Death's Cold Hand by J.E. Mayhew (kiss me liar novel english txt) 📗

returned from the dead and is possessing people he knows, trying to ruin his life…”

“Did you say Graves?” Alex asked, flicking through his notebook. “Ufford said something about White going on about… ah, here we are: ‘Something to do with graves’ were his exact words.”

“Do you think White thought Ian was…” Kinnear struggled to find the right word, “possessed by this Corporal Graves and attacked him? Same with Travis?”

“It’s a possibility, I guess,” Vikki said.

“Just to throw a spanner in the works, sir,” Kath said. “There could still be a more rational motive for Travis’ murder. I was talking to Alfie Lewis earlier today and he told me that Bobby Price had it in for Paul Travis because Travis was knocking off Layla Price, Bobby’s sister.”

“Jeez,” Blake muttered. “Maybe Travis wasn’t so perfect after all.”

“We’ve unlocked Travis’ mobile, sir,” Manikas said. “There might be evidence there.”

“But Bobby Price is a streak of the proverbial, Ma’am,” Kinnear said. “There’s no way he could take out Paul Travis…”

“Maybe Lex Price could though,” Blake cut in. “I can imagine he wouldn’t take too kindly to the news that his daughter was seeing an older, married man. Okay, it may be that Terry White just lost it and poor Ian was in the way, but we need to bring him in as a matter of urgency.”

“We’ve put an alert out on social media and all radio stations advising the public to look out for White but not to approach him.”

“Great Kath, thanks. Can you and Andrew check Travis’ mobile and have another word with Lex Price? We need to talk to his daughter, too. Talk to Tasha Cook, the FLO, as well, see if she’s picked up on anything that might corroborate the story.”

Kath’s phone rang and she hurried to the back of the room while she answered it.

“Sir,” Vikki said. “White lives just round the corner from Port Sunlight Village in a flat run by a housing association. It’s a ten-minute walk from the war memorial.”

Kath came back, her face pale. “That was CSI, they found a plastic soldier on the floor next to where Ian lay. They’ve also sent a team to White’s place and want you to go and see what they’ve found there.”

*****

Youth was such a powerful aphrodisiac for some men, DI Kath Cryer thought as she strode up to the counter at the Superdrug store in Birkenhead’s Grange Precinct. Layla Price was a good example of that. Beneath the false eyelashes, make-up and bottle-blonde hair, Kath reckoned she’d be a pretty ordinary-looking girl, but she was only twenty and that was all some blokes needed.

Kath had experienced similar advances from older men herself when she was younger and it always puzzled her what, beyond the physical, they got out of it. The idea of having a toyboy, a phrase she hated, left her cold. There would be no shared experience or culture, no common memories of pop songs or events from a certain year. Of course, she was fully aware that people of wildly different ages did fall in love for a whole host of reasons but she doubted that this was the case for Paul Travis.

Layla’s face dropped when she saw Kath’s warrant card. With a resigned look, she called a colleague over to take her place at the counter. “I haven’t got long, so you better have your questions ready. This is about Paul Travis, yeah?” She led Kath to the back of the shop and through a door into a small staff room.

“You seem very relaxed, Layla,” Kath said. “Have you had dealings with the police before?”

Layla gave a humourless grin. “With a dad like mine, they’re regular visitors, Inspector Cryer. All through my childhood, I’ve been told to be polite to coppers and give away as little as possible.”

“Right,” Kath said. “That might come under giving away too much information, Layla…”

“Are you here to ask about my relationship with Paul or my interview technique?”

“Fair comment,” Kath said, pulling out her notebook. “You don’t deny having had a relationship with Paul Travis, then?”

“No. I met him in the Bridge Inn a few months ago and my dad works with his charity so…”

“Really? In what capacity?”

“He does the security on their buildings I suppose. Guard dogs, watchmen that kind of thing…”

“Your dad knew Paul Travis quite well?”

“Not really. There was someone else who he dealt with, I think. Why are you asking about my dad?”

“Just building a picture, Layla, that’s all. Carry on.”

“Like I said, I met Paul in the pub. He bought me a drink, made me laugh and we hit it off. I liked him.”

  “I see. Did anyone else know about this relationship?”

Layla rolled her eyes. “You mean Bobby, don’t you? Yeah, he knew. He wasn’t very happy about it for some reason. He called Paul a paedo for seeing someone so young. He threatened to tell my dad…”

“Threatened? I take it your dad wouldn’t be very happy, then.”

“What do you think? Most dads would go mad at the idea of their daughters getting off with an older man.”

“And how did you think your dad would react?”

Layla Price pursed her lips and Kathy saw something of her father’s steel in her eyes. “He might have had a quiet word with Paul.”

“’Had a quiet word?’ What do you mean by that?”

“Exactly what I said. Dad wouldn’t do anything that might damage his business prospects and he had a security contract with Pro-Vets, didn’t he?”

“Your dad has a history of violence, though. He’s been locked up for armed robbery in the past.”

“D’you honestly think I’m going to stand here and say, ‘Oh, God, yeah, maybe he murdered Paul?’ My dad wouldn’t do anything like that. Besides, Bobby never said anything to him, did he?”

“I don’t know, Layla. Did your dad ever speak to you about it?”

“No, because he never knew about it. Now, look, I’ve got to go back to work or I’ll get into trouble with my boss.”

“When did you last see