Read Chris Collett - [Tom Mariner 01] for Free Online Page A

pale wiry body. Here and there terracotta coloured prints adorned the stark white walls of the room; decorative stencilling gone grotesquely wrong. But even in that condition Jamie Barham was strikingly handsome with the sort of intense good looks that stared insolently from arty monochrome aftershave ads.
    Knox broke the silence, ‘So if he’s autistic, does that mean he’s really a genius? Like Rain Man?’
    Anna gave a derisory snort. ‘You can forget the toothpick trick. Jamie’s no mathematical genius. He’s what they poetically call “low functioning”. On top of the autism he has learning difficulties too. Unless Eddie’s worked miracles, he can’t even dress himself without considerable help.’
    Knox nodded towards a pile of linen in the corner. ‘We gave him those, but he wouldn’t put them on.’
    ‘Where are his clothes?’
    ‘They had blood on them, they’re being analysed.’
    Mariner told her.
    ‘Eddie’s blood?’ She seemed almost afraid to say it.
    ‘Some of it was mine, but apart from that we don’t know.’
    ‘So what happens now?’
    ‘We would like to talk to him. It’s just an informal chat, but he has the right to legal representation…’
    They seemed to be doing a good job of keeping her amused. This time she laughed out loud. ‘I hardly think that will be necessary. What you’ll need is some kind of incentive just to get him to sit down and take notice of you.’
    ‘Like what?’
    ‘I’ve no idea. I don’t know what he’s into now. It always used to be Monster Munch: pickled onion flavour.’
    ‘Hula Hoops,’ said Knox.
    ‘What?’
    ‘At the flat,’ the constable reminded him. ‘There were Hula Hoops all over the floor, remember? Perhaps his taste has improved.’
    ‘That sounds the right kind of thing,’ Anna agreed ‘I’ll see if they’ve got some in the canteen.’ Knox left them alone.
    ‘Can I get him dressed first?’ asked Anna.
    ‘Of course.’ Mariner stood and watched from behind the two-way mirror as Anna Barham entered the room with her brother. The intercom was switched off, so the scene ran before him like a silent movie being played in slow motion and was one of the most bizarre encounters between human siblings that Mariner had ever witnessed.
    Closing the door behind her, Anna’s lips moved in noiseless greeting. Jamie ceased pacing momentarily and turned towards her with a wary sideways look. Anna walked slowly to the other side of the room to retrieve the clothes. Picking out a T-shirt, she held it out towards her brother and began to gradually advance towards him, all the time her lips moving, in what Mariner imagined was some kind of soothing encouragement. Jamie visibly tensed bringing his hands up parallel with his ears and flapping his fingers in agitation. Anna stopped momentarily and waited, Eventually he brought his hands down again to pluck at his crotch like a nervous toddler. Anna resumed her approach and as soon as she was near enough, slipped the T-shirt over his head and guided his arms up into the sleeves in a swift, fluid action. She repeated the whole process with other items of clothing, the last garment going on just as Knox returned from his quest.
    ‘Christ, look at that,’ breathed Mariner. ‘It’s like dressing a kid.’ As he spoke Anna turned to the mirror, giving the thumbs up signal for them to join her.
    Mariner and Knox came into the interview room, Mariner with some caution, memories of his last face-to face encounter with Jamie Barham still fresh in his mind.
    His fears were unfounded—Jamie had other more pressing concerns. With the speed and accuracy of an Exocet he homed in immediately on the crisp packet, hovering over Knox while he and Mariner seated themselves at the table.
    Mariner slipped a tape into the recording machine. ‘Even though this isn’t a formal interview it might be helpful,’ he explained to Anna. For the benefit of the tape he set the scene, date, time, persons present, before