Cowboys and Indians (40 page)
Read Cowboys and Indians Online
Authors: Ed James
‘There’s no conviction.’ Methven thrust his hands into his pockets. ‘Let me be clear on this — you’ve got away with a lot in the past. It stops now, okay?’
‘It stopped a long time ago.’
‘Am I making myself clear?’
Cullen stared at his feet. ‘You are.’
‘Once we get the paperwork for this arranged, you’re reporting to DI Wilkinson on Monday.’
‘Christ.’
‘DCS Soutar’s reallocated DS Bain to my team to cover. I suspect she wants one of her people on the inside.’
‘You’re kidding—’
‘Scott?’ Sharon pushed past Methven. ‘Are you okay?’
‘I’ll live.’ Cullen leaned against the wall, arms folded. ‘She slipped out of my grasp.’
‘Turns out your profile wasn’t worth the paper it was written on.’ Methven smoothed down his eyebrows. ‘It said she would never confess.’
Sharon frowned at Cullen. ‘Did she?’
‘Got it on BWV. Not sure how much of it’ll be admissible…’
‘We should have—’
‘Colin.’ Sharon raised a hand to Methven. ‘Back off. Now.’
Methven nodded at Cullen. ‘Report to DI Wilkinson on Monday, okay?’
‘Will do, sir.’ Cullen watched him storm off across the bridge. ‘What an arsehole.’
‘What does he mean about Wilkinson?’
‘He’s seconded me. Punishment for all the shite I’ve been pulling, I suppose.’
‘Because you hit Bain?’
‘I didn’t.’
‘He seems to think so.’
‘I wish I’d battered the fuck out of him. He’s been asking for it for years.’
‘You can’t just punch him, though.’
‘I didn’t. He was threatening me.’
‘How badly?’
‘Just the usual shite with him. He thought I’d been shagging Lorna. You know what he’s like. He gets in there and fucks with you. I’ve had enough. Can’t believe Methven brought him back. I’m the one who’s had to deal with him. Chipping away at me all the time.’
She put her hand on his arm. ‘Scott, are you okay?’
‘I don’t know.’
‘What happened?’
‘I fucked up. Tried to grab her, but she just… She slipped through my grasp.’
‘Scott, it’s—’
He locked his eyes on hers. ‘If I hadn’t let her go. If—’
‘Scott, it’s okay.’ She put an arm round him and hugged him close. ‘It’s not your fault. She’ll still pay for what she’s done.’
*
*
*
Cullen stopped outside the operating theatre.
Doctors in scrubs marched around, looking purposeful.
A uniform perched on a chair, nose stuck in a Stuart MacBride novel. “Broken Skin”. Gave Cullen a nod and raised the book.
Cullen took a step away from him.
‘There you are.’
‘Chantal.’
Jain handed him a coffee. ‘Got this for Shaz, but she didn’t show up.’
‘She’s outside, briefing your DCI.’ Cullen tore off the lid. ‘Thanks for this. Assuming you’ve not put Rohypnol in.’
‘Don’t even joke.’
Cullen took a burning sip. ‘What’s the latest on Lorna?’
‘She’s just going into surgery.’ Jain gulped at the foam. ‘The doctor gave me two minutes with her.’
‘Any use?’
‘Completely out of it. Sorry.’
‘We’ve got BWV evidence against her.’
‘That’s a relief.’
‘She’ll face two cases. She’s going away for a long time.’
Jain patted his arm. ‘You okay, Scott?’
‘I’m not bad. Need to have a chat with you about your future when this is all over.’
‘Sounds ominous.’
‘I mean it in a good way.’
*
*
*
The doctor opened the door and waved her hand at Rich. ‘We’ve had to administer a severe painkiller.’
Cullen couldn’t keep his focus on the bony figure in the bed, facing away from them, his arms out in front of him. ‘Take it that means he’s been badly injured?’
‘Suffered a torn rectum and a perforated colon.’ The doctor shut her eyes and flared her nostrils. ‘This is the worst of the cases your partner’s been investigating.’
‘Can I get a minute with him?’
‘Just don’t get him excited, okay?’
Cullen stepped across the room and sat next to the bed. ‘You okay, mate?’
Rich just stared at him.
‘I’m really sorry. I didn’t catch her in time.’
Rich rolled over, his blotchy eyes glaring at Cullen.
‘If she hadn’t overheard our argument in the club—’
‘Skinky, I thought I was in control of it. She was just playing me. Feeding me stories.’
‘You got caught up in it.’
‘It’s my arrogance that’s got me here. If I hadn’t chased the story, I’d not be here.’ Rich shook his head, wiping the back of his hand across his eyes. He sat and picked up a cup from the stand. He swallowed down water, slivers running down his cheeks, soaking his gown and the bed. ‘Can’t believe it. I’m
broken
. She spiked my drink, took me to that house and fucking raped me. What sort of person does that?’
‘She jumped off Dean Bridge.’
‘She’s dead?’
‘In surgery. Chantal reckons she’ll survive.’
Rich stared up at the ceiling. ‘I don’t know if that’s good news or bad.’
‘Me neither.’
‘I’d like ten minutes in a room with her.’ Rich scrunched up the bed sheet. ‘I shouldn’t have lied to you.’
