phones'. She would defend herself with having to pay for a mortgage, which usually shut Cullen up.
"No answer," he confirmed. "Did you get anything?"
"His Dad's story checked out," she said. "Ten minor crimes. Picked up thirty-one times. Nothing serious but ten is a lot."
"It is."
"So what do you reckon?" asked Caldwell.
Cullen looked out of the window down the street - the leads were drying up, he thought. "We really need to speak to Jamie Cook."
"Seems like it."
"I am absolutely starving," he said.
"Me too," said Caldwell.
He checked his watch - it was just before two. "Christ, how did it get to that time?"
"That's called being busy," she said.
"I don't think I can face Bain on an empty stomach," he said. "I can't decide which of the three glories across the road I'm going to sample the delights of."
"Mickey D's for me," she said.
"Not a fan," said Cullen. "It'll have to be Subway."
They got out of the car and crossed the road. The local Big Issue salesman - a young guy with a hooded top - approached him as they reached the other side. Cullen found it impossible to decline him.
"You're such a sucker for them," said Caldwell.
"Am I?"
"That's the fifth time I've seen them get you."
He shrugged. "Poor guy needs all the help he can get."
"I'll see you in the station," she said. She walked off towards the MacDonald's.
Cullen checked his wallet - he was down to a fiver, which should be enough. He entered the Subway and joined the three-strong queue. He looked at the display behind the counter. He wasn't much of a fan of the chain, either, but he figured that it was the least worst option. He struggled to make a decision but settled on a pastrami sub. He took his phone out and tried Jamie Cook again while he waited. It went straight through to voicemail this time, no rings. Cullen frowned and pocketed the phone.
The queue shuffled forward one place as the first customer headed off. It was ADC Law. She smiled at Cullen then looked him up and down.
"How are you doing?" she asked.
"Oh, you know, fine," he said.
"Your boss has been swearing his head off in there," she said.
"You've not seen anything yet," he said.
She laughed loudly. "I can imagine."
"What did you go for?" he asked.
"Cajun chicken," she said.
"You like it hot?"
She nodded. "Oh, yes." She raised an eyebrow. "What are you going for?"
"Pastrami, I think."
"Mmm."
Cullen's phone rang. He held it up to her. "Better take this," he said, thinking it would be Jamie Cook.
She tapped his arm and grinned. Cullen felt himself blush. "I'll see you back over the road." He nodded and she walked off.
He checked the display on his phone. It was Sharon. He reddened further. He needed to stop whatever Law was up to.
"Hey," he said.
"Hey. How's it going?"
"Flat out," he said. "Out in East Lothian. Child murder."
"Oh magic, just what you want," said Sharon.
"What about you?"
"Stabbing in Wester Hailes," she said.
"Trying to work out who's the luckier."
She laughed. "Listen, are you coming to mine before the Burn's Supper?"
"If you want me to," he said.
"Is there any chance you can get some cat litter on your way home?"
"I'll try," he said, shuffling forward one in the queue. "Can't promise anything. This isn't looking like it's going to wrap up any time this week."
"We need some," she said. "Fluffy peed in the bath again."
Cullen suddenly had a moment of clarity. In the past six months, his life had changed so much that he wasn't talking about clubbing, but was now talking about cats pissing in baths. Six months ago, it was what he wanted, but now...
"I'll see what I can do," he said.
"Thanks," she said. "Are you okay?"
"Aye, why wouldn't I be?"
"Scott, you're investigating a child murder, it's known as harrowing."
"I'm trying to be a seasoned detective, Sharon," he said, "this stuff has to just wash off me."
She laughed. "I'm serious."
"I know, I know," he said. "Look, it's okay. We'll get to the bottom of this and I'll be
"No answer," he confirmed. "Did you get anything?"
"His Dad's story checked out," she said. "Ten minor crimes. Picked up thirty-one times. Nothing serious but ten is a lot."
"It is."
"So what do you reckon?" asked Caldwell.
Cullen looked out of the window down the street - the leads were drying up, he thought. "We really need to speak to Jamie Cook."
"Seems like it."
"I am absolutely starving," he said.
"Me too," said Caldwell.
He checked his watch - it was just before two. "Christ, how did it get to that time?"
"That's called being busy," she said.
"I don't think I can face Bain on an empty stomach," he said. "I can't decide which of the three glories across the road I'm going to sample the delights of."
"Mickey D's for me," she said.
"Not a fan," said Cullen. "It'll have to be Subway."
They got out of the car and crossed the road. The local Big Issue salesman - a young guy with a hooded top - approached him as they reached the other side. Cullen found it impossible to decline him.
"You're such a sucker for them," said Caldwell.
"Am I?"
"That's the fifth time I've seen them get you."
He shrugged. "Poor guy needs all the help he can get."
"I'll see you in the station," she said. She walked off towards the MacDonald's.
Cullen checked his wallet - he was down to a fiver, which should be enough. He entered the Subway and joined the three-strong queue. He looked at the display behind the counter. He wasn't much of a fan of the chain, either, but he figured that it was the least worst option. He struggled to make a decision but settled on a pastrami sub. He took his phone out and tried Jamie Cook again while he waited. It went straight through to voicemail this time, no rings. Cullen frowned and pocketed the phone.
The queue shuffled forward one place as the first customer headed off. It was ADC Law. She smiled at Cullen then looked him up and down.
"How are you doing?" she asked.
"Oh, you know, fine," he said.
"Your boss has been swearing his head off in there," she said.
"You've not seen anything yet," he said.
She laughed loudly. "I can imagine."
"What did you go for?" he asked.
"Cajun chicken," she said.
"You like it hot?"
She nodded. "Oh, yes." She raised an eyebrow. "What are you going for?"
"Pastrami, I think."
"Mmm."
Cullen's phone rang. He held it up to her. "Better take this," he said, thinking it would be Jamie Cook.
She tapped his arm and grinned. Cullen felt himself blush. "I'll see you back over the road." He nodded and she walked off.
He checked the display on his phone. It was Sharon. He reddened further. He needed to stop whatever Law was up to.
"Hey," he said.
"Hey. How's it going?"
"Flat out," he said. "Out in East Lothian. Child murder."
"Oh magic, just what you want," said Sharon.
"What about you?"
"Stabbing in Wester Hailes," she said.
"Trying to work out who's the luckier."
She laughed. "Listen, are you coming to mine before the Burn's Supper?"
"If you want me to," he said.
"Is there any chance you can get some cat litter on your way home?"
"I'll try," he said, shuffling forward one in the queue. "Can't promise anything. This isn't looking like it's going to wrap up any time this week."
"We need some," she said. "Fluffy peed in the bath again."
Cullen suddenly had a moment of clarity. In the past six months, his life had changed so much that he wasn't talking about clubbing, but was now talking about cats pissing in baths. Six months ago, it was what he wanted, but now...
"I'll see what I can do," he said.
"Thanks," she said. "Are you okay?"
"Aye, why wouldn't I be?"
"Scott, you're investigating a child murder, it's known as harrowing."
"I'm trying to be a seasoned detective, Sharon," he said, "this stuff has to just wash off me."
She laughed. "I'm serious."
"I know, I know," he said. "Look, it's okay. We'll get to the bottom of this and I'll be
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