Two Evils: A DI Charlotte Savage Novel by Mark Sennen Read Free Book Online Page A

with a Yale lock. Savage walked down and knocked on the door.
    ‘Police, Mr Stone,’ she said. ‘Open up, we’d like a chat.’
    There was movement from within the bedsit and the noise from the TV ceased. Somebody stumbled behind the door and then the lock clicked open. The man who answered the door had a chiselled face and a short haircut. A tattoo ran up one side of his neck and on the hand which pulled open the door was more ink: F. U. C. K . She wondered how that worked. Did the other hand have only three fingers?

    ‘Ned Stone?’ Savage held up her warrant card so there could be no confusion. ‘Police. We’d like a word please. You can invite us in or you can come down to the station.’
    ‘Hey?’ Stone blinked and then rubbed his eyes. He was wearing a pair of loose-fitting grey tracksuit bottoms and a white T-shirt, the latter inside out. He shook his head. ‘I’ve just woken up and I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.’
    Stone turned from the door and walked back into the room. On the far side a mattress lay on the floor against one wall. A duvet had been rucked up on the bed and now Stone went over and slumped down on top of it.
    ‘Late night, Ned?’ Calter said as she moved past Savage and entered the room. ‘Burning the candle at both ends? Well, we’ve got plenty of beds down at the custody suite and the rooms are a darn sight cleaner than this one.’
    ‘What’s your problem?’ Stone said.
    ‘Jason Hobb is our problem. Yours too.’
    ‘He’s gone missing, Mr Stone,’ Savage said. ‘I understand you’re with Angie, Jason’s mother. Is that right?’
    ‘With?’ Stone looked up and grinned, but the smile wasn’t friendly, more like a dog baring its lips. ‘I wouldn’t say that exactly. I’ve seen her a few times, yeah.’
    ‘Seen her?’ Calter said. ‘What does that mean? You’re having sex with her. Eating her food. Using her toilet. You’re probably not paying her bills, but hey, she can’t have everything, right?’
    Stone kept silent. Shook his head.
    ‘Do you know where Jason is, Ned?’ Savage said.
    ‘How the fuck should I know? I haven’t seen him since I was round Angie’s place on Saturday.’

    ‘Are you sure about that?’
    ‘Of course I’m sure. What’s happened to the lad?’
    ‘We’re trying to find out. He vanished Monday evening while digging bait.’
    ‘Gone in the water, has he?’
    ‘Why do you say that?’
    ‘No reason. Just from what you said.’
    ‘You’ve got several convictions, Ned.’ Calter again. ‘One for beating your ex-wife black and blue.’
    ‘It wasn’t like that. She went off with another guy, the two-timing bitch. She didn’t realise how lucky she was to be with me.’
    ‘Lucky?’ Calter huffed. She cast a glance around the room. ‘Yeah, I guess you’re quite a catch. If you’re fishing for worms.’
    ‘Look, bitch, what’s your problem?’
    Calter stepped towards the mattress. She raised a hand. ‘Nobody—’
    ‘DC Calter!’ Savage moved across to Calter. ‘Enough. Wait outside.’
    ‘Ma’am, I only—’
    ‘Out! That’s an order.’
    The DC shrugged and lurched from the room. Savage sighed. Calter had taken an understandable dislike to Stone and the man had got under her skin. That was all very well, but confrontation wouldn’t work here. Subtlety was needed.
    ‘Let’s get back to the subject of Jason,’ Savage said. ‘Are you sure you haven’t seen him?’
    ‘Of course I’m sure.’ Stone stared at the open door after Calter, shaking his head. ‘I haven’t been over the river since the weekend. I was in Plymouth all day Monday and in the evening.’
    ‘How well did you get on with Jason, Ned?’ Savage dropped to the floor in a crouch so she was at the same level as Stone. She wanted to change the parameters of the interview. Become the man’s friend. ‘Did you ever go digging bait with him, fishing maybe?’

    ‘Fishing?’ Stone had sat upright now. He glared across at