Allan Guthrie - Bye Bye Baby

"How much did you win?" I asked.

"Not a penny. Some other fucker scored first. But it's the principle of the thing. It was a value bet. You get enough of them, then over time you'll come out on top. But you have to take some hits along the way. That's what your aunt doesn't understand. You get it?"

"Totally," I said. "Makes perfect sense." And in a way, it did. Can't say I was a convert, though. I'd rather keep my money.

"Good. You can let go and put your shoe back on now."

My leg felt stiff. I gave it a shake.

He turned, still in a crouch.

I slipped my shoe back on. "You need a hand?"

"I'm more than capable of standing up," he said.

I watched as he eased himself painfully to his feet.

"Is that all?" I asked.

"No," he said. "The Wilson case. Sergeant Dutton claims there was a mix-up and the right information didn't get through to you. That so?"

"No," I said. "It very much isn't."

"He was fucking with you, I know that," my uncle said. "And while you may be a fanny now and then, it doesn't mean Dutton should get to slip you a length."

He had a way with words, my uncle.

"Thanks," I said. This kind of support was most unexpected. He was usually harder on me than anyone else. Just in case there were any cries of favouritism.

"I've sent DS Dutton home as well." He cleared his throat. "But I don't want to lose him. I promised I wouldn't say anything, but there's something you should know."

"Tell me," I said.

"His wife left him."

I felt myself smile. I said, "I'm sorry to hear that," but I knew I didn't sound like I meant it.

"Don't be a shite, sunshine. Look, I don't want to lose Dutton. Any more than I want to lose Erica. They're good cops."

"One of them is."

"I'll be the judge of that. My job, not yours."

I nodded. "What's Erica saying?"

"She says Dutton could be right," he said. "There was a bit of a mix-up."

That was unexpected too.

"She wasn't so sure at first but I convinced her after a while, " he said. He stretched, pulled a face. "Do you think I can convince you?"

"I doubt it."

"Bad reception, maybe? And you missed hearing about the kid having died seven years ago?"

"I don't think so."

"It's a possibility, though?"

"No."

"Pity. Cause if that were the case," he said, "then we could resolve this situation fairly easily. You don't want Erica to lose her job, do you?"

"She struck a superior officer. Not much I can do about that."

"She's apologised. Dutton's accepted. We'll find a way back for her."

"And Dutton gets off the hook for wasting police time?"

"With a warning," my uncle said. "The threat of demotion. And if he fucks with you again, I'll punch him myself."

"Okay." I nodded. "That seems fair."

"Super."

"Is that it?" I asked.

"Just one more thing. It's your Aunt Sarah's birthday next week. Any idea what I could get the old bag?" He stretched, winced. "Nothing too expensive."

That evening, I was at the kitchen table with Holly, topping up her glass of expensive French white. We were having a late dinner, which I'd cooked. When I say 'cooked', the truth is I'd stuck two packets of pre-prepared chicken tikka in the oven and boiled some extra rice. Tasted pretty good, anyway. The boys had eaten earlier with their friends and were out playing football.

Holly and I had the house to ourselves for a while.

I'd just finished telling her about Bruce Wilson and his crazy mum. About Dutton. About how he'd made me feel. I'd hoped Holly might be sympathetic.

But she just gave me a blank stare. Hazel eyes. Caramel skin, which the boys had inherited from her. My family all tanned. I burned.

She took a sip of her wine, licked her lips.

I was sticking with beer. Wine and curry didn't work for me.

Holly said, "Is Erica going to lose her job?"

The reason I hadn't worked a case with Erica for a while was because we had some history between us. Me, Erica and Holly, that is. The three of us had slept together. First time was when Holly suggested a threesome one drunken night, and Erica said okay, it'd be a giggle. No need to ask what I said. But I can't say I'd enjoyed it much. It wasn't much fun being ignored.

Those two were right into it, though.

Second time, they slept together without me. Didn't ask or let me know.

I don't think Holly would have said anything about it if she hadn't got drunk and angry one night. She gave me more details than I needed. I'd never said anything to Erica but I could tell that she knew I knew. Holly must have told her.

Sex had never been the same between me and Holly since. In fact, these days we hardly slept together. And when we did, half the time she fell asleep part-way through. The other half of the time, I did.

"You like to go to bed with her again?" I said.

"Oh, for crying out loud." She leaned her head back, her eyes squeezed shut.

"I'm only asking."

Her head snapped forward, eyes open, shining. "Why won't you shut up about it?"

"I don't know," I said. I didn't.

"Just let it rest," Holly said. "I've said sorry till I'm hoarse. What more do you want from me?"

I reached across the table and took hold of her hand.

"Would you like to sleep with her again?" I asked. "Answer me."

"Would you?" She pulled her hand away.

Allan Guthrie

Bye Bye Baby

Mrs Wilson's shrink was called Dr Snow. She greeted me at the door to her office with a walking stick and a cute smile. Twenty years younger and I'd have said she was flirting with me. Maybe she was.

She limped over to one of the two chairs in front of her desk. "Please," she said, pointing with her walking stick.

I took the free seat.

"Thanks for coming." She swept her stringy grey hair out of her eyes. "It's kind of you." She smoothed her skirt.

"Wasn't my decision to make," I said. "But I admit I'm curious."

"Indeed, Mrs Wilson's is a curious case." She smiled again, the skin around her eyes creasing. "She called me this morning in a terrible state."

"Bruce not returned?" I grinned but Dr Snow didn't grin back.

"You know, officer, that Bruce has gone missing before?"

"Twice," I said. Oh, yeah. I'd been told all about it.

"And you know he turned up after a couple of days?"

I nodded. The information had been there at Dutton's fingertips. He knew Mrs Wilson was a nutjob. All he'd done was send around a couple of uniforms to pacify her and then when I'd walked past his desk, he'd decided to have some fun at my expense.

I doubt he thought it would get as far as it did, though. Never expected he'd get to make such a monumental fool out of me.

"This time it's different," Dr Snow said. "There's been a development."

I waited, wondering what was coming. My uncle had just told me to get over here pronto, that the shrink would provide the details. And that I was to report to him afterwards.

"Mrs Wilson has received a demand for money." Dr Snow paused. "Two hundred and fifty thousand pounds, to be precise."

"Oh, that's beautiful," I said. The crazy woman had written herself a ransom note. "She's let her imagination run riot."

"Well, I think it's a natural progression. And if you think about it, it's not a bad thing."

"How can that be?" I asked. "She's getting worse, surely."

"On the surface, that's how it might look. But I think it might be her way of finally letting go." The shrink leaned towards me as if she was going to tell me a secret. She even lowered her voice. "I believe she's tried before." Her breath smelled of strawberries. "The previous disappearances of her son were an attempt to let go of the illusion that he was still alive. But it was too easy for him to come back. Maybe it's necessary for her to add a kidnapping and ransom demand. Maybe if she doesn't pay it, something happens to Bruce and…" She spread her fingers.