Hushabye (21 page)

Kate laughed. “You’re telling me police officers aren’t normal people?”

Jay gave her a wry look and reached for the last of the champagne.

“No, sis, they are not. They are definitely not.”

Kate twiddled her mug around in her hands. She’d planned a nice dinner for Jay’s first visit to her new house, and then she’d assumed they’d sit in front of the fire and chat. That was what she felt like doing.

But his remark about her needing to know plans weeks in advance had stung a little. Was she really that inflexible? And when was the last time she’d actually
been
out, anyway? Somewhere that wasn’t with her friend, and fellow officer, Mark Olbeck? She groped for a memory and realised that it must have been sometime in the summer: her friend Hannah’s party. And now it was November.
All right, so I’ve had to organise a move in the meantime but honestly, I’m twenty eight, not eighty eight
...

She put the mug down and made up her mind.

“Sure, let’s go. It’ll be fun.”

“Oh, cool, sis. You’ll enjoy it. Elodie’s great. You’ll like her.”

The faraway look in his eyes as he mentioned his friend’s name troubled Kate a little. She wondered whether Elodie knew how Jay felt about her. Well, she’d be able to see for herself later.

“Where’s this gig?”

Jay tapped his phone’s screen and began to scroll through his text messages.

“Arbuthon Green,” he announced a moment later. “There’s a pub there, the—”

“Black Horse,” said Kate, sighing.

“You know it?”

“Yes.” There had been several arrests there recently for drug dealing, but she wasn’t going to mention that to Jay. So a night out at a dodgy pub listening to a student band? She was glad she hadn’t drunk more than a mouthful of champagne; she’d be able to drive now and make a quick getaway if necessary.

“What about dinner?” she asked.

“Plenty of time for that later,” said Jay. “I’ll shout you some chips if you like.”

“Perfect,” said Kate ironically, standing up. “Come on.” She nearly added ‘let’s get it over with,’ but she didn’t want to dampen Jay’s obvious excitement. It would be nice to spend some time with her brother, anyway. She hadn’t seen him for several months, after all.

“How’s Mum?” she asked, once they were in the car and making their way to Arbuthon Green.

Jay looked at her in surprise.

“She’s fine. Why? Haven’t you seen her lately?”

Kate lifted one shoulder in a non-committal shrug.

“Not very lately. I’ve been so busy. With the move and everything.”

Jay had his knees resting on the dashboard, and he was tapping them with his hands in response to some inner music.

“Mum’s all right. She’s got some new bloke on the go.”

Oh God
. Kate recalled some of the other ‘blokes.’ The fellow alcoholic, the married man, the other married man, the petty thief. She suppressed a sigh.

“What’s he like?” she asked as they pulled into the car park of the Black Horse.

“All right, actually,” said Jay, sounding surprised. “Seems fairly normal. Not like the others.”

“Well, that’s odd in itself,” muttered Kate, almost under her breath. Then she dismissed her mother from her mind and concentrated on finding a parking space in the busy car park.

The pub was packed, standing room only. Jay and Kate battled their way through to the bar. Kate was already regretting her decision to come. She didn’t want to stand up for two hours, shifting her weight from foot to aching foot, drinking warm orange juice and listening to some crappy amateur band. She felt a bit cross with Jay. Months since she’d seen him and now they weren’t really going to have a chance to catch up at all…

She bought them both a drink after a long and frustrating wait at the bar. They battled back through the crowds to a spare square foot of space over by the back wall that was rather too near the toilets for Kate’s liking.

The noise in the pub made it difficult to talk. There was a moment of silence between brother and sister as they sipped their drinks. Kate looked out at the heaving crowd. Lots of students, couples, noisy groups of young people. Denim, leather, piercings, spiky heels, band T-shirts. She looked down at her neat blue jeans and cashmere jumper in a tasteful shade of beige. Suddenly, she felt acutely out of place. Hot on the heels of that feeling, a much sharper surge of loneliness peaked. She felt totally apart from this raucous, happy crowd; it was as if she were observing them from afar, always on the outside looking in.

That’s what being a police officer does for you
, she thought, but she knew it wasn’t just that.

