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Barry tutted. “Then be specific.”
“Where did you get it from?”
“Trade secret.”
Chad raised his eyebrow. “You’re expecting me to put this over my mouth and nose without knowing where it’s come from?”
“No one has ever asked. Not a police officer, are you?”
“I’m asking…”
“Well, you’ve already paid so I don’t have to answer.”
“If you want to enjoy the heating a little longer, you’ll answer.”
Barry drummed his fingers on the dashboard before sighing and hovering them in front of the heater again. “My dad.”
Chad scrunched his face. “Your … your dad has a load of chloroform…”
Barry straightened. “Whoa, hold your horses Mr. My dad isn’t the killer. Jesus.”
“Why does your dad have chloroform?”
“He doesn’t.”
Chad rolled his eyes. “Okay, I think your fingertips are no longer blue, out you go.”
“My nan’s aircon started leaking so my dad bought her a new one, and brought the old one home to rip out the motor.”
“And?”
“And in that ancient thing, chloroform was used as the refrigerant. It was in the bottom—all I had to do was drain it—and there wasn’t much, hence the cost.”
“There’s chloroform in aircon units?”
“Oh, yeah,” Barry nodded. “Old ones, though, that and freezers.”
“Freezers…”
“Apparently. Old supermarket ones, not just any. They’ve got to be proper big, industrial size.”
Chad swallowed, then leaned across Barry to open his door. “Thanks.”
“Remember, a couple of drops, rag over your mouth, and remember my motto.”
“Which is?”
“Not all in one go and let the good times flow.”
Chapter Fifteen
Chad’s mouth dropped open at the piles and piles of rubbish. All of the county’s waste ended up at Comberton Recycling Center, but the fridges, freezers, and any appliance that used chemicals were separated to be safely dealt with.
That didn’t mean they were in a sensible place. Chad had slipped and tripped through several patches of ominous grime. He ducked at a screech overhead, losing balance, and ended up on his hands in the dirt. The dive-bombing seagull that had forced Chad down soared away, and circled to come at him again.
Chad glanced at Keith leading him through the site. He wore high-vis and a hard hat, but assured Chad he would be fine in his bland-colored clothing, traipsing through a bland-colored landscape while all sorts of machinery crushed, and pushed through the rubbish on either side of them.
Keith looked over his shoulder. “You’re lucky the weather is so cool.”
