Underneath Every Stone by Paula Gosling

Author:Paula Gosling
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
Published: 2017-12-07T12:36:02+00:00

SIXTEEN

Going through the case file for Moony Packard, Matt had seen clearly that there had been a lot of holes in his reasoning and gaps in his investigation. He was ashamed of this and put it down to the distraction of the election. Or maybe the diabetes.

But that was no excuse.

He’d also been finishing up another murder investigation at the same time, but he had worked multiple cases before and managed perfectly well. The fact that the other case had also been one of murder – indeed several murders – might be a reason, but – again – no excuse.

‘I am a dunce,’ he informed Max as he finished his breakfast. Max, deeply involved with some tuna fish, only flicked his tail. He was not judgemental.

Matt had not slept long, having set his alarm for a much earlier time than usual. It was barely light when he got into his cruiser and started patrolling the streets until he found his man, Homer Brophy, starting on his round.

A stocky person of about fifty-five, Homer had been a mail carrier for almost as long as Moony Packard, although the two men rarely spoke because their routes were in opposite directions. As it happened, both the Packard house and Frog’s house were on Homer’s round, and he was only a block away from the former when Matt drew up beside him.

‘Hey, Homer?’

The postman turned and looked at the police car. ‘I’m innocent! ’ he cried in mock terror, holding up both hands. In his right was a packet of letters, in his left a couple of magazines in plastic wrappers. ‘Hi, Matt. Heard you were sick. Glad to see you back.’

‘Homer.’ Matt switched off the engine and got out of the car to stand beside the older man. ‘How’s things?’

‘Things are about as usual, Matt,’ Homer said consideringly. ‘Letters, magazines, the occasional small parcel – you know how it goes.’

‘For me it’s traffic, drunks and the occasional family feud.’ Matt grinned.

‘Well, there you are, then.’ Brophy waited expectantly to hear Matt’s reason for stopping him.

‘I’m looking into Moony Packard’s death,’ Matt said.

‘I thought you had that all tied up.’ Homer frowned.

‘Well, there are still some loose ends,’ Matt explained. ‘I hate loose ends.’

‘And I hate wrongly addressed letters. Same kind of thing.’

‘Yes, I guess so. Homer, you said you saw Frog go by on the morning we found Moony’s body. Is that right?’

‘I told your Deputy Hardwicke all about it,’ Homer answered. ‘It was about now – say seven o’clock or so – and Frog shot past me going like a bat out of hell. Went around the corner up there and home, I guess. I didn’t actually see him pull in, you understand. But it was definitely Frog’s van – hard to miss that old thing, sort of distinctive with those dark windows set in the side and all. Most people don’t notice them, but I do. Always thought they were kind of sneaky, you know? Can’t see what’s going on inside.

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