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believe me.”
    “You’re not thinking of getting back on the scene again, are you?”
    Vicky used her fork to stir the coleslaw in the pot, the mayonnaise sticking to the side. “I can’t be arsed, Kaz. I really can’t.”
    “Fair enough.”
    Vicky lifted the lid and started mashing the potato and cheese together. “Forrester’s stuck me with Considine.”
    “The boy’s an idiot.”
    “Tell me about it.” Vicky tipped the coleslaw onto the potato, steam wafting up from it. “I don’t know what Ennis was telling him but he thinks he’s the big man just now. Driving his Subaru around and solving taxi murders. Reckons he should be a DS.”
    “Unreal.” Karen took a mouthful of curry. “So what did Forrester say about him?”
    “Coach him. Go hard on him.”
    “And have you?”
    “Of course.”
    “You’re a pussycat, really.”
    “Like hell I am.” Vicky rubbed a thumb across her neck, the vein throbbing again. “To tell you the truth, he’s doing my head in already. Promotion this, promotion that.” She let out a sigh, the vein losing a few BPM in tempo. “I just don’t find this sort of thing easy. It’s the one bit of the job I hate. I’m okay dealing with most of the shit we get but having to be hard on him like that . . . It’s not in my nature.”
    “You sure?”
    “I don’t know. I don’t need the stress and the confrontation really wears me down. He’s one of these people that just rubs me up the wrong way. I had to tell him to call me ‘Sarge’. What sort of person does that?”
    “Someone dealing with an arrogant wee laddie?”
    “Maybe.” Vicky mashed the potato, her fork clicking off the plate. “It’ll be interesting to see how much he sucks up to Forrester at the briefing today.”
    “He’ll be right in there, guaranteed.”
    Vicky opened her Diet Coke and took a drink. “He’s not an idiot. He just needs a bit of shaping.”
    Karen turned her head to the side, her eyebrows pulled down. “You don’t fancy him, do you?”
    Vicky wagged a finger in the air. “No, and that’s the last time the topic will be mentioned.” She chuckled. “He thought I was forty .”
    “Cheeky bastard.”
    “Exactly.” Vicky took another mouthful of potato, almost down to the charred skin. She spotted Forrester at the far end of the room, tucking his tie over his shoulder as he sat down, and she leaned over the table. “Who’s that with Forrester?”
    Karen squinted. “That’s the new DS. MacDonald, I think.”
    Vicky checked him out — tall and athletic with a broad grin on his face, his hair gelled to the side, a small tuft sprouting up mid-parting. Black suit, blue tie, white shirt. “Bit of an improvement on old Ennis.”
    “Aye.” Karen put her fork down on the half-empty plate. “Tell me you’ve not fallen for him already?”
    “Hardly.” Blushing, Vicky finished her potato skin and set her cutlery down. “You done?”
    “Aye.”
    “Need to get back and see what Considine’s been up to.” Vicky got up and crossed the canteen, carrying her tray in front of her, the wood digging into her stomach, pulling her blouse tight.
    Forrester patted her on the arm when he saw her. “DS Dodds, good to see you.”
    “Been trying to call you since we finished in Forfar, sir.”
    “Right, sorry. I’ve been busy.” Forrester gestured across the table. “This is DS Euan MacDonald.”
    MacDonald grinned as he flattened down his hair. “David’s told me a lot about you.”
    Vicky raised an eyebrow. “All good, I hope.”
    “No comment.” MacDonald laughed as he held out his hand. “Please, call me Mac.”
    Vicky took the weight of the tray in her left hand and shook his. “Pleasure to meet you.”
    “We’ll be a minute, Vicky.” Forrester’s smile was polite at best, eyes gesturing to the door. “Go prepare yourself for the briefing.”
    “Will do, sir.” Vicky waved at MacDonald before catching up with Karen as she dumped her tray. “MacDonald’s even