and you only want to talk about work,’ Hannah laughed.
‘It's not a date. We're meeting for a drink at lunch time to discuss the victim's injuries.’
‘And you're hoping that isn't the only body he's interested in –’
‘Hannah, stop it. That's ridiculous, and you know it. I've barely spoken to the guy. And we're not meeting in the evening. It's hardly a date.’
Hannah laughed again. ‘Your eyes met across a bloody corpse…’
‘A mutilated corpse, actually.’
‘What?’
‘Shit, I shouldn't have mentioned it. Look, this woman's tongue was cut out, I know it'll be all over the papers soon enough but, in the meantime, don't say anything to anyone.’
‘Her tongue?’
‘Please, Hannah, forget I mentioned it. Not a word. It's really important you don't tell anyone.’
‘Of course I won't, if you say so.’
‘I do. In fact, just forget about it, will you?’
‘You think it's possible to forget something like that?’
‘Welcome to my world, Hannah.’
18
BEN
B en Kirby's life, which had always revolved around football and food, changed in one moment, with one terrible announcement. If he closed his eyes, he could picture the dark-haired detective who had brought the news that his mother was never coming back. Life would never be the same again.
Ben knew his father was trying to comfort him, but it didn't help. It was just words. ‘We've got to be strong for each other,’ his father said. ‘Life goes on. Your mother would want you to be strong. Lucy's going to need your support.’ He paused. ‘I need your support, son.’
‘I know, dad, but it's just so – so horrible.’ His voice wobbled. He bit his lip trying to prevent it trembling but couldn't stop his eyes filling with tears.
‘We have to look out for each other now.’ Matthew glanced towards the door and Ben knew his father was thinking about Lucy. Ben was fed up with her hostility towards their father. They only had one parent now, but Lucy never let up.
His father was about to say something else when the doorbell rang and he went to see who it was. Through the open kitchen door, Ben saw the police standing in the porch. He held his breath and clenched his fists, waiting to hear they had found the sick bastard killer.
‘Have you brought us any news?’ Ben heard his dad ask. He invited them in but the two detectives hovered on the doorstep.
‘We'd like to ask you a few more questions about your movements on Saturday,’ the woman said.
Something seemed to burst inside Ben's head and he leapt to his feet and raced up the hall. ‘Leave him alone!’ he yelled, feet pounding on the carpet. ‘We've been through enough! He hasn't done anything wrong. Go away and leave us alone!’ He was shaking with rage. Lucy came down the stairs to find out what all the commotion was about.
The woman detective looked at Ben sadly. ‘I'm sorry, Ben, but we really do need to ask your father a few questions.’
‘Ask him here,’ Ben knew he was crying but he didn't care. ‘Ask him right here, right now, and then go away. Go on. You said you only want to ask him a few questions. Ask him then. He's done nothing wrong.’
‘Don't worry, son,’ his father said. ‘It's got to be done. The sooner we go through it, the sooner we can get this cleared up and they'll leave us alone so we can start trying to get through this together. Don't take on so. It's not their fault. They're only doing their job.’
‘We all know whose fault it is,’ Lucy snapped. ‘Take him away. We don't want him here. You're welcome to him. You can lock him up and throw away the key as far as we're concerned.’
Ben knew Lucy was annoyed with their father, but he was shocked by her outburst. As for their father, he looked as though he was going to cry. He looked so pale and ill, Ben could have thumped Lucy for being so spiteful.
‘I think you'd better come in,’ Ben's dad told the police.
‘We can interview you at the station if that's any easier.’ The
‘It's not a date. We're meeting for a drink at lunch time to discuss the victim's injuries.’
‘And you're hoping that isn't the only body he's interested in –’
‘Hannah, stop it. That's ridiculous, and you know it. I've barely spoken to the guy. And we're not meeting in the evening. It's hardly a date.’
Hannah laughed again. ‘Your eyes met across a bloody corpse…’
‘A mutilated corpse, actually.’
‘What?’
‘Shit, I shouldn't have mentioned it. Look, this woman's tongue was cut out, I know it'll be all over the papers soon enough but, in the meantime, don't say anything to anyone.’
‘Her tongue?’
‘Please, Hannah, forget I mentioned it. Not a word. It's really important you don't tell anyone.’
‘Of course I won't, if you say so.’
‘I do. In fact, just forget about it, will you?’
‘You think it's possible to forget something like that?’
‘Welcome to my world, Hannah.’
18
BEN
B en Kirby's life, which had always revolved around football and food, changed in one moment, with one terrible announcement. If he closed his eyes, he could picture the dark-haired detective who had brought the news that his mother was never coming back. Life would never be the same again.
Ben knew his father was trying to comfort him, but it didn't help. It was just words. ‘We've got to be strong for each other,’ his father said. ‘Life goes on. Your mother would want you to be strong. Lucy's going to need your support.’ He paused. ‘I need your support, son.’
‘I know, dad, but it's just so – so horrible.’ His voice wobbled. He bit his lip trying to prevent it trembling but couldn't stop his eyes filling with tears.
‘We have to look out for each other now.’ Matthew glanced towards the door and Ben knew his father was thinking about Lucy. Ben was fed up with her hostility towards their father. They only had one parent now, but Lucy never let up.
His father was about to say something else when the doorbell rang and he went to see who it was. Through the open kitchen door, Ben saw the police standing in the porch. He held his breath and clenched his fists, waiting to hear they had found the sick bastard killer.
‘Have you brought us any news?’ Ben heard his dad ask. He invited them in but the two detectives hovered on the doorstep.
‘We'd like to ask you a few more questions about your movements on Saturday,’ the woman said.
Something seemed to burst inside Ben's head and he leapt to his feet and raced up the hall. ‘Leave him alone!’ he yelled, feet pounding on the carpet. ‘We've been through enough! He hasn't done anything wrong. Go away and leave us alone!’ He was shaking with rage. Lucy came down the stairs to find out what all the commotion was about.
The woman detective looked at Ben sadly. ‘I'm sorry, Ben, but we really do need to ask your father a few questions.’
‘Ask him here,’ Ben knew he was crying but he didn't care. ‘Ask him right here, right now, and then go away. Go on. You said you only want to ask him a few questions. Ask him then. He's done nothing wrong.’
‘Don't worry, son,’ his father said. ‘It's got to be done. The sooner we go through it, the sooner we can get this cleared up and they'll leave us alone so we can start trying to get through this together. Don't take on so. It's not their fault. They're only doing their job.’
‘We all know whose fault it is,’ Lucy snapped. ‘Take him away. We don't want him here. You're welcome to him. You can lock him up and throw away the key as far as we're concerned.’
Ben knew Lucy was annoyed with their father, but he was shocked by her outburst. As for their father, he looked as though he was going to cry. He looked so pale and ill, Ben could have thumped Lucy for being so spiteful.
‘I think you'd better come in,’ Ben's dad told the police.
‘We can interview you at the station if that's any easier.’ The
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