Read Online Cherringham--A Fatal Fall by Matthew Costello - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Matthew Costello
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waitresses who worked here.“Let me guess,” Sarah said as he took a sip. “You have a plan. An idea about something we can do?”
“How’d you guess? It is a little, well, risky. So thinking I best do it alone …”
“I’m getting good at ‘risky’,” she said.
“That you are. Okay then …”
Another sip, and Jack also looked around to see if anyone still in the café this late in the afternoon might be listening.
And then:
“Where could we go to learn about McCabe, the phony ID, anything anyone knew about him … or didn’t know?”
Sarah looked away, thinking.
And then: “The construction office, their computer.”
Jack smiled. “Like I said, you’re getting good at this …”
And she had to smile back. “And you are suggesting that we break into—”
“ I break in …”
But she shook her head. “ We break into the office and look at the computer, records …”
“You want to do this?”
“Um, Mr. Brennan, do you know your way around a firewalled server, password protected files, encrypted documents?”
He grinned. “Can’t say I do. Okay. You’re in. It’s the one place where we might find something that no one — yet — has told us about McCabe.”
“That’s my thinking.”
“And after the funeral, think everyone will just move on … from this accident .”
The way Jack said it made it sound like the idea of McCabe having an accident was completely implausible.
“Pick you up around nine? Site should be deserted by then.”
“I’ll be ready.”
Jack nodded. Then, looking at her — unexpectedly … “You know, I couldn’t be doing this … any of this, what we’ve been doing in the village … without you.”
She beamed. She always knew Jack appreciated what she brought to their work. But still — hearing it was great.
“We’re a team, Jack. Right? And that’s what teams do.”
“That they do.”
And with a plan in place for the wintry night, they finished their coffee.
*
Sarah looked out of the kitchen door window.
No Jack yet.
Had he changed his mind? But she knew he’d have called if he had.
Music echoed out of Chloe’s room and, when she last looked, Daniel had headphones on, playing a videogame — one with dragons and giants as opposed to fast cars and machine guns.
She had told them after tonight’s dinner of spag bol — always a favourite — that she’d be going out for an hour.
And she’d be back in time to make sure they hit their appointed bedtimes for school … Daniel around ten-thirty …
Chloe …
Well, these days, she pretty much decided when to go to bed. Sarah had had one or two rows about the issue — then realised it was time to pull back
Not just time to pull back — but important she pulled back.
There came a time when the teenagers started making their own rules.
At least in some things.
Then she caught the glare of headlights outside, and a small flash as Jack flicked the main beams of his Sprite.
She opened the door, cold rushing in as if waiting for such a foolhardy move, and ran out to his car.
*
The construction site was only minutes away. Giant, temporary lamps on top of huge poles bathed most of the site in a milky light.
Jack parked the Sprite well away from the lit areas.
He pointed to Sparks’ office.
“Okay. No way we can go there, and get in, without being in the light. Don’t see any CCTV but doesn’t mean there isn’t any. I have worked a few jobs in the city where things happened on a building site. And they tend not to look at the video unless something happens. If we’re in and out, nice and clean, shouldn’t be a problem, even if there are cameras.”
Sarah took a breath.
Even with the Sprite’s underpowered heater doing its best, she still saw a smoky fog billow from her mouth.
It was the coldest winter she could remember in a long time.
“So we just hurry over there, get in …”
Jack nodded, then turned to her. “Ray told me where there’s a break in the fence. I
“How’d you guess? It is a little, well, risky. So thinking I best do it alone …”
“I’m getting good at ‘risky’,” she said.
“That you are. Okay then …”
Another sip, and Jack also looked around to see if anyone still in the café this late in the afternoon might be listening.
And then:
“Where could we go to learn about McCabe, the phony ID, anything anyone knew about him … or didn’t know?”
Sarah looked away, thinking.
And then: “The construction office, their computer.”
Jack smiled. “Like I said, you’re getting good at this …”
And she had to smile back. “And you are suggesting that we break into—”
“ I break in …”
But she shook her head. “ We break into the office and look at the computer, records …”
“You want to do this?”
“Um, Mr. Brennan, do you know your way around a firewalled server, password protected files, encrypted documents?”
He grinned. “Can’t say I do. Okay. You’re in. It’s the one place where we might find something that no one — yet — has told us about McCabe.”
“That’s my thinking.”
“And after the funeral, think everyone will just move on … from this accident .”
The way Jack said it made it sound like the idea of McCabe having an accident was completely implausible.
“Pick you up around nine? Site should be deserted by then.”
“I’ll be ready.”
Jack nodded. Then, looking at her — unexpectedly … “You know, I couldn’t be doing this … any of this, what we’ve been doing in the village … without you.”
She beamed. She always knew Jack appreciated what she brought to their work. But still — hearing it was great.
“We’re a team, Jack. Right? And that’s what teams do.”
“That they do.”
And with a plan in place for the wintry night, they finished their coffee.
*
Sarah looked out of the kitchen door window.
No Jack yet.
Had he changed his mind? But she knew he’d have called if he had.
Music echoed out of Chloe’s room and, when she last looked, Daniel had headphones on, playing a videogame — one with dragons and giants as opposed to fast cars and machine guns.
She had told them after tonight’s dinner of spag bol — always a favourite — that she’d be going out for an hour.
And she’d be back in time to make sure they hit their appointed bedtimes for school … Daniel around ten-thirty …
Chloe …
Well, these days, she pretty much decided when to go to bed. Sarah had had one or two rows about the issue — then realised it was time to pull back
Not just time to pull back — but important she pulled back.
There came a time when the teenagers started making their own rules.
At least in some things.
Then she caught the glare of headlights outside, and a small flash as Jack flicked the main beams of his Sprite.
She opened the door, cold rushing in as if waiting for such a foolhardy move, and ran out to his car.
*
The construction site was only minutes away. Giant, temporary lamps on top of huge poles bathed most of the site in a milky light.
Jack parked the Sprite well away from the lit areas.
He pointed to Sparks’ office.
“Okay. No way we can go there, and get in, without being in the light. Don’t see any CCTV but doesn’t mean there isn’t any. I have worked a few jobs in the city where things happened on a building site. And they tend not to look at the video unless something happens. If we’re in and out, nice and clean, shouldn’t be a problem, even if there are cameras.”
Sarah took a breath.
Even with the Sprite’s underpowered heater doing its best, she still saw a smoky fog billow from her mouth.
It was the coldest winter she could remember in a long time.
“So we just hurry over there, get in …”
Jack nodded, then turned to her. “Ray told me where there’s a break in the fence. I
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