NO AGE TO DIE: The release of a dangerous prisoner leads to murder (DCI John Blizzard Book 9) by John Dean (free ebook reader for android .TXT) 📗

have now realised, I have a secret of my own. People in glasshouses and all that. And to answer your question, Chief Inspector, myself and Henry Sanders have grown very close. In fact, he asked me to leave Steve and go away with him.’

‘And you said?’ asked Blizzard.

‘I said I would think about it.’ Her eyes assumed a far-off expression. ‘Henry is everything that Steve is not, sensitive, gentle, caring–’

‘And a thief,’ said Blizzard.

‘What do you mean?’ Her surprise appeared to be genuine.

‘He stole money from the church.’

‘I don’t believe that!’

‘Believe it,’ said Blizzard. ‘Glenda Rutherford told us and Edgar Rose-Harvey confirmed it.’

‘That man!’ The words were almost spat out. ‘Henry detested him. He said it was difficult to see the Christian spirit in him.’

‘To be honest, I am struggling to see the Christian spirit in any of you,’ said Blizzard. ‘Did Jamie know about Henry’s offer to whisk you away into the sunset?’

‘Yes.’ Marian’s tears welled up. ‘Yes, he did.’

‘And what did he think of it?’

‘He liked Henry,’ she sobbed. ‘He didn’t hurt him like…’

Her voice tailed off in mid-sentence. The detectives watched, sensing her turmoil. She stared at the ground for a moment, seemingly fascinated by the whirls in the carpet.

‘Is there a chance that you’re wrong and that Jamie actually didn’t approve of your new relationship?’ asked Blizzard. ‘Is it possible that he threatened to tell your husband about the two of them and that Henry kill–’

‘What are you saying?’ exclaimed Marian angrily. ‘Of course, Henry didn’t kill my son.’

‘Yes, you say that but–’

‘You will get nothing more from me,’ she said firmly. ‘I have said enough already. I wanted to talk to you because I guessed you would hear about me and Henry from someone at the church. People can be such gossips and I wanted you to have the facts right.’

‘But we need to ask you about–’

‘No more questions,’ she said. ‘Please leave my house.’

And with that she stood up and walked out into the hallway. Blizzard glanced round at a smiling Virgin Mary perched on the television set.

‘What are you laughing at?’ he said.

After Marian had ushered the detectives out into the street, Blizzard’s mobile phone rang. He stood, leaning against the car, listening grimly, then stared bleakly across at his sergeant when the call had ended.

‘It’s time to go to church again,’ he said.

‘We’re becoming quite religious in our old age,’ said Colley.

‘Well, we are certainly going to need some divine help from somewhere,’ replied Blizzard. ‘That was Sarah. Someone has just killed Glenda Rutherford!’

Chapter twenty-two

Having passed through the cordon of flashing blue lights outside St John’s, the detectives joined Sarah Allatt and two green-suited paramedics in the dimly lit church to gaze silently upon the twisted and crumpled body of Glenda Rutherford. She lay on her front behind a row of chairs – one of the first decisions of the new group on taking over at St John’s had been to remove the pews – and had been struck from behind, possibly while kneeling in prayer, thought the detectives. It was not difficult to see the injury which had killed her, the bloodied gash on her head testament to the force of the blow.

‘Was she alive when you arrived?’ Blizzard asked one of the paramedics.

‘Just. Died a few moments after we got to her. Nothing we could have done.’

‘Did she say anything?’

‘No.’

The detectives watched in grim silence as the paramedics left the church. Blizzard looked at Allatt.

‘Too much to ask that we might have a witness, I suppose?’ he asked.

‘I am afraid not, guv. It looks like she was alone when it happened.’

The inspector said nothing so Colley walked round the church. After a few minutes, he gave an exclamation and reached down to peer at a bloodstained wooden bookstand lying on the floor.

‘Guv,’ he said. ‘Better come and have a look at this.’

Blizzard walked over and looked at the bookstand.

‘Dropped when whoever it was fled the scene,’ said Colley.

‘So, it would appear,’ said Blizzard. ‘The kind of weapon a vicar might well use.’

They rejoined Allatt next to the body. Colley knelt down and looked closer at Glenda Rutherford’s face.

‘There’s no fear,’ he said. ‘Probably did not even know what was happening.’

‘That makes two of us,’ said Blizzard.

He noticed a young man standing at the door to the church and watching them with a look of shock on his face.

‘Who’s he?’ asked the inspector.

‘The duty manager at the hostel,’ said Allatt. ‘He called it in.’

Blizzard walked briskly towards him. The man’s face was pale, the lips trembling. He was leaning against the door frame, hardly able to support himself.

‘Did you find her?’ asked Blizzard.

The young man nodded.

‘What happened?’ asked Blizzard.

‘I was about to finish for the day.’ The duty manager paused to gather his composure. ‘Glenda always goes to pray before she starts work. I heard her scream and ran in and…’ His voice tailed off.

‘Did you see anyone else?’ asked the inspector.

‘No. No one.’

Blizzard was about to ask another question when a movement caught his attention through one of the side windows. At first, he was not quite sure what he was seeing but the closer he looked he realised that it was the shadow of a person, silhouetted against the street lights and moving stealthily.

‘David!’ yelled Blizzard. He pointed to the window.

The sergeant sprang into action. With a few athletic bounds, knee injury forgotten, he was hurtling through the front door of the church, barging past the startled uniformed officer guarding it. Yelling for the constable to follow him, the sergeant careered round the side of the church to see a shape fleeing into the shadows. Colley, adrenaline driving away the pain in his knee,