• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

By Root 722 0

across Bartok's field of vision, momentarily distorting everything. 'Ugh, giddy,' he muttered and drove the car into the space, straightening up as he went. There was room to spare suddenly.

Simpson stopped rubbing his eyes. 'That was a piece of piss,' he said.

'How come it took you so long?'

Bartok shrugged and frowned. I could ve sworn the gap just got bigger,' he said.

Simpson opened his door and it hit the car next to them. Not on my side it didn't,' he said.

Bartok opened the door on the driver's side and found himself equally cramped for room. 'That was pretty cool driving,' he said. 'What do you reckon, Sarge?'

I reckon I can get you transferred to traffic,' Simpson grunted, clambering through the narrow space left by his partially open door, 'if that's your fancy.' . As they walked towards the campus Bartok pointed across the parkland to the fields and the woodland beyond. "That's Norswood isn't it?'

he asked.

Simpson nodded. 'It's genuinely ancient apparently. You know why it's called Norswood?'

Because that's its name?' Bartok suggested.

'Traffic beckons, Constable,' Simpson said. He stopped and stared intently towards the distant wood.

Why is it called Norswood, Sarge?'

'After Nor the giant.'

'Gnaw the giant? Sounds like one of those crap games they only sell at Christmas. Munch the Monster.'

'Nor, N-O-R. Nor was the father of the night according to Scandinavian mythology'

'Is that right? So some Viking marauder thought it was a bit dark in there.'

'Local historian told me that,' Simpson said, starting to walk again. 'When we were investigating the Amanda Joslin business.'

'That case got to you a bit didn't it, Sarge?' Bartok said.'Was it grim or something?'

'Not especially. When they're beaten to death you don't expect it to be pretty but not especially'

'But it did get to you,' Bartok pressed.

'She was a kid,' Simpson said. 'Kids shouldn't die. It's not the way things are supposed to be.'

Bartok's plump face took on a sympathetic look of thoughtful understanding. That's why we're not letting this one go, right Sarge?' he said. 'Because it's another kid.'

'Joan Cox was at least six years older and a suicide,' Simpson said mildly.

'There's no connection, Constable.' He smiled his cadaverous smile. 'You really should have finished that OU psychology course.'

Well, if there's no connection then why are we back here,' Bartok sulked.

"There's nothing much more we can do is there? Not here.'

'We're just crossing the i's and dotting the 't's.'

'I thought you'd already done that.'

'And while we're here I want you to chat up those student friends of yours and find out how they knew about Amanda Joslin.'

Bartok cheered up. 'Oh well, as long as you're sure there's no connection,'

he said smugly.

'Do you like coincidences?' Simpson asked.

'I can take them or leave them, Sarge.'

'Tomorrow is the sixth anniversary of Amanda Joslin's death.'

'Why is that a coincidence?'

'I don't know.' Simpson shrugged and shook his head. 'It probably isn't,' he said.

'Tell you what,' Bartok said, looking out across the parkland again.

'Norswood does look sort of black doesn't it. It is darker than anywhere else isn't it?'

'Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't. Must be the angle of the dangle.

Something to do with the shape of the ground.'

Another distortion rolled through both men's fields of vision. It was large enough for them to notice, but too small for either of them to mention. Both assumed it was a personal aberration. At the same time the momentary darkening in the already dark Norswood looked like a distant cloud effect.

Bartok said, 'I looked up the file on Amanda Joslin, Sarge.' His tone made it sound like a confession.

'I thought you might,' Simpson said. 'I was wondering how long it would take you to mentionit.'

'We're not here so you can talk to her father are we? You're not using the anniversary and this suicide thing as an excuse are you?'

'That would be harassment, Martin. I was warned about that five years