Kraal

Chapter 11: Cole

Cole read through the post-mortem report on Thomas Greig one more time before casting the papers aside. It made no sense. The Pathologist had concluded that it wasn't the bullet wound that had killed the boy, and that the tissue around his heart had suggested that he was already dead when he was shot. Thomas Greig had died from multiple organ failure, yet while his injuries were substantial, they hadn't seemed bad enough to inflict that kind of internal injury. The Pathologist had thought that maybe Thomas Greig had an underlying condition, but he wasn't able to find out if this was the case.

Cole rubbed his eyes and drained his glass, whiskey was the only thing that made him drowsy enough to even think about sleeping. It was one a.m. The house was quiet now, the only sound the rattle of the wind around the old window frames.

His house was much homelier before, but now it was just him and the dining room had become his space. He had even moved a little television from the bedroom and a small sofa bed from the spare room so he could spend all of his free time in here. The living room was still as it was before and Cole couldn't bear to look at all of the things that told visitors that this was a family home – the ornaments, the photographs, nor could he bear to pack them away.

His telephone rang suddenly, startling him. He scattered papers and folders on the table trying to locate it. It was Brown.

"Hello?"

"I'm sorry to call you so late, but I thought you'd want to know," Her voice sounded gruff, as though she had just woken up. Cole pictured her with her immaculate ponytail, her hair unruffled like most people's would be at this time of night. "I have a friend who works for the hospital, she called to say that a boy was just brought in, looks like he's been roughed up. He's refusing to tell them what happened, but he's in pretty bad shape, my friend said it made her think of the two boys we found."

Cole was already shrugging into his jacket. "I'm on my way. I'll meet you there?"

"She said we can't speak to the kid tonight, but we need to find out who took him in. Apparently some locals found him, took him to A and E."

"OK, I can get there in about twenty minutes, I'll meet you outside."

"Cole, you can't drive."

He held the phone away from his ear and looked at the screen. Brown was a good colleague and friend, but sometime she was a right pain in the-

"I'll pick you up, I'll be about ten minutes."

"Fine."

The harsh strip lights of the hospital were blinding after the dark interior of Brown's car. She had brought him coffee in the kind of aluminium mug people use when camping. She had made no further comment about his drinking, but even though Cole walked in a straight line out of the house, he could smell his own stale breath as it fogged the air in front of him, pungent with the smell of scotch.

They met Brown's nurse friend, a thin woman named Clara, with red hair and big, marble eyes, at the nurse's station. She looked surprised to see them and reiterated that they wouldn't be able to see the boy tonight. They learned that his name was Jack Davies, he had been found by a girl close to Hart Farm, and her parents had brought him to the hospital. Clara said that the couple had said they would hang around for a while, make sure Jack was OK and that they might be able to find them in the cafeteria.

Cole and Brown located the couple easily, they were the only two in there. Seated at a small table on the far side of the cafeteria, mugs clutched in their hands. To his surprise, Cole recognised one of them.

"Ryan, you brought the kid in?"

Ryan stood up to greet his brother. They shook hands, a formal greeting for two siblings who had barely spoken for over a year. "It's good to see you Rob. This is Hazel Harrison. She's staying with her Mother April Hart at Hart's Farm. Her daughter Rose found the boy outside."

"Do you mind if I ask you both a couple of questions?"

"Sure," Ryan beckoned for Cole and Brown to join them, but darkness flashed briefly across his eyes. "Although I'm not sure how much help we can be, neither of us know the boy and he was barely conscious when we brought him in."

"Your daughter, Rose, found him?" Cole directed the question at Hazel who nodded, the apples of her cheeks flushing slightly. She was very attractive, Cole observed. Ryan had done well for himself, it had been years since Cole had seen him with anyone.

"She was outside, walking or something, and she found him."

"How old is your daughter, Hazel?"

"Sixteen."

"And what was she doing outside late at night?"

Hazel's whole face flushed pink. "I-I don't know, I had no idea she was out there."

Cole's mouth set in a tight line as he wrote Rose's name in his notepad. "Would you object to me speaking with your daughter?"

Hazel shook her head. "Your welcome to come to the farm anytime."

Cole nodded once. "And what about the boy, Jack, what state was he in when Rose found him?"

"He was awake," Hazel said. "But he didn't speak, he said nothing for the whole journey to the hospital."

"What's this all about, Rob?" Ryan asked. "I thought you were a Homicide Detective."

Cole nodded. "Jack's injuries are similar to those we found on two bodies over the last couple of weeks, both young males."

Ryan nodded. "I thought I heard mention of a murder." His expression was suddenly grim, he looked out of the dark window and Cole knew his mind was elsewhere now.

Ryan didn't read the newspapers, nor did he watch it on the television. Cole knew that he couldn't bear it anymore, any mention of the middle east or war was a trigger for him.

"I think we'll leave it there for tonight."

Brown looked at him in surprise.

"If I can speak to Rose tomorrow, that would be really useful."

"Like I said, you're welcome anytime," Hazel said. "She smiles at Cole, but she cast a sideways glance at Ryan who was still looking out of the window.

"I'll see you later." Cole called.

Ryan blinked rapidly as he turned, as though waking from a dream. "Sure, sure. We'll catch up soon."

Cole knew they were empty words and it saddened him, ever more so than he already was. He and Ryan had been close growing up, but one by one, Cole had pushed every family member and friend away from him. Brown was the only one who hung one, and Cole guessed that was probably due to necessity more than anything else.

As he left, he cast one last look at his brother before disappearing into the corridor.