MURDER ON OXFORD LANE: a gripping mystery full of suspense (Detectives Roy and Roscoe crime fiction series Book 1) by Tony Bassett

Author:Tony Bassett [Bassett, Tony]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: The Book Folks - bestselling crime fiction publishers
Published: 2022-01-09T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 28

Tyler Brown walked up the path between the rose bushes and used the key he’d been given to open the cottage door. It was just after six o’clock and village residents were returning home from their working day.

He had left the Queensbridge Marina as early as he could as he was eager to see his partner, Bethan Thomas, again and hear about her holiday. But he’d been slightly delayed by rush-hour traffic leaving the town. He was carrying a box of chocolates for Bethan Thomas – a late Valentine’s gift.

But, as he entered the hall, he immediately became concerned. There were no lights on, although it had been growing dark for a short while. Was she upstairs? Was she still in bed after her flight back from Geneva?

He switched the hallway light on and entered the living room. There was no one there. He was puzzled as to where she could be. He stepped into the new kitchen with its maple-coloured units and granite worktops. She was not there either.

Nor was she in any of the three bedrooms upstairs. He even checked the bathroom and, after unlocking the back door, took a stroll round the garden to see if he could see her or find any clue as to her absence.

The marina owner and former seaman was mystified as she’d arranged with him during a phone call from Verbier that she’d meet him there at 5.30 p.m.

Brown wondered if she’d gone to do some shopping as she’d have needed groceries after a month away. He took off his anorak and hung it on a hook in the hall. Then he sat down on the settee to watch television.

As he did so, he noticed a copy of that week’s Queensbridge Gazette by the landline phone. It carried that week’s date – which seemed to confirm she’d arrived back and been at the cottage.

The building was as cold as a Moscow winter. He went into the kitchen and switched on the gas boiler. As it flared into life, he took out his mobile and dialled her number, but her phone went straight to voicemail.

After leaving a brief message urging her to contact him, he called a few of their friends, but no one had seen her. Finally, he rang the rector, who explained how he’d met her at the bottom of Oxford Lane that morning. He mentioned she’d been considering making a report to the police about the night Harry Bowers went missing. He’d tried phoning her several times, but to no avail, the rector added.

This alarmed Brown even more. He decided to wait for two hours and, if she failed to return in that time, he’d call Queensbridge police station.

At 8.30 p.m., she’d still not appeared and he made the call. PC Derek Underhill was preparing to leave for the day after an eight-hour shift that had already turned into ten hours. But he gave up all thought of going home for the fish supper his wife had been preparing when Brown’s call was put through to him.

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