Dying Eyes Read Online Free PDF Page A

a sympathetic smile at Mr. and Mrs. Watson. “Thanks for your time, both of you. Here’s my card‌–‌if you remember anything, or if you just want to speak, give me a call, any time. I…‌I realise how hard it must be to lose a child. So please, don’t forget me. My colleague will take you to see…‌To identify the body. Thanks again for your cooperation.”
    Trevor walked up to Brian. He looked much taller than the impression he gave when seated. “Have you ever lost a kid, Officer?”
    Brian’s gaze twitched towards the ground. His neck burned, and he tugged at the top button of his collar. “No, I‌–‌”
    “Then you don’t understand. You can’t possibly understand.”
    The pair left as Brian slumped into his chair, slicking his hair back with the sweat that had formed.
    The chatter of the briefing room immediately died down the second Price, grinning, walked in. He held his Starbucks coffee cup so tightly that it looked like it might just crumble in his hands. He sat down next to DC Peters, who was quite visibly hungover, and plonked his large pad onto the table. The force snapped Peters out of his trance; he rubbed his eyes and took deep, steadying breaths.
    “Hello, all. So it’s not ideal to be calling another briefing so soon after this morning, but at least you’re all here this time.” He glared at Brian then opened his pad. “We’ve made huge progress, though. Bloody huge. Peters, what’ve you got for us?”
    DC Peters, whose face was growing paler by the minute, shuffled the papers in front of him.
    “Come on, Peters,” Price said. “You’re gonna be keying this info into H.O.L.M.E.S. this afternoon, so you’d better be clued up.”
    “Okay, okay.” Peters fumbled his glasses from his collar. “Well, so far I…‌The girl. The girl’s call‌–‌”
    “Peters, have you been drinking again? Fucking hell. Keep your hands still. For God’s sakes.” He shook his head and edged away from Peters, who squeezed his hands together to try to stop them shaking. “Do you want to go to the bathroom?”
    Peters pushed his chair back and clenched his stomach, already jogging towards the door. “Please, Detective Inspector.” His cheeks expanded as if blowing an imaginary trumpet as he ran through the corridor, before a chorus of “Oh’s!” and “Are you okay’s?” erupted. Poor Peters evidently hadn’t quite made it to the bathroom.
    Price shook his head. “Brian, what have you got? And please, don’t go being sick on me. It’s not a good look.”
    Brian cleared his throat. “The girl we found this morning is Nicola Watson. She’s twenty-two years old. I’ve spoken to her parents, and they’ve just identified the body. They don’t seem to think she has any links to prostitution.”
    DC Pennison tutted behind his huge glasses. “That’s what they all say.” He took his glasses off and wiped his eye. He always looked frog-eyed without his glasses, like a little mole blinded by the light.
    “I think it would be advisable to keep a team down at Foster Road to do some further investigations in the surrounding area. I’m not entirely sure they’re the most honest sets of neighbours.”
    Price nodded. “And what’s this about the boyfriend?”
    Brian turned his paper over as another acting DC took handwritten notes. The H.O.L.M.E.S. system was playing up lately, and they didn’t have the financial support from the government to fix it, so they had to make do with the intermittent system they had. “Daniel Stocks. Aged twenty-three.” Brian paused as he leafed through the documents he’d just about managed to print prior to the briefing. “Few previous offences‌–‌possession of drugs, vandalism‌–‌but nothing major. Nicola’s parents didn’t seem too keen on him though.”
    Price grumbled something under his breath. “One of you two check him out.”
    “I’d like to let DS Emerson do the honours, sir.”
    Price stuck his bottom lip out, slightly