She caught the eye of a man in the crowd who’d turned to look her way, as if attuned to her sudden emotional state. He looked familiar. She opened her mouth to greet him, looked closer, and shut it again. She didn’t know him. Kate sipped her drink, cautiously looking back at the man, who’d turned to face the stage again. He still looked familiar. Kate mentally shrugged. She’d had this feeling before, and it usually meant she’d recognised someone she’d met in the course of her duties. Well, that was one way of putting it. Quite embarrassing, actually, running into someone you’d arrested.

She looked again at the man. He did actually have the faintly disreputable look of someone who might have rubbed up against the police at some point. His bone structure was good, you could even say he was raggedly handsome, but the overall impression was of good looks subjected to the major stressors of time, worry and hard living. He was staring at the stage, sipping a pint. Alone, like her.

No, not like her. She had Jay beside her, after all. She was aware that her brother had suddenly straightened up, quivering a little like a hunting dog spotting its quarry. There was an outbreak of noise from the expectant crowd: shouts, cheers, catcalls. Kate realised the band had made its entrance.

She spotted Elodie at once: blonde hair in an elfin crop which framed her fine-boned face. The girl had a violin in one hand, held casually but expertly against her hip, a bit like an experienced mother holds a baby. There was a male singer, hair a mass of knotty dreadlocks, nose ring glinting under the pub lights. A drummer and a guitarist, again both male, studenty, scruffy.

Elodie tucked the violin under her chin. The singer counted his band members in, and they launched straight into their first number.

Three songs later, Kate was surprised to find that she was actually enjoying herself. The band, despite their scruffy appearance, were polished performers; they were well-rehearsed and talented and still had the charming enthusiasm of an amateur group. The songs were good, alternating between rollicking, stomping pop and quieter, more melodic ballads. Elodie came into her own during the slower pieces, her nimble fingers drawing plaintive, beautiful sounds from the strings of her violin. She played with great intensity, closing her eyes, seemingly lost in her own world of music.

Kate watched her face as she played, noting the high cheekbones and the sharp angle of her jaw. A beautiful girl, and beautiful in an uncommon way. There were plenty of pretty girls in the room, but Elodie had something else, some other quality that drew the eye. No wonder Jay was smitten.

The band finished their set with a rousing, raucous little number that had the crowd cheering and clapping. Elodie flourished her bow, laughing while she took a bow, and then the musicians all left the tiny stage.

Jay turned to Kate, raising his eyebrows. “Pretty good, huh?”

“They were excellent,” agreed Kate.

“Let’s go backstage, and you can meet her.”

They battled their way through to the back of the pub. ‘Backstage’ was a bit of a misnomer—the band was crammed into a fetid little room just off the corridor, along from the toilets.

Kate was curious to see how Elodie greeted Jay. She was starting to wonder whether Jay actually knew her as well as he had implied, but she had to know him fairly well to agree to something like modelling for his painting, surely?

Her doubts were dispelled as Elodie caught sight of them. She shrieked and hurled herself at Jay, hugging him and landing a misdirected kiss on his ear.

“You came! What did you think? Were we good? Did you see me fuck up that last song? God!”

The questions came rapidly. Kate, ignored for now, could see the manic glitter in Elodie’s eyes—the dilated pupils—now that she was close to the girl. Drugs? She really hoped no one would pull anything out in front of her. She’d 
have
 to arrest them, and then Jay would never forgive her.

Jay was laughing. He turned to her and gestured.

“Sis, this is Elodie. Elodie, this is my big sister, Kate.”

“Hello,” said Kate, reaching out to shake hands.

“Hi!” said Elodie. She pulled Kate forward into a hug—Kate squeaked in surprise—and kissed her cheek. The girl’s body was thrumming with energy, her cheek warm and damp against Kate’s.

“I thought you were really good—” began Kate.

“Oh thanks, you know, first nights are always tricky. Totally nerve-wracking.”

“You haven’t played here before?”

Elodie shook her head, her eyes sparkling. Kate suddenly saw what she must have looked like as a little girl: mischievous and cherubic at the same time, with blonde curls and chubby cheeks.

“Kate’s seen the picture of you,” said Jay. “You know, 
the
 picture. She loved it.”

Elodie shrieked. “Damn you, Jay, that river bank was cold. And the 
mud
…he made me lie in the mud for 
hours
.”

