Read Online No Good Reason by Cari Hunter - Free Book Online Page B

reservoir,” the officer said. “I’ve left it over in A3.”
    “Appreciate that. Thanks very much.”
    The keys were hot against her palm, the sun still beating down, reflecting off the four-storey building that housed the main administrative infrastructure of the East Derbyshire police force. EDSOP had been relocated there during a recent modernisation process. They were secreted away at the rear of the building, but their technology was top of the range, the main office had a pleasant view of fields, and the female locker room was a purpose-built facility instead of a toilet cubicle next to the urinals. The little kitchen annex even came with a geyser, negating the need to boil a kettle. Fred Aspinall, one of the older detectives on the team, had welcomed that innovation with a wonder more suited to the discovery of life on Mars.
    Tracking the numbered bays, Sanne found her Vauxhall Corsa parked between an expensive-looking Audi and a really expensive-looking Range Rover. Neither vehicle evoked a shred of envy in her. The Corsa was nippy, practical, and surprisingly effective in the snow, and it was also the best form of transport she’d ever had. Most of her family still walked or relied on the bus. Sheltered behind the open boot, with the high wall of the car park boxing her in, she stripped off the scrubs and pulled on her spare outfit. The jeans were too casual for the office, and the shirt’s short sleeves didn’t cover the bandages swathed around her arm, but it was a definite improvement. Remembering Meg’s advice, she drank half a bottle of water. Then she damped her hair down with a cupped handful and headed for the main entrance, clipping her ID badge onto her shirt as she approached. The badge and her warrant card were always somewhere about her person. She even carried them in her pack when she went out running. No one out on the moors had questioned her authority that morning, but it had been reassuring to know her credentials were there, just in case.
    She displayed her badge to the officer on the front desk and took the stairs two at a time. The muscles in her legs complained, reminding her that she had started the day with a lengthy run and then added bruises. She persevered, though, and by the time she reached the fourth floor the short burst of exercise had left her feeling much less decrepit. She walked straight into the chaos that traditionally accompanied the early stages of a case: phones ringing, paperwork cascading onto the floor as people brushed against fragile piles, a variety of ringtones announcing incoming texts, and Fred in the corner, kicking the photocopier.
    “It’s this drawer, mate. It’s always getting stuck there.” Sanne flipped open the offending part and teased the sheet of paper through. “There, try that.”
    Fred hit the green button and beamed as the machine sparked into motion. “You bring sunshine to my life,” he sang, to a tune only he would ever recognise. “I’d make you a brew, but the boss wanted to see you as soon as you got in.”
    “Right.” She rocked back a little, and he placed a steadying hand on her shoulder.
    “You done a statement?”
    “Yes, at the hospital. Nelson’s faxed it over here already.”
    “Got nothing to fret about then,” he said, and she smiled, almost believing him.
    As she went over to Eleanor’s door, George Torren—Fred’s partner—crossed himself and raised his eyes heavenward. She stuck two fingers up at him, knocked, and walked into the office. It smelled like apples. She had no idea how Eleanor did it, since she had never seen her eat one, but the room always brought to mind a crisp Granny Smith.
    Mid-sentence on a phone call, Eleanor acknowledged Sanne but continued her conversation. Her nose and forehead were bright pink. Evidently, she hadn’t expected to spend hours exposed to the sun that morning, and her fair skin had paid the price.
    “Yes, sir.” She tapped one fingernail on the desk. “I can get