The footsteps were almost behind him now. 'Yeah. You said I needed to look closer to home.'
'That's right. Just watch your back, Jon. At work.'
'Someone here was tipping you off?'
'That's all I can say, Jon, there's another call waiting. I've got to go.'
As she hung up he turned around. McCloughlin was about to step on to the landing, a mobile phone pressed to his ear. Suddenly it all clicked. Next thing he knew McCloughlin was lying on his back, blinking at the ceiling, blood running from his nose. Jon looked down at his fist. Oh fuck. McCloughlin's phone was on the third step. He picked it up and heard a voice saying, 'Hello? Is that you, DCI McCloughlin?' Carmel's voice. He dropped the phone on to McCloughlin's chest and carried on down the stairs.
Back on his drive, he locked the car and walked up to the front door, briefcase in his hand. He paused there, wondering if Ellie or his mum were inside visiting. Even though a few weeks had passed, they still hadn't fully forgiven his actions that night. Deserting his wife when she was so in need of his support. He didn't like to think about it himself. Fortunately Alice was able to accept how his mind worked. How he just could not let go of a case. She didn't like it, but she realised he could no more change his methods than he could the colour of his eyes. You're one lucky bastard, he thought, turning the key and pushing the door open. Punch's squashed snout appeared from the front room. His dog gave a snort of delight and bounded down the corridor. Jon went down to one knee and curled his free arm round the animal's neck, turning his face away as a wet tongue lapped at his ear.
'That's horrible.'
Jon stood up and looked at Alice. She was standing in the doorway to the front room, her eyes bright and clear, though whether from the anti-depressants or genuine emotion, he still couldn't be sure. Holly was cradled in her right arm, her little legs kicking with excitement. Jon walked towards them and took his daughter. Dragging his eyes from Holly, he kissed his wife. 'You're looking good.'
Alice nodded. 'I feel it. It seems so much easier now Holly is sleeping through.'
Jon's eyes went back to his daughter, who gazed up at him with a crooked smile. 'Yeah, sleep. It's the key to everything.' He didn't mention the dream that now haunted him. Curved teeth and sharp claws slashing at his face. How it always tore him from sleep at three in the morning. 'I just decked McCloughlin.' Alice stared at him, lips slightly apart. 'Oh Jon! Please tell me that you're joking.'
He looked at the back of his hand, examining the angry red knuckles. 'Wish I was.'
Alice's voice dropped to a whisper. 'Well, that's it then. You'll be fired.'
Jon glanced up, a grin on his face. 'No I won't. It was in the stairwell at Longsight. There were no witnesses. McCloughlin was the one leaking stuff to the Manchester Evening Chronicle — and I know exactly which reporter he was tipping off.'
Alice's expression lightened slightly. 'So he won't take action against you?'
'Not if he wants me to keep quiet about what he was up to.'
'Did he actually tell you he won't?'
'No need. A weasel like McCloughlin? He'll have worked out the angles before I'd reached the bottom of the stairs. He won't say a word. Trust me.'
A smile of relief appeared on her face. 'Still, you shouldn't go round punching your senior officers.'
Jon paused, pretending to consider her comment. 'Yeah, you're right. I won't make a habit of it. So, what have you been up to?'
'There's some interesting stuff that came out today. The Lancet has published a survey on how many Iraqis have died since the invasion began. One hundred thousand, minimum.'
Jon stepped into the front room and looked at the computer with its piles of paper surrounding it. 'You really enjoy this, don't you? Writing to MPs, sending letters to newspapers.'
Alice sat down on the swivel chair. 'It needs to be done. We can't let the people at the top get away with it. Funny, but I hated politics before. This disastrous war has opened my eyes to so much.'
Jon studied his wife as she picked up her latest print-outs and squared them off. He could see how she was in her element. Always feisty, she'd never been able to sit in silence if she thought somebody was a liar. Now she had something to get her teeth into and the therapeutic value was obvious. He looked down, always amazed at how Holly could fall asleep with such speed. Placing her gently on the mat, he watched as Punch wriggled closer to take up his customary position guarding her.
'Well, I've got something else if you're interested.'
He opened his briefcase and took out his copy of Jammer's project.
'What is it?' Alice asked, hands already out.
'Read it. Let's just say it's not something that's likely to be reported in any of our newspapers. But you might find a few interesting comparisons with what's going on today.'
Alice was already bowed over the photocopied sheets as Jon turned to his dog. 'Hey Punch, fancy coming for a run?'