Ben Cheetham - Blood Guilt

Harlan gave a wry inward smile. Garrett was usually a calm, competent interviewer, but something about Harlan got under his skin. It wasn’t hard to guess what that something was — Harlan had been one of Garrett’s protegees, fast-tracked through the ranks. He was supposed to be part of a new breed of detectives, someone who was as likely to solve a crime using a computer as they were chasing down suspects on the streets. Garrett had once regarded him as one of his greatest successes. Now the exact opposite was true. “In that case, the answer’s a definite no. So what’s happened to Jones?”

“What makes you think something’s happened to him?”

“Well it’s obvious something’s happened, otherwise I wouldn’t be here.”

Garrett glanced at DI Greenwood. “Tell him.”

Flipping open his statement pad, the detective recited, “Sometime between one and two AM last night a masked intruder broke into William Jones’s house. The intruder bound Mr Jones’s hands and feet, before questioning him about Ethan Reed’s abduction. When Mr Jones said he knew nothing about it, the intruder threatened to torture him. Mr Jones said again that he knew nothing, at which point the intruder left. At approximately five AM, Mr Jones managed to free himself from his bonds and phone the police.”

“And you think I was the intruder.”

“I don’t think, I know,” stated Garrett.

“Really? How do you know? Where’s your evidence?”

Garrett shot Greenwood another look, and the DI said, “Certain phrases the intruder used, in particular the way he referred to forensic evidence relating to Mr Jones’s conviction made him suspect that the intruder was, or had once been, a policeman.”

With a look of incredulous surprise, Harlan’s gaze flicked between his interviewers. “Is that it? Is that you’re evidence?”

“That’s all we have right now,” said Garrett, bending in close to Harlan. “But soon we’ll have more evidence. Hard evidence.”

Harlan didn’t flinch from Garrett’s gaze. “I can see how embarrassing this must be for you. But what did you think would happen once the media got hold of Jones’s arrest? You might as well have painted a target on the guy’s back. Half this city’s out for his blood because of you. And now you want to make an example of someone, so that no one else dares touch him. I understand that. I’d do the same in your position. But I’m not the guy you’re after. Since we last talked, I’ve steered clear of everything to do with Ethan Reed’s abduction. I haven’t even followed the case on the TV.”

As Harlan spoke, Garrett’s pink complexion deepened into an angry flush. “You’re right. That’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to nail you up for everyone in this city to see. Then I’m going to bury you so deep you won’t see the light of day for years. You’ve made a fool of me for the last time, Miller.”

“Is that it? Are we done? Or are you going to arrest me?”

“We’re done. For now. I could have your property searched, but I don’t suppose you’d be stupid enough to have left anything for us to find.”

“I don’t suppose I would, if I had anything to do with this.”

As Harlan stood to leave, Garrett added with a note of genuine sadness in his voice, “Do you know what the real shame of all this is? You were the brightest and best DI I ever had. I had such high hopes for you, Miller. Such high expectations. I gave you the opportunity to go as far as your ability could take you, but you threw it away.” He shook his head. “Such a waste.”

A ripple disturbed the calm surface of Harlan’s face. “That’s what life is — a waste, a fucked up joke.”

“If that’s really what you think, why bother going on?”

“Sometimes I don’t know. I really don’t.”

The two men stared at each other a few seconds more, then Harlan turned away. DI Greenwood escorted him from the station. “Do you want a lift home?”

Harlan shook his head. He needed to walk and think about what he was going to say to Susan Reed. Besides which, he’d suddenly noticed how hungry he was. He set off in the direction of a nearby cafe he knew from his police days. As he rounded a corner, a hand touched his shoulder. He turned and saw that it belonged to Jim Monahan. “Christ, Harlan, tell me you didn’t do it,” he said.

Harlan answered with silence.

Jim’s face ruckled in dismay. “For fuck’s sake, have you lost your mind? Just what the hell were you trying to achieve? We questioned that nonce, Jones, for two days and got zip from him. What made you think you’d do any better?”

Because I can do things the police can’t, thought Harlan, but he remained silent.

“Jones is in hospital, you know.”

Harlan’s heart gave a quick thump. It flashed through his mind that Jones might’ve suffered a heart attack or something, but he dismissed the thought — if that’d been the case, Garrett would’ve used it to try and get him to come clean. “Nothing serious, I hope.”

Jim shook his head. “A dislocated elbow.” He looked at Harlan as if trying to recollect a face he hadn’t seen for a long time. “What’s going on with you Harlan? Intimidation was never your bag.”

“Who says it is now? Who says I had anything to do with what happened to Jones? Maybe I was at the flat all night, like I told Garrett.”

“And maybe I was having dinner on the moon.” Jim sighed. “How did this happen? I mean, what made you do this? Just the other day Eve phoned to tell me how well you were doing. She sounded happier than she had in a very long time. She said the two of you were really making a go of things.”

A familiar bite of guilt gnawed at Harlan. “Yeah well she was wrong. I was wrong too. I allowed myself to think I could be with her. But I can’t be. Not now. Maybe not ever.”

“That’s just crazy talk, Harlan,” snapped Jim, a sudden anger flaring in his eyes. “Do you want to know something? That woman’s worth ten of you. I’d give up my job in a second for someone like her. And you’re gonna let the chance to be with her go by for what? So you can go on some insane hunt for a boy who’s already dead.”

“You don’t know that. You don’t know for sure that he’s dead.”

“Yes I do. And you do too, only you won’t admit it to yourself.”

“Maybe, but it doesn’t really matter if he’s alive or dead — at least, not in the way you mean. This isn’t just about Ethan. It’s about the people who love him. One way or another, they need closure.”

“And what makes you think you can give it to them? Come on, Harlan, you know how it is with cases like this. We might get a lucky break and catch the fucker who took Ethan or-”

“Or you might never catch him,” interrupted Harlan. “Yeah, Jim, I know how it is.”

“But that doesn’t make any difference to you, does it? You’re gonna keep at this until you’re in jail or dead, aren’t you?”

Again, Harlan said nothing, but the fixed set of his jaw and the way he stared unflinchingly at Jim told his ex-partner all he needed to know. Jim heaved another sigh. “Okay, Harlan. You win. Look, I’ll tell you what, if you keep me in your loop, I’ll do the same.”

“Why would you do that?”

“Because if I can’t talk you out of this, I might as well use you. Besides, I’d rather you come to me than pull another stunt like last night.”

“What about Garrett?”

Jim smiled. “You know what Garrett can go do.”

A thin smile played on Harlan’s lips too. “Okay. Maybe between us we can solve this thing.”

“Maybe.” Jim sounded unconvinced. He glanced over his shoulder in the direction of the police station. “Listen, we’ll be seen if we talk here much longer. Let’s go somewhere where we can pick each other’s brains.”