Free Beyond Evidence by Emma L Clapperton

Preston confirmed Lang's expectation.

Eleven
    Mark
     
    The Blue Bar was absolutely heaving on Friday evening, people were ordering food and cocktails and you could hear a thousand conversations going on around all the tables and bar sides. The bar itself was in the middle of the room with five staff working behind it. Its decor was very classy, with a spiral staircase at the back leading to a seated area where black leather couches and seats darted around the place. Around the top of the bar were lots of blue LED lights which highlighted all of the bottles of spirits and glasses. Staff stood behind the bar making cocktails. The sound of alcohol being shaken in with the ice and the smell of fancy foods being cooked from scratch by the wonderfully talented chefs was relaxing to the customers and the norm to staff.
    The Blue Bar had a reputation of class, sophistication and never a dull night was to be had. That's why Patrick loved working there so much. He had worked in the bar for two years and it got better each night he was there. For some reason though, tonight was stressful. A member of bar staff recently left and hadn't been replaced so everything was a big rush.
    As Patrick took a fifteen minute break, he decided to go out to the back for a cigarette. He walked down the stairs to go out to the back door when the manager's office door opened.
    "Ah Patr ick, just who I was looking for," said William, the manager of The Blue Bar.
    "Oh? What I have I done now?" Patrick laughed taking out his cigarettes.
    "Nothing at all, can I borrow you for one moment though?" William asked sounding excited. William was an over excited, enthusiastic about everything type of man. Patrick liked this about him. It helped keep him upbeat about things too, especially on nights like tonight when service was rushed.
    "Sure can, but I only have fifteen so make it quick Willie."
    Patrick had become very friendly with William over the last two years whilst working in the bar. Patrick wasn't the assistant to William, but if ever there were a problem within work, William would always call on him.
    Patrick went inside the office and he noticed that William had a visitor with him.
    "Hi, " said the third man whom Patrick did not recognise.
    "Patrick this is Mark, Mark - Patrick!" William said introducing them.
    Mark was tall, with dark hair gelled back from his face. His skin was quite tanned and he was smartly dressed in a white shirt, black trousers and a black tie.
    "Mark is our new member of the bar staff. He will be starting his shifts tonight and I really wanted you to be the one to show him the ropes?" William suggested to Patrick.
    "No bother at all. So have you worked in bars before Mark?" Patrick shook his hand.
    "Here and there when I was at University, you been here long?"
    "Two years, so I'll be able to show you everything there is to know about the bar upstairs. But before I do I really need this smoke. Do you fancy one before we start the night?" Patrick held the pack out to Mark.
    "Yeah that would be good, but I have my own thanks!" Mark took a pack out of his back pocket and both men proceeded to move towards the office door.
    Even though it was the summer time, there was a slight chill in the air when the breeze caught their skin.
    "So what's your story? Have you always lived in Glasgow?" Patrick asked as he lit his cigarette.
    "I've lived all over really. Lived down in Bristol for a while when I was a Uni, then I moved back up here around two years ago when I finished studying," Mark replied, dragging on his cigarette in between his words, "what about you?"
    "Yep, always been a Glasgow man, wouldn't leave this place even if I wanted to. I live with my fiancée down at Glasgow harbour."
    "Nice. Bet they're expensive to rent?" Mark dropped the cigarette on the ground and crushed it with his shoe and continued, "Sorry that sounded really nosy!"
    "A lot of people say that to me when I tell them where I live. To be honest they are really