A Fear of Dark Water Read Online Free PDF Page A

was one of the compromises Fabel had accepted: he was no great television watcher and never had understood why people needed more than one in their homes. But one day he had come back from work and had found it sitting on the counter. A new and gleaming intrusion into his world. A cohabitational fait accompli ; another indication that his space, his life, was now shared.
    ‘Look at this …’ she said. The report on the TV was of serious flooding all along the banks of the Elbe. There was footage of the flood defences down by the harbour and the Fischmarkt being deployed. The reporter did his piece to camera with practised gravity.
    ‘It’s good we’re not travelling along the Elbchaussee this morning,’ she said.
    ‘We may have problems getting to the airport anyway. I would imagine that there’s going to be more traffic, what with the diversions and everything. We’ll have to leave that bit earlier,’ Fabel replied, looking pointedly at his watch. Susanne made a face and went back to a leisurely enjoyment of her coffee.
    ‘I’ll phone the airport just to check the flights are on time …’ Fabel made to lift the phone.
    ‘Why phone in?’ asked Susanne from behind her coffee cup. ‘Just check it online.’
    ‘You never know when these things are updated,’ said Fabel. ‘At least if you talk to a human being …’
    Susanne snorted. ‘A human being? We’re talking about someone who works in an airport. Trust me, use the computer – it’s less robotic. I tell you what, I’ll do it when I’m dressed. I just don’t get why you’re so technophobic.’
    ‘I’m not technophobic,’ muttered Fabel. ‘I’m traditional . Anyway, I fully admit that I’m not too keen on the digital age. Look at this so-called Network Killer we’ve been chasing for the last six months … or at the havoc that reliance on computers causes. We’ve had all kind of memos about this Klabautermann Virus that’s been hacked into the Hamburg State email system.’
    Susanne laughed. ‘You don’t hack a virus. Tell me, how come you survived when the meteor hit?’
    ‘What meteor?’ Fabel asked irritatedly.
    ‘You know, the one that wiped out all the other dinosaurs …’ Susanne emphasised the word and laughed at her own witticism. ‘Anyway, as far as I can gather, the Klabautermann Virus hasn’t breached the Polizei Hamburg’s security. We’ve got it at the Institute for Legal Medicine, though. It’s a pain, I’ll give you that. But we were able to back-up all our emails before it hit.’
    ‘I’ve got a simpler solution. It’s called print on paper.’
    ‘Oh yeah?’ Susanne put her cup down and sauntered past him, letting her hips swing as she walked. ‘Then we wouldn’t have to worry about Klabautermann Viruses or system crashes … all we’d have to worry about would be little bookworms like you, wouldn’t we, honey?’ She ruffled his hair as she passed. Fabel frowned.

    It had stopped raining by the time Fabel and Susanne made their way to where Fabel’s BMW convertible was parked, but the sky was glowering and heavy, the colour of ship steel. Fabel sighed as he put Susanne’s suitcase and attaché case in the trunk.
    ‘Another shitty day,’ said Susanne gloomily. She closed the car door and cursed when a trail of rainwater from the roof dribbled into her hair. ‘This thing’s leaking – you know that, don’t you?’
    ‘It never used to be a problem,’ said Fabel in an almost-mutter. ‘I had covered parking at my old place.’
    ‘You really should think about trading this in.’ Susanne ignored his comment. ‘It must be ten years old now. You’re always banging on about the environment; this can’t be that fuel-efficient or environmentally friendly compared with what you could get now.’
    ‘It does me fine,’ said Fabel, manoeuvring the car from its parking space. ‘I don’t see how adding another car to the roads could be considered environmentally friendly. And anyway, if you’re so