THE VILLAGE CHOIR KILLER a BRAND NEW enthralling murder mystery with a twist by FRANCES LLOYD

Author:FRANCES LLOYD [LLOYD, FRANCES]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Joffe Books crime thriller, mystery and suspense
Published: 2025-07-10T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

Chippy knew from the team meetings that Charlie Snell had been heavily involved in the passport scam and Inspector Dawes believed it could have been instrumental in his murder. He also knew that fake passports carried a national threat and were taken very seriously by National Crime officers. There was no way he was going to wait until Monday to report this new deal that Jim had mentioned. This was Aled’s lead and he’d want to know about it, particularly as it could be closely linked to an MIT murder investigation. He phoned his mobile and listened to the rings until the inevitable redirection to voicemail.

He left a message. ‘Aled, mate, this is Chippy. I’m still at the station. There’s been a call on your work phone from your contact in the Richington Arms.’ He was careful not to mention the name — he’d learned that much since he’d joined the MIT. Informants remained anonymous for fear of reprisals. ‘He says the men you’re interested in are setting up a new deal and they’re relocating to the Golden Goat pub in Richington Malworthy. I’m on my way there now. Join me as soon as you get this message. I’ll keep an eye on them until you get here.’

He hurried down to the police car pool then changed his mind. He’d be faster if he went on his motorbike. In addition, his black leathers and a full-face crash helmet would make him less recognizable. He revved up his Suzuki and shot off down the bypass.

* * *

Corrie and Carlene had spent most of the day in the Coriander’s Cuisine kitchens preparing the food for the engagement party that evening. The clients had told Corrie to spare no expense. The party was for their much-loved only daughter who was getting engaged to an international financier.

‘If the Cuisine makes a really good impression,’ said Corrie, ‘we might get the contract for the wedding.’ With this in mind, she had sourced only the best ingredients from her most reliable producers.

‘This is a first-class banquet,’ observed Carlene, studying the menu. ‘They won’t find better this side of London’s West End. We just need to get it safely to the venue.’ They loaded everything into one of the larger Coriander’s Cuisine vans, together with the necessary pans and utensils for preparing the hot food.

‘We haven’t seen the venue yet,’ observed Corrie, ‘so I hope the cooking facilities will be up to scratch. I’ve learned from experience not to assume the equipment on site will be adequate.’

‘You’ll cope, Mrs D. You always do.’

‘Not always. When I first started out as a professional caterer, I was hired to cook a meal for a retired major general. I don’t think he’d cooked anything for himself in his life. He probably ate all his meals in the officers’ mess. He had an old gas stove in a tiny kitchen the size of a garden shed which he shared with the regimental mascot and a budgie in a cage. I

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