The Art of Being Right

Explanations

"So how's he done so far then? He's not pissed anyone off yet has he?" Hart asked, his voice crackling slightly over the old phone on the corner of Spence's desk.

"Well," Spence replied, watching the confrontation on the security camera screens displaying the lobby, "he might have got his first this morning. Not that I'm complaining," Spencer stretched against his seat, wincing at the cracking sound his back made, "the lad he's knocking down a peg or six is a little fucker anyways."

Hart laughed at his friend's remark, but still sounded concerned.

"He can be a handful. I'll apologise in advance for any stunts he tries to pull. He's not exactly a big fan of following the rules to the letter; but if I'm honest we're grateful for it a lot of the time."

"Trust me, we're glad to have him. Last night he got more information on the victim and the killer than my lot have got over the entire time the case has been open. The kid's a genius."

At that moment the door opened and JJ stepped inside with a soft smile, closely followed by Wilson. "Speak of the devil," Spence laughed.

"D'you mind if I have a word with him?" Hart asked, "I asked him about a case yesterday and he's not come back to me about it yet. I swear that one doesn't know what a phone is for."

"Sure," Spence hit the speaker button and Hart's voice filled the office, still breaking up slightly.

"Hart?"

"Morning Wilson. Have you had a chance to check over the e-mail yet?"

"Yeah I read it."

"Oh well thanks for getting back to me." Hart replied sarcastically. Wilson's mouth upturned dryly.

"Don't be sarcastic, Hart. it really doesn't suit you." JJ smiled to herself, watching Wilson from the corner of her eye.

"Shut it, kid." The superintendent chuckled; Wilson could almost imagine him sitting back into his desk chair.

"It's pretty simple if I'm honest."

"C'mon then, spill."

"Triple homicide, a pretty nasty case too. The same M.O for all the victims but there were hesitation marks on the first and last that were murdered. So the killer had a connection to those two but not the second victim. As far as I can tell all three men were frequent visitors to a bookie's just off Northbank Road. I took the liberty of checking up on the owner and a few of the frequent clientele, and it just so happens our three victims had just won a bet that would've put the owner in administration so fast he wouldn't know what'd hit him. The three men were on their way to cash in their winning slip - which was to be split between the three - when he met them in the alley outside. Two of the murdered had been friends with our killer since high school, hence the hesitation. But the second victim out of the three had no connection, so there wasn't a problem killing him."

"So we're looking for the bookie?"

"Exactly."

"Thanks Wilson, big help."

"Not a problem."

"You know Maddy's been pining for you, y'know. McKein's been teasing her all morning."

"I'm all too aware," Wilson grimaced, "she called this morning."

"Ah," Hart sighed, obviously unaware he was on speaker, "that's why she was so riled up when I saw her today. She was rambling on about someone called Jennifer, or JJ? Someone with the last name 'Knight' I think. Said you'd been getting pretty cosy over there." The superintendent laughed teasingly, earning a raised eyebrow from Spence and a blush from JJ.

"Anything you want to confess to, Mr Crowley? A one night stand that Maddy found out about? A fling with one of the locals?"

Hart was fighting a fit of hysterics; Wilson could tell.

"Maddy got it wrong," he groaned, "JJ Knight is one of Spence's officers, I'm staying with her while I'm working here, and Maddy called this morning while I was sat with her in the kitchen. There's nothing going on, we only met last night. And you should probably be aware, Hart, that you're on speaker and both Spence and JJ happened to be listening."

Suddenly there was a thud from the other end of the line, and a voice talking quietly to Hart. They could vaguely make out what was being said, but only just.

'Have you heard anything on Wilson yet?' McKein.

'I'm on the phone with Spencer Fobbs now.'

'Is Wilson there?'

'Yeah he is. Aren't you supposed to be with Maddy and Jo?'

'Aw man can't you just switch my shifts or something? If I have to spend another minute listening to all that girly crap they bang on about I might just kill someone.'

The conversation faded into a shuffling of papers and mumbled words, leaving an awkward silence in Spence's office.

"So this Maddy has a serious thing for you," JJ murmured, "did you two date then break up or something? Or does she just have a stalker-ish fixation with you?" Wilson shrugged, baffled himself.

"We've only ever been friends. But she's always been like that."

Spence and Hart chatted for half a minute or so before disconnecting the call.

"She sounds crazy if I'm honest."