Restless Dead (Harry Grimm Book 5) by David Gatward (english reading book TXT) 📗

in the house. I’ve even called her a couple of times, you know? Picked up the phone just to have a chat, only to remember then that she’s gone.’

‘I really am so sorry about what happened,’ Liz said, hearing James’ voice falter.

‘You have no need to be sorry,’ James said. ‘It was hardly your fault now, was it?’

James, Liz then noticed, had somehow managed to acquire a glass of what looked like whisky, on his journey from the windows to the seat, and was swilling the amber liquid around and staring into the fire.

‘She really was quite wonderful,’ James said. ‘Life made more sense with her in it, I’m sure of that.’

Liz said, ‘First, and like I said before, can I just confirm your details?’

James did as requested and although Liz already had the information he had given her, she did it to relax him more than anything else, and to let him know that this was a statement she was taking, that she was treating whatever he was about to say, very seriously.

‘So, Mr Fletcher,’ Liz asked, ‘what exactly is it that you saw?’

James’ mouth went tight and Liz watched as the man twisted around in his chair to look out the window. ‘First, call me James, please,’ he said. ‘I was at the window. My daughter, Ruth, well she had just popped in to say that she was heading into town to do a bit of shopping. Then, a few minutes after she had gone, I was just staring out across the lawn, when under the tree, there she was! I looked up again, and she’d gone, but I’m so sure that I saw her. She must have gone to hide in the trees. I mean, can you imagine it? Seeing her? Just there, right in front of my eyes? I sound mad, I know I do.’

‘So, it was a woman?’ Liz asked. ‘You’re sure about that?’

‘I may be old, but I’m not blind,’ James said, and Liz for the first time heard the faintest of hints of the man’s humour just behind what he was saying.

‘And you recognised her, you said?’ Liz asked. It was clear that James was distressed, so if he had seen someone, and if there was a connection between this and the sighting the previous week that Harry and Matt had dealt with, then they would have to investigate further for sure.

James hesitated at this, before he said, ‘She was too far away for me to see her clearly.’

‘And what was she wearing?’

‘I’m not really sure,’ James said. ‘It’s quite hard to picture it now. It’s not long ago, I know, but it was all rather quick.’

‘It just helps us to draw a picture of the intruder,’ Liz explained.

‘It wasn’t a dress or anything like that,’ James said then. ‘But then Helen wasn’t one for wearing fancy things, you know. She was a bit more practical. Jeans was her thing.’

‘So this person was in jeans, then?’ Liz said.

‘I think so, yes,’ James said. ‘That’s all I could tell really. It was hard to see clearly through the rain anyway.’

‘Can you tell us anything else about who you saw?’ Liz asked. ‘What she looked like at all? Any small detail?’

‘Long dark hair,’ Mr Fletcher said. ‘It’s a family thing I think. Pat, Ruth, they both have it. Even Anthony! But then he’s into all that loud heavy metal music, isn’t he, so he has it all long and seems to hide behind it a bit. Plays guitar, you know? And he’s very good, too. Or so I’ve been told! It’s not really my thing, but I don’t tell him that.’

Liz allowed James to ramble, but in her mind had already latched onto what he’d said about his daughters and his grandson, and the photos around them of his wife, Helen. Because if they all looked so similar, then there was every chance that it had been one of them outside, and James was probably just spooked by it, thanks to his clearly heightened state of anxiety. But that didn’t matter, Liz thought. If they could just get to the bottom of it, come up with an answer, then perhaps he would be able to relax a little. He certainly looked like he needed to. And they couldn’t just keep coming out to check things over based on James seeing things that weren’t there.

‘And what time was this?’

James checked his watch.

‘About an hour ago now, I think,’ he said.

‘And you said that this woman was standing under that tree,’ Liz confirmed.

‘Maybe not standing,’ James said, ‘but that’s where I saw her, and then she was gone.’

‘Did you see where she went after that?’

Mr Fletcher lifted his glass and took a hefty hit of the drink it held, wincing a little as the liquid filled his mouth.

‘Back into the shadows,’ he said, the whisky swallowed. ‘She was there, right over there! I bloody well saw her! And then she wasn’t! And I want to, you know? I really want to see her! It’s awful. I can’t bear it. That’s why I need to know where she is, that’s she’s okay.’

Liz wasn’t sure what James was now talking about, and was searching for something else to say when Jen came back into the room.

‘Anything?’ Liz asked.

Jen looked thoughtful for a moment then shook her head. ‘If there was someone there, then they could easily have slipped off back into the woods behind. Nothing on the footpath either. But it’s hard to tell, really. And the ground isn’t wet or soggy enough to show footprints,’ Jen continued. ‘It actually looks fairly dry under the branches.’

‘Mr Fletcher,’ Liz said, ‘I wonder if it would be possible to speak to the rest of the family? Are they around at all?’

‘They didn’t see her though,’ James replied. ‘It was me. And they all think I’ve gone a bit loopy anyway, don’t you see? And I can hardly blame them.’

‘We just need to confirm where they were, that’s all,’ Liz said.

‘Yes, I