Read Online A Wreath for my Sister by Priscilla Masters - Free Book Online

Sharon’s three, especially Ryan. He’s just a baby. Maybe the other two, but Ryan — no way.’ She frowned. ‘Tell me. What happened?’
    â€˜I can’t give you all the details,’ Joanna began, ‘but the woman we found was murdered.’
    Christine was staring at her through a wisp of blue cigarette smoke. ‘She was so excited,’ she said.
    Joanna’s mobile phone crackled. She answered it.
    â€˜Car found. Green Fiesta,’ came the message. ‘Check registration. X – X-ray; W – Whisky; O – Oscar. 4-3-6 – W – Whisky. Repeat ... car park of the Quiet Woman ...’
    â€˜Don’t touch it,’ she said, and, to Christine, ‘Was Sharon in her car on Tuesday night?’
    Christine nodded.
    â€˜Registration?’ And Joanna read out the number plate she had written down during the phone call.
    Christine looked uncertain. ‘I can’t remember the number.’ Joanna relayed the details down the phone. ‘Check with Swansea.’
    â€˜Already have. Registered owner Sharon Priest ... forty-five Jubilee Road ...’
    â€˜Don’t touch the inside. Get it to forensics. And I’ll see you all later.’
    She turned her attention back to Christine. ‘Who was he?’
    â€˜It was just a date,’ Christine said, pulling away at her cigarette as though it was her lifeline. ‘I told you. She hadn’t been out with him before. She was lonely. She’d been on her own with the children. She wanted some excitement.’
    She looked across the table at Joanna. ‘Why shouldn’t she have had some fun? She deserved it.’
    â€˜No reason,’ Joanna soothed. ‘No reason at all, except I don’t call being killed fun, do you? And I know she didn’t deserve what happened to her.’
    Christine mopped her eyes again. ‘Did she suffer?’
    â€˜No,’ she said. She felt a lie was justified.
    Christine swallowed, tears flowing freely again. She sniffed and looked at Joanna. ‘I can’t believe it,’ she said. ‘The scum. The dirty, rotten scum. I suppose he came over a bit strong and she resisted?’
    And again, although Joanna knew it had not been like that, she nodded.
    â€˜Now tell me everything you know about the man she had a date with.’
    But Christine Rattle looked blank. ‘I didn’t know anything about him,’ she said.
    â€˜Did you see a photograph?’
    She shook her head.
    â€˜Well, where did he live?’
    Christine looked panic-struck. ‘I don’t even know that. In his letters he just said it wasn’t far.’
    â€˜But wasn’t there an address?’
    Blindly Christine shook her head again. ‘They wrote to box numbers, like I said.’
    Joanna felt frustrated. ‘You don’t know anything about him?’ she said incredulously.
    Christine shook her head for a third time.
    â€˜Well, where had she arranged to meet him?’ Something like a dark, angry cloud crossed Christine’s face. ‘There’s not many decent blokes here in Leek,’ she said. ‘Sharon had had a couple of boyfriends. One was married. One was just no good. And her ex was violent. He’s been inside for ABH. So she put an advert in the paper, saying she wanted a good time. She had loads of replies.’ Christine sounded almost envious. ‘More than forty. Some of them sounded really nice. You know – decent and kind. And they didn’t mind about the kids at all. Some of them.’ She made an expression of extreme distaste. ‘But some of them – you could tell what they was after. One, he made a great thing about her wearing high-heeled shoes and glamour-girl stuff.’
    â€˜Did he now?’
    Christine nodded.
    â€˜Why did she pick out the one she met on Tuesday night?’
    â€˜She said ...’ Christine gazed at the tip of ash glowing on the end of her cigarette.