The Sixth Estate (The Craig Crime Series) Read Online Free Page A

Nicky’s thoughts ranged frantically from ‘how would Craig take it’ to ‘I’ll miss you if you leave’, her expression fixed in a granite mask. Davy shook his head frantically.
    “I’m…they’re, they’re just papers…Prof Roulston just asked me to look at them…He’s just…”
    Nicky practically shrieked. “He’s stealing you! Give me his phone number.”
    The noise made the more diligent figures of Annette McElroy and Sergeant Jake McLean, glance up from their work. Annette wandered across the floor.
    “What’s wrong?”
    Nicky pointed accusingly at Davy.
    “He’s leaving us!”
    If the words hadn’t been so potentially upsetting Annette would have laughed at her melodramatic tone; Medea would have been proud. Instead, she leaned over Davy’s partition and stared down at the top of his head.
    “Are you, Davy?”
    It was said calmly. She was just as upset as Nicky but she knew that further hysteria would result in him crawling out the door on all fours. He peered up through his hair.
    “I…It’s just s…something I’m thinking about. It’s the PhD…”
    Annette waved Nicky away to make coffee then she pulled over a chair and sat down, waiting until he was ready to speak.
    “We’ll miss you. Will you at least promise that you’ll talk to the chief before you make up your mind?”
    Davy considered for a moment. He’d been thinking about doing his PhD for a while and the urge had grown stronger in recent months. He wasn’t sure if chatting to anyone would change his mind, but Craig had been good to him so he at least deserved a chance. He nodded.
    “Provided you do s…something for me.”
    She already knew what it was. “Don’t worry. I promise I’ll keep Nicky off your back.”
     
    ****
     
    Craig parked at Limavady police station and flipped open his mobile. Thirty seconds later he was connected with Docklands and a miserable sounding Nicky answered hello. Her voice was so flat he thought someone had died.
    “What’s wrong?”
    She sighed theatrically. “Nothing.”
    It was the signal for him to spend five minutes cajoling her into saying what was bothering her and then sympathising over whatever it was, but frankly he didn’t have the time, so instead he said the words he knew would put him in the doghouse for days.
    “Great. Is Annette there, please?”
    Nicky said nothing, just generated an ominous silence for the moment it took Annette’s warm voice to come on the line.
    “Hi, Annette, can you speak?”
    It was her signal to move as far away from Nicky as possible so that he could ask her what was up. She transferred the call to her desk.
    “I can talk now.”
    “What’s wrong with Nicky?”
    Annette sighed; it didn’t have the melodrama of Nicky’s but it was worrying all the same.
    “Queen’s is after Davy again to do his PhD. He’s thinking seriously about leaving.”
    Craig’s heart sank. Davy was the best analyst he’d ever worked with and without him, solving their cases would be much more difficult. Not to mention that they were all fond of the lad.
    “You’re sure?”
    “Certain. Nicky’s been giving him hell about it and if we’re not careful she’ll drive him away.”
    Craig considered for a moment. PhD fees were expensive; add in the cost of losing your salary for years while you studied and he might yet have a card to play.
    “OK. I’ll chat to him in a minute. Meanwhile, what’s happening there?”
    Annette sighed again but this time it was about work. “Joanne Greer’s appealing her sentence.”
    Joanne Greer was a nasty piece of work that they’d put away in 2013; a business woman who’d been given life for ordering the murders of three people, in partnership with a London gang boss, Alik Ershov. Ershov was dead now, hoisted by his own petard. Literally; one of his contract killers had wrung his neck for taking liberties. Greer was in Wharf House women’s detention centre, serving what was laughably called hard