The Dark Web Murders

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Friday, 17th August. Early afternoon 

Miller replaced the phone in its slot on his desk and said to Connors,"Arrogant wee shit." 

"What did he say?" 

"He can give us fifteen minutes in his chambers at one forty-five. He's due in court at two o'clock." He leaned back on his chair, folding his arms, his face expressing distaste. "You wanna hear him, dry, dusty oul' voice. Treating me like dirt under his shoe. Never met the guy, but I hate him already." 

Connors chuckled. "I just love your professional neutrality, Simon. That's what makes you such a great detective." 

Miller tossed his head. "Shut up. So what did your professional enquiries uncover?" 

Connors took a notebook from the side pocket of his jacket. "Have to admit I wasn't doing well initially until someone gave me a hint to enquire at the Youth Justice Services. That's all I got. But then I got lucky. I bumped into a woman I used to know as she was coming out of the area office in Duncairn Gardens. We had a wee chat at the door, and I invited her for a cup of coffee."

 Miller reached across and slapped his giant partner on the shoulder. "Good for you, Dec. Are you putting your toe back in the water?" 

Connors scowled at him. "You gotta be joking. Be a long time before I go that route again." His face assumed a pained expression. "I mean, the house and garden, the four by four, the kids, on top of the bloody alimony. And she was the one who had the affair. I just can't get my head around that. It was all her fault, but she gets everything, and I have to slum it in a poky wee apartment.Where's the justice in that, huh?" 

Simon nodded. He'd heard all this many times before. This is a wound, he was thinking, that isn't going to heal any time soon. "I know, Dec, but you're going to have to stop brooding on this. You need to find somebody new and start again." He cocked his head sideways as if studying his partner. "You know, if you weren't such a big ugly brute, you could be quite attractive." 

Connors scowled at him. "Bugger off." 

Miller grinned back at him. "What's she like, this woman?" 

"Dawn, if you can believe that, is her name. Actually, she's very nice, but I never knew her the way you're talking about. We were just friends in school.I just happened to ask her what she was doing there, and it turns out that's where she works. Definitely my cue to invite her for a coffee."

 "Is she married?" 

"Give over, will ye! She's divorced, like me. We had a bit of chat about old times and things, but I wanted to get on to what she knew about Adams.That's what we mostly talked about." 

"Are you seeing her again?" Miller asked. Then, wagging his eyebrows up and down, he added, "Is this a new Dawn-ing?" 

Connors groaned. "Oh, God. What's with this feckin' Dear Abby stuff? It was just a casual meeting." 

Miller grinned knowingly. "You are, aren't you? Go on, admit it." 

Connors couldn't hide his grin. "She gave me her number and I said I might call. That was it. Now can we get down to business?" 

"You're going to call, right?" 

"Gimme a break. What about you? You're thirty now. About time you stopped playing the field, don't you think? Leave it any longer and you won't have kids." He laughed. "You won't be able to." 

"Between relationships at the minute. Just can't seem to find the right one." He gave Connors a regretful look. "I find somebody nice and we get on for a while, but then somebody else nice comes along and that's it. Can't stay in a relationship. Vicious circle I can't find my way out of."