Read Online Bad Tidings by Nick Oldham - Free Book Online Page B

the murder?’
    â€˜It’d make sense, but I doubt it. Her husband isn’t a killer.’
    â€˜What about you?’
    â€˜If I’d found out about the affair, maybe I would’ve been.’ She looked slyly at Henry. ‘Is that why you’re here? Has some evidence come to light that says I’m the killer?’
    â€˜Now you’re teasing me,’ Henry chided. ‘No is the answer to that, but I am investigating David’s murder.’
    â€˜Isn’t there a link to another murder – a woman in Blackburn?’
    â€˜You know about that?’
    â€˜I got told – and asked a lot of questions.’
    â€˜Do you think he knew the woman?’
    â€˜I don’t know. I didn’t know her . . . that said, it seemed I didn’t know very much about him at all.’
    Henry nodded sagely, not wanting to say anything trite, like ‘No one ever really knows someone else,’ just to sympathize with her. He looked at her, saw a lost soul.
    â€˜So no ideas?’
    â€˜No – and don’t think I haven’t thought about it.’
    â€˜How would you describe your husband?’
    â€˜Dour, intelligent enough, not especially creative . . . just a bloke, bit of a country bumpkin in some ways.’
    â€˜What about the year leading up to his death? Was there anything unusual about it, did anything unusual happen? Did he change at all?’
    â€˜No, seemed the same old self . . . but it wasn’t a great year. A bit distant, more than usual. Now whether that was because he was seeing Stella . . . fuck, Stella,’ she sneered. ‘What a name! Tart’s name.’ She became thoughtful, then said, ‘Maybe he had changed . . . we were both a bit too insulated from each other . . . drifted apart.’
    â€˜How long had you been married?’
    â€˜Best part of twenty years . . . we sort of met at college.’
    â€˜Do you think he kept secrets from you?’
    â€˜What, other than the sordid affair? Probably. Don’t all men?’
    â€˜Not necessarily.’
    â€˜I’ve just been to have a quick look at the place where David’s body was found,’ Henry said. ‘Does that mean anything to you? Is there any reason you can think of as to why he should’ve ended up there? Is there any significance to it?’
    She shook her head. ‘Been asked that before. I gave a detailed statement.’
    â€˜I know. I’ve read it. I’m sorry if I’m covering old ground’ – actually, he wasn’t – ‘but sometimes things come back to people and other things start to have meanings that weren’t there before. And, of course, I’ve taken charge of the investigation, so it’s important for me to get a handle on it.’
    â€˜On Christmas Day?’
    Henry’s eyes roved quickly around the room. It was decorated in a desultory way, as if there was no heart or feeling behind the hanging baubles or the weary-looking Christmas tree. Nor was there any sign of presents, or wrapping paper. He guessed she was a lonely woman who lived in a grey world. He smiled at her. ‘Good point . . . sorry to disturb you, but at least you know that we’re still investigating your husband’s death. It won’t necessarily bring you good cheer, but I hope it reassures you.’
    â€˜Do you think you’ll get whoever did it?’
    â€˜Yes, I do.’
    â€˜You sound confident.’
    â€˜That’s because I am.’ And, he thought smugly to himself, Because I’m friggin’ good at it.
    There was nothing to report from Jerry Tope, other than more grumblings about his spoiled Christmas, but he let Henry know he was still working on the backgrounds of the two victims to see where their paths might have crossed in the past, if at all. He said he was having problems accessing the national database to cross-check the MOs