THE ROYAL HOTEL MURDERS a gripping crime thriller full of twists by ROWSON PAULINE

Author:ROWSON, PAULINE
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Joffe Books crime thriller, mystery and suspense
Published: 2022-03-15T16:00:00+00:00

Twelve

‘Anything?’ Horton asked, as Cantelli peered inside the Range Rover.

‘No sign of any missing fingers. If that’s what you mean.’

‘Pity.’

Cantelli smiled. ‘And there’s nothing lying about on the seats. It’s locked,’ he added, trying all the door handles.

‘Call Elkins and ask him to check if Jackson’s boat is at Hythe Marina and if it’s been taken out over the last twenty-four hours. Then pop across to the Sub-Aqua Club and check those diving records.’ He hoped someone was there. ‘Get copies of every dive Farnsworth made. And while you’re there, get a copy of Daniel Collins’s dives as well. I’m going to have a word with the marina staff.’

Horton found Eddie, a lithe 53-year-old with a weather-beaten wrinkled face in the marina office. Horton asked him if any boats had left the marina last night.

‘No. Why? Something up?’

‘You could say that.’ Horton gave him the news about Farnsworth’s death, leaving out the bit about the fingers and how the body had been found, although not where it was found. It would be in all the newspapers and on the radio and TV anyway. It was still troubling him that Jackson hadn’t been curious about that.

Eddie said, ‘It was silent as the grave here last night. Oh, except for a nice little yacht, which came in yesterday afternoon, and an even prettier party on board. A dark-haired girl with smouldering eyes and bit of a sharp tongue.’

Horton’s interest picked up on that. Hundreds of girls could meet that description, but he could name one who matched it perfectly. ‘Daisy Pemberton.’

‘You know her?’ Eddie asked.

‘I’ve met her.’ She hadn’t said she’d arrived by boat, but then why should she? Had Farnsworth returned after being released to apologize or make it up with her? Or perhaps all that stuff about being dumped had been an act for his and Lee’s benefit? Could Daisy Pemberton have motored to Oldham’s Wharf and killed Farnsworth? But Eddie had said nothing had left the marina. And somehow Horton just couldn’t see Daisy Pemberton as a murderer. He also didn’t have Farnsworth down as the apologizing type.

‘Where is she?’

‘Pontoon J. It’s called Sunrise.’

Horton quickly made his way there, wondering why Daisy had chosen to arrive yesterday. Was there anything sinister in that or had she just been hoping that Farnsworth would go sailing with her? How could a woman like Daisy have fallen for such a slime ball? he thought, punching in the security code to the pontoon. But then he didn’t know how his estranged wife could go for an overweight, balding, puffed-up, pompous prat like Edward Shawford.

Thank God Shawford hadn’t gone on holiday with her and Emma over Christmas to Cyprus. It was bad enough thinking of Emma being with him on ordinary days without imagining him spending Christmas with her. But why hadn’t he? Horton wondered. Was the romance over? If so, how did he feel about that? Pleased, yes, but it was too late for him and Catherine to resurrect their marriage.

His thoughts had taken him to Sunrise.

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.