Ralph set down the two pizza boxes and pack of beers between them. Ingrid flipped open the lid of the top box.
“So, Natasha’s been working you hard today, huh?” She pulled out a wedge of cheesy pizza.
“She’s a tough boss. Fair, but tough.”
“Sounds like she told you to say that.” She smiled. “And is that OK with you? Working hard all the time? No chance for a little fun every now and then?”
“We’re having fun now, aren’t we?” He pulled off his own triangle of pizza and took a large bite. At the next desk a female cop slammed down the phone and muttered, “bloody pervert”. Ralph raised his eyebrows. “Ah, the joys of a public appeal. Shame it has to involve the public.” He picked up a bottle of beer, pushed off the top on the side of the desk and handed it to Ingrid. They clinked bottles and Ingrid raised a toast to law enforcement officers everywhere.
“Hear, hear.” Ralph took a swig of beer. “I might moan about it, but I do seriously love this job. It’s all I ever wanted to do. I suppose it’s in my genes.”
“Really?”
“My dad was a copper. Detective Inspector Charlie Mills.” He picked another corner of the label from his bottle. “In his heyday that name sent chills up and down most old lags’ spines.” He took another swig. “If he could see me now, eating fancy pizza and drinking beer out of a bottle.”
“Pizza too fancy for him is it?”
“Too foreign, definitely.”
“A traditional guy, huh?”
“In every sense of the word. Especially at work. Not always a good thing. He wouldn’t hesitate beating a confession out of a suspect if he needed a swift conviction. They really were the bad old days.”
Ingrid raised her eyebrows.
“Don’t get me wrong, I know there are still problems that need sorting inside the Met, but we’ve made a hell of a lot of progress.”
Ingrid hadn’t envisaged talking about work quite so much on their first date, but given the surroundings, she didn’t really see how they could avoid it. “The guy I’m working with on this case, Jack Gurley?” She turned and looked around the office, expecting to see Gurley standing over someone’s desk, waiting to pounce on a confirmed sighting and leap into action, but couldn’t spot him anywhere. “I get the impression he’s beaten up plenty of prisoners in his time. Different rules in the armed forces, I guess.”
“How long are you going to be working with him?”
Was that a fleeting flash of jealousy she detected in Ralph’s expression?
“Until we locate the suspect. I guess it could be a while.”
“Oh.”
“It’s OK—I know how to handle the Jack Gurleys of this world.”
“I wasn’t saying you didn’t, I just—”
Ingrid grabbed his hand. He looked down at her hand covering his then looked up into her eyes. He opened his mouth to say something else and Ingrid shoved a corner of her pizza slice into it. She opened the other box and pulled out another slice. “You want some of this too?” she said, waving the triangle of dough laden with thick cheese and pancetta.
Ralph’s nose twitched. “Not for me, thanks. Not a big fan of pork.”
“You’re not?”
“Been that way since I was a kid.”
“Come on—not even crispy bacon?”
He shook his head firmly. Ingrid noticed he’d gone a little pale. “Not since half a rotting pig carcass was dumped on our doorstep when I was six years old,” he said.
“Who would do a thing like that?”
“Dad never found out. He suspected it was someone he’d put away. Too many potential suspects there to actually pin it on someone.” He shook his head. “My God, it was disgusting.”
Ingrid looked down at the pizza slice. Ralph’s story hadn’t put her off one bit. She took a bite. “I was raised on the stuff,” she said, in between chews. “My dad was a hog farmer.”
“He’s retired now?”
“He’s dead.”
“I’m sorry. What about your mum?”
“Oh she’s very much alive—powered by vodka and nicotine.”
“Are you close?”
“Not at all. I was a real daddy’s girl. He was the kindest man you could ever meet.”
“The complete opposite of mine then.”
“Do you get along OK?”
“He’s dead too.”
“Sorry. How did the conversation get so morbid? Let’s change the subject, shall we?” She raised her bottle, couldn’t think of anything to toast, then took a sip. “Here’s to good beer and fine dining.”
Ralph raised his bottle too. “And beautiful company.” When he realized what he’d just said, his cheeks bloomed crimson. He looked away.
Ingrid couldn’t help but smile