Free Bad Moon Rising (#1 - D.I. Paolo Storey Crime Series) by Frances di Plino

it, a nice, friendly chat without one. Now that we’ve got that over and done with, how’s Katy doing? I hear she’s causing a few raised eyebrows at school.”
    “How do you know about that? Don’t tell me it’s got as far as the school board?”
    “No, it hasn’t, not yet at any rate, but Father Gregory mentioned her behaviour to me privately. He seems to think it might become a school board matter and, as chairman, I would have a strong voice in any decision that was made.”
    “Are you threatening me through my family?”
    “Don’t be ridiculous, Paolo. It was a genuine desire on my part to let you know that Katy’s place at the school is in danger unless she changes her attitude. You need to talk to her. Don’t let your approach to God cause Katy to lose her way. That’s meant as a friendly warning. Telling you to stay away from my client is a non-friendly warning.”
    Matthew smiled and walked to the open door just as Dave arrived. Matthew stood to one side to let the other man pass into Paolo’s office, then he turned back.
    “See you at the next fund raiser,” he said, smiling in a way that made Paolo’s hands itch to punch him right between the eyes.
    “I didn’t know you two were on social terms, sir,” Dave said as Matthew strolled away.
    “We’re not,” Paolo snapped. “He’s on the board of my daughter’s school. We bump into each other occasionally and it’s always too often for me.”
    “Apart from the fact that he represents Azzopardi, what have you got against him? He sounded friendly enough towards you.”
    “You don’t think his dealing with that piece of shit is reason enough for me to dislike him? It’s his hypocrisy that gets to me. Mr Perfect. He dresses right, says all the right things, and yet he is happy in the company of trash like Azzopardi.”
    Paolo knew he was irrational when it came to Matthew Roberts. The man was everything Paolo wasn’t – successful, in control of his life, admired. He made Paolo feel like a complete failure by comparison – and, if he was honest with himself, always had done.
    Dave shifted across from the doorway and sat down. “He has a point about Azzopardi, though, sir. That prostitute you spoke to said Lisa Boxer might have been lying about who attacked her.”
    “She might have been lying and so might that prostitute who was ready to say anything to get her next fix. One way to find out is to lean on Lisa’s pimp. We didn’t need to look for him while Lisa was alive, but if she was put up to making a false claim, and I’m not convinced yet that she was, then finding her pimp is a priority now. Get on to it, Dave. When you find him, invite him down here to chat.”
    Dave nodded, but didn’t move. He opened his mouth as if he had something to say, then closed it again. Paolo waited.
    “Sir, I, er, do you mind if I have a word?”
    Paolo nodded. Now what?
    “Look, I know we didn’t get off on quite the right foot. You think I’m being looked after by my uncle, but I’m not. I’m here on merit, sir.”
    For the first time that morning Paolo felt like smiling. At last, a breakthrough. “I’ve never doubted that, Dave. If I’d thought otherwise, I wouldn’t have taken you on my team.”
    “But you don’t like me.”
    “I don’t need to like you. I need to be able to trust you to do your job. I don’t like your attitude at times, or the way you treat women, and I don’t like the way you use crime scenes to find new conquests. Other than that, you’re a good copper. So, if you keep your personal life out of the job, we’ll get on better. Okay?”
    Dave looked relieved. “Okay, sir,” he said, standing up. “I’ll go and find the pimp. I don’t suppose anyone is up and about yet over in that part of town, but I can hammer on a few doors.”
    “You can swap places with me if you don’t want that job. I’m off to the autopsy of our fragrant corpse.” Paolo laughed at the expression of horror on Dave’s face.