Ash & Bone by John Harvey

Author:John Harvey
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9780099466239
Published: 2011-07-06T18:30:00+00:00

* * *

'So what do you think?' Karen asked.

They were in her office, herself, Elder and Ramsden. Late afternoon, early evening. Furness was babysitting Kennet in the interview room.

'I'd like to smack him in the face,' Ramsden said.

'Frank?'

'Would he be that sure of himself if he were guilty? I don't know.'

'You don't think he's covering up something?'

'Probably.'

'Well?'

'I don't know if it's what we want it to be.'

'Half an hour alone with him,' Ramsden said, 'I'd bloody find out.'

Karen laughed despite herself. 'Mike, you're such a sweet old-fashioned thing.'

'Bollocks,' Ramsden said. Adding a mock-deferential, 'Ma'am.'

'Well, I'd like to have another go at him, ask him about his relationship with Maddy. See if there isn't something we can shake him on there.'

Elder was just about to say something when his mobile started to ring. Turning away, he listened briefly. 'Five minutes. I'll call you back.'

'I'm sorry,' he said to Karen, 'something I have to deal with. You carry on.'

As he turned away, she wondered what could have brought the concern so clearly to his eyes.

28

Elder had recognised Maureen Prior's voice instantly, her tone preparing him for something bad but not for this.

'It's Katherine.'

For an instant Elder's heart had seemed to stop.

'She's been arrested.'

Of all his fears, not the one he would have most suspected, not the worst.

'Okay, Maureen,' he said now, standing close against the car park wall. 'Let me have the details.'

'She was arrested for possession.'

'Cannabis? Ecstasy? Out clubbing and —'

'No, Frank.'

'What then?'

'It was heroin.'

'Jesus!' The word expelled with a hiss of air.

Elder closed his eyes and brought his head forward against the corner of the wall. He could hear Maureen's breathing at the other end of the line.

'How much?'

'Five grams.'

'They're charging her with intent to supply?'

'Not yet.'

'Not yet? Either they have or they haven't, I don't see —'

'It's not so straightforward, Frank. There's someone else involved.'

'Okay, I'm coming up.'

'It's not my case, Frank. They're holding her at Canning Circus. I could put you in touch if you want. Perhaps if you just had a word…'

'No. I'm coming up.' Stepping back, he checked his watch. 'I can be there in a couple of hours.'

'All right. You'll call me?'

'Sure. If not tonight, tomorrow, first thing.'

'Good. And Frank…'

'Yes?'

'If you're driving, take care.'

Elder grunted and broke the connection. At least where he was, he was close to the M1, though by now the volume of traffic would be building steadily.

Sweating a little, he dialled Joanne's number.

'You've heard?' he said before she could speak.

'Of course.'

'Why didn't you call me?'

'Frank —'

'Why in God's name didn't you call me?'

He heard the clink of a glass. 'I'm sorry, Frank, I —'

'What? You didn't think I'd find out? You didn't think I wanted to know?'

'It's not that, Frank, it's —'

'How is she?'

'She's all right. I mean, I suppose she's all right. It's difficult, Frank, you don't —'

'I'm driving up, leaving now. I just wanted you to know.'

'Don't, Frank.'

'What else d'you expect?'

'She won't talk to you, you know.'

Elder wanted to hurl the phone into the far-flung reaches of the car park.

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