Whisper For The Reaper, Jack Gatland [good books for high schoolers txt] 📗

some kind of Cashew related tofu dish, pointing out repeatedly every time that Declan took a mouthful of his own tongue-burning mistake of a meal, that Veganism was actually incredibly healthy, and that by looking at her father, she could see that he really needed some health right now.

He’d never felt so old.

He had spent the night with dead friends and nightmares keeping him company; Kendis was there, obviously. Derek Salmon came to visit, and his dad made an appearance, waving business cards with Red Reapers on. Private Tooley, a junior engineer that Declan knew back in the SIS even appeared; the first time that Declan had even considered her for close to fifteen years.

His subconsciousness was really working overtime here.

In the end he’d woken grudgingly, made his way down to the kitchen and tried to eat some cereal, in the end deciding that it was a lost cause, pouring the remaining, frequently stirred yet not eaten mulch into the bin.

Cereal killer.

Declan chuckled at the joke, although the sudden remembrance of the previous day’s conversation with Emilia Wintergreen put a stop to that. And with a new determination he showered and dressed, picking a suit but no tie. He wasn’t officially entering Maidenhead police, and he wanted to show he was a little more ‘relaxed’. A lack of a tie wasn’t much, but it was better than turning up in a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt.

Jess had seen Declan walk past her bedroom door and leaned out, calling down the corridor.

‘Job interview?’ It was meant in jest, but as he looked back to her, Declan could see that Jess already regretted making the joke.

‘I’m popping to Maidenhead nick,’ he replied with a smile, trying to defuse the situation before it even began. ‘Seeing an old friend of dad.’

‘Can I come?’ Jess’s eyes sparkled with interest. It was no secret that as the daughter and granddaughter of detectives, Jess had decided at an early age to plant her future career prospects on the police force. Declan thought for a moment. It wasn’t procedure, but it could help defuse any uncomfortable situations. And the fact of the matter was, if Declan decided to investigate, he’d most likely bring Jess in to help him, anyway.

‘Sure,’ he replied. ‘But I need to speak to DCI Freeman alone, so bring a book.’

Jess eagerly ran back into her room to grab a jacket and a backpack and, her items gathered together, she followed Declan out of the door. Glancing at the backpack, Declan could already make an educated guess what was in it; a notepad and pen, maybe a pencil, a book, a small bottle of water, maybe a protein bar in case the day meant that lunch was missed, maybe even an iPad or similar to check things on.

His daughter was probably more prepared than he was.

‘Is this to do with the body at the golf club?’ she asked as they reached his Audi. Declan stopped at the driver’s door, looking at her.

‘What do you know about that?’ He replied. Jess shrugged.

‘I stopped off in the High Street before coming here yesterday,’ she explained. ‘Grabbed a drink and a packet of crisps from the shop. They were talking about it in there. Something about a kid found on one of the greens.’

Declan clambered into the car, Jess joining him on the passenger side.

‘I’ll come back to you on that point,’ he said as he started up the car. Pulling out of the drive, he started towards the end of the road, glancing down the alleyway that ran beside his house as he did so.

Karl Schnitter was standing in the alley, watching the car as it drove past.

Declan couldn’t help it; an involuntary shiver ran down his spine. He didn’t want to believe that Karl was anything but a friend. He’d actively assisted Declan when he was on the run.

But Wintergreen’s warning rang in his head and, rather than stopping the car, he pressed on to Maidenhead.

The drive to Maidenhead hadn’t taken long; it was a straight route down the A308 into the centre of the town and the offices of the Thames Valley Police were to the north, off a four-way roundabout that gave a police station and a fire station to the north, and a retail park and fast food area to the south. Parking up, Declan looked to Jess.

‘Best behaviour,’ he warned. Jess smiled in response as they exited the car and walked to the main entrance.

Declan was City Police, and before that had been Metropolitan Police, covering Greater London. The Thames Valley Police, although still connected to the others, was a more rural force, directed into local areas. Maidenhead however would cover Hurley and the surrounding areas, and there was a constant thoroughfare of officers from all Police areas, so Declan wasn’t worried about any territorial issues with his appearance there. That said, he still felt a little nervous as he walked up to the front desk, behind clear, thick Perspex. There was a Duty Officer there; a desk sergeant in his late fifties, bald and bearded, peppered with white throughout the deep ginger curls. He wore metal framed glasses, but these seemed only for reading as when he looked up to Declan and Jess, he took them off.

‘Can I help you?’ he asked politely. Declan pulled out his warrant card; although he’d been suspended from duty, it had been an injury related one because of his shoulder, and therefore he’d been able to keep this when he returned home.

‘DI Declan Walsh,’ he said. ‘I’d—‘

‘Bloody hell! Paddy Walsh’s boy!’ the desk sergeant exclaimed in delight. ‘I haven’t seen you since you were a lad!’ The smile was genuine on his face as the desk sergeant patted his bald head. ‘I lost all this, but when I saw you last I had a full head of hair, and the beard was just a dream.’

‘Sweeney?’ Declan could only remember one red-headed officer from around the area. Although Patrick Walsh had been