Amber was shaking her head. ‘You lot are so bloody ungrateful. I just wanted to help, but if you’re going to be such dickheads about it, I won’t bother.’
‘No, we do need some help. Everyone has had a bad day, that’s all. Please, I’d appreciate it if you could start the background research for the woman pulled out of the lake earlier. Lizzie Thomas was staying at an Airbnb on Rydal Road, I think.’
‘I know, I went there and spoke to Sandra the cleaner who reported her. I’ve already started the background checks and, just to cheer you all up even more, when Brett’s finished his tea he’s going to be joining me. I think it would be good for him to get to experience this and tick mispers off his PDR.’
‘Who is Brett?’ asked Ben.
‘Brett is my student, he attended the scene the other night.’
‘They’re letting you train a student? God, we’re all screwed,’ muttered Cain under his breath. Morgan caught it, but Amber was too far away. She turned to him. ‘Huh, what was that?’
‘He said how wonderful to have two of you helping out, didn’t you, Cain? And is this the student that got the ID wrong of Scarlett Peters?’ said Morgan, who thought that at least if Amber had someone to mentor, she wouldn’t be driving them all insane.
Amber shrugged. ‘Rookie mistake. Hey, did you see the headlines in the paper? They printed a glorious picture of you, Morgan, all wet and bedraggled.’
Ben said, ‘Right, well, when he turns up let’s have a bit of a briefing, so we at least have an idea what everyone is up to. Morgan, can I see you for a minute?’
Morgan, who knew he had done this to stop her from snapping at Amber, followed Ben into his office and closed the door. ‘She’s hard work. Did you manage to eat something?’
He pointed to the empty containers on the desk. ‘Yes, I feel better now. Sorry about this, but I suppose we do need the help, and it’s kind of like buy one get one free, so I don’t want to argue too much with Marc over it, but I would have appreciated being asked about it first.’
‘You don’t need to apologise to me; it’s Cain who has a problem with her.’
Ben paused. ‘Oh, yes, it is. Right.’
Morgan wondered why he was acting all weird, but then there was a commotion in the office, and Ben muttered, ‘What now?’ before he threw the door open so they could see what was going on.
Cain was holding up some new copper by the scruff of his neck, and Amber was yelling at him to put him down. Ben ran over to the pair of them.
‘Cain, let go,’ he said in a low voice, then he turned to Amber. ‘Shut up. For Christ’s sake stop shouting.’
Cain released the guy, who was staring wide-eyed and open-mouthed at him. Cain was a good foot taller and twice as broad. Ben took hold of Cain’s arm and marched him towards his office, pushing him through the open door and kicking it shut with his foot. Morgan looked at Amber and the new guy, who didn’t look injured thankfully; his cheeks red and eyes wide, he just looked shocked by Cain’s outburst.
‘What the hell?’
‘Brett walked in and asked if he could sit at the serial killer’s desk because it wasn’t every day you got to work in the same place as one. How did you put it, Brett? Did you say he was a legend?’ said Amber.
‘Oh fuck,’ muttered Morgan, staring at Ben’s office. ‘You’re lucky he didn’t break your neck.’
‘I was only joking and I said he’d probably become a legend in the true crime field. What’s his problem? Do you guys not have a sense of humour?’
Morgan flexed her fingers a couple of times to stop herself from punching him in the neck; the urge was great though.
‘Cain’s fiancée was murdered by that sick creep you called a legend, so no there is nothing remotely funny about working in the same office that he did.’
Brett, whose cheeks had been flushed and burning seconds ago, now looked as if he was going to faint. All the colour had drained from them in what Morgan thought could be a new world record.
‘Oh my God, I had no idea. I swear down I didn’t know that. I need to apologise, what an idiot I am.’
He strode towards Ben’s office, and Amber asked with a voice filled with panic, ‘Should we stop him?’
Morgan shook her head.
Brett knocked on the door and, after a few moments, Ben opened it and he stepped inside, shutting the door behind him. Morgan didn’t know if he was brave or a complete fool, but either way, what a spectacular introduction he’d made.
After a few minutes the door opened and Cain walked out.
Morgan mouthed, ‘Are you good?’
