The Cold Killer (The DI Barton Series) by Ross Greenwood

Author:Ross Greenwood [Greenwood, Ross]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Boldwood Books
Published: 2021-11-24T16:00:00+00:00

37

The Cold Killer – Saturday 14th December

I’m woken by the sounds of cutlery clinking together and the smell of fresh coffee. I check my watch and it’s only 6 a.m. My head is tender and my mouth is dry. I close my eyes again.

‘Come on, sleeping beauty. Get this down you and I’ll walk you to the station. I work nearby. When did you say your train was?’

’Half ten,’ I reply through closed lids.

‘You’ll have plenty of time to look around town, then, see if it appeals for when you make it your home.’

I pop one eye open and smile at her laughter. She beckons me to the table where two plates are set. She pours me a strong coffee. All I can manage is a slice of toast, which has an unusual texture I haven’t tried before.

‘This tastes funny.’

‘It’s sourdough.’

‘Is that good or bad?’

‘It’s healthy.’

I cover it in whatever the hell organic marmalade is, and it’s okay. After breakfast Brenda gets me a towel and shows me where the upstairs bathroom is. The shower is so good, so hot and powerful, that I gasp and laugh out loud. Afterwards, smelling of lavender and roses from her shower gel, I feel like a new man, until I pull on yesterday’s clothes. I chuckle when she asks for my email address, but we exchange phone numbers. Having to get my number off the sim card doesn’t look great, but she knows I was in prison.

The freezing night has frozen the snow rock hard, but I detect a slight warming in the air. It’s still bloody cold, but the sky is clear. This makes the just-melting paths deadly when we start our walk. She clings onto my arm, and I have to say it feels good.

Brenda is wearing a thick coat, but only a pencil skirt and black loafers underneath it, which I assume is her uniform. She slips and hangs on wildly, nearly dragging me down with her. A passing dog walker smiles at her face, which is full of life. He’s the only other person we pass.

Outside the station, she releases her firm grip on me. She gestures to the surrounding area.

‘I hope you like it.’

‘I like who’s in it.’

‘Don’t overdo it, or I’ll assume you’ve gone mad. When will I next see or hear from you again?’

‘I’ll ring, but it might take six months to have my affairs in order.’

‘Ooh, get you,’ she mocks, but I’m serious.

‘I don’t want to return to my old life. It’s not the place for me any more, but I can’t leave certain things as they are.’

She nods, and I suspect she realises I’m talking about people, not Peterborough. She looks cute in her café uniform and I realise I’m still drawn to her. She holds out her hand.

‘Good luck, Logan. Stay in touch.’

I shake her hand and we both hold eye contact. She turns and crosses the road, looking around once. I’m tempted to glance upwards in thanks, but there’s a long path ahead, and a lot could still go wrong.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.