Jairus’ Torment (The DCI Jairus novels Book 3) by Mark Yarwood

Author:Mark Yarwood [Yarwood, Mark]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Biscuit Books
Published: 2023-02-09T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 18

He couldn’t wait to get home to have his first drink, so he bought another bottle of vodka from the supermarket, the same place as last time, the same man watching him with a smile, no immediate judgement on his face. He stopped on the way home, took a swig, felt it coat him inside and out, lifting the aching heavy weight of death that had been sitting on his shoulders for the longest time, not to mention the constant throb of his broken toes.

He drank some more in his flat, flicking through the TV channels, avoiding the news, trying to fill his mind with nothing. But the ghost started rampaging again, whistling and screaming through his mind, but getting quieter as the vodka took effect.

He wasn’t sure how long he’d been sitting there when the buzzer went, but the bottle was half empty. He decided to ignore it, but it kept on screaming to be heard, so he got up and went to the door.

He opened the door, sighed when he saw who it was, then fell back into the sofa and continued staring at the TV.

‘Jesus,’ Wood said, looking around, then shutting the door behind her. ‘It stinks of booze in here.’

‘Yeah. Want a drink?’

‘No. So, you fell off the wagon?’

‘What makes you think that?’ He laughed and he heard the sickness in it.

‘What the fuck has happened to you?’ She stood by the sofa, staring down at him, a look of slow building horror gripping her face.

‘Nothing you’d like to know about.’

He went to pour himself another drink, but her hand snatched the bottle away. ‘Actually, I would like to know. Because it’s affecting the case. We’re nowhere on this. You’re a pain in the arse most of the time, sneaking off, skulking around, but at least you usually get some kind of result. This... I don’t know what to do with this.’

‘Then don’t do anything. Give me the bottle.’

‘No. Is this her?’

‘No, it’s not her. You wouldn’t understand.’

She laughed, and he could hear the rising anger in it, but he couldn’t bring himself to care.

‘I wouldn’t understand? That’s fucking wonderful. You remember when my old partner was murdered?’

‘Yeah, I remember.’

‘Remember when we worked together on that? The corners we cut?’

‘This isn’t about cutting corners.’ He pulled himself up and faced her.

‘No, by the state of you, I can see it’s about as bad as it gets.’

‘Yeah, that’s right. Can I have the bottle now?’

‘You seemed to trust me back then.’

‘Maybe I don’t want to drag you down.’

‘You’re going to drag us all down with you if you don’t buck your ideas up. Just tell me what the fuck’s going on, and maybe I can fucking help!’

‘You can’t fucking help!’ He shouted into her face. ‘Now give me the fucking bottle, before I...’

‘Before you what?’

‘Nothing...’

‘Go on,’ she said, squaring up to him. ‘What are you going to do?’

He stared down at her, looking into her eyes, hearing the voices in his head, seeing Rich lying there. Karine’s face rose up.

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