Like This, for Ever

softening, a second before he looked up and past her towards where the doctor was crouching over the corpse. His eyes narrowed and then he looked back down at her again.
    ‘You OK?’ he asked. She nodded.
    ‘Why you, Lacey?’ Tulloch was closer than felt comfortable, looking her full in the face.
    Bloody good question. ‘I don’t follow, Ma’am.’
    ‘Why did you get the text? I can’t believe you have no idea who sent it.’
    In fairness, she hadn’t said that. She’d said she didn’t recognize the number.
    ‘I tried calling the number back,’ said Lacey. ‘No answer. I didn’t stop to think, I just came here to make sure it wasn’t some sort of joke. I called you the minute I knew it wasn’t, and uniform a second later.’
    ‘I’m not having this again. I’m not having some twisted sicko using you as his channel into a major investigation.’
    Joesbury gave a heavy sigh. ‘Dana, how likely is that, and what the hell could she do about it anyway?’
    Tulloch turned on him. ‘So you’re comfortable with the fact that, yet again, we have a killer fixating on Lacey? That seems perfectly normal to you?’
    ‘We don’t know the killer sent the text. We just know it was someone who knew the body was here. Far more likely it was someone who didn’t want to get involved in the investigation.’
    Well, this was a bit of role reversal going on. The last time Lacey had worked with these two, it had been Joesbury on her case all the time, and Tulloch her defending champion.
    ‘Lots of people have my number,’ Lacey lied. ‘And it’s not difficult to find mobile-phone numbers.’
    Tulloch glared, but Lacey was saved from whatever response she might have made by the doctor arriving back.
    ‘I can confirm he’s dead, if that’s any help,’ he said.
    ‘Oh, for God’s sake, when are you lot going to realize how tired that joke is? I doubt it was even funny the first time.’
    ‘Dana,’ Joesbury warned.
    ‘This is a child we’re talking about.’
    No one spoke.
    ‘Is it?’ Tulloch asked the doctor. ‘Is it a child?’
    He nodded. ‘On first sight, it appears to be a pre-adolescent child, of a similar age to Tyler King, and could well have been in the water for the eight weeks he’s been missing. We’re not looking for any other missing children, are we?’
    ‘Not to my knowledge,’ said Dana. ‘Can you tell how he died?’
    ‘No evidence of a throat wound at first glance, but …’
    Joesbury took Lacey’s arm and gently pulled her away. ‘Give her a few minutes,’ he murmured. ‘She’s been off on one since you rang.’
    Lacey couldn’t resist looking at her watch. Just gone one. Joesbury and Tulloch had been together when she’d made her phone call. Stupid, that that should have the power to hurt.
    ‘Sorry I missed you last night,’ he said. ‘Trevor told me you popped in. And then out again very quickly.’
    Was there any point trying to pretend she hadn’t seen him? Probably not. He’d know she was lying and then she’d look stupid as well as furtive.
    ‘Was that your son?’ she asked.
    ‘No, just some random nine-year-old I invited out for dinner.’
    Lacey stopped walking. ‘In the circumstances, that’s not remotely funny,’ she said.
    Joesbury stopped, too, and turned to face her. ‘Yes, that was my son. His name is Huck. And I apologize for sounding crass, but Dana isn’t the only one who finds you difficult to deal with at times.’
    ‘Why?’
    ‘Why do I find you difficult? Christ, Flint, where would I start?’
    ‘Why is your son called Huck? I don’t think I’ve ever heard that before.’
    ‘It’s short for Huckleberry. His mother is a big fan of American classic literature and Mark Twain in particular. I spent mostof the pregnancy arguing for Tom. You know, Tom Sawyer?’
    ‘Easily the more engaging of the two characters, in my view, but I quite like the name Huck.’
    ‘It’s a bloody ball and chain for the poor kid. Half the kids at school mispronounce it and call him Hook, the other half call him – well, I’m sure you can imagine.’
    She could, and if Huck was anything like his dad, she could also imagine he wouldn’t have much trouble dealing with playground shit.
    Tulloch had approached again. ‘Lacey, did you pull the body out of the river?’
    Lacey told herself to chill. She was entitled to be pissed off about that. Just not to let it show too much.
    ‘No, Detective Inspector,’ she said. ‘Had the body been in the water