Darkside_ A Novel - Belinda Bauer [86]
In Reynolds's opinion - which was far from humble - Marvel had made some damaging decisions in this investigation.
Prime among these was his move from the occasional pint after work to the harder liquor when he was alone. Or with Joy Springer because, in Reynolds's view, that was only being alone with somebody else in the room.
Another was his failure to use Jonas Holly.
In their business they relied on local plods like Jonas, and he and Marvel had done so in several investigations over the past year. Of course, Marvel always liked to show the locals right up front who was going to be boss. Rude, bullying, bulldozing - those were apparently Marvel's guidelines for what he sarcastically called 'First Contact', as if local beat officers were some alien race whose sole purpose was to be subdued and bent to his will.
Something must have happened off-screen, as they said in the movies. One day Marvel had been merely rude to Jonas, the next Jonas was standing on a doorstep like an oversized garden gnome. If Marvel had employed a ducking stool he could hardly have humiliated the man more effectively.
Reynolds felt Jonas's pain. Two cases back Marvel had been such a shit - and Reynolds had had to do so much damage control among the local constabulary - that his precious hair had fallen out in handfuls. Every night he had watched it swirling down the shower drain along with his self-esteem. He remembered vividly the rush of pure fury that had overtaken him as he watched it disappear. How he'd vowed to get revenge on Marvel, like some mythic hero in a Sergio Leone film.
Good old Sergio - he knew a dish served cold when he saw one.
And the dish Reynolds was preparing for Marvel was very cold indeed.
*
Jonas told Lucy about the notes. Now that he'd told Marvel he knew she'd hear about them sooner or later, and when she asked about the cut on his lip the moment he walked into the room, he couldn't think of anything fast enough to divert her from the truth of what had happened and why. The only thing he didn't say was that he had found the last note on their garden gate. He told her that one had also been under the wiper of the Land Rover. It was a small distinction, but Lucy was alone all day, and unwell; the last thing he needed was for her to feel even more nervous about the murders.
Everything he'd feared the notes might do to her, they did.
He saw the fear flash across her face, and then her concern was all for him, and Jonas watched miserably as the two emotions etched lines in her face that he'd never seen before. Jonas promised her he would be careful, promised not to take any risks - but those lines were there to stay.
Finally he told her that he'd informed Marvel - more to reassure her that he had police back-up than anything else.
'What did he say?' she demanded - at the same moment that Jonas realized he should have kept his mouth shut.
He was a lousy liar, so he told her the truth.
She was furious. He had to take the phone away from her to stop her calling 999.
'It was an assault!' she yelled.
'It was just a bit of shoving. It was a disagreement, that's all.'
Lucy shot him a fiery look that he hadn't seen for ages. It reminded him of her soccer days, and he smiled, which only made her more furious.
'It's not funny, Jonas!'
'No, it's not,' he agreed hastily. 'You're right.'
She gave him a circumspect stare that meant she knew he was placating her, but then allowed herself to feel a little placated anyway; she didn't have the strength left to keep being angry.
'I'd like to kick his arse,' she told him seriously.
'Me too,' he sighed.
They were on the couch, he with his long legs stretched out and his big feet on an old tapestry footstool that showed the wear of his father before him, Lucy facing him with her back against the padded leather arm. Now she wiggled her toes under his thigh for added warmth, and he knew he was forgiven. For a minute they watched Tom