Lazy Bones by Mark Billingham

it once he'd got there?'
    'No, I think he planned the whole thing. The rape just seems...' 'It was more violent than most, I agree, but rape's hardly delicate, is it?' An old man waiting at a zebra crossing to cross the road caught just enough of the conversation. He jerked his head around and, ignoring the signal to cross, watched them walk away. A frustrated driver wNt ing at the crossing glared at the old man and leaned on his horn.
    'I'm not sure why it bothers me,' Thorne said. 'It's a murder inves

    'I'm not sure why it bothers me,' Thorne said. 'It's a murder inves
    tigation but it's the rape part that feels significant...'
    'You think the Miler was making a point?'
    'Don't you?' Hendricks shrugged and nodded, heaved the bag up and slid a protective arm underneath. 'Right,' Thorne said. 'So why is the simple grudge scenario not playing out...?'
    They walked on past the sandwich bar and the bank. Music was coming from behind open windows, drifting out of bars and down from roof terraces. Rap and blues and heavy metal. To Thorne, the atmosphere on the street seemed as relaxed as he could remember. Warm weather did strange things to Londoners. On sweaty, rush-hour tubes, tempers shortened as temperatures rose. Later, When it got a few degrees cooler and people had a drink in their hands, it was a different story...
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    Thorne smiled grimly. He knew it was only a smal window of opportunity. Later stil , when darkness fel and the booze began to kick in, the Saturday night soundtrack would become a little more familiar.
    Sirens and screaming and breaking glass...
    As if on cue, as Hendricks and Thorne walked past the late-night grocers, two teenagers, standing outside, began to push each other. It might have been harmless, it might have been the start of something. Thorne stopped, took a step back. 'oi...'
    The tal er of the two turned and looked Thorne up and down, stil clutching a fistful of the other's blue Hilfiger shirt. He was no more than fifteen. 'What's your fucking problem?'
    'I don't have a problem,' Thorne said.
    The shorter one shook himself free and turned square on to Thorne. 'You wil have in a minute if you don't piss off...'
    'Go home,' Thorne said. 'Your mum's probably worried.'
    The tal er one sniggered; but his mate was less amused. He looked
    quickly up and down the street. 'You want me to smack a couple of
    your teeth out?'
    'Only if you want me to nick you,' Thorne said.
    Now they both laughed. 'You a fucking copper, man? No way...' 'OK,' Thorne said. 'I'm not a copper. And you're just a couple of innocent young scal ywags minding your own business, right? Nothing I should have to worry about, you know, if I were a police officer, in any of your pockets.' He saw the eyes of the tal er boy flick towards those of his friend. 'Maybe I should check though, just to be on the safe side ...'
    Thorne leaned, smiling, towards them. Hendricks stepped forward
    and hissed in his ear. 'Come on, Tom, for fuck's sake...'
    A girl, two or three years older, walked out of the shop. She handed
    each of the boys a can of Tennent's Extra, opened one herself. 'What's
    going on?'
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    The boy in the blue shirt pointed at Thorne. 'Reckons he's a copper, says he's going to arrest us.'
    The girl took a noisy slug of beer. 'Nah... he's not going to arrest anybody.' She pointed with the can towards the bag Thorne was holding. 'Doesn't want to let his fucking dinner go cold...'
    More laughter. Hendricks put a hand on Thorne's shoulder.
    "Fhorne careful y put the bag on the ground. 'I'm not hungry any more. Now turn out your pockets...'
    'You love this, don't you?' the girl said. 'Have you got a hard-on?' 'Turn out your pockets.'
    The boys stared at him, cold. The girl had another swig of beer. Thorne took a step towards them and then they moved. The shorter boy stepped round his friends and away, running a step or two before slowing, regaining his composure. The girl moved away more slowly, dragging the tal er of the boys by the