Dead bodies weigh heavier than broken hearts - Epilogue

Blackford stepped out of Argyle St police station and blinked in the sun. James was leaning against a railing waiting for him.

“Hayden’s dead,” he said by way of a hello.

Blackford nodded grimly “I know.”

They walked in silence for a while, Blackford keeping his eyes on the pavement as he reflected on the night’s events. After he’d heard the shot the building had been swamped by dozens of police officers, shouting and pinning them to the floor. They hauled him and Angel in to station and told him Jen’s body had been found. As he’d suspected, Blackford was their prime suspect for the murder but when Davies and Angel turned on each other they had started to believe him and slowly filled him in. Jenny had gone to the party on Friday night to ask James if he’d keep her company somewhere. James had told the detectives that she’d seemed nervous and not herself but he hadn’t thought anything of it at the time. Before she could explain fully Blackford, drunk, had started to make a scene. She left the party but Blackford had persisted, following her out into the street. When James went out to help him, Blackford accused him of sleeping with Jenny and took a mis-judged swing at him The much more sober James rewarded him with a black eye for his efforts. After a brief scuffle, they went their separate ways and James thought no more about it. The next night when James was on his way home from work he’d come across the commotion on Kelvin Way. He soon found out that Jenny had gone missing and when he got Blackford’s message he told the police his suspicions and led them straight to the flat. Seeing lights on, they bided their time, but when Hayden and Davies emerged from the flat Hayden still had the gun in his hand. A police shooter cut him down and they stormed the building. The drugs and phones cemented the case.

James broke the silence, “Are we cool man?”

Blackford looked up and squinted at his friend.

“Yeah, the way I acted I might as well have killed her myself. If you hadn’t of shown up like you did I don’t know what would have happened. Thanks.”

James squinted back. “No problem.”

It was a long, hot, dry summer.