Fifty Two Weeks of Murder Read Free

his delight.
    “Bumble isn’t ugly,” he said through a mouthful of food. “She’s pretty.” Anders laughed and stood up to make his sandwiches for school.
    “Flattery will get you far Honeybun, but it won’t get you Frosties.” Aaron sighed theatrically and managed to spill some milk on his trousers. Anders handed him a cloth and told him to wipe his pants.
    “They call them trousers here,” said Cassie with a rueful smile. “Pants are what the Brits call their underwear.” Aaron screwed up his face.
    “That’s silly,” he said. Anders chimed in as she wrapped up Aaron’s peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
    “You know what else is weird? Jelly. They call it jam here.”
    “That’s not as silly as calling something I wear on the outside the same as what I wear on the inside.” Cassie grinned mischievously and beckoned Aaron closer with a conspiratorial wave of her finger.
    “You wanna know what a fanny pack is here? Fanny means…”
    “That’ll do Cassie,” rebuked Anders good naturedly, concealing a grin as she packed Aaron’s bag for school.  
    The banter continued for a while until Anders declared that Aaron needed to get to school. Cassie found his bag and shrugged into a leather jacket as she ushered him out of the door. Aaron stopped to give Anders a hug and she lifted him from his feet in a bear hug, much to his squealing delight. 
    “Be good,” she said and kissed his cheek. “I’ll see you later.” Cassie leaned forward for a hug and Anders slipped her some money. “Toy R Us on the way home. There’s a skateboard there he’s been after for a while, third one up, second one in. Special treat for his first day at school. Get a safety helmet as well.”
    Cassie took the money and smiled sadly.
    “You shouldn’t spoil us,” she said softly as Aaron waited for the lift in the hallway, humming tunelessly to himself. “You’ve done more than we could have asked for.” She looked suddenly vulnerable and Anders’ heart almost broke at the sight.
    “You’re my family now,” she said simply. “It gives me the greatest pleasure.” Cassie hugged her briefly, thanked her again and went to take Aaron to school. Anders quickly tidied up the kitchen and then slipped into the workroom. On the desk sat her Warrant card and she picked it up, recalling the oath that she’d taken a few days ago. She’d sat in the office of the Director-General of the NCA while he gazed on with a smirk as she raised her palm and recited the oath from memory. It spoke of fairness and integrity, diligence and the duty to uphold fundamental human rights.
    As she said the words, her mind had raced back a decade to when she’d given her Federal Oath under very different circumstances in Quantico. She’d been a raw recruit, full of excitement at the possibilities that lay ahead. That oath had ensured her unwavering commitment to upholding the American Constitution and her willingness to defend it against all enemies. She felt a tinge of sadness at how things had changed but pushed such thoughts away. Life was all about change. She knew that better than anyone. Making the changes that mattered and dealing with the things you can’t change is what really counts.
    Checking that the lights were all off, Anders grabbed her jacket and pulled on a pair of boots before taking her purse and checking its contents. Slipping her watch onto her wrist and turning it so that it faced inwards, an old habit from her time in the army, Anders left the flat. Locking the door behind her, she took the stairs to the exit and made the short walk to the tube station. It was her first day of work, and, despite her morning exercise, she still had plenty of adrenalin left to feel nervous.
     
     
     
     
     

Chapter 2
    The original Scotland Yard had been named because its rear entrance had backed onto a street called Great Scotland Yard. The location had moved several times since then and picked up the moniker New Scotland Yard in