DEATH BY PLANE a gripping British crime mystery full of twists by P.F. FORD

Author:P.F. FORD [FORD, P.F.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: JOFFE BOOKS crime thrillers and mysteries
Published: 2024-02-19T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Five

‘Come,’ boomed Murray’s voice from beyond the door, as Slater knocked.

Taking a deep breath, Slater opened the door and walked in. Murray had his head down reading something on the desk in front of him. He ignored Slater, leaving him feeling distinctly uncomfortable, until he’d finished reading, then he sat back in his seat.

‘Ah. DS Slater. Thank you for coming to see me.’

Slater said nothing. Such formality from the boss was usually a bad sign, and there was an uncomfortable looking chair in front of Murray’s desk. This was known amongst the staff as the ‘chop chair’. Rumour had it that people were only ever invited to sit in this particular chair if they were about to get a serious bollocking.

Slater knew how uncomfortable that chair was — he’d been invited to sit in it on more than one occasion before, but he’d always known why. Usually it was because he’d said the wrong thing at the wrong time, and he accepted such bollockings as being fair enough, but right now he had no idea what he was guilty of.

‘Is anything worrying you?’ asked Murray. ‘Only you look a little uncomfortable.’

‘Well, to be honest, boss, I’m a bit concerned about the “chop chair” being set in front of your desk like that. I’m always prepared to accept a bollocking when I’m in the wrong, you know that, but right now I’m in the dark about why this one’s coming my way.’

Murray let Slater stew for a few moments.

‘That chair’s not just for the benefit of those about to be chewed up.’ He smiled at Slater. ‘It’s also for people who annoy me by insisting on seeing me when I’m busy. By making them sit on an uncomfortable chair, they tend to take less of my time than they otherwise would. It works very well. I recommend it for time-wasters.’

Slater breathed a sigh of relief. Perhaps this wasn’t going to be so bad after all.

‘Anyway, you already know just how uncomfortable that chair is, don’t you?’ asked Murray, easing his chair back and getting to his feet.

‘I have had the pleasure once or twice, yes,’ Slater said.

‘But not today,’ said Murray, pointing across the office to two easy chairs either side of a low table. ‘This is a chat, not a bollocking.’

He led the way across the office, poured two cups of tea and invited Slater to settle into a chair.

‘So how’s this case going?’ he asked. ‘Give me a five-minute update.’

And so Slater did, bringing Murray right up to date with what they’d discovered this morning.

‘And does Norman agree with this idea that there was a second woman impersonating Sandra Bressler?’

‘He was already thinking it was a possibility before we spoke to Mrs Deadman,’ Slater said. ‘But we’re also aware that even though it’s a neat theory, Mrs Deadman’s not a viable witness. We need to find some real proof.’

‘It fits though, doesn’t it?’ said Murray, thoughtfully. ‘I like the way you and Norman work together. I shouldn’t really have two sergeants working together, but it seems to be proving to be very successful.

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