Free Last Rites by Neil White

again and wished she had waited. Most of the faces were smiling, but they weren't friendly. They were waiting for the show – and Laura knew that it was too late to back out.
    ‘My boyfriend is a reporter,’ she said, ‘and he's been approached by Sarah Goode's parents.’
    Carson blinked, the information registered, but then he started to grin. ‘Boyfriend?’ he said, turning to his team. ‘How old is he? Sixteen?’
    Laura went red, but from anger, not embarrassment. She didn't respond, knowing that she would say something she would later regret.
    ‘Tell me more,’ he said, smiling. ‘What's your name?’
    ‘DC McGanity,’ replied Laura. ‘On the CRT.’
    ‘First name?’ he said.
    ‘Laura.’
    ‘Okay, Laura, what did Sarah's parents want with your boyfriend?’
    ‘They want him to find Sarah,’ she replied. ‘They went to their solicitor first, and he set up the meeting.’
    ‘So it's coming through a lawyer?’ Carson queried, sounding sceptical. ‘And if he finds her?’
    ‘He's got to tell her to hand herself in.’
    ‘Why are you telling me?’
    ‘Because he asked me to,’ she replied.
    ‘And what if he tells you more but doesn't ask you to repeat the favour? Will you still come and speak to me?’ Before Laura had the time to respond, he said aggressively, ‘Because pillow talk is not confidential. You hear anything, little lady, come down here and tell me. Understand?’
    ‘I just thought you ought to know,’ Laura replied, feeling humiliated, her heart pounding with anger. When she turned to leave the room, someone spluttered a laugh behind Carson, and he started to grin.
    As she walked quickly back down the corridor, she was aware of a pause, and then she heard the noise of Carson's team laughing. She guessed that Carson was leading the chorus.
    When Laura burst back into the custody office, she saw her prisoner's arrogant grin.
    ‘If you hit him because he was messing around with your girlfriend,’ she said to him, her stare hard and direct, ‘you might have chosen the wrong tactic.’
    The grin wavered. ‘Why?’
    ‘Us girls don't like to get lonely,’ she said, stepping closer. ‘I can bet who she spent last night with.’ Laura looked at her watch theatrically. ‘Do you want me to call her, to give him time to leave?’
    The prisoner's face turned into an angry flush before the custody sergeant buzzed open the exit door. Laura stomped away quickly, slowing down only when Pete caught up with her.
    ‘I could learn from you,’ he said, as he got alongside her. ‘Menace with a smile.’
    Laura sighed. ‘I let myself down,’ she replied.
    Pete laughed and waved it away. ‘No, it was fun.’
    As they walked along the corridor from the custody area, Laura heard laughter ahead. She guessed what was coming even before Carson appeared in the doorway, a few members of his team just behind him, sharing the joke.
    They went quiet as Pete approached them, although the smiles remained. As Carson went past, Pete nodded and said, ‘Afternoon, sir’, more out of obligation than respect. Carson didn't respond. Instead, he looked down at Laura, before raising what should have been eyebrows at his team.
    Laura looked down and took a deep breath, not yet ready for formalities. As their footsteps receded, she glanced back. One of Carson's men looked back towards her at the same time. He was dressed differently to the rest, in a dark polo shirt and casual trousers, bulky pockets on his thighs. As Laura looked, he smiled and nodded.
    ‘If ever you need a reason not to get promoted, there's a few to choose from there,’ said Pete.
    Laura didn't respond at first. Instead, she walked on ahead, stopping only when she was back at her desk, holding another handover package.
    ‘C'mon,’ she said quietly. ‘There's another cell to empty.’

Chapter Fifteen
    It was cold, and getting colder. Sarah Goode walked quickly around the room, her arms wrapped around her chest as she tried to keep warm,