Dead Man's Grave by Neil Lancaster

Author:Neil Lancaster [Lancaster, Neil]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Published: 2021-04-28T17:00:00+00:00

34

Max, Janie and Elizabeth sat in the comfortable lounge, clutching mugs of tea. The walls were all covered with watercolours, either Highland scenes, or softer coastal vistas.

Elizabeth was a small woman, her grey hair neatly cut and styled. She was smartly dressed and wore little jewellery. She was clearly terrified.

‘So, who the hell were they, and why were they after me?’ Elizabeth said, her accent still bearing the trace of Caithness.

‘I think it’s to do with Willie. The man he killed was a serious criminal who’s now seeking retribution, ridiculous as that sounds,’ Max said.

‘That can’t be possible, I haven’t seen Willie for at least ten years.’ She opened her mouth to speak again, but paused, and looked at the window, her bottom lip trembling and tears brimming in her eyes. She got to her feet. ‘Excuse me a moment,’ she said, and left the room.

‘Think she’s okay?’ said Janie.

‘She’s shocked. Bound to be, right?’

‘What do we do?’

‘Just give her a minute.’

Two minutes later, Elizabeth came back into the room, her face pink and damp. She sat down, composed herself, and took a deep breath. ‘Willie and I had a really troubled relationship,’ she said at last. ‘He was fine for the few years he was in the Navy, but then he got discharged and started smoking drugs that led to his illness. Why would they come after me?’ Her eyes brimmed with tears that spilled onto her cheeks. Max could see this was not something she ever envisaged intruding on her comfortable life.

‘Is it just you here?’ asked Max.

‘Yes. I split from my husband five years ago.’

‘No kids?’

‘No.’

‘Look. I know this is hard to understand, but we have reason to believe that you are at risk. We just need to make sure you stay safe. Is there anywhere else you can stay whilst we are sorting this out?’ asked Max, gently. They needed her somewhere untraceable, but Max wasn’t convinced that witness protection would make her safe.

‘I’ve a good friend in Suffolk. She lives in Southwold in the countryside. I often take holidays with her. I was going to go fairly soon anyway, so I could just bring it forward a week.’ She dabbed at her eyes with a tissue.

‘Who knows that you go there?’ asked Janie.

‘Not many folk. She was an old friend from my art class a few years ago. We stayed in touch after she moved and I stay with her most years. We just paint together – the light is so lovely down there.’

‘Are you connected on social media?’

‘I don’t do social media at all. I don’t like it, so no.’

‘Do folk at work know where you go?’

‘Not really, I tend to keep myself to myself, especially since getting divorced. I like my own company, you see. I don’t socialise with people at work much. They probably think I’m just a sad and bitter divorcee.’

‘Can you go to your friend’s place, Liz? Just until we sort this out?’

‘I imagine so. She’s always badgering me to come more.

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