Vanished Beneath: DS Lasser six (The Lasser series Book 6) (35 page)

He'd said it often enough, as a joke, though both men had known the truth behind the throwaway line.

'
Are you listening to me
?'

He suddenly realised that she'd been talking and he'd switched off, desperate to block out the inevitable pain.

When he turned his head to face her he felt like a doomed man.

'What did you say?' he mumbled on lips that felt cold with fear.

She gave him a strange quizzical look 'I said I want to go to bed?'

He blinked as if he had heard her wrong.

'
Bed
?'

She stood up and held out her hand. 'Are you coming?'

She led him up the stairs like a bewildered child.

An hour later they lay spooned together, his arms wrapped tight around her, one hand cradling her breast, his face buried in her glorious hair.

'So how was Emma when you left the hospital?' he whispered.

Medea wriggled back slightly and Lasser stifled a groan as her body pressed tight to his.

'She seemed easier,' she said sleepily.

'Does she know about her father's condition?'

Medea snaked around until she was facing him. 'She said she wants to stay here for a few days while she gets her head sorted.'

Lasser blinked in the darkness. '
Oh right
.'

'Would you mind?' he could feel her warm sweet breath on his face.

'No of course not.'

'I think she's just confused with everything that's happened and then she finds out her father's dying and...' her voice drifted to a halt.

'I can understand that, it can't have been easy for her.'

He felt her fingertips tracing along the line of his jaw and kissed her fingers.

'Tell her she can stay as long as she likes.'

'Thanks Lasser.'

‘Hey it's no...'

She suddenly rolled over on top of him, her lips finding his in the darkness everything was swept away on a wave of want.

90

'Did you see them; I mean, did you fucking see them?'
Boris stood in the portable office his face cracked with rage.

'Calm down Boz,' Norvil said as he lounged in the mustard coloured swivel chair.

Boris jabbed a finger at the grimy window.
'Parked outside the fucking gates as bold as brass.'

'Forget em.'

'But what about finding the gear, I mean, we can't go looking for it now, not with the vultures hanging around?'

Norvil sparked up a cigarette. 'I've just been on the phone to Dave Pitt, he's going to go and knock on a few doors and report back to us.'

Boris nodded slowly, 'Yeah, yeah good idea Norv.'

'I've told him to get his skates on so let's see what he comes up with.'

Boris smiled. 'Yeah besides, that lot can't stay out there forever.'

'I'll get in touch with our friend on the force, find out more about this Bannister see if he's full of piss and wind.'

'They're all full of piss and wind Norv,' Boris quipped.

Norv jabbed out a finger. 'There you go again Boz this is serious not some fucking joke.'

Boris looked crestfallen. 'But I was only saying...'

'Yeah, well don't. I mean, eventually the lads from Liverpool will want their payment. Now we can probably bullshit them for a couple of weeks, but if we don't find that gear then we'll be the ones floating at the bottom of the canal and I don't know about you but I prefer to keep my feet on terra firma.'

'
Terra what
?'

Norvil sighed. 'Why don't you shut your mouth and put the kettle on.'

Boris stomped his way across the floor and slammed the door on his way out.

'
Idiot
,' Norv mumbled before reaching for the phone.

91

At the door, Lasser kissed Medea on the lips. 'I'll catch up with you later.'

She prodded a finger at his chest. 'Remember what I said, no more
heroics.'

'I promise and tell Emma I hope she's feeling easier.'

Medea bleeped her car open and climbed inside. 'Don't worry I will and hopefully they'll let her out today so we should be back home in a couple of hours.'

Lasser smiled in at her through the side window. 'Do you want me to grab a take away on the way home?'

'That would be nice; I don't really feel up to shaking the pots and pans.'

'You concentrate on Emma, leave the food to me.'

She blew him a kiss as she reversed down the drive, by the time he'd climbed into the car Medea had disappeared around the corner.

Clicking on the seatbelt, Lasser started the car and headed to the station.

Twenty minutes later after battling through the early morning traffic Lasser pushed his way through the station doors. When he saw Spenner sitting behind the front desk he stopped in surprise.

'What are
you
doing here?' he asked as he walked across the room.

Spenner grinned up at him, 'Morning sir.'

'I thought you were taking a few days off?'

'Well that was the idea, but DCI Bannister rang me last night, apparently Sergeant Meadows has gone off sick with the flu and the boss wanted to know if I'd cover for him.'

'And you're OK with that?'

Spenner lifted a mug of tea and took a sip. 'I tell you this is a cushy job, I've been here since six and all I've done is answer two phone calls and made a brew.'

'You're sorted then?'

'
Too right
.'

'Is Bannister in yet?'

'He arrived ten minutes ago, but he didn't look happy.'

'Nothing new there then,' Lasser said as he turned on his heels.

'He's in with the Super now.'

Lasser turned and frowned. 'Any idea what Mills wants him for?'

'Not a clue sir, but a woman arrived at the same time and they went into the Super's office together.'

'Any idea who she is?'

Spenner took a sip from the steaming mug. 'Not a clue but she seemed very sharp.'

Lasser fiddled with the cigarettes in his pocket. '
Sharp
?'

