Restless Dead (Harry Grimm Book 5) by David Gatward (english reading book TXT) 📗

he’d left the Paras and joined the police. He wondered how Ben would react. He’d put off telling him, mainly because he was positive that he wouldn’t get the job anyway, but now, having been to the interview, he wasn’t so sure. Tonight, then, he decided. That’s when he’d tell Ben. Then they could worry about it together. A problem shared and all that, he thought.

‘Right, then,’ Harry said at long last, glancing at his watch, his voice rolling from his mouth like a sour gobstopper, ‘best we get started, then.’

‘I’ve sorted a new board,’ Jadyn said, pointing to the wall behind Harry. ‘I forgot to mention it, but I found one going spare over at the Leyburn station and, well, I sort of apprehended it.’

‘Did you now?’ Harry said. ‘Had it been a particularly naughty board, then, Constable? Going around causing trouble, was it, that kind of thing? Bit of vandalism, perhaps?’

‘I think you mean commandeer,’ Gordy said, and Harry heard the laugh just tickling the back of her voice. ‘Not unless the board was doing something criminal.’

Jadyn looked up at Harry then turned to face Gordy, a flicker of confusion on his face, then light broke through and he smiled. ‘Yes, that’s what I mean. I think.’

Harry looked at the shiny new board on the wall behind him. It was bigger than the other one, which was now resting on a table and leaning against the wall.

‘So, who’s going to be in charge of getting the details down, then?’ he asked.

Jadyn was out of his chair before anyone had a chance to stop him.

‘Me, Boss,’ he said, grabbing the packet of pens from beneath it. Then he looked around at the rest of the team. ‘Unless someone else wants to, I mean.’

‘Jen?’ Harry asked, knowing she was usually all over it. Not only that, when she did it, there was a sense of order to what she was writing on, or pinning to, the board. With Jadyn, it was a little more haphazard. The details were always there, yes, but finding them was sometimes a problem.

‘No, I’m good,’ Jen said. ‘I’ll jump in if I’m needed, but Constable Okri can do just as good a job, I’m sure.’

Harry witnessed Jadyn’s face break into the world’s largest smile as he opened up the pens and got ready to write.

‘Best we get started then,’ Harry began, only to be interrupted by Jadyn.

‘What shall I call it?’

‘Pardon?’

‘It needs a title, doesn’t it?’ Jadyn said. He then pointed at the other board. ‘That one’s Sheep Theft, isn’t it? So, what shall I call this one?’

‘It doesn’t really matter,’ Harry said. ‘Just use your imagination.’

‘Oh, now that’s just asking for trouble,’ said Matt, shaking his head then hiding his eyes behind his hand. ‘Jadyn’s imagination. The world isn’t ready for it.’

‘What about house fire?’ Jadyn asked. ‘No, wait, we need the place as well, don’t we, otherwise, we won’t know what it’s referring to. So, what about Fire at Black Moss House?’

‘Sounds like the kind of novel you find for a quid in the discount bin in a bookshop.’ Liz laughed.

‘You know, that’s what Hawes is missing,’ Gordy said. ‘A decent little bookshop of its own. I know there’s that second-hand one in the market hall, but it’s not the same, is it?’

‘One that sells coffee and has events on,’ Liz agreed. ‘Yeah, that would be lovely, wouldn’t it? You should head over to Sedbergh, there’s some good ones over there.’

Harry held up a hand. ‘Exciting though this is, to discuss our views on the literary needs of the local community, I think it best if we get back to what we’re all here to actually do, by which I mean, some police work!’

‘Black Moss Fire!’ Jadyn exclaimed. ‘Perfect!’

Harry watched Jadyn write the words at the top of the board.

‘Brilliant.’ Matt sighed, shaking his head. ‘Sounds like a movie on Netflix.’

‘So,’ Harry said, ‘this is what we know so far. At some point last night, a fire broke out in the cabin over at Black Moss House. Emergency services were called. Liz and I arrived just after the fire service and just before the ambulance. While the fire was being dealt with, I took the family inside to find out what had happened, Liz joined me soon after, having liaised with the other two emergency services.’

‘Which was when we were informed that James was missing,’ Liz said.

‘And tragically,’ Harry said, ‘it was then later confirmed that a body was found in the remains of the burned-out cabin. It’s currently with forensics and I’m hoping we will hear later today, just to confirm identity, really.’

‘But it can’t really be anyone else, can it?’ Jim said.

‘No, it can’t,’ Harry agreed. ‘Fire investigators are over at the scene this morning to identify how the fire started. We should hear from them later as well.’

‘Who made the call?’ Matt asked.

‘That was Ruth, James’ youngest daughter,’ Liz said. ‘She only noticed it because she’d gone outside to get some more wood for her fire. But Pat, James’ other daughter, and her husband, they were up by then as well.’

‘Yeah, it was a cold night,’ Jim said.

‘And what time was that?’ asked Gordy.

‘About eleven forty-five,’ Liz said.

Harry caught Gordy flash a look up at him.

‘Late to be adding more fuel to a fire,’ she said.

It was, Harry thought, but it was a little early in the day to start being suspicious. All they really knew was that James Fletcher had been killed in a fire. The reason for the meeting this morning was to get down all the information that they could so that they could respond accordingly when they heard from forensics and the fire investigators. For all they knew, James had suffered a heart attack, a spark had jumped from the stove in the shed, something had caught fire, and by the time anyone noticed it was just too late to do anything about it. It was sad, but it was the kind of thing that happened.

‘Ruth’s