Strictly Murder by Julie Wassmer

Author:Julie Wassmer [Wassmer, Julie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781472134448
Google: FJuFzQEACAAJ
Amazon: B08K84VS6T
Goodreads: 56921894
Publisher: Constable
Published: 2021-06-10T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fifteen

By day, the two impressive replica cannons that stood guard on the crest of Tankerton Slopes were clambered over by an army of kids. At dusk, they remained undisturbed, with only the pitch-pot beacon for company. The beacon was also a replica, comprising an iron basket on top of a tall pole into which pitch would be placed and lit – like so many coastal beacons that had been used throughout the centuries to signal danger from the sea. They had once been employed to warn of an approaching Armada and throughout the Napoleonic Wars, but tonight there was only a warm breeze to disturb the waves as Pearl made her way down the slopes. Gulls brawled over scraps of food amongst the long grass as she headed past the rows of brightly coloured beach huts towards the prom. The sky was darkening, a red streak fading on the horizon, and surf rolled up on to the shoreline as she finally stepped down on to the beach where clumps of yellow horned-poppy had somehow managed to find a home amongst the harsh shingle. In the distance, the lights of the wind farm were visible, red and white against the night sky. Other lights were spread across the sea: navigation signals from a few yachts, and a large container ship that was disappearing below the line of the horizon. The local fishing boats would soon set out on the rising tide and return with their catch as it lowered, seeking safe haven once more in the town’s muddy-bottomed harbour.

Pearl found herself reflecting on what she had heard at the Ballards’ penthouse apartment. It was clear Irene Taylor had little affection, or respect, for her niece’s husband, but Pearl couldn’t be sure if this had always been the case or whether it was the result of Tony’s affair. The couple had been together for some considerable time and maintaining their celebrity status must have put pressure on their marriage – though whether that resulted in sufficient motive for Tony Ballard to want his wife dead was uncertain. And was he even physically capable of murder? Tanya claimed her husband had been at home, sedated, at the time Florrie Johnson was killed, and that she had been with him. That gave the couple mutual alibis – useful for Tanya if, in fact, she had been elsewhere. But if she had been elsewhere, why would she have felt the need to lie about it? To protect her husband, as she had done so well today? Or to protect herself? Was it possible that Tanya had murdered Florrie Johnson – and if so, why?

It was still too early to make sense of all Pearl had gleaned so far, though she was sure McGuire would have more clues for her once his team had concluded their preliminary investigations: checking alibis, conducting house-to-house calls, interviewing residents and slowly piecing together the elements that would make up a more complete picture of what had taken place leading up to the young girl’s murder.

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