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

clean about it, and soon, and that was going to be mighty tricky. The worst thing was she realised what delicate ground she strode upon. Her entire career was now at stake. Nothing less. She tried to switch her mind back to what might have happened if DB had stayed over, stayed the night, stayed with her, in her bed.

It would have been good, beyond good, she was certain of that, and on another day, and another night, she might have forced the issue, though she didn’t imagine she would have to do much forcing. She wondered what it would be like, sleeping with David Baker, or sleeping with a killer, or were they one and the same? In any event, he excited her. That was beyond doubt.

Twenty-Nine

It was a new dawn and a new day and I’m feeling good, thought Walter, as he knotted his favourite red and blue striped tie, but it was a dark one, the morning that is, one of those horrid November days that never really gets light, dank and cold and miserable and negative. Is there anything good about November in England?

But Walter wasn’t negative at all, as he went outside and ambled down the road to catch the single decker bus on the ten-minute trip into town. The usual four early birds were there at the bus stop. They were all on nodding terms, like some kind of special club of hard-done-by-ers, out alone, working early, when the lucky world slept soundly on.

‘Be along in a minute,’ said the plump woman, forcing a smile, as she glanced away from her mobile.

‘Hope so,’ said Walter, ramming his hands deeper into his coat pockets. It wasn’t actually raining, but there was a creeping cold chill and dankness in the air, capable of attacking anyone who was going to stand about in it for too long.

And then the little bus appeared like some kind of happy dog, its headlights grinning a good morning, bringing relief. Walter imagined a frantic tail wagging at the backend, and all those waiting at the bus stop smirked at one another, and muttered positive vibes, as they changed weight from one foot to another, and formed an orderly queue, the woman first, and then the men, strictly in order of time of arrival, Walter bringing up the rear, and then they were all aboard, half full, plenty of seats at that hour, lots of room to spread out, and the beautiful heater blowing out comfort and happiness, as the bus glided almost silently into town, so much so that the November blues were obliterated completely, almost.

IN THE OFFICE EVERYONE was in early, even Mrs West. They were a good crew; Walter couldn’t help thinking that, though truth was they were all in because of him, though he would never have realised that in a month of Sundays, though a month of Sundays these days would be just like any other month, seeing as Sundays were no longer any different to any other day. Empty churches, full bookies, frantic shopping, horseracing on the telly, pubs open all day, X-rated pics on the flicks. Sundays were no longer as they once were when Walter was a not-so-little little boy; that was for damned sure.

Hector brought him a coffee and set it carefully down on Walter’s desk.

‘Thank you, man.’

‘Welcome, Guv.’

Walter wasn’t in any mood for gentle introductions, or a gradual build up. He was straight on it.

‘Karen, I want you to stay in all day and get on with disseminating any intel in Bel’s tech.’

‘Sure, Guv.’

‘Nicky, I want you to stay with Karen and give her any help necessary.’

‘Sure,’ he said, grinning at his sarge.

‘You know what we are looking for. Any clues the killer may have left in there, any hints that he was about to do what he did.’

‘You said “he”, Guv, but it could still be a “she”,’ said Jenny.

‘Yes that too. Jenny. I want you to find out where Andrea Dennehey is right now, I want you to get us a good unmarked car, and I want you to take me to see her as soon as we have finished here.’

‘Sure, Guv, leave it with me.’

‘Hector and Gibbons, I want you to find out where Ronald Speight is this morning, I want you to go and see him later, and bring him back here to answer my questions around lunchtime.’

Mrs West nodded and looked happy.

‘What happens if he refuses to come?’ asked Hector.

‘Tell him I’d appreciate his cooperation, if he still won’t come, arrest him on suspicion of the murder of Belinda Cooper, that should concentrate his mind.’

‘Sure, Guv,’ said Hector.

‘Looking forward to it,’ said Gibbons.

‘There’s a £20,000 reward been put up for information leading to the conviction of.... et cetera et cetera,’ said Mrs West.

‘Who by?’ asked Karen.

‘Not sure, some local businessman.’

Walter nodded and said, ‘Thank you, ma’am, anything that helps is good. It’s come to my attention that some of you are not reading all the reports relevant to this case, or these cases, the deaths of Wright and Cooper. Put that right now. Toxicology reports, SOCO reports, fire reports, autopsies, the whole bloody lot. You can’t afford to miss things, so make sure you all read all the reports, and I don’t care how long it takes, or how boring some of them may be. That clear?’

‘Sure, Guv,’ mumbled a few.

‘Any questions?’

No one had.

‘Get to it.... Today’s the day....’

And people started to move, as Gibbons added, ‘The teddy bears have their picnic!’

‘Shut up, Gibbons,’ said Karen, as Walter nodded to her and said, ‘Use Nicky wherever you can. I know there’s loads of stuff to get through, but use him, he’s supposed to be bright. We need to get finished.’

Karen nodded. ‘Sure, Guv. I’ll see you later.’

Jenny came over to Walter and said, ‘Andrea Dennehey works in Austerity Hayes old department store in the city, on the perfume counter apparently, and she’s there this morning.’

‘That figures,’ said Karen. ‘She uses enough of the