Read Maxwell's Retirement for Free Online

from skating or riding or swimming or any of the other million things the little dears do.’ Bitterness dripped from her as she spoke.
    Jacquie laughed. ‘Great nicknames. What are their real names?’ As she spoke she caught Maxwell’s expression and tried to claw back herquestion. ‘I mean, ah ha, we called Nolan Nolan, but we call him Nole and …’
    ‘Don’t worry, Mrs Maxwell,’ Julie said. ‘It’s a common mistake. They
are
their real names. They are Native American and Neeheeoeewootis means “high-backed wolf” and Vaiveahtoish means “alights on a cloud”. Don’t ask me what they were thinking when they chose those names. Everyone calls them Nee and Vee now. Except me. I don’t see why they should be let off the hook.’
    ‘Don’t your friends call you Zee?’ Maxwell asked mildly.
    She rounded on him. ‘Yes, they do,’ she snapped. ‘But that’s my
friends
do that, not my family. They call me Julie. Or, my mum calls me Jules, because that’s what Jamie Oliver calls his wife and they went to his restaurant for an anniversary and so she likes to think they’re mates. Oh,’ she buried her head in her arms and her voice came out muffled, ‘I hate my family.’ She sniffed and raised her head. Jacquie and Maxwell could almost see her physically pull herself together. ‘I’m sorry to be such a nuisance.’ She reached round behind her for her coat on the back of the chair. ‘It’s nothing, just a bit upset about stuff. I’ll go home now.’
    Jacquie put a hand on her shoulder, half Woman Policeman, half mother, all Jacquie. ‘You most certainly will not. You got a text just then.I can’t let you go without seeing it. I’m sorry.’
    The girl clasped her hands tightly round her phone. ‘No!’ she cried. ‘You can’t.’
    Maxwell leant forward. ‘Julie, Mrs Maxwell is a police person, as I’m sure you know. If she lets you go without looking at the text, she could be in a lot of trouble down at the station.’ It had started out as an impression of George Dixon, but he remembered the girl’s age and swapped, in mid-sentence, to Gene Hunt.
    Julie looked from one to the other, checking.
    ‘He’s right, Julie,’ Jacquie said. And then, because she preferred the truth, ‘And anyway, I want to help you. Let me see. I won’t show Mr Maxwell if you don’t want me to. I promise.’
    Reluctantly, the girl opened her hand and Jacquie took the phone. It was quite a new model, rather more sophisticated than many, but simpler than some. Jacquie clicked a key and the screen sprang to life. She touched the jog wheel and the text appeared.
    ‘Hi Z. Bin an wile. RU doing wot I sed? Wdnt like 2 think UR still wearing panties. I no wt U do. I’m watching U.’
    Jacquie looked at Julie and then tilted the phone towards her. Gently, she said, ‘It’s not that bad, is it? Might it be one of your friends, messing about?’
    The girl read it. ‘That’s one of the mild ones. He’s been on and on about … well, what it says.The other things are worse. And he says he’s watching me. I’m so scared.’
    ‘Of course you are,’ Maxwell said. ‘But how can he watch you all the time?’
    ‘He can,’ she whispered. ‘He knows where I’ve been, who I speak to, everything.’
    Jacquie raised an eyebrow at Maxwell and he nodded. ‘Look, Julie, Mrs Maxwell will go outside and have a look. She is trained in this, she will know if there is anyone watching. Trust me.’ He tapped her hand and she looked up. ‘Trust us, Julie. It’s all right.’
    Jacquie got up and left the room, then they heard her feet on the stairs. She went through the lobby and out of the back door.
    ‘Cheer up, Julie. Mrs Maxwell is really good at her job. I’ll tell you what, let’s go and see if Nolan is stirring. He’ll be up for a game if he is.’
    ‘I’ve seen your little boy,’ Julie said, without much enthusiasm.
    ‘He’s not like your two little mon— brothers,’ Maxwell said. ‘Not at all. Come and meet