Night Vision Read Online Free PDF Page B

times a month for a coffee or a drink. Not just them; they belonged to the same group of friends.’
    â€˜Unusual friendship,’ Parks remarked. ‘A copper and a journo. The two tribes don’t generally mix it, do they?’
    â€˜I don’t think their choice of profession impacted on their friendship,’ Alec said coldly.
    Parks laughed. Not just a grunt this time, but a recognizable sound. Alec didn’t like it any better.
    â€˜Leave off,’ Munroe said, and Parks shut up.
    Alec sipped his tea more cautiously this time and surveyed the trio. It seemed to him that Eddison might be the senior officer, but it was this Munroe who was in control.
    â€˜It’s late,’ Munroe said, underlining Alec’s assessment. ‘What say we give you directions to your digs and then continue this in the morning? Say nine?’
    Travers was already on his feet.
    â€˜Right,’ Alec said. ‘See you all in the morning then.’
    Following his boss out, he took a moment to scan the images pinned to the walls. Split into two frames, one for Jamie Dale and one for Neil Robinson, they showed both in death. Alec didn’t look too hard; morning would be soon enough for that. A single image of each as they had been in life topped the collages. Neil Robinson in what Alec saw was a prison photo, and a picture of Jamie Dale, older than he remembered her. Still pretty, still smiling, though something behind the eyes was new. This Jamie was more worldly wise, less trusting, less exuberant – and, Alec would have sworn, scared. Or was that just projection on his part?
    Travers did not speak until they were both in the car, and even then it was simply to direct him to program the satnav.
    â€˜What’s going on?’ Alec demanded as they drove away.
    Travers shrugged.
    â€˜What is it with you and Eddison?’
    Travers shrugged again. ‘I barely know the man.’
    â€˜You know him well enough to hate his guts.’
    â€˜I barely know the man,’ Travers repeated.
    Alec gave up. He let the silence hang for a while and then asked, ‘What about the other two? You know about them?’
    â€˜Parks I’ve heard about. Munroe is new to me.’
    â€˜DS Munroe,’ Alec mused. ‘Come off it, Trav, he’s no more a DS than you are. So what the hell—?’
    â€˜Alec, drop it,’ Travers flared. ‘We’re here to brief the team then get ourselves back home. That’s it.’
    â€˜So why all the secrecy? Why did they want you tagging along? Why bring two senior officers all the way over here when I could have handled the whole thing with a phone call? Look, we’ve known one another, what, close to twenty years? In all that time I’ve never seen you this rattled.’
    â€˜Who says I’m rattled? Alec, you’re imagining things.’ Travers laughed, but it was a hollow sound. ‘Looks like we’re here,’ he added as they reached a traffic island and saw the signs for services. The satnav announced that they had reached their destination.
    â€˜I’m not letting this go,’ Alec warned him.
    Travers did not respond. He parked the car, and they retrieved their luggage from the boot. In the distance Alec could hear the roar of traffic. A motorway, he assumed. He could see the lights of the services just across the car park from the motel, noting with little enthusiasm that it was one of the large chains providing overnight accommodation to the weary motorist, then – with slightly more enthusiasm – that at least there appeared to be a restaurant. His stomach reminded him that the sandwich Naomi had made for him was a distant memory. He must call her.
    Their rooms had been booked and paid for, for three nights. Breakfast was included, but any extras would have to be settled up by them, the receptionist said. Travers nodded and took off in the direction of his room. Alec paused to ask about the