Chapter 32

WE SAT INsilence for a long time while the Kings Cross patrol cops drove us out of the city. Tox seemed genuinely unconcerned with our situation. He leaned back against the wall of the vehicle, watching me calmly as I worked through several levels of blinding rage.

“What the hell brought that on?” I asked eventually.

“We were in the academy together. Think he left the force a few years ago. He spotted me when we walked in. Started giving me the stink-eye. I thought he probably wanted a fight. So. You know.” He shrugged.

“My life is becoming more difficult by the minute because of you,” I snapped. “I can’t even get people to answer the phone anymore. Now you’ve pulled this shit and I’ve lost my phone altogether.”

“Meh. They’ll issue you a new one,” he rasped.

“Maybe!” I shrugged. “Maybe they’ll just ignore me!”

“I’m hard to work with.” Tox shifted, his cuffs clunking on the metal bench. “You must’ve guessed that.”

“Well, I didn’t know it’d be this bad.”

“No one’s forcing you to continue.”

“Are you kidding?” I shook my head. “I’m supposed to drop the case completely because you’re a murderer? This was my case to begin with, asshole!”

“You need to calm down,” he said. “You’re going all pink.”

I tried to hold my tongue, but I was mad, and when I’m mad the words tumble out. If I get mad enough I start swinging. I was already imagining giving him a bop on that nose just to remind him how inconvenient he was.

“Did you do it?” I blurted, shifting to the edge of my seat. “Did you kill that mother and child?”

He looked up and held my gaze. “Yes,” he answered.