CRIME IN THE BOOK CLUB a fiercely addictive mystery (Detective Markham Mystery 10) by CATHERINE MOLONEY

Author:CATHERINE MOLONEY [MOLONEY, CATHERINE]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Joffe Books Crime thriller and mystery
Published: 2020-11-30T22:00:00+00:00

9. Bombshell

The DI had a brainwave.

‘We can sit outside St Chad’s. It’s turning into a lovely afternoon and no one will disturb us.’

In minutes, they were sitting on a bench next to the cenotaph, enjoying the warm grass-scented air of the terraced graveyard, which seemed to quiver with its own green life.

Noakes divested himself of the straitjacket, bundling it into a ball with a carelessness which would have brought down the wrath of his ‘missus’ on him had she been there to witness it.

His striped tie got the same treatment. Then Noakes loosened his belt a couple of notches, eyeing his gut ruefully as he did so.

‘Thass better,’ he sighed.

‘Striptease over, Noakesy?’ the DI enquired.

‘It were murder in church in them tight trousers.’

Not the most felicitous choice of words in the circumstances, but Markham merely smiled.

Now that they were settled, the DS didn’t seem to know how to begin.

But his boss merely sat back, stretching his long legs in front of him, letting the silence cast its tranquilizing spell.

Truth to tell, for all that the DI had on his plate — and with the vicar’s murder, there was no chance of avoiding a press conference — he felt a lazy reluctance to move. Never had the prospect of CID’s stale fug seemed less appealing.

Noakes belched loudly then coughed apologetically for this breach of cemetery etiquette, looking round as though he expected one of the stone angels to swoop down from its monument and chastise him.

‘Stuffed my face a bit back there,’ he admitted.

A bit!

‘But ole Nerys did ’em proud. It were all home-made . . . none of your Mister Kipling or owt like that.’

Markham smiled. ‘Olivia says funerals always make her hungry,’ he observed mildly.

‘Me an’ all. Summat to do with the caterwauling an’ having to be all po-faced an’ polite . . . It’s stressful, that’s what it is.’

‘Well, you certainly did justice to Mrs Wynne’s hospitality, Noakes. She looked pleased as punch to see you tucking in.’

‘Nice ole biddy. Mind, she looked a bit tottery bringing the bread an’ wine up . . . I thought she were going to drop the lot.’

‘So did her son by the looks of him.’

‘Yeah.’ Noakes chuckled. ‘Sweating cobs in case she didn’t make it.’

It felt companionable mulling things over together.

Quite like old times.

Don’t rush him.

‘Did you . . . like, feel anything back there, boss . . . ? Y’know . . . get any vibes in church to say the murderer were hanging out with us?’

His faith in Markham’s ESP was touching. Especially since DCI Sidney was wont to dismiss it as ‘feyness’ and an over-reliance on ‘hunches’.

‘That was just it, Noakesy. I didn’t really pick up anything from the congregation today.’

‘Folk allus merge into one. Everyone looks the same at a funeral . . . kinda washed-out an’ insignificant,’ the DS said comfortingly.

‘There was just one moment . . .’

‘Oh aye?’

‘Just before the offertory procession . . . quite strange, as though all the air was sucked out of the building .

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.