Read Online Skinner's Ghosts by Quintin Jardine - Free Book Online
Authors: Quintin Jardine
Tags: Mystery
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advise. How wil you go about it?'
'I'll give the statement to our marketing officer, and tell her to issue it in an hour. We'l say that you have nothing to add to the statement, but you'd better make sure anyway that your force press 39
people are briefed to refer to us all callers who come on looking for you or Pamela. If Alex has my home number, she'll have the marketing lady's as well.'
'Okay,' said Skinner. 'I'll alert everyone. Look, thanks again Mitch.
We'l speak on Monday.'
'Earlier if necessary,' said Laidlaw. 'Incidentally, Bob,' he added.
'I'm very impressed with that daughter of yours. We haven't allocated her to a department as yet, so I think I'll take her into mine.'
Skinner smiled across at Alex, who stood by the window, watching him. 'Be careful about that, mate. She could wind up ruling your life too.'
40
12
'My goodness, Bob, what a position to find yourself in. Mind you, I have to say - as I'm sure no-one else will have - that you've only got yourself to blame.'
'What for. Jimmy? Not pul ing the bedroom curtains?'
Skinner and the Chief Constable were alone in the Proud sitting room. Lady Proud, at her husband's suggestion, had taken Alan Royston to the kitchen, to make coffee. The DCC had watched his commander's face grow increasingly red as he had studied the Spotlight exclusive.
'Don't be flip with me, man. You have to know that public figures are always in the spotlight... no pun intended.'
The big detective growled. 'But not to that extent, surely.'
'Obviously they are, Bob,' said the Chief, waving the newspaper.
'Much as I regret it, this sort of media behaviour is still legal in this, and in most free countries. However much I might deprecate this man Salmon and his rag, you were there for him to see, and to photograph.
'I have nothing against Sergeant Masters, Bob, but I am very fond of Sarah, as you know, and I am heart sorry to think of her on the other end of this situation.'
'So am I, Jimmy, but at least I've got time to warn her.'
'Confession rather than warning, I think,' said Proud, sadly now.
'Tell me, Bob, why? What did you see in this lass?'
Skinner sat in one of the Chief's big armchairs. 'Have you ever been lonely, Jimmy?' he asked, then continued, without waiting for an answer. 'Well I have. For about fifteen years, after Myra was killed, I had this big, cold streak inside me. I brought up my daughter, I did my job as hard and as best I could, I socialised with the lads. But always it was there - that big, cold lump that set me apart from the rest.
'I know now what it was. It's cal ed bereavement, and all widowed people carry it around inside them. Some have faith that helps them to handle it, that even lets them draw strength from it. But I lost my wife young, and I never came to terms with the fact. At least not until Sarah came along. When I met her, that coldness began to disappear, until at last, it was gone altogether, and I was really happy again, after half a lifetime.'
41
He leaned back in the chair. 'Then, out of the blue, it seemed, things went pear-shaped between the two of us, very suddenly and completely unexpectedly. I'd just assumed that we'd be happy ever after.
'It doesn't matter whose fault it was, whether I was wrong or whether she was, or whether, as is most likely, we both were. We had just lost the way. We were broken asunder. And with that, and no doubt with my uncovering the circumstances ofMyra's death as well, that big, cold beast of bereavement was back with me.'
He looked up at Proud. 'Loneliness is the only thing in life that really scares me. Jimmy. The prospect of it makes me crazy.
'Fortuitous or whatever, Pam was there for me when I needed her most, to help me fight off my fear. I believe that everything I've done since then has been proper, except that I chose to be secretive about it. I should have told my family, I should have come clean with Sarah when I saw her in May, and I should have taken you into my confidence.
'For
'I'll give the statement to our marketing officer, and tell her to issue it in an hour. We'l say that you have nothing to add to the statement, but you'd better make sure anyway that your force press 39
people are briefed to refer to us all callers who come on looking for you or Pamela. If Alex has my home number, she'll have the marketing lady's as well.'
'Okay,' said Skinner. 'I'll alert everyone. Look, thanks again Mitch.
We'l speak on Monday.'
'Earlier if necessary,' said Laidlaw. 'Incidentally, Bob,' he added.
'I'm very impressed with that daughter of yours. We haven't allocated her to a department as yet, so I think I'll take her into mine.'
Skinner smiled across at Alex, who stood by the window, watching him. 'Be careful about that, mate. She could wind up ruling your life too.'
40
12
'My goodness, Bob, what a position to find yourself in. Mind you, I have to say - as I'm sure no-one else will have - that you've only got yourself to blame.'
'What for. Jimmy? Not pul ing the bedroom curtains?'
Skinner and the Chief Constable were alone in the Proud sitting room. Lady Proud, at her husband's suggestion, had taken Alan Royston to the kitchen, to make coffee. The DCC had watched his commander's face grow increasingly red as he had studied the Spotlight exclusive.
'Don't be flip with me, man. You have to know that public figures are always in the spotlight... no pun intended.'
The big detective growled. 'But not to that extent, surely.'
'Obviously they are, Bob,' said the Chief, waving the newspaper.
'Much as I regret it, this sort of media behaviour is still legal in this, and in most free countries. However much I might deprecate this man Salmon and his rag, you were there for him to see, and to photograph.
'I have nothing against Sergeant Masters, Bob, but I am very fond of Sarah, as you know, and I am heart sorry to think of her on the other end of this situation.'
'So am I, Jimmy, but at least I've got time to warn her.'
'Confession rather than warning, I think,' said Proud, sadly now.
'Tell me, Bob, why? What did you see in this lass?'
Skinner sat in one of the Chief's big armchairs. 'Have you ever been lonely, Jimmy?' he asked, then continued, without waiting for an answer. 'Well I have. For about fifteen years, after Myra was killed, I had this big, cold streak inside me. I brought up my daughter, I did my job as hard and as best I could, I socialised with the lads. But always it was there - that big, cold lump that set me apart from the rest.
'I know now what it was. It's cal ed bereavement, and all widowed people carry it around inside them. Some have faith that helps them to handle it, that even lets them draw strength from it. But I lost my wife young, and I never came to terms with the fact. At least not until Sarah came along. When I met her, that coldness began to disappear, until at last, it was gone altogether, and I was really happy again, after half a lifetime.'
41
He leaned back in the chair. 'Then, out of the blue, it seemed, things went pear-shaped between the two of us, very suddenly and completely unexpectedly. I'd just assumed that we'd be happy ever after.
'It doesn't matter whose fault it was, whether I was wrong or whether she was, or whether, as is most likely, we both were. We had just lost the way. We were broken asunder. And with that, and no doubt with my uncovering the circumstances ofMyra's death as well, that big, cold beast of bereavement was back with me.'
He looked up at Proud. 'Loneliness is the only thing in life that really scares me. Jimmy. The prospect of it makes me crazy.
'Fortuitous or whatever, Pam was there for me when I needed her most, to help me fight off my fear. I believe that everything I've done since then has been proper, except that I chose to be secretive about it. I should have told my family, I should have come clean with Sarah when I saw her in May, and I should have taken you into my confidence.
'For
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