Page 33 of No Man's Land

Alex moved past Josef, the broad shoulder of his overcoat brushing Josef’s arm as he passed. Impossible that he should feel any warmth from that brief touch, nor draw any comfort from Alex’s presence, so he ignored the brief fluttering in his chest and, cautiously, followed. “It’s the same boy we saw die at the dressing station,” he whispered as they approached the corpse.

After a heavy pause, Alex nodded. “Damn. I’d hoped he’d be spared this…indignity.”

“Indignity? For God’s sake, man, he died in a pile of corpses. How isthisworse?”

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

That was true if he was going to start wittering on about ghosts and ghoulies again. “You’d better give me the real truth this time, or I’m going to the police.”

And, from Josef, that was saying something.

Alex turned and met his gaze, dark eyes full of an emotion Josef couldn’t place. “Please don’t,” he said. Then his eyes fluttered briefly shut, as if in impatience, and he added more forcefully, “It wouldn’t end well, for either of us.”

Something about the way he spoke sounded wrong, like an actor speaking lines he didn’t believe. Josef wasn’t sure what that meant, but he was certain it meant something. He said, “Then tell me the bloody truth. Did you bring his body back here? Is it part of some grotesque experiment to—”

“I warned you to stay out of this business.”

Defiantly, Josef lifted his camera and took his final picture—Alex standing next to the body of the dead soldier. “And I warnedyouthat I’d blow it right open. Don’t think I won’t.”

“You’re a damned fool if you believe—”

Behind them, the mortuary door opened. Josef spun around, alarmed, and found the doctor from earlier entering the room. He looked startled too, pausing in the doorway, and then visibly relaxed. “Oh, Inspector Lakeman. Mr Talbot said you’d been called away.”

A moment of confusion, before Alex said, “Doctor Wildsmith, good afternoon.” He exchanged a quick look with Josef, and there was no mistaking the gleam of amusement in his eyes. Josef felt it too, albeit unwillingly. “Yes, that’s right,” Alex went on. “Talbot kindly came on ahead to get started, but we’re finished now. Am I right, Talbot?”

Josef held his gaze. “Oh yes,” he said, “we’re certainly finished. In fact, I’d better get these photographs developed. People are waiting for them.”

“Hmm,” Alex said. Then, with a flourish, he flicked the shroud back over poor Private Sykes, sliding his body into the drawer and closing the door. “Thank you for allowing us in, Wildsmith. I do hope you and the lady wife are well?”

“Very well, thank you. All things considered.”

“Quite,” Alex said, affably, striding toward the door. “Do give her my regards.” Then, over his shoulder—and with a devilish look in his eye—he added, “Keep up, Talbot. We don’t have all day.”

Josef glared but didn’t dare argue in front of the doctor. Neither did he feel comfortable leaving him with…with whatever Sykes might or might not have become. “I’d get rid of that body as soon as you can, Doc. He doesn’t look right at all.”

The doctor’s eyebrows rose. “He’s dead. How did you expect him to look?”

“He—”

A firm hand closed on Josef’s bicep. “The poor fellow’s past caring now,” said Alex. “His journey’s ended.”

And what the hell did that mean?

Alex didn’t loosen his grip as he hustled Josef out of the mortuary and back along the corridor to the stairs. When Josef tried to shake him off, Alex’s fingers only tightened. Did he have his gun, too? Josef imagined he did.

“I’m not going to run,” he hissed as they marched up the stairs together. “I have too many questions for you.”

Grimly, Alex said, “Questions I won’t be permitted to answer.”

“You’re such a government stooge.”

“I’m not. There are things you don’t—”

“Understand. Yes, you’ve made that clear.” They were walking through the hospital corridors by then, but Alex quickly diverted them out through a small side door and into the cold November air.

Instinctively, Josef sucked in a deep breath and saw Alex do the same, dropping his grip on Josef’s arm. For a moment, they both stood there, breath condensing like smoke. Above them a low, pale sun made a perfect disk in the thinning mist, and Josef could almost imagine its warmth on his face. It wasreassuring to know that the sun still shone despite the murk—both literal and metaphorical—swathing the earth below.

“Christ.” Alex’s heartfelt exclamation broke the silence between them. “What a bloody mess.” He pulled out a packet of gaspers and, to Josef’s surprise, offered him one.

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