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

of the stage. A bow tie decorated his larger neck, appearing tiny in comparison. His neck fat nearly swallowed the tie whole, engorging as he shouted over the band. Just seeing them standing there and taking the limelight, the praise for the organisation of the gala.

It was sickening to see him acting charitable and giving towards the station when behind closed doors, he didn’t give a toss about us. Trying my best to swallow the rising madness, we naturally headed in their direction.

“You ready?” I double-checked that Abbey wasn’t having second thoughts.

“Let’s mingle.”

I should’ve known. She took everything in her stride. The fur jacket of hers rubbed smoothly against my fingertips as we neared the sickening couple. It took DCI Reid a while to spot us, for he was busy setting up a lone microphone on stage.

“Ah, Cooper! You made it at last,” DCI Reid roared, louder than life itself. A sheen of sweat covered his skin from the glare of the spotlights. “We were beginning to wonder if you’d gotten lost.” He clicked at the waitresses to refill their emptying glasses and the staff didn’t hesitate. “Two more drinks for them as well.”

“My husband would’ve been devastated if you didn’t show,” DCI Reid’s wife interrupted our greetings. It was as though she’d stolen all the glitz and glamour for her own, embodying exactly what it meant to be over the top. I had a sneaky suspicion that all of her diamonds were very real indeed, the cut of the stones immaculate. Her mammoth-sized body was necessary to fit her sparky personality and deafening voice. There was no losing her in a group, even if you had desperately tried to. “He doesn’t stop talking about you. It’s all I hear after his day at work. Cooper this. Cooper that.”

I could see how DCI Reid needed a woman of this sort to keep him in line. She was even louder than him, and that was a real challenge. His wife pulled me in for a brash kiss on the cheek, acting as though we’d known each other for years. With hugely backcombed hair and an even larger mouth, everything about them was big.

“Cooper. My wife, Iona,” DCI Reid proudly made the introductions. That was intended to be my role here. I wanted to be in charge, to be in control tonight. DCI Reid had been in charge for too long, stringing us along as he pleased. “And this is the lady you’ve told me about?”

I had to shake myself out of my hateful daydream,

Abbey seemed horrified as if she wondered what I’d told him previously.

“This is Abbey,” I clarified. “Abbey, this is DCI Reid.”

He bent over and planted a polite kiss on her knuckles. My spine tingled unpleasantly at the sickly gesture. To think, I’d believed he was a respectable man. I wanted nothing more than to drag him away from my woman. She was one of the purest people going, she didn’t need to be corrupted by his touch.

“Thank you for coming.” He grinned as wide as a wolf. “I hope it lives up to expectations.”

“Oh, it’s wonderful. Truly,” Abbey said, playing it shyer than I’d imagined she would. Then again, DCI Reid’s presence could make anyone seem quiet in comparison.

“She’s a doll,” Iona gushed to nobody in particular. “Nice to meet you, lovely. What a gorgeous dress.” She pulled Abbey into a similar greeting as mine. They spoke fashion for a moment, leaving us men to grimace at their frivolous choice of topics.

“You didn’t mention Abbey was such a looker. You’re a lucky man, Cooper,” DCI Reid flattered, and Iona didn’t even get offended. I wasn’t sure if she was just immune to these sorts of brash comments after so many years of being married to him.

“As are you, Sir. The gala looks fantastic.” I raised a glass in spite towards the group who mirrored my actions. “To the Guv and Iona for tonight.”

“Guv and Iona,” the four of us chanted. There wasn’t a moment to pause and reflect on our conversation, for the Reids barely paused for oxygen.

“He’s been stressed out about it all coming together for weeks. He won’t admit it, but it’s true,” the lardy woman was in many ways similar to DCI Reid, but also opposite too. Whilst she was open and sparkly, DCI Reid remained closed off and stern.

“They’re too stubborn to admit their emotions,” Abbey concurred, pretending she knew exactly what Iona meant. Actually, I wasn’t even sure if she was acting. I frowned at her suggestion, but Iona couldn’t get enough of it.

“Is Cooper the same? Alec barely talks about anything else but work.” They looked like two schoolgirls on the playground at school.

“Totally. It’s all DCI Reid this, investigation that. They’re obsessed,” Abbey shared.

“With each other,” the women screeched, finding the so-called similarities between me and DCI Reid hilarious. We were nothing alike, I vowed silently.

“Looks like they’re fast friends,” DCI Reid said dryly, tutting at his wife. “Women, eh? We can’t live without them, but sometimes I wish we could,” he tried to speak quietly, but Iona’s sharp hearing caught the offhand remark.

“Behind every great man is a great woman,” she reminded us cheerily.

“Well, I personally think it’s wonderful to have a Guv that spends time giving back to our station.” I turned on the charm. “McCall would’ve loved to see all of this.”

“I’m sure she would,” he agreed and had the audacity to bow his head in sorrow. “It’s not the same without her.”

“Yes, it’s a right old mess,” Iona gave her two cents worth and flashed her glitzy rings. “I hear a lot of stories about your team, and the station in general. McCall sounds lovely, the poor thing. The sooner she gets back where she belongs, the better.”

Surely, Iona was oblivious as to what really happened here. DCI Reid was probably spinning her a thread, as he had done to the rest of us. In a state of distraction, he’d noticed the donation officer waggling the box