The Red Road Read Online Free PDF

duty.’
    The noter looked aggrieved. ‘We already have.’
    Morrow had insulted everyone. She wasn’t popular at the station, the squad were nearly all new and didn’t know her well enough to see past her curt manner and the negative stories attached to her: her old squad had been ripped apart by a bribing scandal, her half-brother was a famous local heavy, she said the wrong thing almost always. And now even here she’d managed to piss everyone off. She mumbled a general apology. The noter accepted with a shrug and turned away, cutting her out of the conversation. ‘So, Atholl, if we do adjourn, are you going?’
    ‘Yes. Want a lift?’
    ‘Only if you’re taking a taxi. I’m not going if you’re driving.’
    ‘Technically, we could walk.’
    ‘Uphill?’
    Morrow took the stairs down out of the box.
    ‘DI Morrow, did you know Julius McMillan?’ Atholl had stepped towards her.
    She nodded, wary still. ‘Sure. Why?’
    ‘He died.’
    Atholl’s eyes were brown with startling yellow flecks around the iris. The whites were tinged yellow. She thought he probably drank too much. She realised suddenly that they were staring at each other.
    She hesitated, wondering why she couldn’t look away. ‘What did he die of?’
    ‘Collapsed lungs,’ he said, and smiled inappropriately. ‘The poor man smoked sixty a day.’
    They were still holding one another’s eye, each on the brink of a grin. Everyone else in the court was looking away, embarrassed to witness such blatant, honeydewed attraction between two slightly unprepossessing middle-aged people. They began to talk among themselves.
    ‘I’m sorry for sounding condescending.’ He looked up at her, puppyish. ‘I didn’t mean to.’
    Morrow hugged her briefcase like a shield. ‘Aye well, you’ve insulted me in public and now you’re apologising in private. I think that’s a bit crap.’
    It was no more or less obstreperous than she would have been to anyone. They both broke into inappropriate grins.
    Atholl was loving it. He called to the assembly, ‘DI Morrow: I APOLOGISE.’ He stepped closer still. ‘If we have to adjourn will you come to the funeral party with me? It’s in the Art Club. It’s only up the road.’
    ‘This afternoon?’
    ‘Yes.’ He took another step closer to her. ‘You can come in my taxi. We could have a drink.’
    ‘I can’t. I’m working.’ She noted that she’d avoided saying ‘on shift’ as she normally would and wondered if she was trying to sound less like someone who would leave their shopping in a witness box.
    ‘I see.’ Atholl glanced to the side, seeing if they were being listened to. They were, but the others were disguising it well. ‘Well, that’s a shame.’
    Alex dropped her briefcase to her side and met his smile. It was nice, talking like this, sweet and fun and unthreatening. She hadn’t flirted with anyone in a long time. ‘I’ll wait until you tell me if you’re adjourning then?’
    He took another step, tentative this time, and mumbled, ‘ After your shift ...’
    He looked up, seemed surprised at himself asking her out. They both laughed at how ridiculous it was and Atholl slapped a hand over his eyes.
    ‘God,’ he said to the ceiling, ‘after years you forget how painful ... I need drink to ...’
    Morrow laughed. ‘You recently single?’
    He gave a little nod. ‘Three months. Separated from my wife. I’ve got three teenage boys.’
    ‘I’ve got a lovely husband and one-year-old twins.’
    Atholl tipped his head at her, curious. He reached up and took his wig off, held it to his chest, like a gentleman. ‘Well, DI Alex Morrow, staggering maturity on my part: I find myself pleased to hear that.’
    She wanted to kiss him. Half laughing at herself, she turned and walked away up the stairs, realising only when she got to the top that she had made him stare at her backside.
    She shut the door behind her, leaned against the door and laughed silently. Ridiculous. He was an advocate and