Open Wounds by Douglas Skelton

Author:Douglas Skelton [Skelton, Douglas]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Crime Fiction
Publisher: Luath Press Ltd
Published: 2016-02-29T17:59:19+00:00

15

KNIGHT WAS SURPRISED and that didn’t happen very often. He knew the officer in charge of inquiry, the visitor from Lothian and Borders, was a DCI Vincent. What he didn’t know was that DCI Vincent was a woman. She emerged from the lift at Pitt Street headquarters with young Donald Simms, a DS from the South Side who was also the son of an old mate. That disappointed Knight, to know that Charlie Simms’ boy was a Rubberheel and was turning against his own. It more than disappointed him. It pissed him off.

The woman was tall and slim, too thin for Knight’s taste. She also had a superior look about her – typical bloody Lothian and Borders if you asked him. They think their shit don’t stink. There was another look in those eyes, though, one that Knight knew all too well. She was tough and she was smart, something that some of her male counterparts lacked. He was of the opinion that most women won their promotion by shagging their way up the ladder. Not that he had a problem with that, everyone had to get ahead. He knew a couple of men who had used their masonic ties to further their career. Another had married well. It didn’t make them good coppers and one had been shunted to the side when he showed he couldn’t produce the goods. No, everyone had to use what they had to make their way and he didn’t have anything against women bosses, just as long as they left him alone. But this Edinburgh bitch wasn’t leaving him alone.

‘Don’t much like the company you’re keeping these days, Donnie,’ said Knight as they approached him. He was leaning against the wall outside the office his contact had told him was being used by Vincent and her task force. Christ, a bloody task force! And he was their task. Well, he’d show them he wasn’t going to be easy.

Donnie looked surprised to see him but Vincent kept her cool and despite his automatic dislike of some east coast cow digging around in his patch, Knight was impressed. As old Rudyard Kipling said, if you can keep your head while all about you are losing theirs, you’ll be taller than every other bastard in the room.

‘We’ve never met,’ Knight went on, ‘but maybe it’s time we did. I’m DI Jimmy Knight.’

‘I know,’ said Vincent, completely unfazed. Her voice was low, cultured. He could imagine her laughing with the Chief Constable over cocktails. Or something.

‘I hear you’ve been talking a lot about me. Thought I’d come by and let you say some of the things to my face.’

Vincent said nothing as she unlocked the office door and threw it open. ‘Why not come in, then? We’ll get acquainted.’

It wasn’t a very big office. Just enough room for three desks and a couple of filing cabinets. Each of the desks had a computer but only two were switched on. Vincent dropped the folder she’d been carrying into a tray and perched herself on the corner of a desk, her arms folded.

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