Spenner folded his arms, the end of his nose was peeling and still glowing red but his eyes seemed brighter as if he was over the worst of the cold. 'Dressed sharp, I mean, you know power dressed.'

'Like a solicitor?'

'Or a high class
hooker,
' Spenner whispered.

With a shake of the head, Lasser slid his card through the slot on the wall and made his way into the station proper before heading to the canteen.

Considering it was only eight-thirty the room was half full with officers, some sitting at the tables drinking coffee, one or two were tucking into a shrink wrapped breakfast from the vending machine.

When he spotted Susan Coyle, he wandered over and pulled out a chair.

She looked up and smiled as she nibbled at a fruit scone, 'Morning sir.'

Lasser plonked himself down opposite. 'Listen Susan I want to thank you.'

She looked at him blankly, '
For what
?'

'The work you did on tracking down Emma Drake.'

He watched as a flush of colour rose in her cheeks. 'Well I hear it was you that saved the day, not me.'

Lasser crossed his arms. 'OK what are they saying?'

'Only that you leapt into the water to save the woman's life, and that you could have died in the process,' she replied before brushing the crumbs from her fingertips.

'
Rubbish
.'

Susan smiled. 'That's what they're saying.'

'Yeah well, you don't want to listen to idle gossip and like I said the job you did was above and beyond,' he leaned forward and whispered. 'And I want you to know that it hasn't gone unnoticed by certain people.'

Her eyes grew wide in surprise.

Lasser winked and tapped the side of his nose.

'
Lasser
!'

At the sound of Bannister balling his name, the room suddenly grew quiet, broken only by the sound of a spoon clattering into an empty dish.

Lasser turned to find the DCI standing in the doorway his face rigid with pent up anger.

'Do you want
me
sir?'

Bannister seemed to rise onto his tip toes. 'No, I shouted your name across a crowded room just for the fun of it!'

It was like being in a classroom full of children; mouths fell open in shock, one or two hid smiles behind raised hands.

Lasser sighed as he clambered to his feet, by the time he had covered half the room Bannister had vanished.
As he reached the door, he could hear conversations start up again, all eyes following him as he left the room.

Bannister was standing in the corridor, his hands thrust into his pockets.

'
What's up
?' Lasser asked cautiously.

'Follow me,' Bannister snapped before barrelling his way along the corridor with Lasser hurrying to keep up. Slamming through the door to reception, Bannister ignored Spenner who smiled and raised a hand. Lasser caught the door and then they were outside, Bannister steaming towards his car, coat tails flapping behind in agitation.

Bannister beeped the car open and clambered behind the wheel, as Lasser slid into the passenger seat the DCI started to slam his hands on the wheel.

'Sanctimonious twat!'
he bellowed.

'Mills?'

'Of course Mills who else would it be?'

Lasser knew from experience that the best course of action was to keep his mouth closed while Bannister ranted.

'Calling my judgement into question. My fucking judgment, while he sits behind that desk a bent bastard with the mind of a flea!'

'So what's he said?'

'He wants to know why we haven't caught anyone yet, he wants to know why Colly fucking Roberts took a dive and we didn't stop it from happening.'

'Right,' Lasser mumbled.

'He also wants to know why we had only one man watching Donny Elliot.'

'But didn't you tell him we didn't have the manpower?'

When Bannister turned, Lasser could see the fury in his eyes.

'When will you learn Sergeant, they don't give a
toss
about
manpower
, all they care about are
statistics!'

'But you can't pluck officers out of thin air.'

'You don't get it do you, I tried telling him that and then he wanted to know why we had two men watching the Mellor brothers. When according to him, they're legitimate hard working tax payers.'

'Yeah well, that's a load of shit...'

'I know that and you know that, but all Mills sees is time wasted, resources not being used as they should. He says the two who were watching the Mellor’s would have been better served by standing guard over Elliot. They have a fucking answer for everything, the bastards!'

Lasser pulled out his cigarette's lit two before handing one over, Bannister took it with a shaking hand.

'Who was the woman?' Lasser asked.

Bannister turned towards him, smoke trailing from his nostrils. 'My God, new travels fast around here.'

'Spenner mentioned it but he said he hadn't seen her before.'

'Yeah well he wouldn't have.'

'So is she some kind of dodgy lawyer?'

Bannister snorted a vicious laugh and then he seemed to slump down in the seat as if all the adrenalin had suddenly left his system. 'No Lasser, she isn't a lawyer, her name is Odette Noble she's a DI from Manchester.'

Lasser looked at his boss in surprise. 'So what's she doing here?'

'According to Mills I asked for more man power and he provided it.'

Lasser's look of surprise turned into one of disbelief. 'You're joking right?'

Bannister's eyes bulged.
'Do I look like a fucking comedian?'

'But how can she help, I mean, she doesn't know the area or the people involved...'

'Believe me Lasser it won't take Odette long to get up to speed.'

Lasser flicked ash through the open window. 'So what's she like?'

'If I told you she was a female version of me what would you say?'

Lasser thought for a second before replying. '
I'd say fuck me
!'

Bannister grinned. 'Well there you are then, two for the price of one.'

'But...'

Bannister held up a hand. 'Let's cut the crap, she's good, very thorough, and switched on to boot.'