in.’
‘Yes, Sean,’ she answered. ‘We all know what it’s like when you get a new one. Shame,’ she continued, ‘I was hoping to save some money on childcare this week.’
‘Kirsty’s all right looking after the kids, isn’t she?’ he asked. ‘She probably needs the cash.’
‘So do we,’ Kate reminded him. ‘At least if you were still a sergeant, you’d get paid overtime. The hours you work, we’d be rich.’
‘I doubt it,’ Sean scoffed.
‘So what’s the new case?’ Kate asked. ‘What tale of horror do you have to untangle this time? I assume it’s another murder?’
‘Even if it was a murder, you know I wouldn’t tell you about it. Work stays at work.’
‘Even if it was a murder,’ Kate pointed out. ‘Meaning it’s not a murder this time. So why is a Murder Investigation Team investigating something other than a murder?’
‘As it happens, it’s a missing person,’ Sean told her.
‘Oh,’ Kate said, interested and concerned. ‘A missing person who you think is dead. Get you on the job early, ready for when the body turns up. That’s not like the Met, planning ahead.’
‘I don’t,’ Sean said.
‘Don’t what?’
‘Think she’s dead. I think someone’s taken her.’
‘A kidnap case?’ Kate asked.
‘I’m not expecting a ransom note.’
‘Then what?’
‘Like I said, no details.’ Sean changed the subject: ‘How are the girls?’
Kate paused before answering, unsure as to whether she should try and prise more details from him. She decided she’d be wasting her time. ‘Last time I saw them awake they were fine, but they miss their dad.’
‘I suppose that’s good.’
‘I think I know what you mean,’ Kate smiled. ‘Next time you’re home they’ll mob you – you have been warned.’
‘I look forward to it.’ Sean headed for the fridge, searching around inside for a beer. Kate waved her empty wine glass in the air. ‘While you’re in there, a top-up please.’ He grabbed the bottle of wine and poured as little as he thought he could get away with into her glass, not wishing to delay her going to bed any longer than was absolutely necessary, before putting it back in the fridge and grabbing a beer. He took his favourite glass from the cupboard and sat at the table with Kate, using the remote to click the TV on.
‘I take it that’s the end of conversation for the night,’ Kate accused.
‘Sorry.’ Sean turned to her with a mischievous grin. ‘I thought you were playing on your computer.’
‘Ha, ha,’ Kate replied. ‘Working, Sean. Working. All we ever do is work. Work and pay bills. That’s it.’
‘It’s not that bad,’ Sean argued, now glad she’d waited up, pleased to have the distraction of conversation.
‘We should think about New Zealand again. Remember, after what happened to Sally, you said we ought to get the hell out of here, start a new life, one where we actually see each other. Where we see the kids.’
‘I don’t know,’ Sean answered. ‘It just feels like running away.’
‘Nothing wrong with running away if it’s running away to a better life.’
‘There’s no guarantee of a better life,’ Sean argued. ‘I did my research. New Zealand’s not all green fields and blue skies. They’ve got plenty of problems too. You don’t really think they’d stick me in a plush office somewhere overlooking the Pacific with nothing to do but twiddle my thumbs and admire the view all day, do you? They’d find some shithole to stick me in and we’d be back where we started, only stuck on the other side of the world.’
‘It can’t be as bad as it is here,’ Kate insisted. ‘I’ve lived with you too long not to know your job and how it works. If you were to so much as hint that you want to go home and see your family once in a while, they’d all look at you like you’ve gone mad, like you’re somehow letting the team down. Only losers want to actually go home now and then, right?’ Sean shifted
‘Yes, Sean,’ she answered. ‘We all know what it’s like when you get a new one. Shame,’ she continued, ‘I was hoping to save some money on childcare this week.’
‘Kirsty’s all right looking after the kids, isn’t she?’ he asked. ‘She probably needs the cash.’
‘So do we,’ Kate reminded him. ‘At least if you were still a sergeant, you’d get paid overtime. The hours you work, we’d be rich.’
‘I doubt it,’ Sean scoffed.
‘So what’s the new case?’ Kate asked. ‘What tale of horror do you have to untangle this time? I assume it’s another murder?’
‘Even if it was a murder, you know I wouldn’t tell you about it. Work stays at work.’
‘Even if it was a murder,’ Kate pointed out. ‘Meaning it’s not a murder this time. So why is a Murder Investigation Team investigating something other than a murder?’
‘As it happens, it’s a missing person,’ Sean told her.
‘Oh,’ Kate said, interested and concerned. ‘A missing person who you think is dead. Get you on the job early, ready for when the body turns up. That’s not like the Met, planning ahead.’
‘I don’t,’ Sean said.
‘Don’t what?’
‘Think she’s dead. I think someone’s taken her.’
‘A kidnap case?’ Kate asked.
‘I’m not expecting a ransom note.’
‘Then what?’
‘Like I said, no details.’ Sean changed the subject: ‘How are the girls?’
Kate paused before answering, unsure as to whether she should try and prise more details from him. She decided she’d be wasting her time. ‘Last time I saw them awake they were fine, but they miss their dad.’
‘I suppose that’s good.’
‘I think I know what you mean,’ Kate smiled. ‘Next time you’re home they’ll mob you – you have been warned.’
‘I look forward to it.’ Sean headed for the fridge, searching around inside for a beer. Kate waved her empty wine glass in the air. ‘While you’re in there, a top-up please.’ He grabbed the bottle of wine and poured as little as he thought he could get away with into her glass, not wishing to delay her going to bed any longer than was absolutely necessary, before putting it back in the fridge and grabbing a beer. He took his favourite glass from the cupboard and sat at the table with Kate, using the remote to click the TV on.
‘I take it that’s the end of conversation for the night,’ Kate accused.
‘Sorry.’ Sean turned to her with a mischievous grin. ‘I thought you were playing on your computer.’
‘Ha, ha,’ Kate replied. ‘Working, Sean. Working. All we ever do is work. Work and pay bills. That’s it.’
‘It’s not that bad,’ Sean argued, now glad she’d waited up, pleased to have the distraction of conversation.
‘We should think about New Zealand again. Remember, after what happened to Sally, you said we ought to get the hell out of here, start a new life, one where we actually see each other. Where we see the kids.’
‘I don’t know,’ Sean answered. ‘It just feels like running away.’
‘Nothing wrong with running away if it’s running away to a better life.’
‘There’s no guarantee of a better life,’ Sean argued. ‘I did my research. New Zealand’s not all green fields and blue skies. They’ve got plenty of problems too. You don’t really think they’d stick me in a plush office somewhere overlooking the Pacific with nothing to do but twiddle my thumbs and admire the view all day, do you? They’d find some shithole to stick me in and we’d be back where we started, only stuck on the other side of the world.’
‘It can’t be as bad as it is here,’ Kate insisted. ‘I’ve lived with you too long not to know your job and how it works. If you were to so much as hint that you want to go home and see your family once in a while, they’d all look at you like you’ve gone mad, like you’re somehow letting the team down. Only losers want to actually go home now and then, right?’ Sean shifted
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