Inspector Rames

Chapter 28

Alex frowned. "Eric's family. Why wouldn't you have been close?"

"No. There's more." I closed my eyes. "I was bullied at school, and I didn't tell anyone except him for a long time. He said it had been the same for him when he'd been younger...and he encouraged me to respond with violence."

Don't fight words with words, kiddo. When someone hurts you, you get a different weapon. You get a mother-fucking scarier weapon, and you defeat them.

I opened my eyes. "So he taught me how to fight. That's the part that will really break me. The GBH offender told me, an officer of the law, to punch people...and I did."

Alex was holding the photo now, staring at it.

"Just for the record," I said uncertainly, "I've never laid a finger on anyone since I was fifteen. And I regret those school fights now."

"I know."

"What?"

Alex dropped the photo and met my gaze. "If you hadn't changed, then I know for a fact that Clyde's face would be very crooked."

Slowly, I smiled.

He stroked the back of my hand with his thumb. "I do have one more question."

"Go on."

"Is this why you don't drink?"

I nodded.

The café door swung open, and Cassia and Dixon entered. They came over to our table, faces grim.

"Evan's family have been informed now," Dixon said.

"Thank you, sir."

Cassia's eyes fell on the photo. "What's that?"

I looked at Alex. He nodded this encouragement.

Neither my sister nor Dixon needed an explanation about my uncle, so I just told them about Clyde's visit to me and what he'd said.

Dixon was glowering before I'd even finished. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"There's more, sir," Alex said. "We have CCTV footage from a few days ago showing Clyde and Evan almost coming to blows on the platform."

"Talk to him." Dixon's voice tightened with anger. "I'll send Sebastian with you, Alex. If anything seems off, if he even seems the slightest bit shifty, arrest him."

"Yes, sir."

"I'll go," I said.

Dixon held up his hands. "Amber, no. I let you watch that CCTV footage, but I am not caving in this time -- "

"You're just trying to protect me, sir. But this is my job, and I'm going with Alex." I looked to my sergeant for support.

He was frowning. "Amber, I don't think this is a good idea."

"Oh, let her go," Cassia said. "It will make things easier for her in the long run. If Sebastian and Alex turn up to question Clyde and she's nowhere in sight, he'll think she's scared. He'll think he's winning."

"Exactly," I said.

Dixon released a long-suffering sigh. "Fine. But don't you dare stop Alex from arresting him if it's necessary, or I'll arrest you."

***

We left the station in awkward silence, Clyde now a heavy weight on our shoulders. When the train station had vanished in the distance behind us, I could bear it no longer.

"Evan was taking a robotic science degree," I said. "The person who killed him was almost certainly a man. The only suspect who would not have needed Evan's skills to help her is a female."