Death Benefit: A Small Town Mystery (The Desert Pines Mystery Series Book 3) by Julie Titterington

Author:Julie Titterington [Titterington, Julie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Julie Titterington
Published: 2024-07-15T00:00:00+00:00

Jimmy the Nose

Joe was very quiet on the way back to Desert Pines, and Jane felt bad for him. Meeting a celebrity—any celebrity—and discovering them to be merely human was always disappointing. But hearing the truth about Betty had made things even messier.

When they returned to the Station, Joe sat down at his desk to check his email, looking glum. He had just had time to settle in when he shot out of his seat as though one of Cecil’s bees had reanimated, and stung him.

The array of papers, bags, and old coffee mugs balanced on the untidy desk clattered onto the floor, victims of Joe’s alarm. He knelt behind his desk now, feeling around.

“What’s wrong?” cried Jane, as Hector hurried out of his office to see what all the commotion was about.

“Sir Henry’s phone was in an evidence bag on my desk. It just started vibrating and scared the bejeezus out of me!”

Joe held up the bag, in which a Samsung phone continued to vibrate. The screen was brightly lit and read Incoming Call from Jimmy the Nose.

“Jimmy the Nose,” Jane said, incredulously. “What kind of name is that?”

“Answer it,” prompted Hector, his mustache bristling with excitement.

Joe put the phone on speaker and set it on his desk so all three of them could hear.

“Hello?” he said, cautiously.

“Oi oi oi! Alright, mate? I heard you was out West.”

“Uh,” Joe started, but the man talked over him.

“Just tipping you the wink—word is your old lady’s looking to leg it quick. Figured you’d want to know. You didn’t hear it from me guv, but Jez says that Paddy swore that Big Nigel told him that Joe-Joe said that Greta’s been sniffing around and asking questions about breaking the prenup. You ask me, I think she found out you’ve been ‘aving it away with Arlena Gullis again. That or Lenny the Screw's been poking 'is bleedin’ nose where it’s not wanted again and if so, ‘e and the whole Gullis clan are in for a right old bollocking.”

This descriptive phrase was enough to motivate Joe to get a word in.

“Let me stop you now,” he said quickly, so they wouldn’t fall prey to another long tangent. “My name is Joseph Connor. I’m a police detective in Oregon, and I’m investigating Sir Henry’s death.”

The man hung up immediately. There was a pause of a few moments, and then Joe, Jane, and Captain Garcia jumped as Sir Henry’s phone began vibrating. It was Jimmy the Nose again.

“Hello?” Joe said, more cautiously this time.

“Sorry about that. You surprised me, that’s all. You say you’re a copper?”

“I’m a detective, yes.”

“You’re not ‘aving a giraffe, eh?”

“What?” Joe said, baffled.

“‘Aving a laugh, mate,” the man explained, exasperated. “This isn’t a joke?”

“No joke. I’m a police detective in the town of Desert Pines, Oregon.”

“That’s in the middle west, is it?”

“Uh, no. West coast. Right above California.”

“Cor blimey. This is doing my 'ead in. ‘Enry’s really dead?”

“I’m afraid so.”

“The old ticker, was it? Can’t say I’m surprised, but I am gutted.

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