Shame on Them: A Kirkby Lonsdale Murder Mystery: (DCI Josh Mills Crime Novel Book 1) by A M McKay

Author:A M McKay [McKay, A M]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: anonymous
Published: 2024-08-25T00:00:00+00:00

24

Josh dialled the number highlighted on the call log, putting the phone on speaker so Fiona could hear. After three rings, a man's voice answered, tense and brittle with barely contained emotion.

"Hello? Who is this?" The voice demanded.

"This is Detective Chief Inspector Josh Mills from Cumbria Police. Am I speaking to James Wilkinson?"

There was a sharp intake of breath on the other end of the line. "Yes, that's me. Is this about Jess?"

Josh exchanged a glance with Fiona before responding. "Yes, Mr. Wilkinson. We're investigating the circumstances surrounding Jessica Chepstow's death. Can you tell me about your relationship with her?"

The line went quiet for a moment, then James' voice came back, thick with emotion. "She was... we were... Look, you need to know something. It wasn't me. Whatever happened to Jess, I had nothing to do with it. It was that bastard, Alex, I'm sure of it!"

Josh's eyebrows shot up at the vehemence in James' voice. "Mr. Wilkinson, that's a serious accusation and we didn't tell you about Jess' death, so who informed you?"

"Him! He texted me and said 'I hope you're happy now she's gone.' I've never read anything so heartless in all my life."

"Are you referring to Alex?"

"Of course I am, who else would I be talking about?"

Josh heard James sigh on the other end of the phone. "And can you explain why you think Alex Chepstow might be involved in his wife's death?"

James' words came in a rush, as if a dam had broken. "Because he's a controlling, jealous bastard! Jess was miserable with him. She was going to leave him, you know. We were in love. We were planning a future together."

Fiona leaned in closer to the phone, her interest piqued. "Mr. Wilkinson, how long had your relationship with Jess been going on?"

"Six months," James replied, his voice softening slightly. "Six wonderful months. Jess was finally happy. But Alex was furious. He had found a message from me that Jess forgot to delete. Alex assumed Jess was seeing me behind his back."

"Well, you were, weren't you?" Josh said.

"Yes, but that's not the point, Jess told me they had a blazing row just before they left for Kirkby Lonsdale. Apparently, Alex stormed out of the house and refused to go away with her. Jess rang me in tears. Alex is always checking her phone, he's so controlling and watching her every move, she felt like a prisoner in her own home!"

Josh's voice remained calm and professional. "And you're certain Alex knew about your relationship with his wife?"

"He must have!" James insisted, his voice rising again. "Why else would Jess be dead? She was supposed to meet me with him. We were going to tell Alex together. But she never showed up, and now... now she's gone."

The raw pain in James' voice was palpable, even through the phone. Josh pressed on, "Mr. Wilkinson, where were you on Friday afternoon and into the evening?"

"I was at home, waiting for Jess to turn up with Alex so we could tell him," my sister can verify that.

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