The Devil's Moon by Peter Guttridge Read Free Book Online Page A

just named after him. He was a doctor too but preferred to use herbs as cures. He used the crystal to cure illness but apparently stopped in 1651 when a demon burst out of it.’
    â€˜That would make you wonder about the cures you were giving,’ Watts said. ‘All these crystals – he must have lived in Brighton.’
    Travis laughed.
    â€˜Has the Science Museum object gone missing too?’ Watts said.
    She grinned. ‘That would be freaky. I don’t believe so. We think this was an opportunist theft. That’s why these are still here. We have a lot of casual staff working here when we’re putting an exhibition together.’
    â€˜I would have thought security would be pretty tight.’
    She made a face. ‘Oh, it is out front but in the back is sometimes another story. We have this dreadful habit of trusting people.’
    â€˜And the stuff that was stolen – I presume there’s a market for it?’
    â€˜For magical apparatus linked to John Dee, the most famous magician in the world? I would say so.’
    â€˜I thought Doctor Faust was the most famous magician in the world?’
    â€˜He’s based on Doctor Dee – certainly in Christopher Marlowe’s version.’
    They had reached the lift.
    â€˜It’s funny we should be talking about this,’ Watts said. ‘I’m meeting my father’s agent in a minute to discuss my father’s acquaintance with three writers on the occult, including Aleister Crowley.’
    Travis stood directly in front of him. Close to him.
    â€˜The Great Beast, eh?’ she said. ‘But it’s not so funny. The supernatural is everywhere these days. My colleague’s teenage nieces were obsessed with Harry Potter and now
Twilight
and all these vampire things. My colleague calls that chastity porn.’
    â€˜Chastity porn?’
    â€˜
Twilight
has this vampire. Robert Pattinson in the films. All the girls swoon over him but he’s kind of a pervy stalker of this chaste young woman. Kristen Stewart in the films. She’s a virgin and if she succumbs to him she’ll be damned. So it’s a lot of titillation. The books are essentially extended foreplay. Very extended.’
    â€˜And you don’t like that?’ Watts said.
    She laughed. ‘I like foreplay as much as the next girl . . .’
    Watts smiled, suddenly embarrassed by her proximity. He was easily embarrassed by women. He pressed the lift button.
    â€˜You want the top floor,’ she said.
    He nodded and smiled awkwardly. She took out a card and pen and wrote something on the back.
    â€˜My old one – which I’m sure you’ve kept – is out of date now.’
    Watts took the card and turned it over.
    â€˜My home number,’ Travis said. ‘Ring me here or there – it doesn’t matter which. If you’ve a mind to.’
    She turned and walked away, hips swinging, her hand raised in a little wave goodbye.
    â€˜I will,’ he called after her. Then he muttered, ‘Most certainly.’

SIX
    B uggeration. Gilchrist stomped down the stairs of the police station and out into the street. The sky had turned black as night and the first drops of rain were falling. She looked up, wary of falling fish. At least that thought made her smile. She turned into the first café she came to and put the big bundle of files she’d spent the rest of the morning with on the counter.
    â€˜Looks like we’re in for it,’ the barman said, frowning as the rain rattled against the window. ‘But at least it is just rain. For the time being anyway.’
    Gilchrist nodded curtly, glancing at her watch. She wasn’t in here just to get out of the rain. The sun was over the yard-arm somewhere.
    â€˜Chardonnay. Big one.’
    Talk about giving with one hand and taking away with the other. She was more than relieved that she was not being disciplined or ejected from the police force. She