Set in Darkness Read Online Free PDF Page B

said, ‘it’s just that . . .’
    ‘Who are you?’
    He seemed hurt that she didn’t know. ‘Derek Linford.’
    Her eyes narrowed. ‘Fettes?’ He nodded. The newsletter, that’s where she’d seen his face. And maybe in the canteen at HQ. ‘What are you doing here?’
    ‘I could ask you the same thing.’
    ‘I’m with Sandra Carnegie.’ Thinking:
no, I’m not; I’m out here with you . . . and I promised her
. . .
    ‘Yes, but I don’t . . .’ His face crumpled. ‘Oh, hell, she was raped, wasn’t she?’ He ran thumb and forefinger down the slope of his nose. ‘You’re trying for an ID?’
    ‘That’s right.’ Clarke smiled. ‘You’re a member?’
    ‘What if I am?’ He seemed to expect an answer, but Clarke just shrugged. ‘It’s not the kind of information I bandy about, DC Clarke.’ Pulling rank, warning her off.
    ‘Your secret’s safe with me, DI Linford.’
    ‘Ah, speaking of secrets . . .’ He looked at her, head tilted slightly.
    ‘They don’t know you’re CID?’ It was his turn to shrug. ‘Christ, what have you told them?’
    ‘Does it matter?’
    Clarke was thoughtful. ‘Hang on a sec, we talked to the club members. I don’t remember seeing your name.’
    ‘I only joined last week.’
    Clarke frowned. ‘So how do we play this?’
    Linford rubbed his nose again. ‘We’ve had our dance. We go back to the table. You sit one side, me the other. We really don’t need to talk to one another again.’
    ‘Charming.’
    He grinned. ‘I didn’t mean it like that. Of course we can talk.’
    ‘Gee, thanks.’
    ‘In fact, something incredible happened this afternoon.’ He took her arm, guided her back into the club. ‘Help me get a round of drinks from the bar, and I’ll tell you all about it.’
    ‘He’s an arse.’
    ‘Maybe so,’ Clarke said, ‘but he’s rather a sweet arse.’
    John Rebus sat in his chair, holding the cordless phone to his ear. His chair was by the window. There were no curtains and the shutters were still open. No lights wereon in his living room, just a bare sixty-watt bulb in the hall. But the street lamps bathed the room in an orange glow.
    ‘Where did you say you bumped into him?’
    ‘I didn’t.’ He could hear the smile in her voice.
    ‘All very mysterious.’
    ‘Not compared to your skeleton.’
    ‘It’s not a skeleton. Kind of shrivelled, like a mummy.’ He gave a short, mirthless laugh. ‘The archaeologist, I thought he was going to jump into my arms.’
    ‘So what’s the verdict?’
    ‘SOCOs came in, roped the place off. Gates and Curt can’t look at Skelly till Monday morning.’
    ‘Skelly?’
    Rebus watched a car cruising past, seeking a parking space. ‘Bobby Hogan came up with the name. It’ll do for now.’
    ‘Nothing on the body?’
    ‘Just what he was wearing: flared jeans, a Stones T-shirt.’
    ‘Lucky us, having an expert on the premises.’
    ‘If you mean a rock dinosaur, I’ll take that as a compliment. Yes, it was the cover of
Some Girls
. Album came out in ’78.’
    ‘Nothing else to date the body?’
    ‘Nothing in the pockets. No watch or rings.’ He checked his own watch: 2 a.m. But she’d known she could call him, had known he’d be awake.
    ‘What’s on the hi-fi?’ she asked.
    ‘That tape you gave me.’
    ‘The Blue Nile? There goes your dinosaur image. What do you think?’
    ‘I think you’re smitten by Mr Smarty-Pants.’
    ‘I do like it when you come over all fatherly.’
    ‘Watch I don’t put you over my knee.’
    ‘Careful, Inspector. These days I could have you off the job for saying something like that.’
    ‘Are we going to the game tomorrow?’
    ‘For our sins. I’ve a spare green and white scarf set aside for you.’
    ‘I must remember to bring my lighter. Two o’clock in Mather’s?’
    ‘There’ll be a beer waiting for you.’
    ‘Siobhan, whatever it was you were up to tonight . . . ?’
    ‘Yes?’
    ‘Did you get a result?’
    ‘No,’ she said, sounding suddenly