The Barn (Cumbria Crime Book 4) by Rachel McLean & Joel Hames

Author:Rachel McLean & Joel Hames [McLean, Rachel & Hames, Joel]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Ackroyd Publishing
Published: 2024-10-17T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FIFTY

Nina had nodded when the boss suggested she speak to Emma Hudson. But now, sitting in a plastic chair beside the woman’s hospital bed, she wasn’t so sure.

Emma lay there, pale, frowning and stifling her yawns with the back of her hand. She clearly wasn’t pleased to see Nina.

“I need to sleep,” she said as soon as Nina introduced herself. “The doctors say I need rest.”

“I appreciate that,” Nina replied. “I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t have to be. But if we’re going to find whoever killed your friend⁠—”

“He wasn’t my friend.”

“He wasn’t?”

A shrug, followed by a wince. “Well, I suppose we got on well enough. But it wasn’t like we hung out together. I’d see him in a barn every now and then, we’d sort out… Well, you know what we did. And then we’d go our separate ways. I’m sorry he’s dead, but…”

Emma paled and shook her head.

“I’m sorry. It was so horrible.” She fell silent, her eyes closed.

“We’ve arrested Huz,” Nina said.

Emma looked up and then away. Was that guilt? “Is he OK?”

“He’s in custody. He’s being questioned by Professional Standards. Do you know who they are?”

Emma shook her head.

“They’re the cops who investigate the cops. You get pulled in by them, you know you’re in trouble.”

“Shit.” Emma was still looking away. “I didn’t mean for that⁠—”

“They were looking at him already,” Nina told her.

“Why?”

“Because the idiot was driving a new TT and wandering about in Armani suits. Like a bank robber buying a fur coat.”

Emma looked back at Nina. She gave a nervous laugh. Nina smiled at her. Emma smiled back.

“I know you don’t want to get in any more trouble,” Nina said. “But there’s a murderer out there, Emma. If there’s anything you can tell us that might help us catch him, you should probably do that.”

Emma nodded. “It was such a blur, though.”

“I know. Just start at the beginning, from when you arrived at the barn. Take me through it, bit by bit. Maybe something’ll jump out.”

It wasn’t a long story, in the end. A drive, an annoying boyfriend who kept fidgeting and scowled when he was told he had to wait in the car, Huz arriving, Huz leaving. Neil, Theo, and Emma in the barn.

“Then the fire started. Just a funny smell, at first,” Emma said. “I think it was Neil who saw the smoke, and Theo shouted something, I don’t remember what, and the next I knew, he was gone, and we could hear the motor as he drove away.”

She shook her head.

“I remember looking at Neil and laughing, and he laughed too. It was so ridiculous. But the smoke was still coming and then there were the flames.”

“Where?”

“Everywhere. Well, both ends, and the other walls, too. It was so sudden. A bit of smoke, a bit more smoke, and then there’s flames on all sides, not big, but enough. We had a couple of towels, just cloths, really. A couple of bottles of water. I watched Neil, he poured

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