‘Here you go. Black, two sugars – and I asked them to put a splash of cold water in it, so get it down you.’
Barnes shoved a takeout cup of coffee across the Formica table to Damian and took a seat beside Kay, then watched as the man peeled off his thick leather gloves, leaving the woollen inserts on, and wrapped his hands around the hot drink.
‘Thanks. It’s bloody freezing out there tonight, and raining too. I can’t feel my hands.’
‘Not a great night to be out on a bike.’
‘No kidding.’
‘Damian, we’re going to have to make this formal in the circumstances.’ Kay withdrew her notebook from her bag and popped the lid off a pen, her movements efficient as she cleared the remnants of sugar sachets off the table surface and dropped them onto the plastic tray at her elbow.
Barnes checked over his shoulder, but the nearest people were three tables away – an orderly and a woman in pale blue overalls who opened pre-packaged sandwiches in silence before turning to watch a television screen in the far corner of the cafeteria.
He took a sip of his coffee while Kay read out the formal caution and contemplated the older brother.
He had darker hair compared to Xander and was slightly shorter, already carrying a little too much weight around his middle.
He wondered whether Damian bothered to exercise while working from home, or whether he was the sort of entrepreneur who poured all of his energy into his business with little thought to his own health.
The inserts from the gloves he still wore began to emit a damp wool smell as the coffee cup cooled, and Barnes turned his attention to the cafeteria window beside him for a moment, watching as a steady drizzle created a mist beneath the car park lights and an ambulance tore away from a parking bay farther along, its lights blazing as it reached the exit onto the main road.
His gaze returned to the table as Kay cleared her throat.
‘When we attended Xander’s flat earlier tonight, a quantity of drugs was found in his bedroom,’ she said. ‘Was he a user?’
‘Christ, no.’
Damian’s shock was palpable. He reared back, his eyebrows raised before he blushed, perhaps realising that his outburst had echoed off the cafeteria walls.
‘No, I didn’t. I’m sure he’s not. I mean, he’s my brother. I’d know. I’m sure I would.’
‘This was a significant quantity,’ said Kay. ‘Do you have any suspicions that your brother was dealing?’
Damian’s jaw clenched and he lowered his cup to the table, then closed his eyes. ‘I didn’t, no. What sort of drugs?’
‘We believe they’re identical to the drugs stolen from a local veterinary surgery last Monday night,’ said Barnes. ‘The owner of the practice was still there when an intruder broke in – he was subsequently attacked and hospitalised.’
‘Jesus.’ Damian shook his head and met his gaze. ‘How… how is he? Is he all right?’
‘He got the all-clear from his medical team yesterday,’ said Kay, her face passive. ‘He had a lucky escape. When the ambulance arrived, he was unconscious.’
‘Do you have a key to your brother’s flat?’ said Barnes.
‘No – why would I?’
‘Are you aware if anyone else has access to the place?’
‘I’m not, no.’
‘Where were you last Monday night, Damian?’ he said.
‘What?’
‘Just answer the question, please.’
‘At Xander’s place. He had a new computer game downloaded that we’d both been waiting for.’ He raised the coffee cup to his lips, then paused as a sad smile crossed his lips. ‘He almost kicked my ass. I wish he had.’
‘Any idea how he came to be in possession of the drugs?’ asked Kay.
‘We don’t socialise much,’ said Damian. ‘I mean, we try to get together once a month if we can – we like the same computer games like I said, or sometimes we’ll watch a film. Xander’s got an unhealthy addiction to several comic universes so we usually end up seeing one of them.’
Barnes smiled at the resignation in the man’s voice. ‘Not a fan of those, then?’
‘Not really. I wouldn’t mind seeing something with a bit more substance sometimes.’
‘Do you know who might’ve done this to him?’ said Kay.
‘I don’t. We tend to move in different circles, detective. I mean, we’ll catch up from time to time – like last week, if there’s something one of us is doing that we’re interested in – but we’re not close like some. Have you spoken to anyone at the nightclub he DJs at? I know sometimes he has problems because the blokes that go there think he’s going to run off with their girlfriends. All nonsense, of course. He’s too focused on his music.’
Kay put down her pen and Barnes noticed the dark shadows under her eyes as she bit back a yawn and tried to maintain her professionalism.
He checked his watch, and then drained his coffee, grimacing at the taste.
‘All right, Damian,’ he said, pushing back his chair while Kay tucked her notebook away. ‘You’ve already got our contact details, so let us know if you think of anything else.’
‘Okay.’ The man looked over his shoulder as an older couple entered the cafeteria, their faces haggard. ‘I might go up and see if I can sit with him for a while, to keep him company.’
‘I’m sorry, that won’t be possible,’ said Barnes. ‘Not until after we’ve interviewed him in the morning, at least.’
‘What’s going to happen to him?’ Damian looked up, concern etched across his features. ‘I mean, when he gets out of here? Will you arrest him?’
Barnes sighed. ‘He’s already under arrest. He was formally cautioned by one of our officers when he was transferred upstairs from A&E.’