Free The Third Sin by Aline Templeton Page B

prove to be the distraction Fleming obviously thought it was. He had almost reached the CID room when desperation produced the inspiration he needed.
    If she wasn’t able to crack it either, they would blame her not him, and it was still in his power to spike her guns at the operational level. It would be pure joy to watch her fail.
    An expectant silence fell as he came into the room. He knew there were mutterings within the CID already about the way things were going and while he had his own men, the men he could count on to back him, there were others – the two female detectives, for instance – who would go over to the enemy given half a chance. He even saw one roll her eyes to the other as he came in; he’d make them pay for that later.
    ‘Right, lads,’ he said. ‘We’ve been shafted. Apparently we’re not good enough to investigate our own cases without Galloway coming in to tell us what to do. Of course we’re humbly grateful. Forelocks will be tugged whenever she appears.’
    One of the female detectives sat up sharply. ‘She? Is it DI Fleming?’
    Harris glared at her. ‘Yes, it is, as it happens, Weston. Friend of yours?’
    DC Lizzie Weston met his gaze without flinching. ‘No, but she’s got a pretty good reputation.’
    ‘Then of course we must be very grateful to her for condescending to come, mustn’t we, lads? Grateful and very, very humble.’
    That got a sycophantic titter and Harris went on. ‘Our firstinstruction is that we’re to comb the banks of the Solway. Sounded to me like work for the uniforms but she’s decided we’re to do that while she applies her elevated mind to doing the thinking for us.’ He was pleased to hear a little murmur of resentment.
    ‘She’s got a theory the car went into the water somewhere else, miles away and travelled on the tide like a surfer. As if, but she’s the big boss now.
    ‘So I’m detailing you, Weston, and your little friend Jamieson to work your way down the banks of the Solway, checking it out. She’d probably like you to make it a fingertip search, to make sure you don’t miss anything.’
    He waited for a laugh that didn’t come then went on, a little tetchily, ‘Well, apart from that we’ll carry on with enquiries as we’ve planned. We haven’t traced the grey car yet and we need to pull out all the stops to find where the man came from. I’ll be circulating his mugshot and you’ll be briefed tomorrow on your allocations. Any questions?’
    DC Weston put up a hand. ‘The banks of the Solway – does she want us to go on down into Galloway?’
    Harris knew the answer to that one – yes. ‘No,’ he said. ‘There’s plenty of detectives in Galloway suited to doing the brain-dead stuff. Lucky we’ve got a couple here too, eh lads?’
    As he walked out smirking, DC Weston said crisply, ‘Prat!’ Harris heard her but chose to ignore it, filing it under ‘Insults to be avenged’.
     
    There was a warm fragrance coming from the kitchen as Jen Wilson came home late after a parents’ meeting – definitely onions, possibly tomatoes too, she thought happily.
    ‘Something smells wonderful,’ she called as she dumped her bags in the hall.
    Skye Falconer appeared from the kitchen. ‘Tuna casserole,’ shesaid. ‘It’s just from tins. If you’ve had time to shop today I’ll do something a bit more substantial for you tomorrow.’
    Jen stifled a sigh, then turned back to the bags she had put down. ‘I did a trolley dash round Spar in my lunch hour. We’d better get the milk into the fridge but then I could murder a glass of wine. I’m shattered. You wouldn’t believe the illusions some people have about their little darlings and my brain hurts from trying to find a tactful way to tell them that wee Damien isn’t dyslexic, just thick, which is hardly surprising given his genetic inheritance.’
    Skye took the bag from her. ‘Looks like putting a glass in your hand would be an act of mercy. You go and put your feet