Spoken Bones by Lewis N.C

Author:Lewis, N.C. [Lewis, N.C.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: anonymous
Published: 2021-10-15T07:00:00+00:00

Chapter 30

Audrey took off her glasses, wiped them with a tissue, and continued to stare. Detective Sergeant Robert Dexter sat at her kitchen table sipping a cup of her tea and eating a slice of her Victoria sponge cake. She hadn't heard his car come creeping along the lane. Nor the squeak of the iron gate. Or his footsteps on the path. Only the sharp clank of the door knocker which announced his sudden arrival.

"I was lost in Little Dorrit, Dickens," Audrey explained. She still felt as if she were in a fictional dream, imagined herself in the satins and lace and silks of Miss Havisham's bridal dress. The image faded and yellowed as she came back to the present. "Such a good read, like being with an old friend. I barely heard the door. Were you knocking long?"

"We get used to waiting." The detective gave a wide pleasant smile. "Part of the policeman's lot. Waiting."

"I'm so sorry, and with all this rain."

"Little secret, Mrs Robin." He flashed his friendly smile. "I saw your car and knew you were at home. We're full of tricks, us detectives."

Audrey wondered what else he held up his sleeve. She thought he'd keep his best concealed and, like a street magician, bring them out with sleight of hand one by one to bamboozle her. One thing she knew: there'd be more tricks. Her librarian mind liked things orderly, catalogued and shelved in the right place. How could you do that if you didn’t know exactly what the police had up their sleeve?

He continued to chew. He took a long slurp from the cup, glanced about the kitchen, and returned to the crumbs on his plate, shaking them into his hand.

It pleased Audrey that the police were always ready for another slice of her Victoria sponge, washed down by a refill of tea or coffee. It was one of her secret ways of keeping an eye on the investigation, made her feel useful. She picked up the plate and went to the kitchen counter and sliced a thick wedge, returning to the table with it in both hands as if carrying precious stones. Then she heard a soft scurrying sound. Whispers. Patrick's voice, and she wasn’t taken in by the detective's charm or the pleasant words or the way he smiled at her. Patrick smiled like that.

His first slap surprised her.

They were together on the sofa with soft jazz drifting from the radio. A Saturday evening. They'd made love, then argued over Patrick's late nights at the office. He flicked the back of his hand hard against the flat of her nose as if swatting a bluebottle fly. A sudden wicked smack. She placed a hand to her nose. There was a small dark drop of blood where his wedding ring cut her nostril. He struck her again. It stung less than his vile words—"Mummy was right. You tricked me into marriage. Cheated me of a child, but now the scales have fallen from my eyes.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.