The Inspector Walter Darriteau Murder Mysteries - Books 1-4 by David Carter (microsoft ebook reader TXT) 📗

Miro breathed out heavy and shook his head.

‘How did she die?’

‘You tell us,’ said Karen.

‘How the fuck would I know?’

‘Come on, Miro,’ said Walter. ‘It’s time to clean the slate. What exactly went on down at the foot of Marigold Lane last Friday?’

Before he could answer, Karen’s mobile rang. She glanced at the screen. Saw who it was.

‘Can you talk?’ asked Jenny.

‘Just a sec,’ and she glanced at Walter and muttered, ‘I have to take this.’

Walter nodded and Karen stepped outside.

Jenny said, ‘Ma’am told me to advise you and the Guv that we have a reported burglary in Chester where a missing thirty-six year old woman resides. Very concerned workmates and friends and neighbours, by all accounts. Could be something. I’ll let you know when I hear more.’

‘Okay, Jen. Keep us up to speed.’

While Karen was outside, Walter said, ‘Did you argue about something?’

‘No.’

‘So, what did you do?’

‘What do you think?’

‘I don’t know, I am waiting for you to tell me.’

‘I went to the caravan for sex.’

‘Rough sex?’

Miro shrugged and glanced at the bear-like black man. Thought he’d better elaborate.

‘I gave her a good spanking.’

‘Spanking?’

Karen came back in and exchanged eye contact with Walter and muttered, ‘Could be something, could be nothing.’

Walter turned back to Miro and said, ‘And was the incapacitator used?’

‘No.’

‘Why not?’

‘I forgot to take it.’

Karen said, ‘Where does it reside, this item of torture of yours, when not in use. At your home?’

‘No, course not. There’s a cupboard here at work, I have the only key.’

‘I want to see it before we go,’ said Karen.

‘I want to seize it as evidence,’ said Walter.

‘What?’

‘You heard me. So, after the spanking session, what happened then?’

‘What do you think?’

‘I don’t know. You were the only one who was there who’s still alive. You tell us.’

‘We had.... You know.’

‘Sex?’ said Karen.

‘Rough sex?’ said Walter.

‘Yeah, you could say that.’

‘How much did you pay for that?’ asked Karen.

‘Two hundred quid.’

‘Is that the going rate for incapacitation, and torture?’ asked Karen.

‘I guess. She seemed happy enough.’

‘What happened next?’

‘Not much. I got dressed. She got dressed too. I gave her a decent tip. Said I’d see her again next Friday.’

‘A regular appointment, is it?’ said Karen.

‘Not a fixed one, but pretty regular, yeah. I have a big libido.’

‘You tell a lot of lies as well,’ said Karen.

Miro shrugged as if they were little white lies, and no more.

‘What happened then?’ asked Walter.

‘I rang for a cab.’

‘On your mobile,’ said Walter.

Miro nodded.

‘Show me your phone.’

Miro took his phone from his trouser pocket and set it on the desk.

‘You rang the cab company on this phone?’

‘Yeah.’

‘Bag, Karen,’ and she produced a small clear evidence bag, and Walter dropped it in.

‘What are you doing?’

‘I am seizing this phone as potential evidence in a possible murder case.’

‘You can’t do that!’

‘I’ve already done it,’ and the bag and phone disappeared into Walter’s cavernous coat pocket.

‘Was she really murdered?’

‘You tell us,’ said Karen.

‘She was alive and well and as happy as I had seen her in weeks when I left her.’

‘And you left her at what time?’

‘About eight, I told you, the cab company will confirm it.’

Karen asked, ‘Did she say if she had any further appointments that night?’

‘Not to me.’

‘Did she say anything about going out to get something to eat?’ asked Walter.

‘No. She had a little kitchen thing there, and a camping style gas stove. I got the impression she was going to cook something, though I could be wrong.’

‘She didn’t offer you anything to eat?’

‘No, course not. She wanted me out of there, and I wanted to get out of there too. I wanted to get home and see the wife and kids, before they went to bed.’

‘That’s noble of you,’ said Walter.

‘I’m not saying it was an ideal arrangement.’

‘Well, that’s a fact,’ said Karen.

‘So you left her around 8pm, and she was fit and well at that time?’

Miro nodded.

‘Pity you can’t prove that,’ said Karen.

‘And you can’t prove that wasn’t the case,’ said Miro, trying to be just a little too clever.

‘We will,’ said Walter. ‘If we have to.’

‘Is that it?’

‘For now.’

‘When can I have my phone back?’

‘When we have finished with it,’ said Karen. ‘Maybe.’

‘Just one other thing,’ said Walter.

‘What?’

‘Did you, or do you, visit other good time girls, as you called them?’

‘In Hamburg a few times, but not here.’

‘Never?’

‘Never!’

‘Incapacitator?’ said Karen. ‘Show us.’

Nineteen

DCs Darren Gibbons and Hector Browne arrived outside Belinda Cooper’s house in quick time. Gibbons assumed the senior role through length of service, though Hector was far better qualified academically, having been fast-tracked from Uni. Lena Freeman and a man, the neighbour, were standing on the pavement outside.

Hector flashed ID and did the introductions, as Lena said, ‘There’s no reply when we knock, she’s not answering her phone, and there’s a broken pane of glass in the French windows at the back.’

‘What’s the lady’s name?’ asked Gibbons.

‘Belinda Cooper.’

‘Show us the broken glass,’ said Hector, and they all hustled round to the side of the house and round the back and onto the grey patio.

There was no glass on the patio, but plenty of broken glass on the carpet inside.

‘The key’s there, look,’ said Lena, pointing across the room, and they all looked and nodded.

‘I brought my fishing rod,’ said the neighbour. ‘I could hook the key, no problem.’

‘Fish away,’ said Gibbons, ‘but try not to touch the doors or the glass.’

The neighbour bobbed his head and slipped his long rod through the door. It was lengthy enough to reach the key, and in the next second he’d slipped the end of the rod through the key ring, and with a little juggling, it was raising up and moving slowly back towards the doors.

‘Careful!’ said Hector, as the neighbour tilted the rod further upwards, and the key slid down toward the near end of the rod, and the hole in the door where the glass used to be, and Darren’s grasping hand, there ready and waiting to grab it.

‘Bingo!’ said Darren, key in hand, and into the keyhole it went, one quick