a few years
on him and Archer was in far better physical shape.
He poked the stranger in the chest. 'Back off,
sunshine, and take your little friend with you. This is
none of your business.'
Delaney punched him in the face. A hard straight
punch to the bridge of his nose. So fast Archer didn't
even see it coming. He gasped out in pain and
dropped to his knees, completely taken aback.
'You've broken my fucking nose.' Blood was spilling
from his nose on to his hands.
Delaney turned back round to speak to Kate but
she was already striding towards her car, her scarf of
many colours flapping behind her long, curly hair
like a sexy Doctor Who. Roy, from the burger van,
would have approved, Delaney reckoned. He walked
up to her as Kate got in her car, slammed the door
shut and kicked over the engine.
'Kate!'
But she was gone, her wheels spinning, throwing
up gravel like tiny shrapnel as she accelerated to the
exit.
Archer was still whimpering, incredulous. 'You
broke my fucking nose.'
Delaney ignored him, 'Come on, Sally.' He walked
across the car park to their car.
DC Cartwright looked down at Archer who was
staring at the blood on his hands in shock and utter
disbelief. 'I'd get a plaster for that if I were you. They
should have one in there.'
She jerked her thumb towards the hospital
entrance and walked after Delaney.
Sally Cartwright adjusted the rear-view mirror
watching the man Delaney had decked as he
hobbled, clearly in pain, to the hospital entrance, a
bloody handkerchief held to his nose. She turned the
ignition key and looked across at Delaney, a slight
frown creasing her neatly shaped eyebrows. 'Seat
belt, sir.'
Delaney rolled his eyes and pulled his seat belt
across, snapping it into place. 'Just drive, will you,
Constable?'
'Sir.'
She slipped the clutch out and pulled the car
smoothly out of the exit; no gravel flew behind them
as she indicated left and headed towards the south
part of Hampstead Heath.
After driving in silence for a couple of minutes she
flicked a glance at her boss. 'What was all that about,
do you reckon, sir?'
'I have absolutely no idea, Sally.'
'She seemed pretty upset.'
'Yup.'
'Do you think he'll make a complaint against you?'
'He doesn't know who I am.' Delaney shrugged
and went back to staring out the window. Sally raised
an eyebrow again and concentrated on the road
ahead.
When he was sure the detective constable wasn't
looking, Delaney rubbed his left hand over his right
knuckles and winced. He had no idea what was going
on with the man he had punched, or what he had to
do with Kate. He had probably broken the man's
nose who, after all, was right, it had been none of his
business. It had felt good though, for all the wrong
reasons. It had been a morning of frustrations,
getting so close to discovering the identity of his
wife's killers, only to be thwarted at the final hurdle.
And he wasn't so unaware as to not realise he still
had issues with Kate Walker. He had punched the
man half out of anger, half out of a desire to impress
her. He had told Kate that he didn't have room in his
life for her, and it was true. He had too many
unresolved matters to set straight. But if he had no
room in his life for her, then why was there such a
great hole in it?
Kate Walker's hands were still shaking as she slipped
the gear into fourth and stepped on the accelerator
pedal. Shaking, she realised, with shock and anger.
Of all the people in the world she didn't want
knowing about last night and what had happened to
her, it was Jack Delaney. What on earth was the man
doing there, for God's sake? It was bad enough that
he had humiliated her yesterday, broke her heart and
made her so depressed that she went to chase her
blues away with vodka. If it hadn't been for him she
would never have gone to the Holly Bush, would
never have let a complete stranger chat her up at the
bar. She wasn't a student, she wasn't a silly young
girl
on him and Archer was in far better physical shape.
He poked the stranger in the chest. 'Back off,
sunshine, and take your little friend with you. This is
none of your business.'
Delaney punched him in the face. A hard straight
punch to the bridge of his nose. So fast Archer didn't
even see it coming. He gasped out in pain and
dropped to his knees, completely taken aback.
'You've broken my fucking nose.' Blood was spilling
from his nose on to his hands.
Delaney turned back round to speak to Kate but
she was already striding towards her car, her scarf of
many colours flapping behind her long, curly hair
like a sexy Doctor Who. Roy, from the burger van,
would have approved, Delaney reckoned. He walked
up to her as Kate got in her car, slammed the door
shut and kicked over the engine.
'Kate!'
But she was gone, her wheels spinning, throwing
up gravel like tiny shrapnel as she accelerated to the
exit.
Archer was still whimpering, incredulous. 'You
broke my fucking nose.'
Delaney ignored him, 'Come on, Sally.' He walked
across the car park to their car.
DC Cartwright looked down at Archer who was
staring at the blood on his hands in shock and utter
disbelief. 'I'd get a plaster for that if I were you. They
should have one in there.'
She jerked her thumb towards the hospital
entrance and walked after Delaney.
Sally Cartwright adjusted the rear-view mirror
watching the man Delaney had decked as he
hobbled, clearly in pain, to the hospital entrance, a
bloody handkerchief held to his nose. She turned the
ignition key and looked across at Delaney, a slight
frown creasing her neatly shaped eyebrows. 'Seat
belt, sir.'
Delaney rolled his eyes and pulled his seat belt
across, snapping it into place. 'Just drive, will you,
Constable?'
'Sir.'
She slipped the clutch out and pulled the car
smoothly out of the exit; no gravel flew behind them
as she indicated left and headed towards the south
part of Hampstead Heath.
After driving in silence for a couple of minutes she
flicked a glance at her boss. 'What was all that about,
do you reckon, sir?'
'I have absolutely no idea, Sally.'
'She seemed pretty upset.'
'Yup.'
'Do you think he'll make a complaint against you?'
'He doesn't know who I am.' Delaney shrugged
and went back to staring out the window. Sally raised
an eyebrow again and concentrated on the road
ahead.
When he was sure the detective constable wasn't
looking, Delaney rubbed his left hand over his right
knuckles and winced. He had no idea what was going
on with the man he had punched, or what he had to
do with Kate. He had probably broken the man's
nose who, after all, was right, it had been none of his
business. It had felt good though, for all the wrong
reasons. It had been a morning of frustrations,
getting so close to discovering the identity of his
wife's killers, only to be thwarted at the final hurdle.
And he wasn't so unaware as to not realise he still
had issues with Kate Walker. He had punched the
man half out of anger, half out of a desire to impress
her. He had told Kate that he didn't have room in his
life for her, and it was true. He had too many
unresolved matters to set straight. But if he had no
room in his life for her, then why was there such a
great hole in it?
Kate Walker's hands were still shaking as she slipped
the gear into fourth and stepped on the accelerator
pedal. Shaking, she realised, with shock and anger.
Of all the people in the world she didn't want
knowing about last night and what had happened to
her, it was Jack Delaney. What on earth was the man
doing there, for God's sake? It was bad enough that
he had humiliated her yesterday, broke her heart and
made her so depressed that she went to chase her
blues away with vodka. If it hadn't been for him she
would never have gone to the Holly Bush, would
never have let a complete stranger chat her up at the
bar. She wasn't a student, she wasn't a silly young
girl
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