Read Online 2 A Different Shade Of Death by Gillian Larkin - Free Book Online

scamming someone like Emily? And was she capable of murder? If
Charlie had been poisoned it could have been a gradual process. Amy could have
made sure that she was away when Charlie finally died to throw any suspicion
off herself.
    Grace’s
heart sank. What had she got herself into? She walked away from the bungalow,
her steps heavy.
    Charlie
walked at her side. “I can’t believe that about Amy, it can’t be true, I would
have known.”
    Grace
didn’t say anything. She didn’t feel like talking. How could she have been
fooled so easily?
    Charlie
said, “I suppose she could have been up to something, I never really paid her
much attention, I had my own work to do. Could she be so cold hearted?”
    Grace
stopped. She looked around, no one was near. She said, “You told me that she’d
always wanted to live in Heathville, maybe she was behind all of this. She’s
fooled everyone. When we were inside Emily’s house you said that you’d seen Ted
before, you accused him of murdering you. What did you mean?”
    Charlie
put his hands in his pockets and stared at the ground. “I can’t quite remember
now. He was always cold with me, I can understand why now if he thought I had
something to do with Emily losing Heathville. But there was something else,
something to do with the original plans of the house. And there was a smell, an
awful smell somewhere.”
    Charlie
clutched his stomach. He let out a cry of pain. “Not again! I thought it had gone!”
    Grace
said, “What is it? Has the pain come back? Is it worse than before?”
    He
straightened up and rubbed his stomach. “It’s gone now, it was just a spasm.
Who are you phoning?”
    “My
brother. If you’re in pain he might be too,” Grace said.
    Frankie
answered on the second ring. “Yo, Sis, how’re you doing? Hope you’re not
phoning up to check on me.”
    “Just
phoning,” Grace tried to keep her tone light. “How are you anyway?”
    Frankie
snorted. “Fine! My bottom’s fine too if that’s what you wanted to hear.”
    “Well,
not really, I was only checking ...”
    “Stop
being a pain, I’m fine. Those suits I bought are selling well, people know
quality when they see it. I might keep one for myself. Was there anything else?
I’ve got to go. Don’t come in if you’re going to natter me. Bye!”
    Grace
stared at her phone. Frankie had been his usual abrupt self. “He seems fine,”
she said to Charlie. “I think I need to sit down and go through everything,
there are too many facts, I can’t make sense of them all. We’ll go to my house.
I don’t want any comments from you when we get there.”
    “Such
as?”
    “How
it could look better, how I could increase its value. You’re very free with
your opinions.”
    Charlie
looked offended. “Am I? I hadn’t realised.”
    Grace
looked at him for a moment. People really were blind to their own faults. Or
was it because she expected everyone to have the same values as her?
    Charlie
didn’t say a word as they caught the bus to Grace’s house. When they walked
through the door he just smiled and said, “Very homely.”
    “It
is. I’m making a cup of tea. Any comments to make about that?”
    “Nope.
What are we doing again?”
    “Trying
to get our thoughts together, I told you.”
    Charlie
frowned. “Our thoughts about what?”
    “About
whoever murdered you!”
    “Of
course, is it all right if I sit down?”
    “Yes,”
Grace said. She indicated for Charlie to sit on the sofa. Something wasn’t
right with him. As she walked into the kitchen she caught him rubbing his head,
like he’d done when they’d first met. Was the pain coming back again?
    Grace
made herself a quick sandwich and a cup of coffee, she needed something
stronger than tea.
    When
she came back into the living room she almost dropped her plate. Charlie was
lying down on the sofa, his eyes closed. He looked just like the dead Charlie
she’d seen in the vision the previous day.
     

Chapter 19
     
    Grace
put her plate