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“Anyway,” Banks went on, “you’ve got some bloody nerve accusing me of screwing up on the job.”
A
“What about you? Do you really think you’ve been pulling your weight lately?”
A
“A few problems? Is that what you call sneaking off to sleep with DI Dalton every minute my back was turned? Don’t think I didn’t notice. I’m not stupid.”
A
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean it to sound so harsh. But you’ve got to admit you were pretty obvious. How do you think I felt?”
A
“Jesus Christ, A
“Like what? Come crying to my boss the first week on the job?”
“Like ‘This is the man who raped me.’ Is he the one who actually-”
“One of the others. But it doesn’t mean he wouldn’t have done it, too, if I’d given him half a chance. As far as I’m concerned they’re all three of them equally guilty.”
“But you could have told me. You knew that I’d understand.”
“And what would you have done? Gone flexing your macho muscles? Beat him up? Something like that? Had a pissing competition? No, thanks. It was my problem. I preferred to handle it myself.”
“Looks like you did a good job.”
“He’s still alive, isn’t he?”
Banks smiled. “A
“Shows what you know about it. Wasn’t anyone around to help when it happened, was there?”
“That doesn’t mean there’s no one now.”
A
“A
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Yes, it does. I saw the way you and Dalton tensed up when you met and I read it wrongly. I thought there was something between you.”
“There was. Just not what you thought it was.”
“I know that now. And I’m sorry. I should have trusted you.”
A
“I was jealous. Besides, I didn’t give you much reason to trust me, did I? I’ve handled this all wrong.”
“You can say that again.”
“A
“And you really sat in one of those horrible hotel armchairs listening to your Walkman?”
“Yes. And smoking.”
“And smoking. Of course.”
“Yes.”
“Then you tried to sleep but her snoring kept you awake?”
“Yes. And the wind and rain.”
“And the wind and rain.” He looked so earnest that A
Banks frowned. “So you believe me now?”
“I believe you. I just wish you’d told me earlier. All this deception…”
“On both sides.”
“Oh, no. I didn’t deceive you. You read the situation wrongly.”
“But you kept something from me.”
“That was private business. It wasn’t to do with the case, not like your relationship with Emily Riddle. You really liked her?”
“I don’t think I could have stood being around her for very long. She could be quite exhausting. Never stopped talking. And a hell of an attitude. But, yes, I did.”
A
“Is that good?”
“It’ll do. But I want you to know that I’m still seriously pissed off at you for not treating me as a professional. You’ve got a lot of making up to do.”
“A
A
“Fancy you.” The fire was waning and the air becoming chilly. Banks looked at A
A
17
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The fire station stood on an arterial road near the estate of shabby Georgian semis where Ruth Walker had grown up. Banks had told A
The firemen were sitting around playing cards in a large upper room above the gleaming red engines. The place smelled of sweat, aftershave and oil. They were an odd lot, firemen, A