Fragile Minds Page 0,31

me and Lorraine,’ the portly DI was as pink-faced as ever. ‘Be good to catch up.’

Leaning against the fruit machine in the pub whilst Kelly queued for a round that included the wholly un-thrilling prospect of a pint of tepid diet Coke, Silver called Julie against his better judgement. When she didn’t answer, he left her a short message, but before he’d even pocketed the phone, he felt ashamed. There really wasn’t much to be said for a relationship entirely based on sex, whatever Craven or some of his younger colleagues might have felt. Silver sighed heartily. Maybe, at the grand old age of forty-five, he was getting old. He thought briefly of Jessica Finnegan. There had been an undeniable attraction between them, but Jess had been married still to the despicable Mickey, and neither Silver nor she had been ready for anything serious. Plus Jess, for all her tough façade, had been far too fragile to mess around with. But Silver had been drawn to her more than any other woman since Lana. He wondered where Jess was now.

The truth was he was tired of being alone – but he never met anyone who really excited him, not the way Lana had excited him once, before she slipped from reality. Silver suppressed another sigh and joined the others at their table. Briefly they discussed the latest claimant of the explosion.

‘They really do all crawl out of the woodwork, don’t they? And it might be weeks before all the dead are identified.’ Kelly spilt peanut crumbs down his front. Silver winced at the mess. ‘Just like 7 bloody 7. It’s a fucking logistical and DNA nightmare. “Can I borrow your precious Lisa’s toothbrush, Mrs Smith, because we think she might have been blown to high heaven but we can’t tell cos she’s in bits.” Christ.’

‘Don’t,’ winced Kenton, hunching her square shoulders, and Kelly looked apologetic.

‘Sorry, love.’

‘We’ve already got one possible mix-up.’ Kenton sipped her pint most daintily for such a well-built lass. Not for the first time Silver wondered why exactly she dyed her hair such a similar shade to Heinz tomato soup. ‘Australian ballet teacher from the Academy calling herself Tessa Lethbridge. Can’t find her documents at the moment.’

Something chimed in Silver’s head. ‘The Royal Ballet Academy?’

‘That’s the one.’ Kenton wiped foam from her top lip, where just the faintest trace of dyed moustache was visible. ‘Turns out the best. Thank God the damage wasn’t worse. They’ve reopened already.’

Silver frowned, thinking of the sassy little ballerina he’d met that afternoon. What had Duffy said? ‘We trained at the Academy, you know.’

‘I met a dancer today at Covent Garden.’ He poked the lethargic slice of lemon down into his pint of brown syrup. ‘Girl called Lucie Duffy.’

‘Of course! That’s why I knew her name,’ Kenton said. ‘Beautiful ballerina. So natural for such a young ’un. The new Bussell, I reckon.’

‘Bit of an aficionado, are you?’ Silver grinned at her, and the policewoman was struck as ever by the lazy lopsided smile. If she hadn’t preferred the ladies, Kenton would definitely not have been the only woman at work who held a small torch for the solitary DCI. ‘Can’t see you in a tutu.’

‘No you blooming well can’t! No, it was Mum who loved all that. Took her to Sleeping Beauty for her birthday last year. It was Duffy’s first solo role, as the Lilac Fairy.’ Kenton changed the subject, a lump forming in her throat, scared she was about to show weakness over her late mother. ‘What’s her story then?’

‘Still not sure if Misty’s just off on a bender, or has really disappeared.’

‘Oh yeah?’ Kelly perked up at the prospect of death. ‘Who is she?’

‘Inconveniently,’ Silver folded his crisp packet very neatly, ‘she’s got two names. Misty or Sadie, depending on the persona. Misty’s the bad girl, from what I understand. Lap-dancer. A far cry from Sleeping Beauty, I fear.’

‘Girl with two names. Interesting. Where did she dance?’

‘Not sure. Duffy didn’t know.’

‘Sugar and Spice is the most infamous club.’ Kelly’s eyes followed a buxom blonde carrying a dripping pint. He reminded Silver of a hungry dog who knew he had no chance of snaffling the bone. ‘Boss is desperate to pin something on the bastards. They’re bent as arseholes down there. Nasty bunch with a habit of getting away with bloody murder. Literally.’

‘Are arseholes bent?’ Kenton deadpanned.

‘What little girls are made of!’ Silver clapped his hands to his forehead. ‘Of course, that’s what Duffy meant. Misty was dancing at Sugar