Page 86 of Deadly Cry

She unlocked and pushed it open to see her favourite sight.

‘Barney, my boy,’ she said, leaning down to pet him as Bryant walked around her.

‘I’ll put the kettle on.’

‘So what’s up?’ she asked, rubbing Barney’s head as he walked beside her.

She opened the back door for Barney to go out. Their night walk would come after Bryant had left.

‘You have a fight with the missus?’ she asked, concerned.

It would be unusual for the two of them, but every marriage, even the best ones, hit rough patches. And Bryant’s was the best example of a good marriage she’d ever seen.

‘We’re in your home, so I’m still Bryant but you’re now Kim, right?’ he asked.

‘Yeah,’ she said. That was her rule.

‘And we’re officially off duty after a fourteen-hour day?’

‘Bryant…’ she warned. It was too late in the day for these kind of games. ‘Out with it.’

‘You were dead wrong to speak to the team the way you did earlier today.’

‘Is this because of Woody’s call?’ she asked, reaching for a carrot when Barney came in from outside.

Her boss had called her once she’d left Kate Sewell’s address to ask why her team was outside walking around the building.

The news had both made her smile and prompted her to instruct Bryant to send them home.

‘Alison had just left, the other two sounded delirious and I’m not sure I mean that in a good way,’ he said, reaching for the mugs. He looked at the one she reserved for him and put it back.

‘I don’t really want a coffee; I just wanted to get in the door to give you a reality check.’

‘Go on then, let me have it,’ she said, sitting on the bar stool where he normally sat. He took her position, standing against the work surface with his arms folded.

He was a bit late with his bollocking. She’d realised her error two hours ago, but it was important to let him have his say.

‘That team will do anything for you. They’ll follow you anywhere. They don’t expect a pat on the back, a gold star or for you to bake them cookies. They don’t expect you to big them up for doing a good job. They also don’t expect to be shouted at for working long hours and trying their best.’

‘Absolutely.’

‘They also don’t expect to take the brunt of your frustration that this guy is getting ahead of us at every turn.’

‘Agreed.’

‘Penn has just lost his mother. Stacey is getting married in ten days’ time and Alison… well, Alison actually deserved the bollocking, but still, you could have gone easier.’

‘Is there any language in which I can say I agree with you that you’ll understand?’

There was nothing he’d said that hadn’t already gone through her mind since she’d left the office.

He uncrossed his arms. ‘I mean, to be fair, it does look like the bollocking had a positive effect. Penn was telling me some interesting stuff they came up with on their little walk.’

‘So make your mind up: was I right or was I wrong?’

Now she was just playing with him.

‘You were right in content but oh so very wrong in delivery.’