The Holy Terrors (A Holy Terrors mystery) by Green Simon R

Author:Green, Simon R.
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Severn House
Published: 2024-02-06T00:00:00+00:00

FIVE

After She Died

Even with a dead woman at his feet, and chaos breaking out all around him, Alistair couldn’t keep from studying everyone else’s reactions. At first everyone just seemed lost and confused, pressing in for a closer look and babbling loudly, unable to believe Indira was really dead. But they all stopped and fell silent when Toby picked up Indira’s body and cradled it in his arms.

His shoulders shook and his face convulsed, but he didn’t cry. Diana started forward, but Alistair stopped her with a hand on her arm. He could see anger as well as grief in Toby’s face. Alistair glanced quickly at June and Leslie, but they were both standing well back, unsure as to what they should do. Toby finally looked up from Indira, and there was nothing left in his face but pain.

‘She was going to be the daughter I always wanted, and never had,’ he said. ‘I’d only just found her … and now she’s been taken away. It’s not fair.’

Alistair moved cautiously forward, and knelt down beside Toby. ‘No, it isn’t. But right now I need you to set Indira down, Toby, so I can examine her.’

‘She’s dead!’ said Toby.

‘Yes,’ said Alistair. ‘I think she is. But we have to be sure.’

For a moment Alistair thought Toby might defy him, but then Toby sighed tiredly and gently lowered Indira back on to her sleeping bag. He patted her shoulder once, like a father comforting a sleeping child, and then stood up and stepped back to give Alistair room to work. Diana put a comforting arm across Toby’s shoulders, but he didn’t even seem to know she was there. Diana hugged him anyway.

Alistair checked Indira’s wrist and throat for a pulse, pressed his ear against her chest so he could listen for a heartbeat, and finally took off his glasses and held them close to Indira’s mouth; but there wasn’t even a trace of breath to fog the lenses. Alistair sighed quietly, put his glasses back on, and got to his feet. Toby looked numbly at Alistair, silently pleading for an answer he knew he wasn’t going to get.

‘I’m sorry, Toby,’ said Alistair. ‘There’s nothing I can do. She’s gone.’

Toby tried to say something, but the words wouldn’t come. He turned and walked away, his shoulders hitching as he struggled to get his breath. Diana looked unhappily after him, but let him go. June took a step forward, looked at Indira’s body, and then turned to Alistair. Her professional air was gone, torn away. She looked shocked, thrown off balance by something that should never have happened. She had to struggle to keep her voice steady.

‘How did she die?’

‘I can’t tell,’ said Alistair. ‘There are no obvious injuries.’

‘She couldn’t just have died in her sleep,’ said Diana. ‘Not a healthy young woman like that.’

‘But if there’s no injuries, it must have been natural causes,’ said June. And just like that, the professional persona was back in place. She sounded as though she was rehearsing a statement for the press.

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