Time to Die

‘That was some speech,’ Zoe said, in a strong Essex accent. ‘I hope I can live up to his expectations.’

‘He wouldn’t have picked you if you couldn’t,’ Je

Zoe’s eyes darted towards her sergeant’s office. ‘I’ve got some admin to go through with Claire, computer access, lockers, boring stuff like that. Thanks for the offer though.’

‘Can I get you a coffee?’ Will said, as Je

‘Nah, I don’t touch the stuff. It’s great to meet you both, Ethan’s told me a lot about you.’

Will raised an eyebrow in response. ‘Don’t believe a word. What about you? What’s brought you to Haven?’

Zoe glanced around before speaking. Je

‘I’m a demonologist,’ Zoe said, her voice a whisper.

‘Blimey,’ Will said, ‘like on those Most Haunted programmes?’

Je

Zoe’s face lit up as she laughed, and her shoulders dropped as she visibly relaxed in their company. ‘Nothing as glamorous as that. It just means I’m trained to conduct exorcisms. I can also recognise when someone’s faking it, or has been possessed in the past.’

‘I could have done with you a few months ago, when I dealt with a bad possession,’ Je

‘Ah. That explains it then.’

Je

‘I picked up that you’d been possessed in the past. I’m glad you got it sorted.’ Zoe swivelled her head to respond to Claire beckoning her into her office. ‘Looks like I’ve been summoned. I’ll chat to you later, yeah?’

Je

‘What was that about?’ Je

‘Mmmm?’ Will replied, engrossed in his paperwork for the first time that day.

She leaned in, her words slow and deliberate. It was the voice she used with suspects, when she wasn’t to be messed with. ‘You heard me.’

‘Oh, that? Demonology isn’t an exact science. But I wouldn’t say anything, you don’t want to dent her confidence on her first day.’

Putting her reservations behind her, she returned her attention to her paperwork as Will answered the phone. It seemed heavy in his hand as he hung up the call.

‘It’s bad news, I’m afraid,’ he said.

‘Don’t tell me, the eighties called. George Michael wants his beard back.’ Je

‘You won’t be laughing when you hear your star witness for your Reborners case has pulled out.’

‘Who, Emily? You’re joking.’

‘As if I’d joke about that.’ Will said. ‘She said she felt pressured into agreeing to help, and she’s changed her mind. I’ve told her there’ll be implications but she said she’s not talking and that’s it.’

‘Whoever’s behind this must have got to her. Witness intimidation, that’s what it is,’ Je

‘Calm down, she’s gone out now. I think she was scared of telling you herself.’

Je

‘She seemed to believe that if she gave names, she would prevent herself getting time. I soon put her straight. As if things work that way,’ Will said.

Je

Will was still talking. ‘Looks like we’re back to square one.’

Je

A bar of chocolate was shoved under her nose, and she nodded in thanks as she broke off a square of fruit and nut. ‘How’s your workload?’ she said, swirling the chocolate in her mouth. It really did make everything feel better.

Will took a seat beside her. ‘I’m living the dream. I have a burglar who blames his crimes on an organ transplant, a grave robber who hears the voice of God, and a woman who says it’s OK for her husband to beat her up because he’s possessed. If he is, it must be by the spirit of Stella Artois as he’s raving drunk every bleeding time he does it.’

[#]

Je

The door opened suddenly, and Emily’s face fell. ‘Oh. I thought you were someone else.’

‘Clearly,’ Je

Emily chewed the candy pink lipstick from her bottom lip. ‘Am I in trouble?’

‘No, not at all. I just want to ask you about your statement.’

‘OK,’ she said, sliding a phone from her tracksuit bottoms and quickly speeding through a text.

‘Where’s your little boy?’

Emily’s finger froze mid-text. ‘Asleep. Why?’

‘No reason,’ Je

‘I haven’t had a chance to clean up yet,’ Emily said, her arms folded tightly across her chest.

Je

Je