Page 66 of No Safe Place
‘I thought seeing Sam like that, a teenager in that hospital – I thought that would be the worst thing we’d ever had to live through as a family.’
The only thing Field could do for Sam now, was to minimise her family’s suffering by giving them answers and bringing the culprit to justice.
Field would let herself take five more minutes, out in the night air.
And then she would get back to catching the bastard who did it.
Chapter 42
Thursday | Evening
Field
At nine, Field packed up her stuff and dropped her car home, then walked to the Volunteer pub.
Tonight, it was full of football fans, packed at the front of the bar in front of the screen. They exploded with screams of fury as she ordered a gin.
A lot of police officers used the Volly. It was loud enough that you could have a discreet conversation, and Field had a favourite booth that was usually free. She found it helped to get out of the station, and talking things over in a different setting.
Her booth was in the corner near the toilets, at the edge of the bar. She liked having no one sat behind her. From her premium vantage point, Field saw Riley and Wilson enter through a side door.
It was always weird, seeing them in their civvies. Wilson was bare-legged in a short dark dress, and Riley wore blue jeans and a tight white T-shirt.
‘All right, boss?’ Riley said, nodding at her half-empty glass. ‘Another G&T?’
‘Better not,’ she said. ‘Might have to drive later—’
Field was cut off as a huge cheer erupted. A bald man at the back of the crowd twisted round to look at them, fists aloft, waiting for them to join in with the celebration.
Wilson glanced at her watch. ‘A single G&T is one unit; you’ll be fine to drive by 11 p.m. if you have another.’
Riley gave her a bemused smile. ‘DS Wilson, are you actuallyfunwhen you’re not in work?’
She ignored him. ‘I’ll have a white wine spritzer. You can go to the bar, since you’ve been sat at a desk all day.’
Wilson threw her phone, keys and warrant card onto the table and dropped into the booth, while Riley went to get the drinks.
‘Do you think I’ve been too harsh on him?’ Field asked.
‘No.’ Wilson shrugged. ‘He knows he fucked up. I caught him watching the bodycam footage earlier.’
‘Really?’ Field said, in surprise.
Wilson nodded. ‘He seemed pretty stressed out by it.’
‘This case—’ Field sighed. ‘We’re going round in circles.’
‘Yeah,’ Wilson said, sympathetically. ‘It’s a headfuck.’
Field watched Riley navigating football fans with their drinks. Another gin, Wilson’s wine, and a vodka soda for him.
‘How did it go with her parents?’ he asked, as soon as he was sat down.
‘It was horrible,’ Field said, with feeling.
Wilson turned to her, surprised. She didn’t usually let on if she was affected by something.
‘Her mum was in bits,’ Field went on. ‘Sam didn’t even have OCD anymore, apparently. She’d put all that behind her, after the trial.’
