Page 45 of Better the Devil

‘No bother. They can be a bit full-on,’ the sergeant said. ‘Biscuit?’

Hamza was about to decline when he spotted Ben gesturing frantically to him from the back of the hall. He plucked one from the plate. Ben continued to gesture, then thumb-upped his approval when Hamza took a second.

‘For later,’ the DI said, putting the biscuits in his jacket pocket.

‘I think you made a big impression with your speech,’ Fleck said. He looked out across the hall, where the various groups and factions were all gathering in little knots. ‘They’re a good bunch, for the most part. They care, you know? About theircommunities. Our communities, I suppose. I was, eh, let’s just say I was not best pleased when I was first given the liaison job, but… I don’t know. It’s nice. I feel we’re really building something here.’

There was a fondness in his voice, like a proud parent talking about the achievements of a much-loved child.

‘And, well, let’s be fair, they’re a right shower of nosy bastards, so they see and hear a lot. They’ve been useful in the past. I’m convinced they could be a real asset going forward.’

‘Are they all…?’

‘Ancient?’ The sergeant laughed. ‘Mostly, aye. Although, there’s maybe thirty or so younger folk. Most of them couldn’t make it today, though. Work. Kids. Whatever. This lot’ll turn up at the opening of a crisp packet, though, as long as they get to eat the crisps.’

He reached into a pocket in his uniform, fished out a business card with his details on it, and passed it to the DI.

‘If you think they can be of use on anything, give me a ring. As they’re always quick to tell me, they’ve got eyes everywhere.’ Fleck leaned in a little closer, like he was sharing a secret. ‘I’ve tried to tell them how creepy that sounds, but they didn’t seem all that bothered.’

Hamza glanced at the card. It was a standard police-issue card with his name, rank, and contact details printed on it. The sort of thing that might be left with a victim or witness.

‘Cheers,’ Hamza told him, adding the card to the same pocket as the biscuits. ‘And… Well done. On all this. On pulling this together.’

‘Oh, I didn’t pull it together,’ Sergeant Fleck chuckled at the suggestion. ‘I just try and make sure it doesn’t all blow itself apart!’

He spotted Callum Walker trying to insert himself into the middle of another group, and adjusted the remaining biscuits on his plate.

‘Which is easier said than done sometimes.’

With a nod, he went on his way. Hamza watched him weave his way through what was left of the audience, meeting their smiles and waves on the way.

‘You fit?’

Hamza jumped in fright at the urgent hiss of the voice right beside him. Ben opened his jacket to reveal a full picnic’s worth of sandwiches and sausage rolls, all wrapped in cellophane and bundled away out of sight.

‘I’ve got us lunch,’ he said, shooting a look at the door. ‘But we’d better get a shifty on before the buggers notice.’

By the timeHamza and Ben arrived back at Burnett Road station, a large dent had been made in the sandwich haul. Ben sat in the passenger seat, meticulously picking breadcrumbs off the front of his shirt, and dropping them out of the open side window.

‘Don’t want to get your car messy,’ he explained.

Hamza chose not to point out that he could’ve just waited until he was out of the car before getting stuck in, but felt this would only lead to confused looks and head scratching.

‘Your speech back there. It was good. Perfect, in fact. Just what they needed to hear.’

Hamza turned off the engine. ‘Cheers, sir.’ He gave a jerk of his head. ‘Ben. Sorry.’

‘I don’t think it was true, though. What you said,’ Ben continued.

‘How do you mean?’

‘You. Needing help. I mean, aye, you do, like you said, we all do sometimes. But this? This job? Nah. This is no bother for you.’

Hamza shook his head and looked away. Out through the windscreen. Out at the station, towering above them.

‘I feel… I don’t know. There’s so much to learn. And it’s different, you know? Running a scene, all them people waiting for your orders. Waiting on your decisions. It’s… I just struggle with it.’

‘I never struggled with any of that,’ Ben told him.