Sweet Things Dying - Chapter XVIII

In which Cole falls out with Sacker and the police, and visits the mortuary...

XVIII

“Cease and desist!”

This was shouted by Sacker, who sat facing Cole over his desk.

“Coming here?” asked Cole “I shall be glad to.”

“And I shall be glad to see you go given the embarrassment you’ve brought me this morning.”

“What in hell is the matter now?”

“Would you care to guess?”

“Given how uptight you are on any day, we’d be here quite some time were I to try guessing.”

“Then try this you stupid ass.”

Sacker whipped a stack of papers on to the desk and shoved them across to Cole.

Cole made no movement for them. “I seem to have forgotten my spectacles. Perhaps you could summarise?”

“I already did: cease and desist.”

“Now I understand. I take it the good reverend still has mixed feelings toward me?”

“You can be certain he did not pay his lawyer to issue you with a love letter,” said Sacker, striking a match to a cigarette. He did not offer one to Cole.

“On what grounds has he based this complaint?” asked Cole.

“I believe he said something to the effect that he is “tired of seeing Mr. Cole at every turn.” Can’t say I blame him.”

“What does he know?”

“He knows you are an idiot. Otherwise, he’d not complain about seeing you at his church. Outside his church. In his home. Outside his home. At the police station. Pestering his little daughter, his neighbours and the real detective charged with solving Heather’s case. He even says he has good reason to believe you followed him one night while he was on one of his charitable excursions.”

“So he did spot me,” said Cole.

“It appears he did. Many times.”

“He’s likely bluffing.”

“Sacker dropped a dart-like finger on to the legal papers. “His lawyer isn’t.”

“And “charitable excursion” my arse.”

“Which is exactly what Bloom wants placed in a sling,” said Sacker.

“Fuck him,” Cole snapped. “I’ll have him kissing it. The man is up to something, along with his good neighbour Thorne.”

“He complained about that, too, once he heard from the inspector that you were instrumental in the man’s apprehension.”

“Of course he did. Thorne will crack. And Bloom’s name will come up when he does.”

“How so? I thought it was Wright that you were certain may have a role in this, along with Thorne.”

Cole shrugged. “Any or all of them.”

Sacker sighed. “I understand how you must feel, Adam. I am very sorry about Heather. I know you want an answer for her. She was… special to you.”

Cole stared at his hands, said nothing.

Sacker plucked a cigarette from the case and held it out with two fingers: “Here.”

Not in a mood to smoke, Cole pocketed it. “It doesn’t matter about Heather now,” he said. “I just have to get the job done for Mac.”

“That’s just it. You are done.”

“You cannot be serious?”

“The hell I’m not! Look at this.” He waved his hand over the legal orders. “You cannot just ignore this. He could sue you – us. Or he could sick the police on you.”

“I’ll have to ignore it. I still have much to do. Heather --- ”

“You just said it’s no longer about her. And you sure as hell do not care about her family’s feelings. This is a murder now. Let the police carry the burden.”

“I will,” Cole said. “I just need to help them along.”

Sacker threw back his head and gasped, exasperated. “Just stop! Have you any idea of the trouble you will cause me? This practise? I could be run out of the Temple. And God knows, should you cause me problems I’ll ensure that no one ever employs you again.”

Cole stood. “You worry too much. When I’m done, everybody will want to hire me – through you, of course.”

Sacker snorted. “Hire us for what? To jack them off in an alley? That’s all we’ll have left. To hell with that – and with you. I want nothing more from you, Cole.”