after."
"Maybe you're right." Cullen opened the meeting room door.
Methven was putting his coat on, phone to ear, scowling as he waved to them. "Bye, dear. Yes, I'll see what I can get at this hour." He glowered at them. "What?"
"Simon's closed off Young's alibi."
Methven flared his nostrils. "I'm very pleased for you."
"So, do you mind if we leave?"
"I don't particularly care. I'm heading home after I speak to Jim Turnbull. I'll see you both on Boxing Day." Methven dashed off, leaving the door stuck open.
"Thank God for that." Cullen slumped against the table, watching the DI jog across the office. "Right, then, where we headed?"
"Doubt Tigerlily will let you back in."
"No." Cullen clenched his jaw. "The Elm?"
"It's pretty much the only boozer that'll not be really busy tonight."
"Good. I'll text Sharon."
Chapter 16
Cullen sat at the window table, watching the pedestrians battle against the wind and the rain, just as they'd done. He took a gulp of lager and gasped. "Fuck me, that feels better."
"I'll pass on the kind offer, if it's all the same." Buxton sat next to him, clenching a bottle of Peroni. "Glad to be out of there for a few days."
"That's what you think."
"What?"
"Methven's dragging us both in tomorrow."
"Oh for fuck's sake." Buxton grimaced as he took a pull on his lager, the fizz rising up in the bottle. "My mate's invited me round to his place tomorrow. His bird's cooking for all their friends. I'll be popular."
"Look, we're going to have to play it by ear. He's put me in charge so I ca-"
"He's put you in charge?" Buxton laughed, the bottle poised in front of his lips. "Seriously?"
"Aye. So I can make sure we get out sharpish."
"That's cool, I suppose." Buxton took another drink of lager.
"He's got me with the carrot and the stick this time." Cullen took a sip, eyes tracking a ned as he staggered up the Walk, hoodie pulled up. He sighed, watching a black cab pull up outside the pub, wipers on full, a crowd of tarted-up young men getting out. "I just have to keep him sweet."
"Tell me you weren't going on about getting a DS gig then?"
Cullen nodded. "That's the carrot he's got me with."
"Anything specific?"
"Never is with him."
Buxton finished his bottle. "Reckon Sharon'll be pissed off at you being in?"
"Maybe. We were just having Christmas to ourselves. She'll be wanting to watch The Wire box set I'm giving her."
"Buying a copper a police TV series. Classy."
"She loves it." Cullen shrugged and took another drink, almost down to the bottom. "My folks are with Michelle and Sharon's are with her sister in East Linton. It was going to be absolute bliss." He tapped Buxton's bottle. "Another?"
"Aye."
Cullen walked over to the bar and dumped the empties on the counter.
The barman looked up from his newspaper. "Same again?"
"Aye." He spotted a few familiar faces playing pool in the back room. Best avoid them. He checked his phone, still no reply from Sharon.
The front door opened, a gust of wind sucking the heat out of the pub. He paid for the drinks and took them back to the table. "Here you go."
"Cheers." Buxton took a slug of beer. "You definitely coming to my birthday next month, Scott?"
That was when he and Sharon... Last year. Becky. Cullen swallowed hard. "When is it again?"
"My birthday's the thirtieth of January, but we're going down on the first. That's a Saturday. Will get pretty messy."
"It's just a pub night, right?"
"Fuck's sake, mate. It's down in Newcastle. My mate's wangled tickets for the Tyne-Wear derby, man."
"I forgot."
"Listen, I need to pay the accommodation or cancel it. You said you were definitely coming."
"Aye, I'll be there."
"Not Sharon?"
"Doubt she'll come to a boys' weekend at the football." Cullen took a drink.
Buxton finished his bottle and set it down. "I need to move onto pints. You want a top up?"
"No, I'm good."
"Back in a sec." Buxton went over to the bar.
Cullen watched the stream of traffic heading up and down Leith Walk, letting
"Maybe you're right." Cullen opened the meeting room door.
