DEVIL’S CHIMNEY an absolutely gripping crime mystery with a massive twist (Detective Rutherford Barnes Mysteries Book 1) by ADAM LYNDON

Author:ADAM LYNDON [LYNDON, ADAM]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Joffe Books crime thriller, mystery and suspense
Published: 2022-06-22T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twelve

“She was what?”

It was Monday morning. Barnes was sitting in Hadian’s office. The Welshman was tapping a can of Coke on his desk with a pencil.

“Arrested. Saturday afternoon.”

“What for?”

“Drink-driving. Thursday night she showed up at the OP under the radar. Friday afternoon we got the DNA hit and the revelation that she wasn’t missing at all, thank you very much. Then, Saturday afternoon, the silly arse decided to go on a bender after a workout. She bumped into John Callaghan, who smelled the booze and decided to do the decent thing and nick her. Traffic came right along, and once that lot were involved, it was always going to be textbook. About as flexible as a cruise missile, the fucking wooden-tops. CID and uniform relations have been set back a hundred years.”

“Jesus. Will she plead?” Barnes ran a hand through his hair, unable to believe what he was hearing.

“It would be difficult for her not to, but it depends on the advice.”

“Who’s representing her?”

“You’ll like this. Want to guess?” Hadian’s tone was sour.

Barnes closed his eyes.

“Don’t say Phil McDermott.”

“In one.”

“What’s she thinking of? What about her job?”

“The disciplinary stuff will be put off till after the court case. First hearing’s next week. She’s on suspension, and unless she’s acquitted, which is unlikely, she will almost definitely lose her job. God’s sake. Couldn’t Callaghan have just given her a lift?”

Hadian’s eyes had been roaming around the room while he spoke, and Barnes wondered if he were talking more to himself.

“Mate of yours, isn’t he?” Hadian’s eyes had now settled back on Barnes.

Barnes frowned at the DCI’s accusing tone. “He was my sergeant when I was on section. Just before I came to you.”

Hadian said nothing, but held Barnes’s gaze.

“Turns out this wasn’t just a bender, though,” the DCI said after a moment. “I knew Cathy liked a drink, but she’s got a full-on problem.”

Hadian finally stopped tapping and pushed the Coke can across the desk to Barnes. Barnes said nothing. He sniffed it. Tasted it.

“Vodka.”

“She’s been drinking on duty for years. I never realised.”

Barnes thought of the cans of soft drink that lasted all day, and the powerfully scented tubes of lip balm Nightingale used on a regular basis. He thought of the acres of empty bottles in Nightingale’s flat, and realised he wasn’t surprised in the slightest.

Hadian was shaking his head, clearly intent on self-blame.

“I’m sorry, Barnes.”

“What for?”

“For compromising a new detective. Not only that, but — word to the wise — some of the other detectives know you’re friends with Callaghan. They may give you a hard time.”

Barnes looked up.

“I had nothing to do with it. I’m hardly responsible for him.”

“Loyalties run deep in this job. Fanatically so. Just be careful,” Hadian sighed. “Now for the good news. I called the prison today, see if I could put some weight behind Van Leer’s production order, speed things up a bit. Spoke to one of the screws. ‘That’s a coincidence,’ he says. ‘We were just going to call you.’”

Barnes frowned.

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