23
Jacobs drained his third cup of coffee for the morning. Usually, he tried to space his caffeine consumption throughout the day, but he had slept badly, hardly at all, if he was honest, and he needed the boost to bring him back to life.
One of the many disadvantages of his profession was a distinct propensity to overconsume hot beverages, at least until it was deemed appropriate to switch to alcohol.
That decision, he knew from past experience, was one that varied greatly, depending on how much pressure he was under during any particular investigation.
He knew of colleagues back in Liverpool who, over time, had slipped into the habit of adding a shot of scotch to their first tea or coffee of the morning and, for some, that crutch was the only thing that made it possible for them to c
