The Runaway by King Catriona

Author:King, Catriona
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Hamilton-Crean Publishing
Published: 2024-10-16T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Six

Belvoir Park Forest.

The problem was that Liam knew his boss too well. Being nice, he might say that they’d grown together through the years and become closer and fonder of each other in the process. Being nasty, as the DCS felt inclined to be now, given that he’d just been forced to eat his bacon butty on the run instead of seated on one of The James’ comfortable velour banquettes, he would say that he’d learned far more about the workings of Craig’s convoluted brain in those years than he had ever wanted to, and wondered why he hadn’t quit the squad by now.

Observing their relationship from the outside, and John Winter had had a ringside seat on it for more than a decade, he would have said they were like a couple suffering a seven, or in their case a fourteen, year itch. And judging by Liam’s huff when he’d arrived in the wood five minutes earlier, they were in the middle of a spat.

The pathologist decided to try some undergrad psychology on them to heal the rift. Well, try it on Craig really, as he seemed completely oblivious to how much he’d managed to piss his deputy off.

He approached the detectives, who were standing forensically suited and booted at the scene’s taped perimeter, wearing a determined expression and waving an evidence bag in the air. It held a disgusting looking remnant of something and Liam said as much.

“Don’t come near me with that, Doc.” He jerked a thumb in Craig’s direction. “Give it to Lord Byron.”

It was his newest jibe for when he thought Craig needed a haircut and one that was usually ignored for a couple of weeks, Craig preferring his hair on the longish side, and indulging that preference since he’d swopped his uniform for a better cut suit.

He raised his hands in a cross to fend off the bag’s delivery.

“Keep that to yourself, John, whatever it is. What is it anyway?”

Ignoring the order the pathologist pushed the evidence bag into his gloved hand.

“Part of the deceased’s trousers. They were torn.”

Craig pushed the bag back at him.

“What are you giving it to me for?”

“Punishment.”

“What did I ever do to you?”

“Do you really want that list, Marc? It started that day you rode off on my bike when we were twelve…”

On a ‘Really?’ stare the pathologist moved on.

“Anyway… I’m punishing you on Liam’s behalf today, not my own. You’ve upset him.”

Impressed by the medic’s powers of observation, the DCS gave a solemn nod that made Craig laugh.

“Oh, he’s always upset about something.”

“I am not!”

“You are. But it never lasts so I ignore it-”

John cut in. “But perhaps you shouldn’t ignore it, Marc. Perhaps that’s the problem.”

Lifting his eyes to heaven, Craig said to no one in particular, “Give me strength!” and then to his best friend, “If I didn’t ignore it then I would spend all day every day trying to make Liam happy.”

That brought a thumbs up from the man in question.

“Oh, fine. Then let’s

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