Poisoned on the Moor: A British private detective mystery by Ric Brady

Author:Ric Brady [Brady, Ric]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: THE BOOK FOLKS
Published: 2025-03-10T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Six

Hargreaves entered the side room with a smirk on her face. “I think we’re getting somewhere,” she said. “Maybe arresting Curtis in a fit of rage wasn’t such a bad idea?”

“You might be onto something there,” Henry said.

He then concentrated on the door. He could hear Barnes arguing with Sebastian over whether Curtis should be released or not. It sounded like Barnes was winning – but only just.

Henry refocused on Hargreaves. “Could this Australian be Sarah’s ex-husband? But why would Mark Hardy be in business with his wife’s ex? Especially if he’s dangerous?”

“I guess we’ll need to take a trip to ICU to ask Mark Hardy himself.”

“Aye. We also need to find this Aussie and bring him in for questioning. Wherever he is.” He paused. “Pete Blackburn was the first one to mention him to us, wasn’t he?” He raised his head knowingly. “We also need to talk to him about what happened at St George’s back in the nineties, if he’ll say anything to us about it.”

“Alright. I suggest we head over to see Mark Hardy first and disrupt his beauty sleep, and then head over to Pete Blackburn’s.” She checked the messages on her phone. “DS Forrester is still with Pete. A doctor’s arrived and given him some sedatives.”

“Will he be compos mentis when we get there?”

“More than he was earlier, I hope. Apparently, he’s stopped picking the flesh off the back of his hand, so that’s a start.” She tapped on her phone. “I’ll tell Forrester we’ll be over in the next hour so she can lay the groundwork. I’d prefer him not to freak out when he learns why we really want to talk to him.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

Barnes stormed into the room, looking haggard and distressed. “I bloody hate lawyers. Especially that one. He’s nothing but a parasite who’s latched onto a dim-witted millionaire.”

Henry chortled. “And, luckily for him, Curtis is a prime host. He has loads of money but lacks the brains to know how to spend it wisely. Anyway, speaking of Curtis’ millions, do either of you know how he made his fortune? He doesn’t strike me as a business mogul, no matter how much he tries to pose as one.”

Barnes nodded wearily. “I looked into it earlier. His parents won the lottery twenty years ago and invested most of it. Curtis got a lump sum when he turned twenty-one, and it sounds like he’s burnt through most of that. He now makes a living off his YouTube channel.”

Hargreaves pulled a face. “A channel? What on?”

“Business and investing.”

Hargreaves burst out laughing. “Him? He’s just gone and lost a million quid!” She struggled to gather her composure. “I wish you’d told me that before the interview started. I’d have loved to have quizzed him on his business acumen.”

“Yeah, well I’m glad I didn’t.” Barnes ran a hand through her short blond hair. “Let’s not forget why we’re here. There’s a mass murder to solve by tomorrow lunchtime. So, what did we learn from Curtis?”

Hargreaves rolled her eyes.

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