Inspector Rames

Chapter 7

We were both soaked through the minute we entered the downpour. As we set off in the direction of the tram stop, Alex glanced at me. "Do you want my coat?"

"No, thank you. I'll break it."

He looked bemused.

"It's got electronics in it! As soon as it touches me, it will stop working."

"Are you really that bad?"

"You saw me at Ace's yesterday. And I have a coffee machine that does nothing except set me reminders, and a faulty earpiece to attest to that."

He smiled. "I can't work out if it's a good thing or a bad thing that you can't contact the PRBs."

"A little bit of both."

"I could take your earpiece home with me sometime and fix it if you want."

"Really? I should just give it to the workshop PRBs to fix, but I'm not sure..."

"...if that's a good idea when you're involved?" Amusement danced in his eyes. "Leave it to me."

"Thank you."

We rode a tram to the high street and disembarked among shoppers who stank of minty chewing gum and stale winter sweat. Splashing through puddles, we walked down to the police station.

When we turned onto the driveway, my chest tightened. I glanced over my shoulder, quick but casual, and saw a flash of blond hair and an electric blue scarf.

It didn't make Clyde very incognito.

Alex was watching me when I turned back. As I lengthened my stride, so did he. "Everything all right?"

"I'm just eager to get inside -- it's freezing."

I strode up to the facial-recognition scanners, my heart pounding in my throat. As the automatic doors rose, I glanced over my shoulder again. Clyde carried on past the driveway without looking down.

We entered the station and went straight to our office. I passed the door back to Alex with a shaking hand, and he mistook it for more shivers. "I bet you're wishing you'd worn my coat now."

"If I'd worn your coat, I'd be wishing I hadn't, because I'd have broken it."

"I'm wishing you'd worn my coat."

"That's a shame. Look, why don't you go and get us some lunch from the cafeteria? Grab us sandwiches and poison -- I mean, coffee."

Alex went out again, and I settled behind my desk to video-call Victory Casino.

A bald man with beady eyes answered. "Yes?"

"Victory Casino?"

"Yes." He looked at me as if I was stupid. "You called from our Xplora page."

"I'm Detective Inspector Rames from Socrico Police." I held up my warrant card. "I need to know if a man called Ryker James was in your establishment on Monday night."

"No."

"Are you sure? He has a buzz cut. He owns a repairs shop on -- "

"I don't know no Ryker James." The man's thumb appeared on screen, about to disconnect the call.

"You're the owner," I said.

"Yes." He hesitated over the disconnect button.

"How long have you owned Victory Casino?"

"Since it opened."

"Ryker James was arrested outside your building for ABH in 2180. You must know him."