17 Cavendish Square by David Field

Author:David Field [Field, David]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sharpe Books
Published: 2019-07-03T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

‘I thought we might take a picnic out to Bradwell Park tomorrow,’ Alison announced as she raised her sleeping shades in order to look across at Mike seated on his side of the bed, removing his socks and quietly suppressing an onion quiche flavoured burp.

‘Why Bradwell Park, exactly?’ he queried.

‘Well, when we were going through the photo album, with all those snaps of Melanie and Steven as kids, Irene said how nice the big house looks – apparently they don’t have any like that where she comes from.’

‘I bet they don’t,’ Mike replied, remembering only too well his many outings to the Park in the line of business, the last being to witness the tragic death of a colleague, and the spooky demise of a triple murder suspect.

‘If it helps to sway your judgment,’ Alison added, ‘I nipped down to the deli today, and got a selection of cold meats, a cooked chicken, and some yummy cheeses. Then I got some baguettes from that new bakery, and some deliciously looking fresh salad items from Marco’s.’

‘We could eat those anywhere,’ Mike objected. ‘Why does it have to be Bradwell?’

‘I do wish you’d listen – and put those socks in the laundry basket before you get into bed! Anyway, as I said, Irene seemed quite taken by the old house, and it’s only a few miles away.’

‘Tomorrow’s Sunday,’ Mike reminded her, ‘and there’ll be families everywhere.’

‘Correct,’ Alison countered, ‘and for that matter, everywhere else you could name. If you want all that nice food, it’s Bradwell. Or you could always stay home while I take them – I think we still have some beans left in the pantry.’

‘May I remind you that blackmail is both a common law and a statutory offence?’ Mike advised her as he slid into bed. Alison pecked Mike’s cheek, then turned over and extinguished the side lamp before lowering her sleep shades, leaving Mike to stare upwards into the darkness as he tried to collect his thoughts.

The moral and ethical dilemma he faced would make a good exam question for students at the Academy, except this one didn’t come with an examiner to tell him if he was right or wrong. He was playing house host to a woman he had only just met, who all the indications suggested was a murderer. She was clearly a liar, and there was something suspiciously convenient about her arrival in the middle of a murder enquiry in which she seemed tailor-made to assist. On the other hand, as Alison would be the first to remind him, she had been invited to their house as a friend of their daughter, and she might be key to the next stage in Melanie’s life. Their guest had exhibited nothing but warm friendship and appreciation of their hospitality, and some of her background story might be accurate.

There was also his very personal reluctance to arrest a house guest, with the predictable outraged protests from Alison and Melanie. As long as Irina was staying with them, he knew where to find her, and they could finger her collar at any time.

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