Dead Sweet: A D.I. Turnbull mystery Read Free Page A

Paul said, putting his sharps bin back on its shelf. "Tessa, do you want a cuppa?"
    "Oh you're joking aren't you Paul?" Tessa laughed, "I've got ten people waiting for me up there, no time for tea and sympathy. Need to get back to it."
    "Oh shame, next time?" Paul asked.
    Tessa laughed, "I come down here three times an hour; I would become a flipping cup of tea at that rate."
    Paul chuckled, "I know, I'll give you a choccie biscuit next time though."
    "Now you're talking my language." Tessa high-fived Paul and turned in the direction of the hallway. "Come on Todd, I'll walk with you." She winked at Todd. It amused him how she freely used his first name; he rarely heard it spoken as everyone else called him Sir or Governor, or Guv, only those senior to him called him by his name and he tried not to speak to them more than once a day if he could help it. Todd liked Tessa; she was a breath of fresh air to the police station. With her attitude she had been steadily gaining the reputation of a good solid station officer, efficiently dealing with callers to the station and deflecting any nonsense; bringing only necessary crimes to the attention of police. Petty squabbles, bullshit reports and disputes which could be resolved with a quick word of warning, were all being dealt with very effectively by Tessa and the uniforms were loving her for it.
    Todd also quite fancied a woman with stature as he liked to call it. There was nothing more unattractive to him than a woman who was skin and bone, wrinkled sagging skin aging them prematurely and giving them a permanently hungry look. A bit of meat on the bones, something to get hold of was more his cup of tea, although he often held back from forming relationships, preferring his own company and being happily single.
    "Come on then Tessa; let's go back to the lion's den." He took Tessa's chubby arm in his hand and guided her along the corridor. Tessa broke out into song, "Let's fall in love." She crooned up at Todd as they walked. Todd hummed along then waved goodbye to Tessa on the ground floor as she broke away to return to the station office, turning sideways to ensure her hefty frame could fit through the door.
    "Bye-eee." Tessa waved at him.
    "Bye Tessa." Todd said back then continued up to his office on the first floor, he changed his face and demeanour from humorous to serious as he returned to his position in charge of the CID office. Game face on as he reached his desk, Todd sat down and began to search through his emails for anything which required his immediate attention. Detective Sergeant Candace Whelan had spotted Todd enter his office and spent a short time watching him as he worked. She had had a crush on the suntanned silver fox ever since she had arrived at Olinsbury nick two years before. Todd's piercing blue/green eyes could turn her stomach to jelly with just one look and his perfect smile made her knees quiver. It didn't matter to her that at forty five he was twenty years her senior. Todd always smelt clean and fresh, his 6'02", naturally athletic frame was well dressed and he was always clean shaven. Candace had been trying to impress him from day one of their working relationship but he seemed immune to her size ten figure, wavy auburn hair and attractive face. No amount of hair flicking, lip biting or humour making flirting could break through his defences. Todd remained a close colleague and good friend but the spark Candace so desired just would not come.
     
    Todd glanced up from his work, sensing eyes were upon him. He caught Candace look away quickly and smiled to himself. He was very aware she liked him but had vowed to never sleep with a work colleague again since a disastrous one night stand had earned him the nickname of 'Todger' which most people used when he wasn't part of the conversation.
    "Candace," Todd called out to her. She turned her head to look at him, pretending she had been busy with something else and not ogling her boss.
    "Yes Guv?" she