Cambridge Blue: A Gary Goodhew Mystery by Alison Bruce

Author:Alison Bruce [Bruce, Alison]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Mystery; Thriller & Suspense, Mystery, Police Procedurals, Women Sleuths, Thrillers & Suspense, Crime, Thrillers
ISBN: 9781569475201
Amazon: B00DG292TY
Publisher: Witness Impulse
Published: 2013-10-22T00:00:00+00:00

TWENTY-SEVEN

Colin Willis’ file had been left on Goodhew’s chair, and a sheet of paper lay on the desktop. He dumped the file right next to it and the downdraught he caused sent the page floating towards the desk’s edge. He caught it just before it fell. The message was written in marker pen, and the note was headed ‘Gary Goodhew’, underlined twice.

‘10.15 p.m. Faith Carver called from the Exelsior Clinic, wanted to speak to you only. Please call her.’ Followed by her phone number.

He glanced at his watch. She was likely to already be asleep, but that was tough luck. Murder was murder.

He took up the cordless handset from his desk and dialled, then flipped open the front of the Willis file, expecting a wait while Mrs Carver stirred. A photograph of the interior of the victim’s flat lay on top, looking in a similar state of decay to the body.

Faith Carver, however, answered on the first ring, proceeding in the old-fashioned way with a recitation of her number. Goodhew instantly closed the file and responded. ‘It’s DC Goodhew here. I’m sorry if I’ve woken you.’

‘No, no, it’s perfectly all right. I decided to wait up for you to call me.’ Her voice had an official crispness. ‘I wanted to speak to you directly because I hate gossip, and what I want to say sounds as if it’s exactly that. Also, I’m hoping I can trust you to be discreet if this turns out to be irrelevant.’

‘Of course.’

‘Good. Victoria Nugent seemed very agitated after you left her today. Obviously I only met her for the first time this week. I know she can be petulant, but she’s never seemed the nervous type. So I made a point of keeping an eye on her and after about fifteen minutes she slipped out of the building.’

‘Did you see where she went?’

‘Yes and no. She walked to the far side of the punting station and stayed there for ten minutes or so. I couldn’t actually see her, but she would have had to walk back past me to go anywhere else. When she reappeared, she was closing her mobile phone, so I assume that she’d been making a call.’

‘And how did she seem when she returned?’

‘Back to normal, I’d say.’

‘And that is?’

‘Cold and borderline rude.’

‘But a moment ago you described her as petulant.’

‘I said I know she can be. She was like that on Monday. She had a bad atmosphere hanging about her like a robe all day, and she was not the least pleased when I told her that Lorna was late getting in.’

‘Do you know what she wanted from her?’

‘That’s what Lorna asked. She seemed put out when I didn’t know the answer. The gist of it was that it was very urgent.’

‘And no idea what?’

‘None.’

‘You said Lorna was late in. How late was that?’

‘Just before ten, between quarter to and ten to. I know because I checked the clock.’

‘Why?’

‘I don’t approve of lateness. I believe you can tell the sort of person someone is from their timekeeping.

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