Indefensible (DI Sara Ramsey Book 12), M Comley [world of reading TXT] 📗

over. I’d nail the bastard to a post, whip him to within an inch of his life and leave him there for the stray dogs to feast on his flesh and bones.”

Sara stared down at the coffee choux bun in her hand and dropped it on the plate. “Thanks for that image and for turning my stomach at the same time.”

“Bugger, I thought you had a stronger resolve than that, sorry.” Carla continued to eat her pastry without a second thought.

“You carry on, don’t let me stop you.”

Carla swallowed her mouthful and wiped the excess cream away from her mouth. “I will. Going back to the cases, which one is going to be a priority for us?”

Sara shrugged and took a sip of her coffee before she responded, “Both have their merits for needing our expertise to be thrown at them. Let me ask you which you think we should prioritise.”

Carla dwelled on the question while she finished her mouthful. “Hard to know, I was hoping you’d make the right call and I would follow your lead. That’s why you’re an inspector and I’m a lowly sergeant.”

“Passing the buck, eh? I think we should see how things go for now. I suppose we’re going to be more reliant on Lorraine with both cases, maybe what she comes up with will be the incentive we need to put one of the cases before the other one. Damn, even saying that aloud galls me.”

“I know how much you like to throw yourself into a case, it’s definitely a tough call to make. I don’t envy your position one iota.”

Sara picked up her cup of coffee and stared at her partner. “That’s helpful. Thanks. Let’s just go along with the leads we have at present and see where we end up. Have you finished stuffing your face now?”

Carla shoved the final large piece of choux in her mouth and pointed at Sara’s half-eaten pastry. “What about you?”

“Say that again, I didn’t quite hear you. Wait, no, spare me. Didn’t your mother ever tell you how rude it is to speak with your mouth full?”

Carla swallowed what was in her mouth and growled at her, “Uncalled for, you know I have impeccable manners usually.”

“Except where luscious cakes are concerned, is that what you’re saying?”

Her partner tutted and reached across the table for Sara’s plate. “I missed out on breakfast, do you want that or not?”

“By all means, knock yourself out, partner.”

Sara watched as Carla demolished what was left of her own pastry that she hadn’t had the stomach to eat. “Blimey, not sure where you put it sometimes. The amount you eat and yet you never seem to put on an extra ounce.”

“I burn the calories off in other ways.”

Sara tilted her head and asked, “Really? Are you telling me you’ve got another fella on the go and he’s a red hot lover between the sheets?”

Carla pulled a face. “No. I’ve told you, I’m off men for life now after the Gary debacle. What I meant was my adrenaline eats up the calories, well, that and my trips to the gym every other day.”

“Wow, get you. It’s clearly working if you can shove all that down your neck without gaining any excess weight. Come on, we should be going.”

Five minutes later, they left the café and returned to the car. As promised, the girl at the kiosk in Tesco’s let them off the parking fee.

Sara drove to the hospital and parked in one of the small roads nearby. They walked through the main entrance and stopped at the reception area. The middle-aged woman with large framed spectacles smiled as they approached.

“Can I help?”

Sara flashed her ID. “We’d like a word with Jack Scott, he’s a porter here, if that’s possible?”

“I see. I’ll have to ring his boss, make sure he’s not booked up with any emergency transfers or anything of that nature; our porters are in demand all day long. Why don’t you have a seat over there for now? It could take me a little while to track him down.”

“Do your best for us, please.”

They moved to the waiting area and Sara watched the woman make the call.

“Something doesn’t feel right to me,” Carla whispered beside her.

“Me neither. Let’s give her a few minutes to come up with the goods before we take further action.”

“It’s your call.”

The woman hung up the phone and smiled over at them. “Sorry to keep you waiting, he’ll be down shortly. As suspected, he’s taking someone from the operating theatre back to the ward.”

“Thanks. Roughly, how long?”

“Ten minutes at the most. There’s a vending machine in the shop, if you want a drink while you’re waiting.”

Sara waved her hand in front of her. “We’ve not long had one.”

The receptionist got back to her work.

“I guess our instincts were wrong about her,” Sara mumbled.

“Yeah, maybe. Let’s not count our chickens too soon. He hasn’t appeared yet.”

Reaching for one of the magazines on the table, Sara pretended to read while keeping one eye on the receptionist and one eye on the lift.

Carla got out her phone and scrolled through it. “I picked up a new game. Do I have your permission to have a little tinker while we’re waiting?”

“Do what you want. What is it?”

“A building block game. You have to build a line and make it disappear.”

“Sounds exhilarating! Too much excitement for my blood.”

“Cheeky sod. It’s relaxing. I either play that or Mahjong for my sins. It really helps me to unwind at the end of the day.”

“I’ll take your word for that.”

“Don’t knock something unless you’ve tried it at least once.”

Sara placed a hand on her chest and sighed heavily. “If only I had the time.”

“I can sense when someone is mocking me, you know.”

A young man in a blue uniform appeared and walked up to the receptionist.

“We’re on,” Sara said out of the corner of her mouth. She threw the magazine on the table and rose from her seat as the young man turned to face them.