DETECTIVE JIM ASHWORTH BOOKS 1-5 five gripping crime mysteries box set by Brian Battison

Author:Brian Battison [BATTISON, BRIAN]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Crime Mystery/Thriller
Publisher: Joffe Books crime thriller, mystery and suspense box sets
Published: 2021-08-10T14:00:00+00:00

Chapter 14

Gladys came awake with a start. Her aged body ached from sleeping in the rigid armchair.

Her husband, his face a deathly white, was lying in the bed, his frail form shaking beneath the covers.

‘No . . . please,’ he said pitifully. ‘No more pain . . . I can’t stand any more pain.’

Gladys pushed herself from the chair. ‘It’s all right, Cliff.’

As she leant over the bed, Gladys fancied she could smell the touch of death upon him. She poured water into a glass.

After mopping his fevered brow with a cool towel, she reached for the bottle of painkillers. His agonizing cries, his sobbing, made her stiff fingers fumble with the childproof top, but it finally sprang off and fell to the floor.

She looked again at her husband and shook two tablets out into her palm.

His earnest eyes pleaded with her.

She shook the bottle and more tablets tumbled out.

* * *

What Josh had not realized, when accepting Ashworth’s invitation to breakfast, was that he would be acting as cook.

He expertly divided his attention between bacon sizzling under the grill, and eggs and mushrooms cooking in the large frying pan.

Ashworth filled the percolator and very soon the smell of fresh coffee mingled with the aromas from the food.

Fat spat in the pan and Ashworth eyed the food hungrily. ‘How did last night’s observation of Fox go?’

‘Oh, I lost him, guv.’ The business with Holly had driven everything from Josh’s mind, and he had temporarily forgotten about Fox. ‘I watched Karen Waters but he didn’t go anywhere near her.’

‘He could have attacked Holly though,’ Ashworth surmised as the coffee machine gurgled.

‘Yes, that’s what I thought,’ Josh said, dishing out the food. ‘And I blame myself for that.’

‘I don’t follow.’

‘If I hadn’t been living at Holly’s house, she could have taken her boyfriend back there.’

Josh turned off the gas beneath the frying pan, and Ashworth coughed lightly, saying, ‘I usually have a slice of fried bread with mine.’ Adding, ‘Fairly well done, please,’ as Josh delved into the bread bin.

Neither spoke again until the bread had been fried.

Ashworth poured coffee. ‘You’re being too hard on yourself, Josh.’ He took his plate and cutlery over to the breakfast bar. ‘If Holly was next on our man’s list, it would have happened in any case.’

Josh joined him. ‘Maybe,’ he said dismally, pushing his food around the plate.

‘Without a doubt,’ Ashworth assured him. ‘Now, if Holly landed a kick on her assailant’s face, our man could be marked.’

‘Yes, but like I say, Holly wasn’t making a great deal of sense.’

‘This looks good,’ Ashworth said, loading his fork with egg, bacon and mushrooms. ‘So, if we take a look at Fox today . . .’

‘Will do, guv.’ Josh sipped his coffee as he looked around the kitchen. ‘This is a nice house.’

Ashworth merely grunted as he hungrily chased the food with his knife and fork.

‘I’m thinking of buying a property . . . putting down some roots,’ Josh said thoughtfully. ‘But I couldn’t afford anything like this.

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