Kill Shot by Blair Denholm

Author:Blair Denholm [Denholm, Blair]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Blair Denholm
Published: 2020-12-08T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 15

The prawns seemed to stare at Jack with their beady black eyes. Dead eyes, like Owen Kennedy’s. He averted his gaze from his meal, stared out to sea for a moment, watched the trawlers docking. Deckhands scurried about the long wooden pier, secured lines to bollards, carted ice-packed foam boxes from vessels to refrigerated trucks. The restaurant deck was crowded with animated diners. Thank God for the water mister and the sailcloth providing shade because the sun was baking everything without mercy under a cloudless sky.

Taylor had made the booking at the last minute, but the obliging owner always made sure Yorkville’s finest got seats with the best views of the Pacific Ocean. Jack readdressed his lunch, picked at the prawns with a fork. He pushed them all to one side, harpooned a piece of avocado instead. He absently shovelled it into his mouth and swallowed with barely a chew.

‘You on one of those fad diets again, Jack?’

‘Huh?’

‘You paid top dollar for the satay garlic prawns, and all you’ve eaten is a couple of lettuce leaves, half a tomato and a piece of avocado.’

‘It’s these bloody crustaceans looking at me, I can’t stand it.’ Jack raised his glass of mineral water, downed half and smacked his lips. ‘Think I’ll order a rump steak instead.’

Taylor grabbed a shrimp from his plate, deftly separated the head from the body, squeezed the pink meat out. ‘See? No critters’ eyes to deal with. Want me to peel the rest of them for you?’

‘Why not. And while you’re at it, can you peel some layers of crap from the case? I’m buggered if I know what to make of it all.’

Taylor took a bite of schnitzel and rested her cutlery. ‘I know what you mean. Just when Sharpe looked good for the Kennedy murder, Andy comes into the frame looking suss as hell.’

‘He does.’ Jack nodded. ‘Something’s not right with him at all. His lack of concern about Terry Bartlett, then him calling me out of the blue, drunk, to apologise for giving an interview. I think he might’ve been taunting me in a roundabout way.’

‘Did you call Holly Maguire to complain?’

‘I gave her a piece of my mind but it was water off a duck’s back to her.’ Jack polished off the mineral water, pointed at his empty glass as a waiter strolled past. ‘That woman’s got half the town too scared to go near the water’s edge with the crocodile beat-up. Social media’s buzzing with talk of police brutality focused on yours truly. Honest, Claudia, I barely tapped him.’

Taylor’s eyes blazed. ‘You what? Jack, you swore you never touched him.’

‘The tiny little pat on the neck I gave him wouldn’t have hurt a sparrow. The guy’s an MMA fighter, for heaven’s sake. Anyway, Batista’s got my back, so I’m not fazed.’

Taylor took a sip of shimmering honey-gold chardonnay. ‘I agree, it’s bizarre Harlow isn’t more worried about Bartlett. Masiker told me they had a strong bond, been working together for years.’

‘Yeah, well,

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