms. He’d put up waifs and strays before. She’d almost reached for her phone to give him a call, but then she remembered what had happened to his car. He’d either be out dealing with that, or home and pissed off. She’d check in with him tomorrow.

‘Come on then.’ She made up her mind as she stood and reached for her coat. ‘It’s only a couch in the living room, but you can crash at my place for the night.’

28

Early morning, and McLean drove Emma’s little Renault ZOE to the station. He’d thought long and hard about taking it, since she’d not had the car long before heading off with Professor