Page 90 of The Final Vow (Washington Poe #7)

Four weeks earlier

Moulsford Psychiatric Hospital

‘Who would you run into a burning building for, Sergeant Poe?’ Bethany Bowman, Doctor Clara Lang’s alter ego, asked.

Poe frowned. ‘I don’t understand.’

‘It’s a simple enough question.’

‘Nothing’s ever simple with you, Bethany.’

She tilted her head. Smiled coyly. ‘Are you flirting with me, Sergeant Poe?’

‘More a reminder I’m locked in a room with a woman who has murdered three people—’

‘Three bad people.’

‘A woman who recently filed down her own teeth just so she could bite off someone’s ear.’

‘You are flirting with me.’

‘Why do you want to know who I’d run into a burning building for?’

‘Because if you can answer the question honestly, you’ll have everything you need to catch Ezekiel Puck.’

‘This won’t be a long list,’ Poe said. ‘I don’t have many friends.’

‘ Sophie’s Choice , though,’ Bethany said. ‘You can only save one. Everyone else dies.’

Bethany might have been Clara’s more exciting personality, but they shared the same razor-sharp brain.

Bethany may have used it differently, but that was down to circumstances, not choice.

Who he would run into a burning building for wasn’t a rhetorical question.

It wasn’t filler. She really wanted to know.

So instead of saying something trite, like he was a police officer so he would run into a burning building for anyone, he considered the question carefully.

He would definitely run into a burning building for Edgar.

No question about that. He imagined the spaniel would be in the vicinity anyway.

He’d probably be the cause of the fire. Poe had lost count of the number of things the excitable numpty had broken.

Knocking something hot on to something flammable would be entirely within his repertoire of tricks.

But, as likely as it was that Edgar would be the root cause of any fire, and therefore be the one who needed rescuing, Poe didn’t think his dog would be an acceptable answer to Bethany’s question.

The obvious answer was Doyle. They lived together, they were getting married, and he loved her. He liked to think that if she were in a burning building, he wouldn’t think twice. He was about to say Doyle. But he held back. Realised he’d been circling the answer.

Bradshaw.

He would walk into a furnace for Bradshaw.

And he knew she’d do it for him. He corrected himself.

She had done it for him. During the Immolation Man case, she had literally run into a burning building to rescue him.

He still bore the scars. And on the roof of that London skyscraper he had thrown himself in front of her when he’d realised Puck had lured them there.

He hadn’t thought about it. He’d just done it.

Bradshaw didn’t know, of course. One minute she’d been standing tall, pretending her hay fever wasn’t bothering her, the next she was on the gravelled floor, a 15-stone Cumbrian on top of her.

‘I choose Tilly,’ Poe said.

‘You’re sure?’

‘I am.’

‘You don’t want to ask the audience? Phone a friend?’

‘Tilly. Final answer.’

Bethany nodded. ‘Good then. That’s where we start.’