Just an extract from a little Midsomer Murder Fiction. 🕵️♂️
Ben threw the borrowed car keys onto Barnaby’s desk getting his DCI’s full attention from stirring his tea. John looked up; he didn’t need a degree in psychology to know that Jones was pissed at him. He leant back in the chair steepling his fingers together. “Good conference, Jones?” He couldn’t resist.
Ben raised an eyebrow and cast him the, ‘you’re really going to go there’, look.
Barnaby gave an innocent smile, noticing Ben still wore the laminated name badge, probably to prove a point, with DCI J Barnaby embolden on it that had been crossed through and Jones’s name hastily scribbled on in marker pen. Yes, Jones was pissed but that’s the perks of being in charge, no more sitting through time consuming police seminars. “Oh come on, Jones,” he mused, “at least the bar was free, surely it was good chance to meet up and swap DCI stories.” He tapped his spoon on the side of his mug.
Ben gave a contained sigh. “Most of the attendees were DCIs, sir, the course was for senior officers.”
Barnaby leant forward to grab his tea. “Senior officers, fancy that.” He sipped his drink.
Jones stopped from ferreting around in the messenger bag he’d brought in with him. “Fancy that,” he echoed. “Here.” He slammed a thick wad of printed matter on Barnaby’s desk, making the DCI jump.
“What’s this?” John put his tea at a safe distance in case Jones decided to slam anything else down.
“Handouts, notes, from the seminar.”
Barnaby tapped his finger on the paperwork. “Now why would I need these, Jones?” he asked getting ready to file them in the bin.
“Because, apparently, the Chief wants to hear your views over lunch tomorrow.” This time it was Ben’s turn to smile.
Barnaby tipped forward in his chair knocking the mug. “What, when.” His computer gave a conspiratorial little bleep to say he’d received internal mail.
Ben turned back to his desk. “The perks of being in charge, sir, lunch with the Chief Super.” He began to look over paperwork in his tray, trying not to glance up in case Barnaby caught the satisfied grin on his face.
Copyright RMC Dec 2017
Mistyroads 