The Kill Call

it, and felt oddly uncomfortable.
    ‘It’s lovely to meet you,’ said Claire to Liz. ‘I’ve heard such a lot about you.’
    Cooper almost spilt his beer. He never talked about Liz to his family very much; in fact, he’d sometimes had to resist persistent cross-questioning from Claire. But Liz laughed, as if the idea of being gossiped about pleased her.
    ‘I’m glad you spare the time,’ she said. ‘Ben always tells me you’re really busy.’
    ‘That’s true.’
    Claire Cooper often complained of being too busy for anything. But that might change now that she was closing down her craft shop in Bold Lane. The ‘To Let’ signs were already up, and she was letting the stock run down. Last time Ben had called in to see her, there were almost no healing crystals or dream catchers to be seen anywhere, though the aroma of sandalwood remained, and would probably persist for ever. He wondered if Claire had ever sold citronella oil, which was used by hunt saboteurs to distract hounds, as well as being a perfume and natural insect repellent.
    ‘So what are you going to do now, instead of running the shop?’ he asked.
    ‘Well, I’m getting a job,’ said Claire.
    ‘Oh, a New Age sort of job, I suppose?’
    ‘Ben, the shop was never “New Age”. It was just a little bit alternative, that’s all.’
    ‘Too alternative for the people of Edendale. It never made much money, did it?’
    ‘Profit isn’t everything.’
    Ben laughed. ‘Try telling that to Matt.’
    Claire looked from Ben to Liz. ‘You ought to go and visit Bridge End Farm. You haven’t been for a long time, have you?’
    ‘Well, a week or two, perhaps.’
    ‘Longer than that, Ben. The girls are missing you.’
    ‘Did they say so?’
    ‘Yes, actually. Amy particularly. She asked if you were ever coming again.’
    Cooper thought he’d always enjoyed a close relationship with his two nieces, Amy and Josie. He was shocked to hear they didn’t think he was visiting them enough, that he might even have forgotten about them.
    ‘I’ll go this Friday,’ he said.
    Liz gripped his hand more tightly. ‘Don’t forget we’re going out Friday night.’
    ‘Oh, right.’
    Cooper remembered Liz talking about what they should do at the weekend. She wanted to go to the Dog and Parrot to see a band that was playing there this Friday, Midlife Krisis. Cooper had never heard of them.
    ‘It doesn’t matter, if you don’t want to.’
    ‘We’ll talk about it,’ he said.
    Liz’s phone buzzed, a text message coming through. There were times when she was on call-out for Scenes of Crime, and could disappear at any moment.
    ‘Excuse me, I must take this. Besides, I’ve got to go to the loo, anyway.’
    ‘No problem. See you in a minute,’ said Cooper.
    He smiled at his sister, taking a drink of his beer. But Claire looked at him steadily, waiting until Liz was out of earshot.
    ‘I don’t want to interfere, Ben …’
    ‘It never stopped you in the past, Sis.’
    ‘I’m sorry, but … I really don’t think she’s right for you.’
    ‘We’re only going out, you know. We’re not about to walk up the aisle tomorrow.’
    ‘I know that,’ said Claire. ‘But I know you , too. I don’t want you to make a big mistake.’
    Cooper leaned back in his chair, and rubbed a hand across his face. Why did everyone always want to tell him what to do? He wasn’t a teenager any more, for goodness’ sake. He hadn’t been for a long time.
    ‘So what’s the problem, Claire? Is it because Liz is in the job? She’s a civilian, you know, not a police officer.’
    ‘What difference does that make?’
    ‘They have an easier life,’ said Cooper. ‘But don’t tell Liz I said that.’
    ‘She gets called away, just the same way that you do. The job comes first, doesn’t it? It came first for Dad, and it comes first for you. Another one like that, and –’
    ‘We’re all doomed?’
    Claire sighed. ‘It wouldn’t work, Ben. What happened to that teacher you went out with for a while?’

    ‘Helen? She just sort of disappeared.’
    ‘Well, I thought she was all right. But this Liz Petty – well, she spends her life looking at crime scenes, picking up bloodstains and hairs, and goodness knows what. Besides …’
    ‘What? There’s more?’
    ‘I think she’s too possessive. I’m worried you’ll get led into something you’ll regret.’
    ‘What do you mean?’
    ‘Ben, you’re the sort of man a certain type of woman could get obsessed with.