The Drowning Child. Alex Barclay

in,’ said Seth.

      ‘Not to mention he has an investigation to run.’

      ‘Wiley is no investigation-runner,’ said Seth. ‘He’ll never be anything more than a sidekick. And he knows it.’

      He pushed the fifty closer to Shannon.

      ‘And why are you paying for Clyde’s drinks, anyway, big shot?’ said Shannon.

      ‘Out of pity,’ said Seth. ‘But Clyde doesn’t mind pity. He is unconcerned with the emotion behind a gesture. A fresh drink materializes before his swimming eyes? Well, that’s as pure a gesture as anything, far as he’s concerned – a single, welcome moment that doesn’t need to be weighed down by history or motive or rationale. A beer’s a beer.’

      ‘A beer’s a beer,’ said Shannon. She put a bottle of Bud down in front of him. ‘How did the search go today?’

      She poured a whiskey for Clyde.

      ‘Well, no one found anything,’ said Seth. ‘But you get the sense they put the volunteers in places where they don’t really think they’re going to find anything, so they won’t screw up the evidence.’

      ‘Probably,’ said Shannon.

      ‘And I got nothing out of Wiley afterward,’ said Seth. ‘Even when he was wasted. I tried to pump him for information, but nothing.’

      ‘You shouldn’t be showing so much interest,’ said Shannon. ‘You know that doesn’t look good.’