Nine Lives by Anita Waller (best english books to read .txt) 📗

it seems they all have a link to one of the gyms. Star something. Stardust? Stargazing? Something like that. The boss told me as we were leaving, but that’s as much as I know.’

‘Starlite?’ Sam said.

‘That’s it! You know it?’

‘My ex used to go there, probably does still for all I know. I’ve picked her up a couple of times after she’d finished a session. Big gym, large membership so I understand.’

Ian looked around at his colleagues. ‘Keep it to yourselves until after the boss has had chance to investigate more into the gym, and told everybody what she’s found. Thought I’d give you a heads-up. We nearly ready? We’ve a fair trek back to the cars. I’ll get these.’

He walked to the counter and waited while the bill was printed, then placed his card over the card machine. He heard the familiar beep and put his card away before picking up the receipt.

They headed for the door and waved at the owner, who clapped.

‘Think she guessed where we’ve been and why?’ Sam said before the two groups separated to collect their cars.

Ian pulled at his waders and laughed. ‘I think she probably had a pretty good idea. Nice lady.’

They arrived back at the police station within five minutes of each other, and removed their wet outer garments before heading up to the office. Ian could see that Erica was still in her room, so popped his head around the door.

She smiled as she saw his face. ‘Ian, come in. Good morning’s work from all of you. I’ve agreed the overtime, so tell the others, will you? Did you find anything at all?’

‘Nothing, boss. This is the card that chap gave me.’ He handed over the visiting card. ‘And I’ll ask Flick to email everybody and get them in for seven on Monday.’

She thanked him and placed the card in her in tray. ‘You have any expenses from this morning?’

‘No, I treated them to tea and bacon sandwiches after we’d done, but that’s okay.’

‘Give me the receipt,’ she said. ‘You did get a receipt?’

‘I did,’ he said, and went into his wallet. He handed it to Erica.

She looked at it, and frowned. ‘You paid a penny for four pots of tea and five bacon sandwiches?’

He took it back and read it for the first time.

‘Blimey,’ he said. ‘She clapped us as we left, so we guessed she’d realised who we were and what we were doing in our waders. I didn’t even look at the price, simply waved my card over the machine.’

Erica laughed. ‘Then screw it up, I’m definitely not claiming 1p on expenses.’

Erica smiled as the door closed. She liked Ian. Older than most of her team, he had taken on the role of leader almost by default, and she knew he would have no trouble being promoted to sergeant when he felt the time was right. He merely needed a little persuasion to take that next step, and she would make it her mission once this damned case was out of the way.

She returned to the lists she had in front of her, and continued with the cross-referencing task she had set herself. Nothing so far had rung alarm bells, but it did briefly occur to her that if ever all their membership turned up at one time for a session, the building would explode. Even the people who had turned up on individual nights must have made the place seem really busy. So far as she could tell, there were no quiet nights, simply busy nights and busier nights.

She’d never felt the inclination to join a gym, despite Frannie’s enthusiasm for enjoying a workout. It all sounded like hard work to her, and life was much too short to waste it on exercise.

Erica was deep in concentration when Flick brought in a coffee.

‘You’re not drinking enough,’ Flick said.

Erica grinned. ‘You’re right, didn’t want to get up and interrupt the flow of my thoughts. You must have read my mind.’

‘It’s not good to sit here all day. I’m heading off home now. Do you need anything before I go?’

‘No, I’m leaving the membership lists until Monday, and taking tomorrow off. I’ll finish off the work I’m doing on the attendance lists, then go home. It’s been a good day – we now know it’s a woman, so it means we can cut the lists by half.’

‘You’re sure it’s a woman?’

‘I am. It’s the first slip-up she’s made, but I’m sure it’s the killer. The car fits, the time fits, and she was taking off clothes which were probably wet. And she thought she was unobserved. In my mind it’s a massive breakthrough.’

‘So, motive?’

‘No idea, but one day I’ll bloody ask her.’

Flick paused for a moment, then nodded, and left Erica to her thoughts and lists.

Frannie was mashing potatoes when Erica walked in. ‘I’m in the kitchen,’ Frannie called, and tipped a small pile of chopped spring onions into the mash. ‘You hungry?’

‘Starving,’ she called back, as she hung up her coat.

She walked along the hallway and into the kitchen, picking up the glass of wine Frannie had poured while waiting for her. ‘Bloody long day. Is it chicken?’

‘Is it Saturday?’ Frannie countered. ‘You want a shower before I serve?’

‘Give me ten minutes. I need my PJs. I need to not be DI Cheetham.’

She ran upstairs still clutching her glass of wine and Frannie shook her head in amusement. Not to be DI Cheetham? That was a good one. She was always DI Cheetham.

Taking the pâté out of the fridge, she made them a small starter and placed the plates on the table ready for Erica returning, then lifted the chicken onto the side. She enjoyed cooking, and during the years they had been together she had developed into the one who sorted the meals, sometimes with a degree of reluctance when she felt too tired – it was simpler that way with the irregular hours that came with Erica’s job.

Frannie heard the bathroom door close, and a