Free The Careless Word (#8 - The Craig Crime Series) by Catriona King

to be able to sit with you sometimes, to learn what you do.”
    Davy shook his head with a vehemence that surprised them all. “No. W…What I do is… is complex. I need peace and quiet.” He finished with a veiled threat. “That’s if you w…want results.”
    Craig did want results so he was on Davy’s side. “Sorry, Annette. But you, Liam and Jake, when he’s back, will have to split the load. Davy’s off limits, and before you ever think about it, so am I. It’s up to you. So, do you want Constable McGregor with all her foibles or not?”
    There was a Mexican standoff for a moment then Annette’s shoulders slumped and they had their new member of staff.
    “OK, good. Liam, call Aidan and say yes, but only from this Monday until we leave for the wedding. Now let’s get back to the case. Liam, update us on the bomb then I’ll do the hospital. Davy, it looks like you’re waiting for something to come through on your screen?”
    “Yes. Hopefully I’ll have the victims’ details s…soon. Well, the I.D.ed ones.
    “Excellent.” Craig waved Liam on to start.
    Liam spent ten minutes running through the army’s preliminary report on the explosion then he paused for breath, took a swig of cold coffee and gave Nicky a look so pathetic that Annette started to play an imaginary violin. Nicky took the hint and as they were waiting for fresh drinks Liam handed out some pages; copies of the army’s summary.
    Craig read for a moment then nodded, realising that he needed to pay a visit to the local base.
    “As you can see, boss, they’ve kept it as vague as buggery. ‘Timed device with Semtex explosive.’ No details on the bomb’s signature or hint of where it might have come from.”
    Just as a painting was signed by the artist on the canvas and a composer printed their name clearly at the top of each page, so every bomb bore a signature. Not signed with words of course, no matter how proud they were of their destructive creations few bombers were willing to lead the forces of law and order directly to their door. But each bomb was signed by its chemical composition and the structure of the device, and the military world-wide could read the signatures as clearly as a name. Craig tapped the page in front of him.
    “They haven’t said it was anonymous.”
    Liam was about to answer when Annette cut in. “They haven’t said anything, sir. Surely that means that they just don’t know?”
    Craig shook his head tiredly. “I wish it did, Annette. But their lack of elaboration speaks volumes. The army knows who exactly made this or they can find out; they just don’t want us to.”
    “Aye. That’s what I thought. I asked but they just fobbed me off. You’ll have to go and see that Major James yourself.”
    Craig nodded in resignation, knowing that he’d be stonewalled all the way. He’d try the polite approach but if Major James tried to obstruct his investigation then he’d go over his head. Just then an air-raid siren’s whine came from the direction of Davy’s desk and he raced over excitedly and started typing on some keys. Liam frowned in irritation.
    “I asked you to tone that noise down.”
    Davy ignored him and two minutes later they had new sheets in their hands and Davy started to report.
    “Right. W…We have I.D.s on three of the bomb victims. Fintan Delaney, the s…survivor, Jules Robinson, the shop owner, and a third man; Barry McGovern, a forty-two-year-old businessman who often browsed in the s…shop.”
    Craig interjected. “Leave Delaney till the end, Davy. Tell us about McGovern first.”
    Davy nodded. “OK. Barry McGovern. An accountant w…working at Roulston’s in North Street. He’s been there for ten years, before that he w…worked in London. Nothing very exciting about his life. Married, with three children aged three to thirteen.”
    Annette groaned. “Poor kids.”
    Davy nodded and continued. “Wife, Maria. S…She’s an event’s organiser for a children’s charity