CRIME IN THE KITCHEN a fiercely addictive mystery by CATHERINE MOLONEY

Author:CATHERINE MOLONEY [MOLONEY, CATHERINE]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Joffe Books Crime thriller and mystery
Published: 2021-05-03T22:00:00+00:00

9. Blindsided

In the event, Kate Burton’s ‘crazy wall’ didn’t throw up any tangible leads, but it at least had the merit of helping the team to thrash out all the different scenarios.

It felt like a constructive session, only interrupted by a bad-tempered call from Richard Keogh to enquire why the police had been ‘snooping’ round his place of work.

‘I just called Greeners to check out Keogh’s trip to Lancaster, sir,’ Doyle told the DI. ‘Didn’t want to take his word for it. I tried to be discreet.’

‘Quite right, Sergeant,’ Markham reassured him. ‘Interesting that Mr Keogh was so sensitive about it.’

There were no other distractions — save for some amicable squabbling over their takeaway — and they continued to review the case until Noakes’s prodigious yawns indicated it was time to adjourn.

‘Did Matt Sullivan give you anything on nutters at Hope?’ the DS enquired of Doyle as they were finishing up, ignoring Burton’s disapproving frown at this decidedly inappropriate language.

‘He seemed genuinely mystified, sarge,’ was the reply. ‘I mean there’s lots of troubled kids, but he never noticed any of them stalking Padgett or Dacre . . . didn’t remember anything hinky going on . . .’

‘When I went back over the student statements, there was something . . .’ Burton riffled through her notes. ‘Yes, here it is. Chelsey Preston said, “So long as you didn’t do anything wrong, Miss Padgett was always in your corner. You couldn’t count on Mrs Dacre to take your side, but it was different with Miss Padgett. She understood about keeping secrets.”’

Doyle looked confused, clearly struggling to decode the teenage angst. ‘I wonder what she meant by that.’

‘Sounds very different from when I was at school,’ Burton said. ‘It was always “them and us”. None of this stuff about teachers taking your side or being in your corner.’

‘Yeah,’ Noakes chipped in. ‘But these days everyone’s obsessed with letting it all hang out an’ adults being friends with the kids.’ Derisive gesture. ‘I remember getting leathered an’ Mister Sykes — that was our head — shook hands with me afterwards . . . No hard feelings, see.’

The DI was amused to note that Burton looked appalled. That explains a lot, her expression seemed to say.

‘With my lot it was the old, “This hurts me more than it hurts you” routine,’ he laughed. ‘As you say, Kate, it’s a different world nowadays.’

Doyle joined the debate. ‘Bit iffy that stuff about keeping secrets, though,’ he said thoughtfully. ‘I mean, wouldn’t a teacher get into trouble cos of safeguarding?’

‘Depends on the secret, I suppose,’ Burton replied, before adding, ‘By all accounts Jayne Padgett was a true professional. I don’t see her doing anything unethical.’ She looked down at her notes. ‘Chelsey’s the attention-seeking type — a drama queen, if you ask me. Hinting at a mystery could be a way of putting herself in the spotlight.’

‘Agreed.’ Markham massaged knotted muscles. ‘What about Denise Rooney’s daughter?’

‘Caitlin?’ Burton checked the notebook again. ‘She didn’t mention anything about secrets. Just

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