Page 43 of Reinventing Cato
“I know where I cocked up. I was surprised you didn’t stop me.”
“Were you even looking at my baton? I thought I might have to hit you over the head for you to pay any attention to me. It’s a wonder you didn’t get to the end before the rest of us.”
Cato laughed.
“Right,” said the conductor. “Cato don’t lead the cellos down the garden path. Violas watch your dynamics. Good work, violins. Back on first chair, Cato. We’ll run through the Mussorgsky and if you behave, you in particular, Cato, we’ll call it a night.”
Vigge could have listened to them for hours. Especially Cato.God, I’d love to play with them.It was only when they began to pack up their instruments, that Vigge recalled what he was actually doing there. As they exited the stage, he realised Cato might come out of the building through a different door. He also realised that meeting him in front of his fellow orchestra members when he had no idea how Cato would react to seeing him, wasn’t wise. He hurried back onto the street and crossed the road.
Cato was one of the first out, emerging from the same exit as Vigge. He was with a group of violinists and they set off in the opposite direction to the one Vigge had expected. So Cato wasn’t going home.Damn.Vigge followed them. They went over The Backs and King’s College Bridge into the city and into a pub called The Eagle.
Vigge took a deep breath and followed the group inside, walking through two rooms and into a smaller one at the rear. He was still trying to figure out how to approach Cato without freaking him out, when Cato turned and looked straight at him with those beautiful blue eyes. He was wearing eyeliner and Vigge’s cock unfurled.Oh God.He steeled himself for being ignored, but Cato said something to the guys he was with, picked up his drink, a half-pint of beer, and walked over with his violin.
“You are crap at following people without them noticing,” Cato said. “Did you skip that chapter inHow to be a Policemanand concentrate onWhen to Stay Silent?”
“Who said I didn’t want you to notice? And I skipped that last chapter on keeping quiet. Big mistake.”
Cato smiled and Vigge allowed himself to hope.
“I feel like there should be a joke,” Cato said. “A policeman and an astrophysicist went into a bar and… I’m stuck for what might happen next.”
So was Vigge.
“Ah! And the astrophysicist asked if he’d like a drink,” Cato said.
“And the policeman said, I’m driving.”
“And the astrophysicist said, share mine then.” Cato put his violin on a chair and sat next to it.
Vigge unbuttoned his coat and joined him.
Cato pushed his drink towards him. “A couple of mouthfuls isn’t going to put you over the limit.”
Vigge took a gulp of the cold beer. It helped his dry throat.
“So, Mr Detective…” Cato stared at him. “How did you find out where I was?”
“I went to Selwyn Road and one of your housemates told me where you were rehearsing.”
Cato frowned. “Which one?”
“Pony-tailed blond with muscles.”
“Sam.” Cato sighed. “I’ll have a word with him. He had no idea who you were. Serial killer, loan shark, policeman.”
Vigge sighed.
Cato stiffened. “You didn’t tell him you were a policeman, did you?”
“No. Why shouldn’t I have?”
“You’d wreck my street cred. How did you find out where I lived?”
“I found you on Google. Saw that you were at Cambridge, then misused my position as a policeman to get your address.”
Catotsked. “Have you driven far?”
“If we’re not counting the five hundred-plus miles… I work in Huntingdon and live forty or fifty minutes away from here. How did the interview go?”
