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

Outside, the air hung wet with a smir of rain. That annoying stage between fog and downpour that somehow managed to soak you through without you noticing. She hurried to the bus stop, pleased to have timed it perfectly for once, and was soon back in the warm.

On the bus, she pulled out her notebook and flipped through to the pages where she’d taken down Izzy’s description of her attackers the night before. Well, not so much of her attackers as the injuries she’d inflicted on them. A broken nose could be easily explained, and there were probably hundreds seen by A and E on any given night. Likewise, broken fingers were probably ten a penny. A ruptured testicle was a rather more esoteric injury, and the kind of damage that a well-placed kick to the knee could inflict would almost certainly both need medical attention and be remembered by whichever doctor administered it.

By the time the bus pulled up at the stop closest to the police station, Janie had called in several favours, and now there was nothing she could do but wait for her various contacts to get back to her. She wasn’t entirely sure why she was doing this. Not while in the middle of a murder investigation and looking into two other suspicious deaths. There was the connection with Fielding, of course. That was how she’d justify it if it ever came back to her. She couldn’t see DI McLean being upset, but Ritchie was a bit more of a stickler for the rules. And McIntyre might act like everyone’s mum, but she could be sharp as a paper cut if she wanted to be. Janie had seen her tear strips off enough constables, sergeants and even inspectors to know better than to cross the detective superintendent.

The major incident room was quiet when she let herself in, only a few of the night shift still hanging around to pass on the little information that had dribbled in overnight. Most of the talk was about DI McLean’s car, and how someone had managed to steal it from right underneath their noses. Reg, the duty sergeant when it had happened, was chewing up the furniture and shouting at anyone unfortunate enough to cross his path, as if it were his fault entirely that it had happened. Janie was glad she’d missed him when she came in.

She logged in to one of the terminals. Working through the routine emails didn’t take long, even if she wasn’t kidding herself there’d be more to deal with soon enough. DI Ritchie would be calling the morning briefing in a few minutes, and Janie glanced at her phone hoping something might have come through. Still no reply. She logged off the computer and stood up, scanning the room for the familiar figure and not seeing it anywhere. That was strange. It wasn’t as if he could easily hide.

‘You seen Lofty?’ she asked of a uniformed constable as he scuttled past, clutching a load of folders to his chest.

‘Phoned in to say his wife’s being induced today,’ came the answer, and then the uniform was gone. A little curt for a constable addressing a sergeant, but she let it go. She should have remembered about Lofty’s wife. He’d been unusually surly recently – he must have been worrying about her. Having a break during paternity leave might do him good.

Her phone rang as she watched DI Ritchie stride into the room, followed by a gaggle of detective constables. About time they had some new blood in the place, even if what they really needed was experienced officers. She checked the caller, one of her friends who worked at the Royal Infirmary.

‘Hey, Ali. You got my text then?’

‘Aye, Janie. Wondered about that. You’re not usually one to miss a chance for a chat. This all a bit hush hush?’

Alison Perry had been one of her closest friends at school, but their careers had taken different paths since and they only met up occasionally now. An A and E nurse, she could be a useful source of information sometimes, and a dreadful gossip the rest.

‘I was on the bus. Didn’t want to upset any of the other passengers.’

‘Fair enough. Can you tell me what this is all about then? Only I think I might have dealt with your two miscreants last night.’

Janie looked up at the clock, then over at the crowd gathering for the morning briefing. Sandy Gregg was there, so they had at least one detective sergeant to cover. If she slipped out now before anyone noticed, she could always catch up later.

‘You at work now?’

‘Aye. Shift’s no’ over for another hour. Then I’m away to my bed.’

‘OK, Ali. Can’t tell you on the phone, but I’ll be over in about a half an hour. Buy you breakfast.’

The squad car she’d cadged a lift from dropped Janie at the main entrance to the Royal Infirmary forty minutes after she’d snuck unnoticed out of the morning briefing. She’d sent a quick text to DI Ritchie and Sandy Gregg whilst en route, hoping she wasn’t volunteered for some unpleasant duty or shift in her absence. If her hunch paid off, it would be worth it.

She found Alison getting herself ready to leave A and E at the end of what had clearly been a long night. Janie hung around until the clock swung to the hour, then followed her old school friend to the staff canteen and bought her a coffee.

‘Probably shouldn’t have this,’ Alison said as she sipped her latte. ‘Going home and straight to bed, and I don’t need anything keeping me awake.’

‘Bad night, was it?’

‘Ach, I’ve had worse. It just never ends, though. Especially now the nights are long and dark and it’s getting cold. Folk are just accidents waiting to happen.’ Alison took another sip from her mug, put it carefully down on the table and rubbed at her eyes with the heels of her