Even over the hubbub of the crowded room, Kate could hear her beautiful accent, each vowel and syllable falling neatly into place. It was easy to see how Elodie was the daughter of the head of Rawlwood College. Privately educated, loved and cherished, she must have had the best of everything. A girlhood so different to Kate’s that it was difficult not to feel a surge of envy.

“So you’re Jay’s big sister?” asked Elodie. “He often talks about you.”

Kate smiled. “All good, I hope.” A clichéd response.

“What do you do?”

Kate glanced at Jay, wondering whether to come clean. Being a police officer—and a detective especially—was like being a call girl or a gynaecologist. People were fascinated, and they wanted all the gory details, but at the same time, they were always a little uneasy in your presence.

“Um—”

She could see Jay shaking his head, a minute gesture easily passed between siblings.

It didn’t matter anyway. She could see Elodie had lost interest in her answer; the girl’s gaze was drawn up and over her shoulder. Kate watched the light die in Elodie’s eyes, noticed the sudden dimming and shrinking of her personality. Elodie’s smile faded. She muttered something like ‘excuse me a minute’ and pushed past Kate and Jay.

Kate turned round. The man she’d noticed earlier was standing in the doorway to the room, and Elodie was walking up to him, talking to him in a voice too low for Kate to make out their conversation. After a moment, they left the room together.

Kate frowned. Sensitive to atmosphere, she could feel the chill settling on the room. There was a sense that the party was over, that the best of the night was gone. She was suddenly aware of how tired she was.

She turned back to Jay.

“Do you want to make a move—” she began, stopping when she saw the bleak look on his face.

“What’s wrong?”

Jay seemed to shake himself mentally.

“Nothing,” he said, after a moment. She could see him forcing a smile. “I’m alright. Want a drink?”

Kate shook her head. “I’m bushed, Jay, and I’ve got to work tomorrow. Shall we head home?”

“I’m going to stay on for a bit.”

“Really?”

Jay patted her arm. “S’alright, sis. Don’t worry about me. You go on home and get some sleep.”

“But how will you get back?”

“I’ll get a cab. Don’t worry.”

Kate hunted in her bag before realising she didn’t even have a spare key.

“I’ll lock up, but just ring me on my mobile when you get back,” she said. “I’ll keep it by my bed.”

“Yeah, cool.” From Jay’s distracted manner, she wasn’t even sure he was listening. He was still staring at the empty doorway where Elodie and her male companion had been standing. Kate wavered for a moment, conscious of a faint nagging feeling of unease. Then she told herself not to worry. Jay was an adult, after all.

“See you later, then. I’ve made the spare bed up for you.”

“Cheers, sis.”

He hugged her goodbye, but she could tell his attention was still far away.
Oh well. Bedtime, Kate.

She looked for Elodie as she walked to her car, thinking she might see her outside the pub door, smoking cigarettes with the little crowd that had gathered there. There was no sign of her. Kate stood for a moment, her hand on the handle of the car door, wondering whether to look for her, to say goodbye and thank you. Then she dismissed the thought. 

At that moment, all she wanted to do was get home and climb into her new bed.

Chapter Two

When Kate got to the office the next day, Olbeck was already there, hunched over his desk staring blearily and uncomprehendingly at the screen. He gave Kate the big, forced smile of a man pretending he didn’t have a hangover.

“Good night?” asked Kate.

“Mmmph.”

Kate said nothing, but she reached into her desk drawer and drew out a packet of paracetemol, which she threw across the desk.

“I’m 
fine
,” snapped Olbeck as the packet landed on his keyboard. “Just tired, that’s all.”

Kate said nothing. Olbeck relented.

“Sorry. Thanks.”

Kate got them both a coffee and sat down again. She looked again at the text message from Jay, who hadn’t come home last night. 
Got a bed sis, wont be hm, c u later xx.
 Sent at 4.13am.
 
Whose bed? Elodie’s or some random pick-up? Or simply a friend? She tried not to worry. 
He’s an adult
, she told herself, not for the first time.

She looked across at Olbeck, who was wincing and rubbing his temples. She wasn’t going to worry about 
him
, either. He was an adult too, although he currently wasn’t acting much like one.