A Reconstructed Corpse Read Online Free Page A

he continued, turning a gritty smile on DI Noakes, ‘Morse is a bit closer to the real world than Poirot?’
    â€˜Not that much closer, Bob,’ she replied with a knowing grin. ‘I still want to know how Morse gets hold of that car. Last time I asked down the car pool for a red Jaguar, they laughed in my face.’
    Bob Garston let out a gritty chuckle of complicity. ‘Yes, but come on, Morse conducts his investigations with all the back-up of computer records and forensic laboratories. Surely that’s a bit closer to real police methods than relying on “the little grey cells”.’
    â€˜We don’t actually call it “relying on the little grey cells”, but if that expression means respecting intuition and responding to sudden lateral thoughts, then it’s certainly a very important part of police investigation.’
    â€˜Good, thank you, Sam.’ Bob Garston turned smoothly to another camera. ‘Well, here on
Public Enemies,
we like to keep you up to date with everything about crime and its investigation, so we thought it’d be interesting to talk to an amateur sleuth, and maybe compare his methods with those of a professional police investigator. So I’m very glad to welcome to the studio – Ted Faraday.’
    The shot opened out to include Sam Noakes and a rugged-looking man in his late forties, casually dressed in jeans and baseball jacket. ‘Evening, Bob.’
    This greeting prompted a roar of obscene responses from the hospitality suite.
    â€˜Now, Ted, would you say that your methods as an amateur –?’
    â€˜Sorry, I have to interrupt you there, Bob. That’s twice you’ve referred to me as an “amateur”. I’m not an amateur. I’m a professional private investigator.’
    Bob Garston’s face clouded. This was not how the item had been planned in pre-programme discussions, and it rather made nonsense of his neat link about Morse and Poirot. He shoehorned a smile on to his face. ‘All right, point taken. Would you say that your methods as a
professional private investigator
differ very much from those used by the real police force?’
    Ted Faraday opened his mouth to reply, but before he could say anything, Sam Noakes interposed, ‘I think it should be pointed out that Ted is an ex-copper, so his methods are based on the training he had in the Met, anyway.’
    Bob Garston seemed glad of this support against Faraday. ‘You two know each other?’
    â€˜And how!’ shouted a raucous voice in the hospitality suite.
    â€˜Yes, we do,’ Sam admitted.
    Bob Garston turned his attention to the private investigator. ‘Well, Ted, how do you react to what she says?’
    â€˜When I’m allowed to get a word in . . .’ Ted Faraday began with lazy charm, ‘I would like to say, yes, I was trained by the Met, and it did teach me some very useful lessons. I would also like to say that, now I’m outside the place, I realise just how rigid it is in its thinking, and how much easier it is to respond rapidly to situations without being strangled by bureaucracy when you’re out in the real world.’
    The discussion continued. Charles had no means of knowing their past history, but Sam Noakes seemed determined to score points off Ted Faraday. It made for a lively exchange, which climaxed when she coolly announced, ‘I think this is all kind of sour grapes, Ted. You’d actually rather be back in the Met than faffing around on your own . . . assuming you still had the option.’
    If ever there was a remark which demanded a follow-up question, that was it, but Bob Garston, concerned about the other items yet to be fitted into the programme, curbed his hard-bitten journalistic instincts and moved on to wrap up the interview.
    In the hospitality suite, Charles learned a little more. Faraday was evidently well known to the police contingent and many of his exchanges