‘You shouldn’t.’ Cullen smiled. ‘But then I’m never the most honest.’
‘No, you’re a lying bastard.’ Rich rubbed his face and winced. ‘Look, I’m sorry about the book.’
‘It’s okay, mate. Really. Just stop writing it.’
Rich laughed. ‘You’re such a fucker, Skinky.’
‘You need anything?’
‘A new arsehole.’
*
*
*
Cullen opened the door of Sharon’s car and got in the passenger seat. He yanked down his seatbelt. It caught halfway. He tugged it again. Nothing. ‘Jesus Christ.’
Sharon leaned over and eased it down. ‘There you go.’
He let out a deep sigh. ‘Thanks.’
‘How did it go?’
‘Shite.’ He shut his eyes and ran a hand across his forehead. ‘We’re trained to deal with these things, but it’s never easy, is it?’
‘How is he?’
‘Broken. Poor guy. I can’t believe this.’
She shook her head and gripped the steering wheel tight. ‘Rich sent me a text yesterday. Said you’d been crying.’
‘Right.’
‘Was it about Becky?’
‘We were having lunch. It all just hit me.’
‘Me not being able to have kids?’
‘The stress we’ve been under. My promotion, your promotion. Bain. Methven. Everything that’s been happening.’
‘But mainly Becky?’
Cullen rubbed his damp eyes. ‘I couldn’t deal with it.’
‘You’re dealing with it, Scott. Better than most.’
‘Maybe I should go back to my counselling.’
‘Maybe.’
Cullen reached over to kiss her. ‘Look, I’m sorry.’
‘What about?’
‘I’ve been such an insensitive wanker. Treating you like the enemy. Pushing you away.’
She wiped the misted-up windscreen and started the car. ‘We just need to talk more. Deal?’
Cullen grabbed her hand and clutched it tight. ‘Deal.’
SCOTT CULLEN WILL RETURN IN
“HEROES & VILLAINS”
(Scott Cullen Book 8)
Available late 2016
Subscribe to the Ed James newsletter to keep on top of upcoming releases —
A monster. There’s no other way to put it.
Sincere thanks for buying this book, I hope the reading was as enjoyable as clicking Buy on Amazon.
Thanks this time go to Kitty for the cover, the alpha reading, the harsh criticism and the brilliant copy editing, especially as it was an emergency; to Ginty and Rhona for the incisive alpha reading; Victoria Pepe for the brutal structural and line editing; and Len Wanner for stepping in for the emergency proofing and doing such a grand job in tight timescales.
This was one of the most personal books I’ve written. IT projects, with their corruption and ineptitude, paid my bills for many years. Now it’s time to write about them. I got a lot out of my system with that. Where there’s money, there’s usually the stench of corruption and people wasting their time on politics and games instead of just doing stuff. Of course, it’s all fictional, even if based on real experiences.
Anyway, Cullen will be back late next year in HEROES & VILLAINS. It’s shaping up to be pretty interesting, in my head at least. You’ve probably noticed, but I’m slowing down production of Cullens as he’s taken up most of my time over the last eighteen months. I want to devote energies to DS Vicky Dodds and DI Simon Fenchurch, among other projects. That said, I’ve got an idea for a Sharon McNeill short novel, so we’ll see how that goes. And HEROES is already eating at my synapses.
One final note, if you could find time to leave a review where you bought this, I'd really appreciate it — reviews really help indie authors like myself.
-- Ed James
East Lothian, August 2015
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OTHER BOOKS BY ED JAMES
SCOTT CULLEN MYSTERIES SERIES
1
GHOST IN THE MACHINE
2
DEVIL IN THE DETAIL
3
FIRE IN THE BLOOD
4
DYED IN THE WOOL
5
BOTTLENECK
6
WINDCHILL
7
COWBOYS & INDIANS
8
HEROES & VILLAINS (late 2016)
DS VICKY DODDS SERIES
1
SNARED
DI SIMON FENCHURCH SERIES
1
THE HOPE THAT KILLS (early 2016)
SUPERNATURE SERIES
Writing as Edwin James
1
SHOT THROUGH THE HEART
2
JUST WALKING THE DEAD (a novella)
Meet DS Vicky Dodds in
“SNARED”
OUT NOW
Vicky Dodds—single mother, commitment-phobe, Detective Sergeant—is adding Dundee, Scotland to the Tartan Noir map.
When a dog breeder in and around Dundee disappears, DS Dodds and her team are tasked with finding out who is behind the attacks.
But as the crimes escalate, and the attacker’s message becomes clearer, Vicky begins to question where her own sympathies lie.
From the acclaimed author of the Scott Cullen series, Snared is an unyielding police procedural that fearlessly examines the uncomfortable grey areas between right and wrong, and between “us” and “them.”
About Ed James
Ed James is the author of “Snared”, starring Dundee-based Detective Vicky Dodds, and the self-published Scott Cullen series of Scottish police procedurals — the first book, “Ghost in the Machine”, has been downloaded over 400,000 times, hitting both the UK and US top fives on Amazon.
In order to write full-time, Ed gave up a lucrative career in IT project management, where he filled his weekly commute to London by writing on planes, trains, and automobiles, managing to complete three full-length novels in just seven months. He lives in East Lothian, Scotland.