Jill Jackson - 04 - Watch the World Burn Read Online Free PDF Page B

said.
    ‘Us too,’ said Hutchinson. ‘How is she?’
    David gave them an update on his mother’s progress.
    ‘It’s just the most terrible thing,’ said Scotty. ‘I’m sorry you’re going through this.’
    Caine nodded.
    ‘We need to get a statement from you, if that’s okay,’ said Scotty.
    ‘Sure, it’s okay,’ said Caine. ‘But I don’t know what I can tell you.’
    ‘Let’s just sit over here, shall we?’ said Scotty, pointing across the visitors’ waiting room to a set of chairs and a plastic table. ‘We don’t need everyone listening.’ He nodded in the direction of Mona and Lucy, heads together, still talking.
    ‘I don’t mind if Troy comes,’ said Caine. ‘He was so great last night. I’d kind of prefer it actually.’
    ‘Sure,’ said Scotty, raising an eyebrow, just for Troy to see.
    ‘Can you just go through what happened last night for us, Mr Caine?’ said Scotty when the four of them had taken a seat. He had his notepad ready. Troy noticed that Jill Jackson also had a pad and pen ready. Caine cleared his throat. ‘Call me David,’ he said.
    ‘Ah, you might want to wait a minute, Scotty,’ interrupted Jackson. Troy snapped his eyes towards her, frowning. He felt he couldn’t wait much longer to hear Caine’s version of last night’s events. Her eyes did not meet his. He followed her gaze and saw the dark-haired cop from last night striding towards them. What was her name again? Emma something? Troy heard Hutchinson shift a little in his seat, and he flicked his eyes around the table. Jackson’s top lip curled in what would maybe pass as a smile if you didn’t notice her eyes. Scotty ran a hand through his hair. When the newest entrant had almost reached their table, Scotty scraped his chair back and stood to welcome her.
    ‘Ah, Emma. Great. We were just getting started,’ said Scotty.
    ‘I can see,’ said Emma. ‘Thanks for waiting.’
    ‘Um, Mr Caine – ah, David – you remember Detective Emma Gibson from last night?’
    Caine nodded once.
    ‘And Detective Gibson, you’ll remember Troy Berrigan?’ said Scotty.
    ‘Of course.’ Gibson’s grey eyes met his, her eyebrows raised.
    ‘And–’ began Scotty.
    ‘Jill,’ said Gibson.
    ‘Hello, Emma,’ said Jackson.
    ‘I’m a little surprised to see you here,’ said Gibson.
    ‘Yeah, well,’ said Jackson. ‘I was with Detective Hutchinson this morning, so I thought I’d come along, see if there’s anything I can do to help.’
    Troy didn’t need his police training to be able to sense the tension between these three. Even Caine stared from face to face, his expression intensely curious. Troy wondered at the collective rush of blood that was betraying the intense emotions around him. Jackson had a fist-sized crimson blush at her throat, an almost symmetrical circle. Hutchinson’s whole face had taken the same hue, while Emma Gibson’s jet-black hair almost glowed against the perfect pallor of her face. He briefly wondered who he’d have chosen for a partner, based on these physical reactions.
    Troy coughed. Once. Whatever was going on here wasn’t important; he just wanted to hear about what had happened in his restaurant last night.
    Scotty jerked into movement. ‘Hang on a sec, Detective Gibson,’ he said. ‘I’ll grab you a chair.’ The big cop reached over and hooked a finger under the back of a chair at the next table. He swung it through the air in a single movement, and set it at the table near where Emma Gibson was standing. She slipped into the seat.
    ‘All right, David here was just about to tell us what he remembers about last night,’ said Scotty, turning back to face Caine. ‘If you want to begin, Mr Caine?’
    The animation dulled in Caine’s eyes. ‘Like I said,’ he began, ‘there’s not much more to tell than what you already know.’ His voice was as lifeless as his eyes. ‘Anyway, I took my mum to Incendie for a surprise. I booked a while ago. My mum liked the name.’