Page 33 of Murder in Shades of Fire and Ash

They grinned at each other and Charlie took his painkiller.

The sun was now well over the horizon, and the sky was empty of clouds. It was going to be another hot day. Eddy came back to report that there was now a uniformed officer at each of the crime scenes. He took Patsy’s arm, and she went with himunprotestingly. Charlie breathed a sigh of relief. One less thing to worry about. For now, at least. The paramedic clapped him on the arm, reminding him painfully of Ravensbourne. He hoped she would be OK.

“You’re done, sunshine. Remember, hospital, as soon as.” But Charlie was already standing up, his mind full of the things he had to do and the calls he had to make. He gasped as the weight landed on the burned leg, and the gasp made his chest twinge.

“Shit,” he muttered. He turned back to the paramedic. “Got any crutches I can borrow?”

But the paramedic was already holding them out.

“I know,” Charlie said. “Hospital, asap.”

The paramedic laughed.

Charlie hobbled back to the site of the explosion with Eddy who walked ahead, looking over his shoulder as Charlie got used to the crutches. The takeaway was in ruins. Joists with the remains of the first floor and the roof, hung out over a pile of broken bricks, pieces of wood and twisted metal, all overlaid with a thick coating of dust. With a jolt of horror, Charlie saw the metal gate to the back yard of the shop. It too was twisted, and the thought that it was all that had stood between them and the pile of rubble made his blood run cold. He cleared his throat.

“We need scenes of crime to check there isn’t anyone under this lot,” he said.

Eddy nodded.

A man in a gas company uniform hurried up to them.

“This area isn’t safe,” he said. “Didn’t you see the signs?” Then he took in Charlie’s appearance. “You the copper who got caught up in that?”

Seeing that Charlie couldn’t manage his crutches and his ID, Eddy produced his and introduced them both.

“What happened?” Charlie asked.

“Too early to know. We’ve managed to turn the gas off, but it’s going to be a while before we know how the leak happened and what set it off.”

Then Charlie saw Mags, in uniform, with a clipboard. She came over.

“The gas company have blocked the High Street,” she said. “Lots of spectators, and a couple of reporters from the local papers. But the main thing is the owner. He wants to talk to whoever is in charge, which I guess is you. He’s a bit upset, just so you know.”

Upsetturned out to be an understatement. Hassan had been crying. He waved his arms at Charlie. “All our work. Gone. For nothing. So white people can drive us out of our own country. What are you going to do about it, hey? Tell me, does one of my family have to die before you act?”

25

Tuesday morning

Nothing Charlie could say was going to console Hassan for the loss of his business, or for the fear that this was an attack targeting him and his family. Nonetheless, he said what he could, handed over a card and promised to check in later that day. It must have worked a little, because Charlie saw Hassan take in his dishevelled appearance and the bandage around his leg, showing where his trousers had been cut.

“I know you didn’t do this,” Hassan said. “I’m sorry you were hurt.”

Charlie’s phone rang.

Det Sup Kent

“Sir,” Charlie said.

“I’ve told people that you can cope without Freya Ravensbourne, so you’d better. Not that I have a handy DI hanging around waiting for a job. OK, Charlie?”

“Yes, sir,” Charlie said, wondering who had told Kent that Ravensbourne had been injured, and who the ‘people’ were who had been told that Charlie could cope.

“You’ll be reporting directly to me. Start with what the fuck happened this morning, because it’s too damn early for all this.”

Charlie took a deep breath and regretted it. “Call out to a fire at the trading estate just outside Llanfair at four this morning,” he began, and described the collapsing building. “I’ve just learned that the fire brigade has found what they say is a body in a burned-out van behind one of the buildings. I was on my way there now.”

“Called the pathologist?”

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