Read Online A Nice Place to Die by Jane Mcloughlin - Free Book Online
Authors: Jane Mcloughlin
Tags: Fiction, Mystery & Detective, Mystery Fiction, Police, Police Procedural, Murder - Investigation, Police - England, Vicars; Parochial - Crimes Against, Vicars; Parochial
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didnât know the meaning of having a good time. They were slow and stupid, real hicks compared to the people like her whoâd moved in from outside and knew something about real life.
Mark was one of them, but he wasnât like the others. He was really good-looking, for one thing; he was cool.
But Jess was still worried.
She hadnât told Mark about having the child. She had tried once, the first day. Sheâd thought about telling him, anyway, but it was too risky. He wouldnât want her any more if she did. She showed him a photo of Donna and Alan with Kevin and one of Jess with Kylie and when he asked who the kid was, she lost her nerve and said it was her little sister. Jess was sure that if Mark knew the truth, that would be the end between them. Even if he didnât mind her having a kid, it being Kevinâs kid was something else. Mark hadnât actually met Kevin, but he hated him anyway because of that day with his bulls.
Jess was afraid, too, of what Mark would think of her if he knew that she, Kylieâs actual mother, wanted nothing to do with her? Jess couldnât explain. She didnât want to be anyoneâs mother, not now, not for a long time to come, if ever. Maybe she was abnormal but thatâs the way she was and nothing would change how she felt.
So what if she told Mark the child was hers, and he didnât care? What if he didnât mind taking the kid on if thatâs what it took to be with Jess? No, she couldnât even think about that. What she didnât dare admit even to herself was that her greatest fear was that Mark might find out that she didnât want her own child and be so repelled by her heâd leave her. She couldnât bear the thought of losing him like that. He was her best chance of escaping to a new life in a different place, somewhere where the two of them could do what they wanted away from Old Catcombe and Forester Close and the state of siege they lived in.
But even losing Mark wouldnât be as bad as having to live at home much longer. It was all very well Donna saying what a nice place Forester Close was to live, with the patch of garden in the front and the pretty trees in the street. But there was nothing there for Jess. Except Mark, of course, and he had to keep away. Even living on a farm like a peasant in the old village as he did, and smelling of animals as he did too, Mark made her life worth living.
Jess took a few swigs from a bottle of cider Kevin had been drinking. She lit another cigarette.
She had to get away from the house without anyone asking where she was going. Mark would be waiting for her, parked a few hundred yards down on the main road. The one really important thing now was to get away from Catcombe Mead and find somewhere they could be alone.
âIâm going down to the shop,â Jess yelled in the direction of the house. And went.
EIGHT
T he day the police came to question the residents of Forester Close, Terri Kent and her partner Helen Byrne quarrelled over Helenâs daughter Nicky.
Helen swept out of the house at lunchtime to go back to work, leaving Terri miserable and not sure what to do for the best.
How could Helen be so cruel? Terri asked herself, how could she say those things? Did she mean what she said?
She canât have, she thought, weâre happy together. Surely we are? Sheâs never said she isnât.
But then Helen never said anything much. She just sort of drifted through life, smiling and distracted, not even seeming to think much about what was happening to her.
Terriâs strong hands were shaking and she felt sick. Perhaps Helen never really loved me, she thought, perhaps she only came to live with me because she wanted to leave Dave and she knew Iâd look after her.
Terri cast her mind back to the magical early days when she and Helen worked together in the Social Services department at the Council in Torquay. Theyâd been so close
Mark was one of them, but he wasnât like the others. He was really good-looking, for one thing; he was cool.
But Jess was still worried.
She hadnât told Mark about having the child. She had tried once, the first day. Sheâd thought about telling him, anyway, but it was too risky. He wouldnât want her any more if she did. She showed him a photo of Donna and Alan with Kevin and one of Jess with Kylie and when he asked who the kid was, she lost her nerve and said it was her little sister. Jess was sure that if Mark knew the truth, that would be the end between them. Even if he didnât mind her having a kid, it being Kevinâs kid was something else. Mark hadnât actually met Kevin, but he hated him anyway because of that day with his bulls.
Jess was afraid, too, of what Mark would think of her if he knew that she, Kylieâs actual mother, wanted nothing to do with her? Jess couldnât explain. She didnât want to be anyoneâs mother, not now, not for a long time to come, if ever. Maybe she was abnormal but thatâs the way she was and nothing would change how she felt.
So what if she told Mark the child was hers, and he didnât care? What if he didnât mind taking the kid on if thatâs what it took to be with Jess? No, she couldnât even think about that. What she didnât dare admit even to herself was that her greatest fear was that Mark might find out that she didnât want her own child and be so repelled by her heâd leave her. She couldnât bear the thought of losing him like that. He was her best chance of escaping to a new life in a different place, somewhere where the two of them could do what they wanted away from Old Catcombe and Forester Close and the state of siege they lived in.
But even losing Mark wouldnât be as bad as having to live at home much longer. It was all very well Donna saying what a nice place Forester Close was to live, with the patch of garden in the front and the pretty trees in the street. But there was nothing there for Jess. Except Mark, of course, and he had to keep away. Even living on a farm like a peasant in the old village as he did, and smelling of animals as he did too, Mark made her life worth living.
Jess took a few swigs from a bottle of cider Kevin had been drinking. She lit another cigarette.
She had to get away from the house without anyone asking where she was going. Mark would be waiting for her, parked a few hundred yards down on the main road. The one really important thing now was to get away from Catcombe Mead and find somewhere they could be alone.
âIâm going down to the shop,â Jess yelled in the direction of the house. And went.
EIGHT
T he day the police came to question the residents of Forester Close, Terri Kent and her partner Helen Byrne quarrelled over Helenâs daughter Nicky.
Helen swept out of the house at lunchtime to go back to work, leaving Terri miserable and not sure what to do for the best.
How could Helen be so cruel? Terri asked herself, how could she say those things? Did she mean what she said?
She canât have, she thought, weâre happy together. Surely we are? Sheâs never said she isnât.
But then Helen never said anything much. She just sort of drifted through life, smiling and distracted, not even seeming to think much about what was happening to her.
Terriâs strong hands were shaking and she felt sick. Perhaps Helen never really loved me, she thought, perhaps she only came to live with me because she wanted to leave Dave and she knew Iâd look after her.
Terri cast her mind back to the magical early days when she and Helen worked together in the Social Services department at the Council in Torquay. Theyâd been so close
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