All the Lies by J.E. Mayhew

Author:J.E. Mayhew [Mayhew, J.E.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Obolus Books
Published: 2021-02-18T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 23

Andrew Kinnear hated breaking rules. One of the things DCI Blake had taught him was not to assume anything and to go through the proper channels and procedures. So when Kath Cryer had asked him to call in at 13 Fountains Street, Birkenhead and ask a few questions for Blake, he was torn. Kinnear had a great deal of respect for Blake but he’d also heard what Superintendent Martin had said about not getting dragged into another force’s case. But then there was Kath Cryer to take into consideration and, on balance, Kinnear decided he was more afraid of her than Superintendent Martin. Besides, he was on another call anyway and could just swing by. If Norris Evans was up in Scotland, he didn’t really know what would be gained by calling at his empty house. It may be that it had been rented out to complete strangers But Kinnear was curious.

Fountains Street was a typical old Birkenhead row of terraced houses, now with double glazing and satellite dishes poking out under their gutters. Many of the houses had low walls containing the tiniest strip of soil in front of the house. Some had lost the walls and the little fronts had been paved to hold wheelie bins. Cars lined the street and finding a parking space was difficult.

Number thirteen looked neatly painted, a little trellis ran along the low wall and a bush of some description spilled over the trellis. It looked very much inhabited. Kinnear knocked on the shiny black front door and waited. He looked up and down the street as a young woman pushed a pram past him. Kinnear sighed; it looked like the house was empty as he expected. “Bit of a waste of time, Kath, but hey ho,” he muttered and turned to leave. A door chain rattled inside, and the door opened a fraction, bumping as the chain tightened. A pair of watery blue eyes peered out and Kinnear could see an old man in a dressing gown. “Yeah? Can I help you?”

Kinnear smiled, pulled out his warrant card and decided to play ignorant. “Sorry to trouble you but I was looking for the, homeowner, a Mr Norris Evans?”

“Right,” the old man said, staring at him.

“Is he in?”

“Yeah,” the old man said. “I am.”

“I’m sorry. I must have made some kind of mistake. Forgive me, sir, I was expecting someone a little younger…”

Norris Evans’ knitted his brow; Kinnear could see his bald head and the silver stubble on his chin. “What’s this all about?”

“Something and nothing, really, sir. Is there anyone else in the area called Norris Evans?”

“There was,” Evans said and took a deep gargling breath. “A while back now. You’d better come in.”

*****

The rear courtyard lay empty, the windows of the barn conversions that flanked it were dark and still. But the barn door at the other end of the yard stood slightly ajar. Glancing round, Blake hurried over and poked his head into the gap.

It was dark inside at first.

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