Broken Fall: A D.I. Harland novella by Fergus McNeill

Author:Fergus McNeill [McNeill, Fergus]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Published: 2015-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 11

Richard answered the door, his jowly face immediately darkening when he saw Harland and Linwood.

‘What do you want now?’ he scowled. ‘More questions, is it?’

Harland glared back at him, but kept his voice calm and quiet.

‘Do you mind if we come in, Mr Errington?’

Richard huffed and turned away. Harland and Linwood stepped inside, pulling the door closed before following the larger man along the hallway.

‘Inspector?’ Amanda looked up in surprise as they entered the living room, flickering an enquiring glance towards her husband as she got to her feet. ‘What can we do for you?’

Harland paused, then wordlessly moved across and took a seat, gesturing for Richard and Amanda to do likewise. Somewhat confused by proceedings, Linwood had held back and was standing in the doorway, but that was fine. It helped create the atmosphere that Harland wanted.

‘I don’t know why people think they can lie to me,’ he said softly, gazing down at his plain gold wedding ring. ‘They think they can lie, and get away with it, because they think they’re smarter than everyone else …’

He paused, noting the absolute hush that had fallen over the room.

‘… but they’re not.’ He looked up, eyes locking with Richard’s. ‘You’re not.’

Richard’s mouth opened, but he was at a loss.

Good.

‘It’s a terrible thing to take an innocent life,’ Harland told him. ‘And you can never outrun it. Sooner or later, it catches up with you.’

‘What?’ Richard was finding his voice at last. ‘What the bloody hell …’

‘Lies.’ Harland leaned forward, his voice cold. ‘They trip you up.’

‘But you can’t seriously think I would do anything to him …’ Richard blinked. ‘He’s my father.’

‘It’s not unheard of.’ Harland shook his head sadly. ‘A parent, murdered by their own child … especially when there’s money involved.’

‘Money?’ Richard exploded. ‘What are you talking about? I don’t get anything out of his death. The house goes to Jenny.’

Amanda’s impassive demeanour faltered, only for a second. Harland leaned back, settling into the corner of the sofa, a faint smile spreading across his face.

‘Thank you,’ he said to Richard. ‘I wanted to be sure that you knew. Did your father tell you himself?’

‘Oh yes. The old bastard always had it in for Amanda and me,’ Richard grumbled. ‘He’d been threatening to cut me off ever since he first met her.’

‘Is that why you fell out?’

‘I suppose so. I mean, it was up to him what he did with his money, but I wasn’t going to be told who I could or couldn’t marry.’ Richard shook his head, a shadow of regret passing across his face, before he stiffened and looked up angrily. ‘So there you are; I had no reason to kill him.’

‘Exactly,’ Harland said, looking at them across the coffee table. ‘Neither of you had any motive to kill Albert …’

Amanda nodded slowly, her face unreadable.

‘…but one of you thought you did.’

It took Richard a moment.

‘What the bloody hell are you …?’ he began, then trailed off, his expression changing as he turned to look at his wife.

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