The Ghost Before Christmas by Katherine John

Author:Katherine John
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781783754854
Publisher: Accent Press
Published: 2012-12-31T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Five

Dan took Peter and Trevor to the restaurant kitchen where Dewi was mixing bread sauce. He introduced them to Elin and his great-niece Nia, who was “helping” Elin roll out the pastry for tartlets.

Nia looked warily at Trevor and Peter. Trevor crouched beside her until his eyes were on a level with hers. He held out his hand.

‘I’m Trevor.’

Nia gave him her fingers but only for a moment before pulling them away. She didn’t say a word.

‘Those look very good,’ Trevor pointed to the pastry cases. ‘Are they going to be mince tarts?’

Nia nodded.

‘I can’t wait to try one.’

She picked up a stuffed penguin from the work surface, tucked it under her arm, climbed off her stool, went to a plastic box, opened it and returned with a miniature mince pie which she gave to Trevor.

‘For me?’

She nodded again.

‘Thank you.’

She gave Trevor a tentative smile.

Sensing Nia was uneasy in the presence of strangers, Trevor moved on to the bar where Dan was pulling pints for him and Peter.

‘You’re good with children, Trevor,’ Dewi complimented when he joined them. ‘That’s the first time I’ve seen Nia communicate with a stranger. She lives in a world of her own. Dan will tell you, helping Elin in the kitchen and being read to are the only things she shows any interest in.’

‘She may not say much but she looks bright enough,’ Peter took the pint of beer Dan handed him and lifted it. ‘Cheers. Here’s to Wales.’

‘She’s bright all right,’ Dan agreed. ‘Elin and Dewi have the patience of angels with her, which is just as well. I’m a bit long in the tooth to start looking after kids.’

‘You’re only a couple of years older than me.’

‘Exactly, Peter.’ Dan handed Trevor a beer and picked up his own.

Dewi poured himself a tomato juice. ‘Please excuse me, gentlemen, I have stuffing, cranberry sauce, and white pudding sauce to make.’

‘Can’t wait to try them,’ Peter called after him as Dewi disappeared back into the kitchen.

‘Let’s go upstairs to my private quarters,’ Dan suggested, ‘we won’t be disturbed there.’

Dan’s apartment reminded Trevor of Dan’s office when he’d worked out of the same police station as him. A bookcase filled with forensic text books and biographies was the only personal item in the living room.

‘Have you talked to the locals about your nephew’s case?’ Trevor sat on one of the two sofas that faced one another across a coffee table.

Dan went to a chest of drawers, opened the top one, and lifted out three files. ‘I had copies made for you and Peter.’ He handed them over.

‘This is the official police file?’ Peter said in surprise.

‘Made at the time by the investigating officers.’

‘How did you get it?’ Trevor started reading.

‘Protocol’s different in Wales if you were in school with the Superintendent.’

Peter opened his file. ‘I read somewhere that your nephew’s marriage wasn’t quite made in heaven.’

‘So Alun told me when I visited him yesterday.’

‘You didn’t know before then?’

‘I came back here when Alun was arrested a month after Christine disappeared.

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