Dead Ball by Tom Palmer (best novels in english .TXT) 📗

I asked Matt about rumours that he was involved in the attack on Robert Skatie, the man who was meant to play in Russia on Wednesday.

‘I attacked him so that he’d not be able to play,’ McGee said. ‘I knew that they would come for him next as he had been picked to play the game. They came to me because they assumed I’d be playing. But I also knew that Robert would have been under much more pressure than me. He has a young family; I have none. What if they had threatened his wife and two small children?’

News coming from the FA confirms that Robert Skatie is fine after his Moscow fall. As is Alex Finn, who had a car accident in the UK days before the game.

‘Alex had been got to as well,’ McGee said. ‘They threatened him before the home game a week and a half ago. But he ignored them. He played so well in the home game. The crash was set up. By Tupolev and his English partner.’

The

Evening Post

knows the identity of the Englishman in question. But it needs more time to research the facts before it prints the full story tomorrow.

Danny smiled as he read the story. Once again he’d not even got a mention.

And that was how he wanted it.

He’d had a private thank-you from Matt McGee. A phone call. And a promise that he would not be mentioned in the autobiography.

That was enough for Danny.

The only thing he wasn’t sure about was what Anton would write about Sir Richard tomorrow.

If he’d reveal who he was. If his boss would let him.

Whatever he did write, Danny knew that if he was going to be a real Football Detective, his next case would be his biggest. Making sure that Sir Richard Gawthorpe –or whatever he called himself now – did not get control of his beloved City football club.

And he knew it was a case he’d have to open soon.

Had Danny turned on a TV at that moment, he’d have seen breaking news.

A hotel had blown up in Moscow. Eighty people were dead. The Russian government reported that they had arrested a group of Chechen separatists believed to have been responsible.

One notable person was dead. The target of the attack. Dmitri Tupolev, member of the Russian parliament and oligarch. Along with his unknown visitor.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

As always, first thanks go to Rebecca and Iris. For everything. This book is for you.

Big thanks too to David Luxton, my agent, who is a great guide and friend. Thank you.

I travelled to Moscow twice to research this book and need to thank Igor Goldes, Julia, Jonathan Wilson and Evgeny Kuzmin for their help. Also the Russian government’s Department of Mass Communication and Media, and Academia Rossica.

People in Russia were very warm and welcoming on both my trips. I didn’t meet anyone as nasty as Dmitri Tupolev. Fortunately.

Dan Jones was my guide on my first trip to Moscow. He was a great help. Thank you, Dan.

I try to make my books as accurate as I can so that they sound like they are about real football in the UK. Thank you to Ollie Holt, Richard Whitehead and Matt Wilkinson.

I’d like to thank everyone at Puffin for their inspired and hard work.

Thank you to the other two members of my writing group, Sophie Hannah and James Nash. Also, thanks to Daniel Taylor (Birmingham City) for reading the first draft and giving me great feedback. And to Nikki for reading the book too.

Table of Contents

Cover

About the Author

Books by Tom Palmer

Title Page

Copyright Page

Dedication

Reviews from some of Tom’s fans for Football Detective: Foul Play

Contents

Dead Ball

Wednesday

World Cup Qualifier

Match Fixers

Thursday

Work Experience

Lunch Break

Appointment with Alex Finn

The Crash

Friday

Chance of a Lifetime

The Gamble

Spies Everywhere

Saturday

House Party

Sunday

Fear of Flying

Double Agent

Weird City

Moscow

Secret Agents

Monday

Homesick

The Invitation

A Different Kind of Party

Going Solo

The Chase

Good Friend

Tuesday

Following McGee

The Attack

Nowhere to Run

Journey to the Centre of the Earth

The Kremlin

Wednesday

The Longest Night

To the Luzhniki

The Stadium

Pre-Match Tension

First Half

Second Half

The Abduction

We Meet Again

Thursday

Presents

Friday

Exclusive

Acknowledgements