Medium Rare (COMPLETE)

Chapter Six

The river was grey and murky. Uninviting with the scum resting on top of the little trapped pools where the rocks had piled up awkwardly. It was not a place to make a teenage love nest, but what did she know? Edna was in her mid-forties now. Teen love was a thing of the distant past for her.

She wrapped her coat further around her. It felt chilly despite being only in the middle of September. Thomas also exited the car, finishing his phone call as he did.

“This is what the spirit told you? Or did you use that contraption of yours?”

“It's not mine, it was paid for with taxpayer's money. And yes, to answer both of your questions.”

“Pretty dismal here, isn't it?”

Edna turned to look at him. “Just how many murder scenes have you visited, Thomas?”

“Too many. I think I've got gallows humour because of it.”

“No kidding,” she murmured, before walking up to the intersection. Cigarettes, beer cans, tab ends of spliffs and the occasional used condom decorated the road like a grisly celebration of teenage rebellion. At least they're using protection, she thought to herself. Thomas stood beside her, his hands in his pockets and a smirk on his face.

“Did you ever get up to this sort of business, Edna? Back in your heydays? When was that, the 1940s?”

She didn't answer, instead she attempted to pinpoint Daniel, concentrating on his presence. She had quite a knack now for how he felt now, and she clocked him with little effort. He was sitting on the railings, looking down into the brackish waters. Edna had to stop herself from telling him to be careful, and instead walked over to the forensic van that had just pulled up who were taping off the scene. Scrubbing up was Lilly Pott, the senior forensic analyst and a good friend of Edna's. She grinned from within her white hood and just that made Edna ache that they didn't spend enough time together.

“A fresh murder scene? Been a while since we worked on a case, you're usually stuck on the cold cases.”

“Ah, you know how it is,” said Edna, shrugging, “Too many deaths, not enough clues.”

Lilly clapped her gloved hands together. “Right then,now scrub up, time to get on our hands and knees and start combing!”

*****

Edna went down to under the bridge, where a homeless man was being gently ushered away by the local police force. She could sense Daniel just behind her, and his ears went pink when she turned to look at him.

“Don't be embarrassed. I know this is hard. Do you remember anything beyond what I saw?”

He shook his head, and she nodded gently. Sudden deaths tended to rend spirits’ memories just before the moment of death. She noticed a police officer raising his eyebrow at her chatting apparently to herself and tried to ignore it, pressing her hand on the wall where Daniel had his little tryst. “What was his name?” she asked.

“Max Lowell,” came a very faint reply.

“Thomas, call the name Lowell, first name Max through to HQ, would you? Need a background check.” Edna spoke carefully and clearly into the walkie talkie.

“No problem, Boss,” came Thomas’ crackled voice.

“Did you both plan for it, or was it kind of spontaneous?” Edna didn't want to look at Daniel and cause him further embarrassment, and hoped her clinical tone would help him process the questions better.

“Umm. Well….” Daniel began to stutter. “I, I guess it was s,so,sorta spontaneous. Yeah. Spontaneous. I didn't even know he knew...what I like.”