Part 3 (1/2)

Pete drew in a breath, wis.h.i.+ng desperately it was the end of a Parliament. Sod it, before this morning she'd been meaning to quit quit. Jack had raked all her old vices to front and center.

”Sorry, sir. What is it you wanted to see me on?”

”The Superintendent has deemed it appropriate to dedicate a small auxiliary parking structure to Inspector Caldecott, senior. Your father,” said Newell as if she might have forgotten. He gave the impression of examining Pete over his gla.s.ses, even though his nose was bare. ”They would like you to write a brief statement to be engraved on the plaque that will bear his name, if that isn't too taxing.”

b.l.o.o.d.y foolishness. Connor coughed at her from that hospital bed, so diminished but still full of fight. Tell him to sod his parking structuredid my job and never asked for anything more Tell him to sod his parking structuredid my job and never asked for anything more.

”Of course, sir,” she said aloud, willing Newell, Don't ask about Bridget Killigan Don't ask about Bridget Killigan.

”Very well,” said Newell. ”You're dismissed.”

Relief, and a f.a.g waiting outside.

”And Inspector?” said Newell. Pete's feet ground to a halt against her will.

”Sir?”

”Don't think that I won't be asking for a full accounting of the Killigan matter when the girl is released from the hospital.”

d.a.m.n you, Jack. ”Of course, sir.” Pete tipped her head in deference and escaped into the wider office.

”Someone sent you papers by courier,” said Ollie, with a nod toward the flat tan package on Pete's desk. The return label was the crest of Terry's architectural firm. Pete ripped the package with a letter opener, being more vicious than she strictly had to be.

Tight orderly lines of black type marched across the columns and Pete swore in a whisper before she punched up an outside line and called Terry at work.

”Mr. Hanover.”

”This is not not the price we agreed on, you w.a.n.ker,” Pete gritted into the mouthpiece. Ollie raised his eyebrows at that, and strategically went to refill his tea mug with hot water. the price we agreed on, you w.a.n.ker,” Pete gritted into the mouthpiece. Ollie raised his eyebrows at that, and strategically went to refill his tea mug with hot water.

On the other end of the line, Terry sighed. ”The estate agent priced it for a quick sale, Pete, just like you wanted. You told me yourself you didn't want to waste any time haggling over the flatjust get it sold.”

”Yes.” Pete turned her back on the MIT room at large and stared at the National Health advisories pinned to the wall behind her desk. ”Yes, I do want it sold, sold at the price we gave the estate agent.”

”The market's gone downhill since then. Martha said”

”Who the b.l.o.o.d.y h.e.l.l is Martha?”

She could picture Terry's sour pout when he answered. ”My new estate agent. Miss Tabram.”

”She's Susan's a.s.sistant, the one who had her knees stuck in your ears when I came over to sign the credit check forms last week?”

”We're seeing each other.” Terry sounded far too relaxed for Pete to do anything except get into her car, drive to his firm, and shove his drafting pencil into his ear ca.n.a.l. She couldn't, so she snapped, ”Raise the price up, Terry. I'm not going to waste my time with your f.u.c.king about,” and slammed the receiver down with a crack like bones snapping.

”Now I really do need that f.a.g,” she said to Ollie when he sat down again. ”He ordered my food on our first date and he hasn't stopped shoving his b.l.o.o.d.y opinions down my throat since.”

A clerk came through the maze of desks and touched Pete on the shoulder. ”Sorry to bother you, Inspector& four persons to see you waiting in the visitor's room.”

Pete wrapped her fist longingly around the crumpled pack of Parliaments in her pocket.

”Not the ruddy press, is it?” said Ollie suspiciously. ”PR office has been ringing off the hook with tosspots wanting an interview with you, Pete.”

”It's not the press,” said the clerk. ”It's& well&” Her tan brow crinkled nervously. ”They wouldn't exactly say, Inspector& only that it was very urgent.”

”All right, all right.” Pete sighed. ”I'll be out in a moment. Tell them to keep their knickers on that long.”

Ollie found Pete half an hour later, in her customary spot near the parking shed for the armed response vehicles.

”What happened, Caldecott?”

Rain peppered the puddle at Pete's feet, and she threw her cigarette into it, where it floated on the oil-stained water like a tiny corpse. ”Two more.”

Ollie sagged a bit, and rubbed his forehead. ”b.u.g.g.e.r it. When?”

”This afternoon,” said Pete. ”After school. Two children, friends, live near each other. They didn't come home, and the parents thought they'd run away.”

”I'll tell Newell,” said Ollie, making a move for the door.

”I did it,” said Pete. ”Patrols are searching the neighborhood. I'm following momentarily.” Even to her ears, she sounded flat and uninterested, as if a boring program were on BBC 4 but she couldn't be bothered to change the channel.

She could lie and say it was Jack's fault, for jerking her about rather than telling the truth, but it was hers. Two more children. An agonizing five days, if she was lucky, before they showed up in the same fas.h.i.+on as Bridget Kil-ligan. Pete didn't even bother to tell herself that these were just suspicions, not fact. She was too tired to deny that she was certain.

”I'll fetch my car, head over there as well,” said Ollie.

”Heath, wait,” said Pete. Ollie paused. ”Would you& would you mind going on ahead and taking point on the case, just for today?”

Ollie's lips pursed. ”You've been eerie ever since we found the Killigan child, Caldecott. You need a bit of rest. If that's what you're asking for, take it. With my blessing.”

”Not a rest,” said Pete. She felt mad, as if she were standing on a cliff with paper wings strapped to her back. But the simple fact, the only fact fact in this at all, was that Jack had been right. Never mind in this at all, was that Jack had been right. Never mind how how, he'd found Bridget. He would find the two new missing.

Pete didn't allow herself the glaring thought that her faith in Jack was as misplaced as it had ever been. Or the new wrinkle, that he hated her for something she couldn't fathom.

”Not a rest,” Pete repeated to Ollie. ”There's something that I have to do. It may take me thirty-six hours or so, Ollie& cover my a.r.s.e with Newell until then?”

Ollie Heath, G.o.d bless him, just nodded. ”Of course, Pete.”

He went to look for the missing children, and Pete went hunting for Jack, not knowing if she was going to hit him or embrace him when they met, just that she needed to find him, and so she would.

Chapter Eight

She'd never intended to rescue him, of course. Of all the strung-out lost boys in London, Jack was the least in need of that.

Pete knew she'd been spending too much time around Southwark when the s.h.i.+fty bloke on the steps of Jack's squat waved to her.

And she waved back. ”Jack in?”

”Nah,” said the kid, sniffling and s.h.i.+vering even inside his parka. ”He moved on last night. Prolly over near Borough High Street in the close. There's a few beds.”