Tales From Beyond Tomorrow: Volume One by Catton John Paul

Author:Catton John Paul [John Paul, Catton]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Excalibur Books
Published: 2014-10-02T06:00:00+00:00

*

"Well then, Jimmy. What can I say? You've broken just about every traffic regulation in the book, and probably a few more that haven't been thought of yet."

The tiny interview room, somewhere deep in New Scotland Yard, was a windowless white cube of cigarette smoke, men in cheap suits, and coffee that tasted like mud strained through a pair of old socks. The only good thing was that DCI Barlow and DS Lynch were in charge of the investigation, and Jimmy and them went way back – in fact, Barlow was one of the people who got Jimmy his official PI license.

Jimmy spread his arms open. "Well, it weren't exactly my fault, was it?"

"We're not saying it was," Barlow said.

"For once," Lynch added.

"The whole thing was recorded by the traffic auto-cams," Barlow continued, "but we know what's going to happen. Whoever programmed those servo-bots will have covered their tracks. They'll have taken off the robot serial numbers with a blowtorch. What's more, even after your little demolition job on them, the control components will be set to self-destruct, to get rid of all the evidence. It'll take weeks for the lab boys to put them back together."

"Hang on," said Jimmy. "I know who did it! It was the BVS! Those nutcases over in Knightsbridge! I was investigating them on behalf of a client, right, and they twigged I was a gumshoe, and they set the tin can heavies on me, didn't they?"

Jimmy was treated to a rare sight; police officers who were lost for words.

Lynch turned round in his seat and signaled for the uniformed officers to leave the room.

"Switch off the tape recorder," Barlow said when they had gone.

Jimmy fidgeted nervously in his seat. "Now what?"

Barlow smiled grimly. He didn't look like the typical copper; although the harsh flourescent light made the sweat on his balding scalp gleam, his eyes were patient, and understanding. "Jimmy," he said softly, "I don't think it's a good idea to start accusing the BVS."

"Oh blimey, not you as well. Aren't you going to do something about them?"

"Do something? Yeah, we're going to do something." Lynch, his pockmarked face flushed with emotion, was not quite so understanding. "We're going to forget we had this conversation, Jimmy. And so are you."

"Oh yeah, alright, I gettit. Does a Cockney MI5 bloke with glasses have anything to do with this?"

"Jimmy," said Barlow. "Chasing around London on your flying pile of scrap, you know, it's not healthy for you. You're going nowhere in a hurry. It's just like Michael Miles says on TV; take the money. Don't open the box."

So that was it, Jimmy thought, as he left the New Scotland Yard public access aeropad. Nothing else for it. Time to go and see Brinsley Watson over in Notting Hill.

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