place.
“ What have you got?'
“ Just absolute confirmation that it was indeed done locally after all. He's using the dentist on the corner of Carrington and Mapperley Park.”
“ How do you know that?”
“ Easy. When they'd each finished telling me precisely nothing, I just had a quiet word with the dental nurses and gave them our brief description of a very pale guy with vampire fangs and a predilection for mutilating young women. Told them that if he did have his teeth done there, they might want to consider ensuring that they weren't alone with him when he came back in for his check-up. Only one of them suggested that I might want to come back with that warrant sooner rather than later.”
“ You bastard.” I punch him on the arm. “Why didn't you just tell me that up front?”
“ Where's the fun in that? Anyway, we just need to give CID a heads up now and they'll take care of the rest. Problem solved.”
“ Don't you think that having come this far, we should follow it through?”
“ No.”
“ Just think about it for a minute, Marcus. It would be a great arrest to make, which wouldn't do our fledgling careers any harm, and we're almost there now anyway. You're the one who said let's catch the guy ourselves in the first place, remember?”
“ There's a big difference between making some informal inquiries and getting lucky, and actually managing to obtain a warrant to get the details of who we're looking for from the dentist. So that looks like the end of the line for what we can do anyway. Besides, if the Criminal Investigation Department get a sniff of what we're doing, which amounts to interfering in the investigation and possibly even withholding evidence by the way, then you're fucked.”
“ And you.”
“ Not me, I've already told you what my plan is for immunity, the gay black thing remember?” He laughs.
“ We don't need a warrant.”
“ I'm not fucking breaking in, so get that idea right out of your head.”
“ Don't be daft; I meant that we should be able to figure out his identity without the dental records.”
“ Telepathy?”
“ CRIMINT. We know he's local, we've got a distinctive description, and there's a good chance that he's been in trouble before. So with a little time and effort we'll find him in the system somewhere.”
“ Good luck with that, mate.”
“ You're not going to help?”
“ What if he strikes again before you find out what you need to catch him?”
“ Then I'll live with it.”
“ That shouldn't be your call, mate.”
“ Just one other thing that I need to tell you that might have a bearing on events.”
“ What?”
“ When I went to visit the latest girl who was attacked, there was a bit of an incident between me and Antony Jones.”
“ This just keeps getting better. Go on.”
“ He was waiting for me at my car when I came back to it and grabbed hold of my arm, so I kind of throttled him a little.”
“ Are you completely insane? The man kills people for fun, and makes his money from drugs, guns and violence.”
“ He grabbed hold of me first, I just defended myself.”
“ What happened afterward?”
“ He basically promised to kill me next time he's at a loose-end. Don't worry though, I told him that the only way he could possibly hurt me was by taking it out on my beloved partner, you.”
“ You fucking didn't?” Marcus losing the hue from his cheeks.
“ No, I didn't.”
The color returns to his face again. “Check you out, Mr Popularity all of a sudden. What are you going to do?”
“ First and foremost, try to locate our fanged friend in the system; then I'll let CID know about the Jones threat. Should give me long enough with them tied up to try and nick blondie and claim all the glory.”
“ Aren't you at least going to beg a little for my help?”
“ Not if you're not willing to give it.”
“ Try me.”
“ Marcus my dear friend, will you help me to track down the madman who keeps gnawing on
“ What have you got?'
“ Just absolute confirmation that it was indeed done locally after all. He's using the dentist on the corner of Carrington and Mapperley Park.”
“ How do you know that?”
“ Easy. When they'd each finished telling me precisely nothing, I just had a quiet word with the dental nurses and gave them our brief description of a very pale guy with vampire fangs and a predilection for mutilating young women. Told them that if he did have his teeth done there, they might want to consider ensuring that they weren't alone with him when he came back in for his check-up. Only one of them suggested that I might want to come back with that warrant sooner rather than later.”
“ You bastard.” I punch him on the arm. “Why didn't you just tell me that up front?”
“ Where's the fun in that? Anyway, we just need to give CID a heads up now and they'll take care of the rest. Problem solved.”
“ Don't you think that having come this far, we should follow it through?”
“ No.”
“ Just think about it for a minute, Marcus. It would be a great arrest to make, which wouldn't do our fledgling careers any harm, and we're almost there now anyway. You're the one who said let's catch the guy ourselves in the first place, remember?”
“ There's a big difference between making some informal inquiries and getting lucky, and actually managing to obtain a warrant to get the details of who we're looking for from the dentist. So that looks like the end of the line for what we can do anyway. Besides, if the Criminal Investigation Department get a sniff of what we're doing, which amounts to interfering in the investigation and possibly even withholding evidence by the way, then you're fucked.”
“ And you.”
“ Not me, I've already told you what my plan is for immunity, the gay black thing remember?” He laughs.
“ We don't need a warrant.”
“ I'm not fucking breaking in, so get that idea right out of your head.”
“ Don't be daft; I meant that we should be able to figure out his identity without the dental records.”
“ Telepathy?”
“ CRIMINT. We know he's local, we've got a distinctive description, and there's a good chance that he's been in trouble before. So with a little time and effort we'll find him in the system somewhere.”
“ Good luck with that, mate.”
“ You're not going to help?”
“ What if he strikes again before you find out what you need to catch him?”
“ Then I'll live with it.”
“ That shouldn't be your call, mate.”
“ Just one other thing that I need to tell you that might have a bearing on events.”
“ What?”
“ When I went to visit the latest girl who was attacked, there was a bit of an incident between me and Antony Jones.”
“ This just keeps getting better. Go on.”
“ He was waiting for me at my car when I came back to it and grabbed hold of my arm, so I kind of throttled him a little.”
“ Are you completely insane? The man kills people for fun, and makes his money from drugs, guns and violence.”
“ He grabbed hold of me first, I just defended myself.”
“ What happened afterward?”
“ He basically promised to kill me next time he's at a loose-end. Don't worry though, I told him that the only way he could possibly hurt me was by taking it out on my beloved partner, you.”
“ You fucking didn't?” Marcus losing the hue from his cheeks.
“ No, I didn't.”
The color returns to his face again. “Check you out, Mr Popularity all of a sudden. What are you going to do?”
“ First and foremost, try to locate our fanged friend in the system; then I'll let CID know about the Jones threat. Should give me long enough with them tied up to try and nick blondie and claim all the glory.”
“ Aren't you at least going to beg a little for my help?”
“ Not if you're not willing to give it.”
“ Try me.”
“ Marcus my dear friend, will you help me to track down the madman who keeps gnawing on
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