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Rainbow snippet - Old Sins
Oct. 6th, 2019 07:36 pmIt's been too long since I posted one of these. Must try harder. Here's a bit of Old Sins, the latest Lindenshaw romantic mystery. Adam, Robin and the dog Campbell are having some family time...
“Ever been to Caerleon? The old Roman fort in Wales?”
Where was this line of thought going? “No, although I bet Pru Davis has.”
“Yeah, I think it’s in her neck of the woods.” Adam waited as Campbell readjusted his sleeping position, then gave him another scratch. “Anyway, there’s a load of Roman remains in and around the village, including a well-preserved amphitheatre. It’s tremendously atmospheric. I visited a couple of summers back, before I met you, and it struck me that even nowadays if you put on a spectacle featuring two blokes fighting to the death you’d not have any trouble selling tickets. There are some nasty people around.”
“You don’t need to tell me that, sunshine. I meet them every day.” Robin rubbed his partner’s arm. “Lucky for me I found a good ’un in you.”
“You’re softer than Campbell.” Adam gave him a kiss, though. “So, following this chain of logic, whoever killed the dog might simply like imposing suffering on an innocent creature. In which case, I hope you find him—or her—before they start taking pot-shots at people too. Or targeting other dogs. Is it wrong of me to say I think that would be worse than aiming at humans?”
“If it’s wrong of you, it’s wrong of me too. Been wrestling with that one ever since it happened.” Robin had seen his share of corpses by now, and while he wasn’t entirely immune to emotion when he came across one—not like some of the hardened coppers he’d known when first in the force who seemed to regard a dead body as a butcher might regard a piece of meat—he didn’t react in the same way as he’d had with his first.
But that dead dog had really affected him, producing an anger and disgust he’d not felt in a long time. While no human deserved being killed so mercilessly, the investigators could usually, after the event, put together a trail of what had happened in terms of victim or killer that had led to the death. Sometimes it was random, but often there was a horrible logic to what had occurred, including perhaps a point where the victim had said or done something which had produced the most disproportionate and devastating of reactions. What could a dog have done to contribute to its own death?
“Would you like another beer?” Adam asked. “A hug? A slobbery kiss from Campbell?”
“Yes, all three, although maybe not right now. I’d like to know who did it.”
“Then you’ll have to rely on your colleagues finding out for you.”
“Assuming they can work it out before I get back from holidays. Although maybe that would be the best outcome. I’m not sure I could trust myself dealing with the culprit.” Robin had been angry enough at the murderers he’d encountered, although he’d kept himself professionally in check; he was irrationally livid at this one.
“You need to calm it, Kermit.” Adam grinned. “You don’t normally get worked up like this.”
“No, I don’t. You’re right.” Robin leaned over to give him a kiss.
“That’s better. Get the telly on, and find a bit of cricket. I’ll fetch the beers, and you persuade Campbell to get up on the sofa. Not that he’ll take much persuading. We’ll have a three-way hug and another kip. Things will seem better after that.”
And surprisingly enough, the teacher was right yet again.
Plenty more excerpts linked at the Rainbow Snippets group.
“Ever been to Caerleon? The old Roman fort in Wales?”
Where was this line of thought going? “No, although I bet Pru Davis has.”
“Yeah, I think it’s in her neck of the woods.” Adam waited as Campbell readjusted his sleeping position, then gave him another scratch. “Anyway, there’s a load of Roman remains in and around the village, including a well-preserved amphitheatre. It’s tremendously atmospheric. I visited a couple of summers back, before I met you, and it struck me that even nowadays if you put on a spectacle featuring two blokes fighting to the death you’d not have any trouble selling tickets. There are some nasty people around.”
“You don’t need to tell me that, sunshine. I meet them every day.” Robin rubbed his partner’s arm. “Lucky for me I found a good ’un in you.”
“You’re softer than Campbell.” Adam gave him a kiss, though. “So, following this chain of logic, whoever killed the dog might simply like imposing suffering on an innocent creature. In which case, I hope you find him—or her—before they start taking pot-shots at people too. Or targeting other dogs. Is it wrong of me to say I think that would be worse than aiming at humans?”
“If it’s wrong of you, it’s wrong of me too. Been wrestling with that one ever since it happened.” Robin had seen his share of corpses by now, and while he wasn’t entirely immune to emotion when he came across one—not like some of the hardened coppers he’d known when first in the force who seemed to regard a dead body as a butcher might regard a piece of meat—he didn’t react in the same way as he’d had with his first.
But that dead dog had really affected him, producing an anger and disgust he’d not felt in a long time. While no human deserved being killed so mercilessly, the investigators could usually, after the event, put together a trail of what had happened in terms of victim or killer that had led to the death. Sometimes it was random, but often there was a horrible logic to what had occurred, including perhaps a point where the victim had said or done something which had produced the most disproportionate and devastating of reactions. What could a dog have done to contribute to its own death?
“Would you like another beer?” Adam asked. “A hug? A slobbery kiss from Campbell?”
“Yes, all three, although maybe not right now. I’d like to know who did it.”
“Then you’ll have to rely on your colleagues finding out for you.”
“Assuming they can work it out before I get back from holidays. Although maybe that would be the best outcome. I’m not sure I could trust myself dealing with the culprit.” Robin had been angry enough at the murderers he’d encountered, although he’d kept himself professionally in check; he was irrationally livid at this one.
“You need to calm it, Kermit.” Adam grinned. “You don’t normally get worked up like this.”
“No, I don’t. You’re right.” Robin leaned over to give him a kiss.
“That’s better. Get the telly on, and find a bit of cricket. I’ll fetch the beers, and you persuade Campbell to get up on the sofa. Not that he’ll take much persuading. We’ll have a three-way hug and another kip. Things will seem better after that.”
And surprisingly enough, the teacher was right yet again.
Plenty more excerpts linked at the Rainbow Snippets group.
