Gaslighting: A British Crime Thriller (Doc Powers & D.I. Carver Investigate Book 3) by Patching Will

Author:Patching, Will [Patching, Will]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Published: 2017-06-22T04:00:00+00:00

Tuesday: Immolation

‘Finally!’ Doc rattled his car keys at Jack, ignoring the uniformed sergeant escorting the errant detective to the waiting area in the foyer of Reading Police Station. ‘It’s after midnight. What have they been doing with you for all this time? Let’s get you home, eh?’

Jack looked worse than Doc felt – more rumpled, frazzled and frustrated, with dark patches beneath his eyes from lack of sleep, stress and tension.

‘Yeah. I’m cream crackered, mate.’ Jack shrugged off the sergeant’s guiding hand as he was silently passed into Doc’s care. ‘Let’s get out of here.’

Once through the revolving doors and in the relatively fresh air outside, Jack paused, closed his eyes and breathed deeply, shaking his head at what had been happening to him. Doc was impatient, just to get them both back home.

‘Come on, Jack. Let’s get out of here. The car’s around the back.’

Jack opened his eyes, gave Doc a sardonic grin, then said, ‘I think I’ve now got the record for the shortest promotion to, and demotion from, Detective Chief Inspector. I’m plain old DI Carver again. Oh, well. Such is life.’

The Aston Martin flashed its lights and beeped a welcome to the two humans, both weary, both groaning as they folded themselves into their seats. The distinctive new car smell gave Doc a minor thrill – the vehicle had only been his for a fortnight and he was still enjoying the flush of new ownership. Jack, usually a sports car enthusiast, didn’t even seem to notice, even though he had only been for a brief spin in it the day Doc had taken delivery.

Too much else on his mind.

‘What happened? They kept you there for almost eight hours.’

‘Yeah… They didn’t charge me with assaulting a fellow officer, thank gawd, but I am up for a misconduct review. And I’ve been suspended pending the enquiry.’

During his trip to the hospital with the wounded detective Jack had knocked cold, Doc had tried to convince the man not to press charges, had explained how Jack had rescued his daughter from drowning, and then had to resuscitate her – two facts that had been missing from the brief statements Jack and Doc had written in such a hurry at Charlie’s behest that morning. In Doc’s assessment, the blow to the detective’s chin had done more damage to his ego than cause any real physical harm. Fortunately, the hospital gave him the all clear after the staff rushed him through to a treatment room past the mass of waiting wounded in reception. Although he had been non-committal when Doc took him back to the station, at least Jack didn’t have criminal charges hanging over him.

‘Suspended, eh? And demoted already?’ It seemed a little hasty to Doc, though he could guess why. ‘Soundbite?’

‘She fucking hates me. What did I do to deserve such a vindictive boss?’ Jack used the heel of his palms to rub at his forehead as Doc navigated the car through Reading towards Pangbourne. ‘They kept me waiting in an interview room, gave me some water, then some coffee and a burger when I complained.

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