Fade to Black Read Online Free Page A

author?”
    “The very same.”
    Janice clapped her hands. “My niece loves her books—has about four of them, I think. Pretty somber stuff for kids, I would have thought, but Sophie absolutely devours them. I don’t mind them myself to be honest.”
    They each lapsed into their private thoughts.
    Carr broke the silence not wanting to change the topic. “Her family’s high profile has been a bit of millstone for Allie, actually.”
    Janice pulled herself back from her own ruminations.
    “How so?”
    “Her workmates got wind of it early on in her career, and she cops the whole ‘silver-spoon’ thing pretty hard.”
    “Character building stuff I’d imagine.”
    Carr thought about that. It shouldn’t still be an issue for Allie, but it was. It wasn’t helped by the fact that either of her parents could pop up on television, radio or in a bookstore at any given moment.
    Janice broke in, “It must have been a hell of day for her today. Promoted with all the euphoria that goes with that one moment, then watching her old boss die in front of her the next.”
    Ellen nodded, a far-away look in her eyes.
    “True. She’ll have mixed emotions about today. That’s for sure. By all accounts, they didn’t like each other much, Allie and Billy. They got results, but we knew it was her work. Billy couldn’t solve a child’s riddle in the end. Too busy propping up the bar at that bloody pub over the road from his office.”
    Janice didn’t really fancy another tirade about Billy’s alcoholism.
    “How do you think St. Clair will go as a DCI?” Ellen sat beside her, putting her glass on the low coffee table.
    “Good question. She’ll need to find a way to work with people a little better, there’s no doubt about that.. She’s a bit of a lone wolf and some see that as arrogance, but I don’t think it’s that at all. In fact, I know that she hasn’t told them she graduated top of the class through the Crime Academy. Mind you, it’ll come out in the newsletter next week, so she’s in for some more fun and games. She’s the best and brightest to ever come out of the High Potential Development Scheme, and that’s good news and bad news for her. The bulk of our long-serving personnel still think the whole notion of ‘accelerated development’ is an elitist wank and that good, honest coppers—the ones who have been doing it tough on the streets for decades—are being ridden over in favor of these bright young things.”
    Janice pulled a face. “Well, they are. Aren’t they? Isn’t St. Clair a prime example of the ‘teacher’s pet’ queue jumper?
    Carr shrugged her shoulders and waved her hand toward the city. “We desperately need management talent, Janny, and this is the best way to get it—at least in my view. In St. Clair’s case, she’s now got her chance to show them all what she’s got. If she messes up this opportunity the high-potential scheme will probably go down the drain with her.”
    They sat in companionable silence for a minute, but Finlay could see Carr’s mind was still whirring away on work issues.
    “Ok, spit it out, Ellen. Let’s have your final thoughts on the matter.”
    Carr smiled and rested her hand on Finlay’s thigh.
    “Sorry, but it’s worrying me. It’s important. No, vital that she succeed. St. Clair simply must prevail.” She looked at Finlay and then gazed out of the big window, watching a jetliner slowly sink towards Heathrow airport. “Otherwise, early retirement for me will definitely be on my agenda.”
    Janice Finlay ostensibly examined the thin meniscus of the wine clinging to the inside of her glass, but in fact, she was very deep in thought. Carr hadn’t just said that it was important St. Clair succeeded. She had used the term ‘prevail’. And that was interesting.
     
    *****
     
    Allie hit the light switch, simultaneously cramming her riding gear into the tiny hall closet with her left boot, forcing the door shut to keep it in. She scanned the galley