Chapter 62

Facing each other from the scooped ends of the bath, and with a fresh bottle trickling condensation, we lounge together, sipping wine pale as the first primrose.

"So, why did they call you away, Master? What were they arguing about? The mayor and the police commissioner?"

He winces, then sips at his glass. "The mayor, Vandervoort, wants more police on the streets."

I puzzle over that one. "Wouldn't the police commissioner want that too? More boots on sidewalks must be good for everyone, surely?"

"Yes, he would. As I've mentioned, Will Stanton is a man of great common sense. He believes strongly in, among other things, community policing."

"So… what's the problem? That sounds like an agreement. Not an argument."

Grimacing, he stares into his glass, swishing the wine around. "The problem is that Will is working within budget constraints set by the mayor. More boots on the sidewalks, as you put it, mean more salaries plus the associated costs plus more facilities to house the extra office