Methven was putting his coat on, phone to ear, scowling as he waved to them. "Bye, dear. Yes, I'll see what I can get at this hour." He glowered at them. "What?"
"Simon's closed off Young's alibi."
Methven flared his nostrils. "I'm very pleased for you."
"So, do you mind if we leave?"
"I don't particularly care. I'm heading home after I speak to Jim Turnbull. I'll see you both on Boxing Day." Methven dashed off, leaving the door stuck open.
"Thank God for that." Cullen slumped against the table, watching the DI jog across the office. "Right, then, where we headed?"
"Doubt Tigerlily will let you back in."
"No." Cullen clenched his jaw. "The Elm?"
"It's pretty much the only boozer that'll not be really busy tonight."
"Good. I'll text Sharon."
Chapter 16
Cullen sat at the window table, watching the pedestrians battle against the wind and the rain, just as they'd done. He took a gulp of lager and gasped. "Fuck me, that feels better."
"I'll pass on the kind offer, if it's all the same." Buxton sat next to him, clenching a bottle of Peroni. "Glad to be out of there for a few days."
"That's what you think."
"What?"
"Methven's dragging us both in tomorrow."
"Oh for fuck's sake." Buxton grimaced as he took a pull on his lager, the fizz rising up in the bottle. "My mate's invited me round to his place tomorrow. His bird's cooking for all their friends. I'll be popular."
"Look, we're going to have to play it by ear. He's put me in charge so I ca-"
"He's put you in charge?" Buxton laughed, the bottle poised in front of his lips. "Seriously?"
"Aye. So I can make sure we get out sharpish."
"That's cool, I suppose." Buxton took another drink of lager.
"He's got me with the carrot and the stick this time." Cullen took a sip, eyes tracking a ned as he staggered up the Walk, hoodie pulled up. He sighed, watching a black cab pull up outside the pub, wipers on full, a crowd of tarted-up young men getting out. "I just have to keep him sweet."
"Tell me you weren't going on about getting a DS gig then?"
Cullen nodded. "That's the carrot he's got me with."
"Anything specific?"
"Never is with him."
Buxton finished his bottle. "Reckon Sharon'll be pissed off at you being in?"
"Maybe. We were just having Christmas to ourselves. She'll be wanting to watch The Wire box set I'm giving her."
"Buying a copper a police TV series. Classy."
"She loves it." Cullen shrugged and took another drink, almost down to the bottom. "My folks are with Michelle and Sharon's are with her sister in East Linton. It was going to be absolute bliss." He tapped Buxton's bottle. "Another?"
"Aye."
Cullen walked over to the bar and dumped the empties on the counter.
The barman looked up from his newspaper. "Same again?"
"Aye." He spotted a few familiar faces playing pool in the back room. Best avoid them. He checked his phone, still no reply from Sharon.
The front door opened, a gust of wind sucking the heat out of the pub. He paid for the drinks and took them back to the table. "Here you go."
"Cheers." Buxton took a slug of beer. "You definitely coming to my birthday next month, Scott?"
That was when he and Sharon... Last year. Becky. Cullen swallowed hard. "When is it again?"
"My birthday's the thirtieth of January, but we're going down on the first. That's a Saturday. Will get pretty messy."
"It's just a pub night, right?"
"Fuck's sake, mate. It's down in Newcastle. My mate's wangled tickets for the Tyne-Wear derby, man."
"I forgot."
"Listen, I need to pay the accommodation or cancel it. You said you were definitely coming."
"Aye, I'll be there."
"Not Sharon?"
"Doubt she'll come to a boys' weekend at the football." Cullen took a drink.
Buxton finished his bottle and set it down. "I need to move onto pints. You want a top up?"
"No, I'm good."
"Back in a sec." Buxton went over to the bar.
Cullen watched the stream of traffic heading up and down Leith Walk, letting
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