Cut to the Bone by Alex Caan Read Free Book Online Page A

what you’re doing is justified. He didn’t say thanks, ended the call quickly instead. Riley was heading his way.

Chapter Fifteen
    It was a woman’s voice. Shaken-up, drunk, hysterical.
    ‘Oh, God, please, we need an ambulance,’ she said.
    ‘What’s the emergency?’ said the emergency operator.
    ‘She’s hurt, I think she’s dead,’ said the woman.
    It was interspersed with sobs, hiccups.
    ‘Who is? What’s happened? What’s your name, caller?’
    ‘Millie, it’s Millie, she’s Millie,’ said the woman. ‘She fell. She jumped. I don’t know. She’s down there, just not moving.’
    ‘You are calling from the Hotel Chrome?’
    ‘Yes. I’m in . . . doesn’t matter. Can you get here, please? We need a doctor, an ambulance. Hurry, please!’
    The line went dead.
    ‘Is that all?’ said Kate.
    Zain nodded, playing the call again on his phone.
    ‘Did you pull up the case file?’
    ‘Yes. Doesn’t say much,’ said Zain.
    ‘Why is Dan not in prison? If he threw her off the balcony?’
    ‘The charges were dropped,’ said Zain.
    ‘Why?’
    ‘Doesn’t say. I only downloaded the summary. Will review the full case file in the office.’
    ‘Is the girl, Millie, alive?’
    ‘Yes,’ said Zain.
    ‘How is that possible? If she was pushed from the tenth floor, into an empty swimming pool?’ said Kate.
    Zain shrugged.
    ‘Let’s see what Dan Grant has to say about all this,’ said Kate. ‘Where does he live?’
    ‘It’s a flat in Borough,’ he said.
    Zain started the car, plunged into the London traffic. He could smell the amber and ginger scent of Riley’s perfume.
    ‘You smell good,’ he said.
    She ignored him, and called in to her boss, Detective Chief Superintendent Julie Trent.
    ‘The Days are with FLO and the Tech team now. If anyone gets in touch, we’ll know and start a trace, ma’am,’ said Kate. ‘We’re on our way to interview the boyfriend, Daniel Grant. The parents think there might be an issue with him. He’s got some form, possibly.’
    Form. It sounded so public school, Zain thought. History of bad behaviour, more like. He beeped at someone cutting in front of him.
    ‘Yes, ma’am. And, ma’am, do you know yet why the commissioner called me directly? Why didn’t he run it by you? Yes, ma’am, I’ll report once I’m back,’ she said.
    Have a nice day, thought Zain. That’s what she should say. Although Riley seemed to temper her American accent, tried to sound out the vowels as though they were local. It just made her sound even better, as far as he was concerned.
    ‘What did she say about Hope?’ said Zain, trying to keep his voice steady.
    ‘Doesn’t know. Somebody must have gotten him involved. He probably called Despatch and asked for the case to be sent to his office, and then he called me.’
    Once again, Zain felt apprehensive about his involvement, about doctoring the database case files. DCI Riley seemed to have integrity, and he didn’t like to think how she would react if she ever found out.

Chapter Sixteen
    Zain was heading over Waterloo Bridge for the fourth time that day, despite it being just after eleven. Eight hours since DCI Riley had first called him.
    The traffic was moving, but he had to stop every few seconds. He switched on his car sound system, music bursting around them.
    Kate was tapping away on her phone while drinking a coffee – which she had made him stop to buy – out of a styrofoam cup. It was non-branded; she said she had a thing against globalisation. Ironic coming from an American, he had thought. Was that racist?
    His music pitched high, as the piece reached a crescendo.
    ‘What is this?’ she said.
    ‘It’s spiritual music, from Konya in Turkey,’ he said. ‘A present. If it’s annoying you, we can listen to something else.’
    ‘Can we have silence?’ she said.
    ‘Yep, no worries,’ he said.
    He switched the music off. Silence filled the space between them. Uncomfortable, heavy and oppressive. He wanted