Scaredy Cat by Mark Billingham Page B
Authors: Mark Billingham
Tags: Fiction, General, Psychological, Thrillers, Mystery & Detective, Police, England, Serial Murders
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are it's only going to frighten the life out of them.' Anne began to clear away the plates.
'So better a patient who's in the dark than a JP FROG?' Bishop raised his glass to Thorne in mock salute. 'But that's not the best one. I get to deal with a lot of JP FROGs, but Jimmy, specialising as she does in lost causes, is very
102 MARK BILLINGHAM
much the patron saint of IF BUNDYs.' He grinned, showing every one of his perfect teeth. 'Total y Fucked But Unfortunately Not Dead Yet.'
Thorne could hear Anne in the kitchen loading the dishwasher. He remembered the smug look on Bishop's face as he'd put the coffee cups in his dishwasher a few days before. He wore the same expression now. Thorne grinned back at him. 'So what about Alison Wil etts? Is she a IF BUNDY?'
Thorne saw at once that if he'd thought this would throw Bishop then he was seriously underestimating him. The doctor's reaction was clearly one of undisguised amusement. He raised his eyebrows and shouted through to the kitchen. 'Oh, Christ, Jimmy, I think I'm outnumbered.' He turned back to Thorne and suddenly there was a glimmer of steel behind the flippancy.
'Come on, Tom, is the moral indignation that was positively dripping from that last comment real y meant to suggest that you care about your.., victims, any more than we care about our patients? That we're just unfeeling monsters while the CID
is ful of sensitive souls like your good self?.' 'Christ, Tommy, what a smug bastard...' Susan, A4addy, Christine. And Helen...
'I'm not suggesting anything. It just seemed a bit harsh, that's al .'
'It's a job, Tom. Not a very nice one at times and, yes, it's quite wel paid after you've slogged your guts out training for seven years then spent a few more kissing enough arses to get to a decent level.' That certainly rang a bel . 'We're paid to treat, we're not paid to care. The simple truth is that the NHS can't afford to care, in any sense of the word.'
SLEEPYHEAD 103
Anne put an enormous plate of cheesecake in the centre of the table. 'M and S, I'm afraid. Great with pasta. Crap at puddings.' She went back through to the kitchen leaving Bishop to start divvying it up.
'I always tel students that they have a choice. They can think of the patients as John or Elsie or Bob or whatever and lose what little sleep they get...'
Thorne held out his plate for a slice of cheesecake. 'Or...?'
'Or they can be good doctors and treat bodies. Dead or alive, they're bodies.'
What had Thorne said earlier to Keable?
'Are you going to let him get away with this shit, Tommy?'
'I'm not sure what I'm going to do. Why don't you help me? Is it him? Is he the one?'
The one question they never answer.
Thorne started to eat. 'So, what do most of your students decide?'
Bishop shrugged and took a mouthful. He chuckled.
'There's another one.'
'What?'
'CID. Another acronym.'
Thorne smiled at Anne as she sat back down and helped herself to a slice. Bishop grunted, demanding the attention of the audience. He'd obviously come up with something wonderful.
Thorne turned to him and waited. Get ready for the kil er...
'Coppers In Disarray?'
Bishop was the first to leave. He'd shaken Thorne's hand and.., had he winked? Anne led him into the hal to get his jacket, leaving Thorne on the sofa with a glass of wine 104 MARK BILLINGHAM
listening to them saying their goodbyes. Their obvious intimacy disturbed him in every way he could think of. The next part of the evening, whatever that was, would have to be handled very careful y. Their voices were lowered, but there was no mistaking Bishop's low hum of contentment as he kissed Anne goodbye. Thorne wondered how witty and garrulous he'd be with a detective constable's fist halfway down his throat. He wondered how smug he'd be in an airless interview room. He wondered what he'd have to do to get him into one.
He heard the front door shut and took a deep breath. Now he wanted to be alone with Anne and not just because of what she could tel
'So better a patient who's in the dark than a JP FROG?' Bishop raised his glass to Thorne in mock salute. 'But that's not the best one. I get to deal with a lot of JP FROGs, but Jimmy, specialising as she does in lost causes, is very
102 MARK BILLINGHAM
much the patron saint of IF BUNDYs.' He grinned, showing every one of his perfect teeth. 'Total y Fucked But Unfortunately Not Dead Yet.'
Thorne could hear Anne in the kitchen loading the dishwasher. He remembered the smug look on Bishop's face as he'd put the coffee cups in his dishwasher a few days before. He wore the same expression now. Thorne grinned back at him. 'So what about Alison Wil etts? Is she a IF BUNDY?'
Thorne saw at once that if he'd thought this would throw Bishop then he was seriously underestimating him. The doctor's reaction was clearly one of undisguised amusement. He raised his eyebrows and shouted through to the kitchen. 'Oh, Christ, Jimmy, I think I'm outnumbered.' He turned back to Thorne and suddenly there was a glimmer of steel behind the flippancy.
'Come on, Tom, is the moral indignation that was positively dripping from that last comment real y meant to suggest that you care about your.., victims, any more than we care about our patients? That we're just unfeeling monsters while the CID
is ful of sensitive souls like your good self?.' 'Christ, Tommy, what a smug bastard...' Susan, A4addy, Christine. And Helen...
'I'm not suggesting anything. It just seemed a bit harsh, that's al .'
'It's a job, Tom. Not a very nice one at times and, yes, it's quite wel paid after you've slogged your guts out training for seven years then spent a few more kissing enough arses to get to a decent level.' That certainly rang a bel . 'We're paid to treat, we're not paid to care. The simple truth is that the NHS can't afford to care, in any sense of the word.'
SLEEPYHEAD 103
Anne put an enormous plate of cheesecake in the centre of the table. 'M and S, I'm afraid. Great with pasta. Crap at puddings.' She went back through to the kitchen leaving Bishop to start divvying it up.
'I always tel students that they have a choice. They can think of the patients as John or Elsie or Bob or whatever and lose what little sleep they get...'
Thorne held out his plate for a slice of cheesecake. 'Or...?'
'Or they can be good doctors and treat bodies. Dead or alive, they're bodies.'
What had Thorne said earlier to Keable?
'Are you going to let him get away with this shit, Tommy?'
'I'm not sure what I'm going to do. Why don't you help me? Is it him? Is he the one?'
The one question they never answer.
Thorne started to eat. 'So, what do most of your students decide?'
Bishop shrugged and took a mouthful. He chuckled.
'There's another one.'
'What?'
'CID. Another acronym.'
Thorne smiled at Anne as she sat back down and helped herself to a slice. Bishop grunted, demanding the attention of the audience. He'd obviously come up with something wonderful.
Thorne turned to him and waited. Get ready for the kil er...
'Coppers In Disarray?'
Bishop was the first to leave. He'd shaken Thorne's hand and.., had he winked? Anne led him into the hal to get his jacket, leaving Thorne on the sofa with a glass of wine 104 MARK BILLINGHAM
listening to them saying their goodbyes. Their obvious intimacy disturbed him in every way he could think of. The next part of the evening, whatever that was, would have to be handled very careful y. Their voices were lowered, but there was no mistaking Bishop's low hum of contentment as he kissed Anne goodbye. Thorne wondered how witty and garrulous he'd be with a detective constable's fist halfway down his throat. He wondered how smug he'd be in an airless interview room. He wondered what he'd have to do to get him into one.
He heard the front door shut and took a deep breath. Now he wanted to be alone with Anne and not just because of what she could tel
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