A Dinner To Die For: A British Murder Mystery (DI Declan Walsh Crime Thrillers Book 8) (Detective Inspector Declan Walsh) by Jack Gatland

Author:Jack Gatland [Gatland, Jack]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Hooded Man Media
Published: 2021-12-11T16:00:00+00:00

As Monroe and De’Geer arrived at the doors of Monet, a short, muscular man with a full beard and shaved head stood nervously waiting for them.

‘DCI Hendrick said to meet you here,’ he said, holding out a hand. ‘I’m Rich Ashby. I was the lead SOCO.’

Monroe nodded. He didn’t expect Ashby to have a rank; normally SOCOs, or Scene of Crime Officers weren’t usually police officers, but were employed by the relevant police forces. Doctor Marcos was just that, a doctor, even though she often believed she outranked everyone in the office.

‘DCI Monroe, and this is PC De’Geer,’ Monroe shook Ashby’s hand. ‘Can you show us what happened?’

‘I can, but it’s up to you to talk to the cleaner,’ Ashby opened the restaurant door, allowing the other two through. ‘She’s bloody mad, utterly convinced there were ghosts bouncing around at seven in the morning.’

‘De’Geer, if you would?’ Monroe smiled at the PC. ‘You’re so much better with people than I am.’

As De’Geer, directed to a scared-looking woman in a cleaner’s tunic that stood to the side of one of the large windows, walked off, Monroe nodded at Ashby.

‘So what do you think?’ he asked. ‘Robbery? Murder?’

‘A bit of both, I’d say,’ Ashby scratched at his beard. ‘I mean, obviously it’s both, but I get the feeling that it’s mainly one, with the other being a bit of opportunism.’

‘Aye, but which one was the planned one?’ Monroe muttered as he looked around the restaurant. ‘So, has much been moved since?’

‘Surprisingly no,’ Ashby led Monroe through to a back room, nodding to some waiting staff. ‘The staff haven’t been using Mitchell’s office yet, I think they were waiting for the police to completely finish the investigation before deciding what to do with it. They have the place pre-paid for another three months, rent wise, so it makes sense for them to do something here, especially with the Edinburgh Festival in just over a month.’

Opening the door, Ashby led Monroe inside a larger than expected back office. Against the back wall was a metal safe, around three feet in height, and with a combination lock. The door had been swung open, and it was currently empty.

On the shelf was a leather wrapped collection of kitchen knives, and on the desk against the side wall was a selection of menu printouts, with a large, framed map of Edinburgh above it, the words Plan of Edinburgh and its Environs, a survey by John Knox, 1825 on the right hand side.

‘Doesn’t look like that anymore,’ Monroe commented, pointing at it. Ashby moved closer, having a better look.

‘Aye, it’s got the Nor Loch on it for a start. That’s now the park by Princes Street, as well as the train lines to Waverley Station. Which isn’t built here yet.’

‘Wonder why he has it on the wall?’ Monroe asked. ‘And one that’s damaged?’

‘Damaged?’ Ashby looked at Monroe, confused.

‘Aye, all the sharpie marks drawn on it,’ Monroe indicated the various lines and squiggles over the Old Town.

Ashby laughed.

‘Nah, they’re nay squiggles,’ he replied.

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