THE PIG PEN a BRAND NEW gripping Yorkshire crime thriller full of twists (Detective Anna James Book 1) by EMMY ELLIS

Author:EMMY ELLIS [ELLIS, EMMY]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Joffe Books Mystery, Crime Thriller, Suspense
Published: 2024-08-06T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Two

Lenny’s stomach had been rumbling ever since they’d left Parole’s, so Anna pulled into a parking space at McDonald’s at the edge of Westgate. It was in a service area beside the dual carriageway, with a Costa, a WHSmith, and toilets inside a glass-fronted building. A van along the way sold jacket potatoes and pasties.

Lenny went inside. Anna paced beside the car, needing to get her steps in. Several people ate in their vehicles, and she wished she’d asked Lenny to pick her up a couple of bacon rolls, not just a coffee. She clicked the key fob to lock the car and went into McDonald’s. At the self-service screen, she ordered some breakfast, nipped to the loo and met Lenny in the queue.

“We’ll pop to Carys’s after this, then go back to the station,” she said.

A young man in front turned around and stared at her. He had the air of a spice-head about him — pasty skin, red-rimmed eyes and the general look of being unkempt and half asleep.

“Station?” he said. “Are you coppers?”

“We are,” Lenny said.

“Ah, maybe you can help me, then.”

“What with?” Anna took one step back to create more distance between them. The man didn’t smell too nice, as if he’d slept in his clothes for days, and spice-heads were unpredictable.

“There’s something you should know, man. I mean, it’s fucking crazy.” He laughed. “Like, proper mental.”

“When did you last use?” Anna asked.

“Last night. What’s that got to do with you?”

“Just checking.”

“I’m not a fucking liar.”

“I’m not suggesting you are,” she said.

“Two hundred and five! Two hundred and six! Two hundred and seven!” someone behind the counter called.

“The last one’s me,” Anna said.

Lenny moved forward to collect their bags. Mr Spice did the same. Lenny came back and nudged Anna for them to leave, and they walked outside.

“He might have something for us,” she said. “Let’s wait.”

Lenny sighed. “He’s on a downer. I wouldn’t be surprised if he tells us he met God or was abducted by aliens or something.”

“But what if he doesn’t? What if it’s something important?” Anna took a bacon roll out, removed the paper and bit into it. “There’s something about these. Bloody lovely.”

Lenny placed the drinks tray on a nearby wall and took a sausage bap out. “I disagree. These are better.”

They ate for a moment, Anna staring through the double doors. Mr Spice leaned against a pillar, ramming something into his mouth.

Lenny tutted. “See? He’s already forgotten he spoke to us.”

“I still want to wait.”

She’d eaten her second roll by the time Mr Spice weaved his way outside. He stopped, gawped at them and frowned.

“Do I know you?” he asked.

“We’re the police officers you spoke to inside,” Anna said.

Mr Spice’s eyebrows arched. “Oh yeah. You need to come with me. Seriously.”

Anna recalled what he’d said, that it was something “proper mental”.

“What’s the problem?”

“I saw this head, right? A fucking head. Don’t look at me like that! I know you think I’m making it up, but I swear it was there.

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