The Devil Among Us by Ramsay Sinclair (easy books to read txt) 📗

“In your wildest dreams, maybe. Ryan’s load of alcohol was enough to fuel a house party, and he was only a constable. Imagine what they’d get me, as their favourite sergeant,” McCall grumbled, swishing her bright mane in my face. “If I got shot, we’d be able to open our own pub.”

“DCI Reid would be our only customer during work hours,” I goofed around, trying out a few stolen luxury hats we’d picked up from a couple of teenagers by chance. There was quite an impressive selection to choose from: fedoras, pork pie hats and a straw one too.

McCall openly chuckled. “I’d like to say you’re wrong, but we all know it’s true.” She swiped the straw item from my head. “That’s ridiculous on a guy of your size. It would suit someone smaller, like…” She paused, elegantly placing the hat on and performing a jig for comedic measure. “Me.”

As I started to tease her in a friendly manner, a dishevelled and positively disgruntled DC Taylor approached us. He heaved long breaths, seemingly having run all the way here. Seen as it was only us three, the couple didn’t bother with their workplace formalities.

“John,” McCall frowned. “Did you… run?”

“It’s not that surprising.” He waved the question away, raking his fingers nervously through his dampened hair. “I was looking everywhere for you two.”

“Well, you caught us.” I pretended to hold my hands in the air as a form of mercy. “What do you want?” We placed the hats back into their respective places, all our attention solely focused on the younger lad.

DC Taylor failed to reply fast enough for McCall’s liking. “John, what’s going on?”

He jumped, forgetting exactly where we were. “Well…”

Something was wrong, due to the eerie sensation that washed over the evidence room. McCall shivered, obviously feeling it too. It was one of discomfort, something we’d never really felt in a while at the station. Not in this manner, anyway. DC Taylor struggled to spit it out, reddening at the secret being withheld.

“The uniform guys are at a call. The Guv wants you there sharpish. It’s not exactly the best call out to attend,” he rambled on and fiddled with the police radio that was buzzing from the team’s murmured interactions.

“Go where?” McCall said punctually, already leaving the poky room. “Is there a breakthrough with the case?”

An unpleasant tingle trickled through my veins. A hunch of sorts, that this wouldn’t be our normal kind of call out. DC Taylor appeared hesitant to share the facts with us, tripping over sentences and fumbling through words.

“Not- not exactly, no. Kirst, I don’t really know how to say this without scaring you. Your house. There’s been a break-in.”

“A what?” McCall scoffed, believing she’d misheard. I in fact, had to clean my ears out twice.

“There’s been a break-in at your house. Uniformed officers are already there, but they have something for us to see. I don’t know what it is, but the sooner we leave, the sooner we can find out.” DC Taylor grimaced in mental agony at the horrible news he had provided us with.

McCall held onto a random shelf for support, flustered and confused. “When? And who, most importantly?”

“About an hour ago. They’ve secured the place, and there’s no sign of the people who broke in. Apparently, they came in through the kitchen window.” DC Taylor moved to console McCall then.

She didn't cry, nor rage but she went silent. And that was a lethal sign.

Why would anyone have broken into McCall’s house? She wasn’t a particularly rich or flashy individual. Sure, she had a few antiques, but nothing worth too much. There wasn’t anything worth their while. The only plus side to robbing McCall’s home is that we worked long shifts, and so she was barely ever there.

“What did they steal?” I piped up, struggling to see the sense in the logic here.

“I don’t know, I'm just the messenger.” DC Taylor nervously examined McCall, fingers interlaced with hers as a sign of support. “DCI Reid, Rebecca, and Tony are already on their way, but they couldn’t find you two. Guv said that Cillian and I have to stay behind. That I’m too emotionally invested with… sarge and that Cillian is too--”

“Too giddy to deal with the intensity of our situation at hand. Gotcha.” DCI Reid made a lot of sense in heightened situations. It was a relief to know that someone could stay calm under this type of shock. “It can’t be easy to stay behind, but we’ll keep you updated,” I promised as McCall normally would’ve done if she was thinking straight. “Till then, hold down this end. Keep yourself busy.”

“Thanks, Sir. It means a lot.” He leant in closer, hot breath against my ear. “Look after her, will you?”

“Don’t mention it. She’s my partner too. Work partner, that is,” I clarified before assumptions could be made and conclusions jumped to. “I’ll make sure she’s alright.”

But I wasn’t entirely sure McCall was going to be alright. She swayed and rocked on the spot, processing the details given to us. Having a crime happen so close to home, right on our own doorsteps, was the last thing any of us expected.

“I’ll drive,” I offered and waved the Volvo keys until they jangled. McCall didn’t reply, but I knew she’d heard. The news was simply taking a while to process, that’s all. It was a nasty shock to the system. “C’mon.”

14

Broken, shattered shards of glass lay all across the once plush lawn, now ruined by the harmful material. The entire kitchen window had been broken and a bold breeze flew in through the newly formed gap.

“Whoever broke in here, wasn’t messing around. They needed an easy point of access, to enter and exit the building sharpish.” I spoke for the two of us, seeing as McCall could barely utter a single, viable sentence for herself. “It wasn’t the brightest idea, it probably alerted your neighbours from all sides.”

McCall silently surveyed the