Careless In Red

“I’d say the car’s a fairly good indication of that,” she called out. “You used to be a much better detective.”


She heard him coming in her direction. She was still wearing her pyjamas, but as they comprised a T-shirt and the trousers to her tracksuit, she was not bothered by someone’s coming upon her in her morning deshabille.

Ray was done up to the nines. She looked at him sourly. “Hoping to impress some bright young thing?”

“Only you.” He went to the fridge where she had left a jug of orange juice. He held it to the light, gave it a suspicious sniff, found it apparently to his liking, and poured a glass.

“Do help yourself,” she said sardonically. “There’s always more where that came from.”

“Cheers,” he replied. “D’you still use it on your cereal?”

“Some things never change. Ray, why’re you here? And where’s Pete? Not ill, is he? He has school today. I hope you’ve not let him talk you into?”

“Early day,” he said. “He has something going on in his science course. I got him there and made sure he went inside and wasn’t planning to bunk off and sell weed on the street corner.”

“Most amusing. Pete doesn’t do drugs.”

“We are blessed in that.”

She ignored the plural. “Why’re you here at this hour?”

“He’s wanting more clothes.”

“Haven’t you washed them?”

“I have. But he says he can’t be expected to wear the same thing after school day after day. You sent only two outfits.”

“He has clothes at your place.”

“He claims he’s outgrown them.”

“He wouldn’t notice that. He never gives a toss what he’s wearing anyway. He’d be in his Arsenal sweatshirt all day if he had the option, and you know that very well. So answer me again. Why are you here?”

He smiled. “Caught me. You’re very good at grilling the suspect, my dear. How’s the investigation faring?”

“You mean how is it faring despite the fact I’ve no MCIT?”

He sipped his orange juice and put the glass on the work top, which he leaned against. He was quite a tall man, and he was trim. He’d look good, Bea thought, to whatever bright young thing he was dressing himself for.

“Despite what you believe, I did do the best I could for you with regard to manpower, Beatrice. Why d’you always think the worst of me?”

She scowled. She didn’t reply at once. She dipped into a final stretch and then rose from the chair. She sighed and said, “It isn’t going far or fast. I’d like to say we’re closing in on someone, but each time I’ve thought that, either events or information have proved me wrong.”

“Is Lynley being of any help? God knows he has the experience.”

“He’s a good man. There’s no doubt of that. And they’ve sent his partner down from London. I daresay she’s here more to keep an eye on him than to help me, but she’s a decent cop, if somewhat unorthodox. She’s rather distracted by him?”

“In love?”

“She denies it, but if she is, it’s a real nonstarter. Chalk and cheese doesn’t begin to describe them. No. I think she’s worried about him. They’ve been partnered for years and she cares. They have a history, however bizarre it may be.” Bea pushed away from the table and carried her cereal bowl to the sink. “At any rate, they’re good cops. One can tell that much about them. She’s a pit bull and he’s very quick. I’d like it a bit more if he had fewer ideas of his own, however.”

“You’ve always liked your men that way,” Ray noted.

Bea regarded him. A moment passed. A dog barked in the neighbourhood. She said, “That’s rather below the belt.”

“Is it?”

“Yes. Pete wasn’t an idea. He was?he is?a person.”

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