When the Devil Drives by Christopher Brookmyre

Author:Christopher Brookmyre [Brookmyre, Christopher]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Mystery & Detective, General, Fiction
ISBN: 1408703424
Publisher: Hachette Digital
Published: 2012-06-06T22:00:00+00:00

Mystery Guest

Catherine was glad to get outside into the heat and light, away from the claustrophobia of the laird’s sad little chamber. It was like being stuck inside the man’s head, surrounded by his memories and regrets. Stepping out into the open air again, she felt as though she was breathing out for the first time since entering the cold and fusty study.

As she strode through the grounds, her taxpayer horror fantasy of the investigation resembling some massive police jolly was grossly exacerbated by the sight of every cop not actively engaged in a specific purpose wandering around carrying paper plates bounteously laden with canapés.

She found Beano and Zoe over by a decorative fountain, the former balancing a quite inappropriately immodest selection on his plate in a pyramid formation. It was further testament to the quality of the fare that the latter had been tempted into having a nibble too, as the depressingly athletic Zoe seemed to live almost entirely on fruit and raw vegetables; albeit enough fruit and raw vegetables to feed a football team.

‘You managing a wee bite there, son?’ Catherine asked, feigning the tones of a concerned mother worried about her child’s faltering appetite.

‘Best crime-scene catering we’ve ever had,’ Beano replied, proffering the plate towards her. ‘They’re giving it away at the kitchen’s back door. Obviously tonight’s corporate gig is off and the chef didn’t want this stuff to go to waste. Beats the usual greasy burger from some dodgy van.’

Catherine helped herself to a vol-au-vent, and had to concur.

Beano went back to his conversation with Zoe, comparing notes on how they had spent their last days off and apparently trying to outdo each other in terms of confessing to having no life. Zoe at least had some kind of purpose going on, training for a forthcoming marathon, but she bemoaned how this was the ideal hobby when you had no mates, or at least no mates whose schedules overlapped with your own.

Beano probably edged it, admitting to having spent an unhealthy number of hours playing video games with his flatmate.

‘What makes it worse is that it was the new Mortal Kombat. I think it has worrying implications for my personal growth that I’m still playing essentially the same games as when I was about ten. Graphics are a bit better these days, but nothing else has changed, which is kind of embarrassing. When I was first playing it on my Super Nintendo I thought that by this point in my adult life I’d actually be living Mortal Kombat, some kind of action hero, but naw: there I am, all growed up, a polis on his day off still sitting on the couch mashing buttons.’

It was an unwelcome reminder of last night’s conversation with Drew, about which she was feeling a little guilty today, not to mention embarrassed. It was that final remark, comparing the game Duncan wanted to the situation she’d been called to deal with: pompous and over-dramatic, essentially ‘my job is so important and I’m the only one who understands what’s real’.

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