Page 89 of Better the Devil

‘I do not need lawyer. I have done nothing wrong.’

‘Well, that is great!’ Reeve cried. ‘In that case, this should all be done and dusted in no time, and we can get you on your way. But, if you change your mind and would like someone to come in…’

Bosco shook his head. ‘I have all the support I need.’

He looked very deliberately up towards the ceiling. Reeve followed his gaze, not understanding at first. His smile beamed brighter still when the penny dropped.

‘Oh! Oh, you mean…?’

‘Jesus. Yes.’

‘You’re religious. Well, that’s great! What church are you with?’

Across the table, Bosco blinked. ‘I am with… Christian God.’

‘Awesome! But I mean, like, which denomination, exactly? Me, I was raised Southern Baptist. You know, Bible study, Sunday morning service, choir, Bible camp, mid-week serviceon Wednesday nights—gotta have that top-up! Daily prayers. Devotionals. Whole nine yards.’

Bosco was staring blankly at the DCI’s mouth, like he was trying to work out what all the words he’d just heard actually meant.

‘Christian God,’ he mumbled.

Reeve accepted the answer with a nod, and another ratcheting up of his smile. His eyes twinkled in a way that suggested not one iota of the rest of his expression was fake.

‘That’s terrific. Good for you, Mr Maximuke!’

He slid the folder over until it was positioned right in front of him.

‘And, well, I hope the Lord has cleared His schedule for this afternoon.’

Reeve opened the folder to the uppermost page and clasped his hands together on top of it.

‘Because we have got us a wholeheapto get through…’

‘He’s good.’

Logan turned his head just enough to scowl at Ben Forde, who stood in the observation room beside him, watching the performance on the other side of the glass.

‘Who? Captain fucking Sunshine? He’s done nothing.’

‘He’s put Bosco on the back foot about the religious stuff,’ Ben pointed out.

Logan tutted and folded his arms. ‘We all knew that was bollocks. And Bosco knew that I knew it was bollocks. And I knew that he knew that… And anyway, we didn’t have to go through that bloody performance.’

Ben fought back a smirk, but didn’t argue.

‘Bit of Kit-Kat?’ he asked, holding up a foil-wrapped finger.

‘No,’ Logan said, but he grabbed it anyway, unwrapped it, and tossed the whole thing into his mouth.

They both stood there chewing silently while, on the other side of the glass, DCI Reeve continued his questioning.

‘How come you were so keen to bring Bosco in all of a sudden, anyway?’ Ben probed.

‘Because he lied to me.’

‘About what?’

Logan finished chewing. He swallowed, then swept his tongue across the front of his teeth, clearing away the chocolate debris.