The Water Room Read Online Free PDF Page B

Longbright, ‘but Mrs Singh’s case hardly falls within our official jurisdiction.’
    ‘I do recall the tenet under which this unit was set up, Janice.
“Taking pressure off the Metropolitan service by dealing with those cases deemed too problematic or sensitive for traditional channels”—
they’ll hardly have time to give something like this more than a cursory glance, will they? Besides, I have no other work at the present time. I don’t count eviscerated drunks.’
    Bryant had an offensive way of dismissing what he called ‘ordinary crime’. He looked from one face to the other with such an air of childish enthusiasm that both Longbright and May wanted to slap him, even though they realized that he was simply happy to be back. Today he was alive with a restless excitement. For decades, he and his partner had divided their workload along the lines of their personalities. May followed the ingrained rules of Metropolitan Police detection, handling the groundwork, chasing up the most obvious and logical leads, interviewing family members, appealing for witnesses, covering tracks, proud of being thorough. His skills were technical because he enjoyed working with new technology, and observational because he liked people. Arthur had never exhibited sociability. He preferred to be left alone, taking off at tangents, following lateral hunches and sensations, enjoying the jolt of unlikely synaptic responses. Bryant did the heavy thinking, May did the heavy lifting. ‘Come on,’ he nudged. ‘Aren’t you even a little curious?’
    ‘Well, yes,’ May admitted. ‘But it can’t take precedence over the caseload Raymond’s handing us.’
    Bryant knew he had won. ‘Fine. I thought I might work late tonight. My new kitchen’s not connected up and the plumber’s behaving like the last of the Romanovs, refusing to visit until Wednesday. You’re the only one with a dependent, Janice, you should go home. There’s nothing more you can do until tomorrow.’ Most of the new computers had yet to have their software installed, and the only items to survive the blast undamaged were still packed in boxes.
    ‘Ian’s going to leave me if I go back on regular shifts,’ the detective sergeant agreed. ‘But I should make myself useful. Now that you’re both here, perhaps I’ll stay a little while longer, just to get things shipshape.’ She looked around the partially painted room. ‘I must say it’s good to be back.’
    ‘Excellent, you can give me a hand unpacking my reference books. I don’t do manual work with my back.’ Bryant slapped his hands on the desk. ‘Lend me your phone. I won’t break it.’
    ‘Yes you will. I thought you lost all your books.’ Longbright examined the flyleaf of
Witchcraft through the Ages
. ‘You’ve stolen these from the library.’
    ‘Incoming email marked urgent,’ warned Meera Mangeshkar, getting wet paint down her sleeve as she looked in. ‘Do you know anything about a Christian Right minister from Alabama whose legs were found in a bin-bag behind Camden Stables?’
    ‘Is his name Butterworth?’ asked Bryant.
    Mangeshkar ducked back and checked her screen. ‘No, Henderson.’
    ‘Wait, I’m thinking of a Baptist, torso in a bin-bag behind Sainsbury’s.’
    ‘Home Office wants a unit representative to go up there this evening. Angry Republicans placing phone calls to Westminster, doesn’t look good.’
    ‘Ah, Arthur, John.’ Raymond Land squeezed past Mangeshkar and hailed them with patently false bonhomie, which faded as he tried to climb around the partially assembled photocopier. ‘I’m glad you’re both here. The Home Secretary would like to see you for a brief chat tomorrow. He’s very upset that you’ve been rude to his brother-in-law.’
    ‘I have no idea what you’re talking about,’ Bryant told him. ‘Who the hell is his brother-in-law?’
    ‘Your new chap, Giles Kershaw. Apparently you’re refusing to use him.’
    ‘His
brother-in-law
? You’re