THE COMPLETE INSPECTOR RYGA HISTORICAL MYSTERIES BOOKS 1–5 five captivating British crime novels by PAULINE ROWSON

Author:PAULINE ROWSON [ROWSON, PAULINE]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Joffe Books crime thriller, mystery and suspense
Published: 2024-09-10T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

Eva hadn’t returned from Paignton. Ryga asked after Jean-Claude.

‘He’s been sick and his rash is awful, but the doctor’s given him a sedative so he’s sleeping.’

‘I’m sorry if I’m causing you extra work. I told Eva—’

‘No, please, it’s a pleasure to have you here, Mr Ryga. I’m glad you decided to stay.’

‘Then I’ll make myself useful and bank up the fire.’

‘You don’t . . . Thank you.’ Her smile for a moment obliterated her fatigued and worried countenance.

He followed her into the kitchen. A pressure cooker bubbled contentedly on top of the gas stove. ‘I hope you like beef stew,’ she said. ‘Leastways the butcher said it was beef, but who’s to know what we’re eating. And you might have to search for the beef. But there’s some lovely, tasty vegetables in it.’

‘Judging by the smell I’d say it will be delicious.’ Again, he was rewarded with that smile. He went into the yard, thinking it was a hard life for her, living alone with Jean-Claude to care for and a succession of paying guests in the season, some of whom, as Eva had told him, would turn their back on her when they met Jean-Claude. But at least she was secure in the knowledge she had a roof over her head and no landlord could snatch it from her, unlike many who were living on old boats, in railway carriages and former army huts on abandoned army and RAF bases.

He filled a bucket with coal and took it back to the middle parlour. As he stoked up the fire he felt increasingly at home in the cosy house and again wondered if he’d ever be fortunate enough to have one like it.

‘I’ll just wash and brush up, Mrs Denis,’ he said, putting his head around the kitchen door.

‘Eva dropped off your holdall. I haven’t unpacked it.’

‘Shall I look in on Jean-Claude?’

‘Would you? Thank you.’ Her face lit up.

The boy was sleeping soundly, his breathing steady, his expression peaceful. His very fair skin was blemished by the red rash, which was also on the hands flung out to his side. Ryga gazed around the room, taking in Jean-Claude’s impressive collection of dinky toys on the mantelpiece. The Wolseley, though, which Eva had bought him, took pride of place beside the child’s bed. It reminded Ryga of Steven, Sonia’s son, who had a little car just like it. Was he curled up in bed with it beside him, wherever that was? Ryga wished he had bought a car for Jean-Claude. He’d remedy that tomorrow.

On the mantelpiece there was a picture cut out from a stiff cardboard book and propped up with some stones and coloured pieces of glass and fragments of pottery, along with some marbles. The picture was of a man with a basket of fish and a mermaid at his feet. Is this where Jean-Claude had got his mermaid? Had he looked at this and dreamed about the first body? Ryga thought of the tales of mermaids he’d heard while at sea and what the old men had told him of them.

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