Force Of Habit v5 by Robert Bartlett Read Free Book Online Page A

to do it.’
    North gave another nod.
    ‘Or he’s just scared because of his record. He isn’t to know she was dead before he got out.’
    North shook his head.
    ‘He may well be in shock and shitting himself but its because he knows something. It might not be much but it could be enough to take us forward. There was adrenaline in that pub. Something was going down. Rawlins was waiting for someone, someone he had to have contacted. Who? Why? And if forensics don’t come up with anything other than that cash, its all we’ve got for now. This case has serious organised drugs all over it.’
    ‘Its good to see the light in you come back on.’
    North beamed through blue-grey eyes. A tray of flutes filled with champagne floated by and North took one. The Super took it from him and downed it in one.
    ‘Cheers,’ he said, and strode off after the waitress. ‘Cut back,’ he said, exchanging his empty. ‘Way back.’ The girl with the tray smiled at North. Everyone loves a hero. She looked almost bashful when he winked in return. You didn’t see many bashful nineteen year olds these days. A student trying to keep her loan down. More used to books than boys. A dying breed.
    On stage they were introducing the main event: Eddie George. North didn’t know what he was being honoured with, they must have invented a new one as he already had everything going. Steady Eddie, the northern rock, gentleman George, Sir Edward Charles George, Mister Newcastle. He was the richest this land had seen since the feudal system had reigned. He now used profits from his many companies to finance his own charities at home and abroad, including the purchase and regeneration of the city’s football club which was seen as the greatest charity of them all locally.
    His taxes and business dealings dating back to his days peddling gear in the schoolyard were as clean as a whistle and now he was giving back to the community in spades. The national tabloids called him Saint George. He didn’t even have a blonde young enough to be his grand daughter in tow. It was true that he was married to a younger woman, and he enjoyed calling himself a cradle snatcher, but she was the wrong side of fifty, looked it and he adored her. There would be no trading in for a newer model. George was strictly old school. He strode onto the stage, cracked a funny that was actually funny and took complete command of the place. There were many in the audience whose jealousy made them refer to him as Big ‘Ed. Eddie George had heard the name and laughed out loud. He couldn’t give a shit. He lapped it all up. Loved it. North smiled. You had to love him back.
    ‘Inspector North?’ A kid with an iphone appeared. ‘Dave Green from the Post. That was quite the speech.’
    You are the worst of the bunch, thought North.
    ‘Could I have five minutes?’
    ‘Sure,’ North smiled.
    They were actually in a position to rally and influence but they didn’t care what they printed just as long as it sold papers. Splash the headline that grabs the punters. They should be educating them not leading them on. North proceeded to lead him on about Denise Lumsden’s death. It would all be corrected the following day but by then it would be too late. Once people had read about the judge who let a killer go that’s what would stick, regardless of what came later. They made ridiculous decisions and you didn’t get many chances to stick it to them so you took them whenever you could. The kid typed up the story then and there and it was transmitted to his office before North had left the building.
    He stepped outside. He felt good. Across the street, lights winked at the push of his key fob. He felt like he could whistle and his car would pull up to the kerb and pop the passenger door for him. It had even stopped raining.
     

SEVEN
    A white Luton pulled out in front of him as he indicated left. The diesel trundled past and all was quiet as he approached the Pond House. He slowed. The pub