Best Served Cold: A DCI Harry Grimm Novel by David J Gatward

Author:David J Gatward [Gatward, David J]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Weirdstone Publishing
Published: 2020-10-15T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nineteen

‘This won’t take long,’ Harry said to the man now standing with him, Matt and Jim. ‘Sorry to take you away from your family. This must be hard for you all.’

‘Hard? It’s bloody horrible is what it is,’ the man said. ‘Not every day you wake up to find a body on your land, you know. You’re not all going to ask me lots of questions, are you? I don’t do well with questions.’

Harry attempted a smile, despite the fact that he knew it generally made his face look worse. ‘PCSO Metcalf will just take notes, won’t you, Jim?’

Jim gave a nod, brandishing his notebook and pencil.

‘And Detective Constable Dinsdale and I just want to get an idea of what you found, that’s all. Then if you can pop down to the office in Hawes later on today and give a statement, that would be very much appreciated.’

‘I’m not due to go to Hawes today, though,’ the man said. ‘Mart’s not on, is it? And there’s nowt I’m wanting from the supplies shop.’

‘Supplies shop?’ Harry asked.

‘It’s like a supermarket for farmers,’ Matt explained. ‘Imagine a place where you can buy anything from a chainsaw to chicken feed. Worth a look if you get a chance.’

‘I don’t have much need for either of those,’ Harry said.

‘Come on, everyone needs a chainsaw,’ Matt said.

Harry looked back to the farmer. ‘I didn’t catch your name.’

‘I didn’t give it.’

‘Come on, Pat,’ Jim said. ‘We’re here to help, you know that.’

Harry caught a look between Jim and the farmer, who then seemed to relax a little.

‘Sorry,’ he said. ‘It’s just that it’s set me off a bit, if you know what I mean? I’m Pat. Patrick Coates.’

Harry recognised the name. ‘Isn’t Liz a Coates?’ He asked, looking at Matt and Jim.

‘Probably a very, very, very distant relative,’ Matt said. ‘There’s names around here that have been around for centuries, Dinsdale, Metcalf, Coates, to name a few.’

Harry pondered on this briefly, then was back to Pat. ‘So, Pat,’ he said, ‘if you could just run through what happened, that would be really helpful. And don’t worry if you think the details aren’t important, that’s for us to decide, okay?’

Pat took a deep breath then started to talk, his thick, Yorkshire accent dancing around his words like children around a maypole. ‘Well, I was up at five,’ he said. ‘Bit early for me, to be honest, but there we are. Got up anyway and decided I may as well just head on out and do something with my time. No point lying around in bed, is there?’

Harry wasn’t exactly of the same opinion and asked, ‘Why were you up so early, then?’

Pat shrugged. ‘I think it was a fox that woke me. Heard a scrabbling sound outside. That’s why I went out, really. They can’t half scare the animals. And little Gracie, she’s my youngest, she’s got these two rabbits you see, and that’s a tasty meal for any fox for sure, and I can’t be doing with seeing her all upset.

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