Bye Bye Baby

17

I'd hardly set foot back in the station when my uncle called for me.

I walked passed Dutton's office. The door was open but it was empty. At the end of the corridor, I stopped and knocked on the door marked Detective Inspector James Fleck.

He shouted for me to come in.

I wondered if I'd find him crouched on the floor and we'd have to go through that foot-in-the-back business again. I really wasn't in the mood.

But he was sitting at his desk, looking comfortable enough.

Opposite him was DS Dutton, stroking his moustache. I caught the familiar whiff of stale smoke.

"The hell's he doing here?" I asked my uncle.

"Shut up and pay attention," he said. "I want you to behave. I want both of you fuckwits to behave. Any more crap and I'll come down on the pair of you so fucking hard, you'll be shiting your own fucking heads."

His outburst caught Dutton by surprise. Poor dolt's mouth was open, the hand that had been playing with his moustache hovering in the air like it didn't know what to do with itself.

"I didn't do anything," he said, and lowered his hand.

"And I can knit cardigans with my cock." My uncle scratched his chin. "Look, you don't like each other, that's fine. Just shake hands and get the fuck along. I don't have the time or the fucking energy to dick about any more. Okay?"

Dutton looked at me and shrugged.

I held out my hand. His palm was sweaty and cold. We shook.

"Super." My uncle clapped his hands twice. "Now get out."

I turned to go.

"Hang on, sunshine," he said. "You stay. I want an update on the loony mother."

Once Dutton had gone, I said, "What about Erica? She coming back soon?"

"I invited her to rejoin us. But she said no. She's decided to leave."