Read Online Dark as Night by Katherine Pathak - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Katherine Pathak
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officers again. Mrs Henderson offered to make them all tea and Alice Mann agreed, thinking the girl might need it after they delivered the bad news.
They sat in a large conservatory, which was semi-circular in shape and provided an impressive view out towards Crookston Castle. Mhairi had dyed her hair jet-black and her make-up was deliberately applied in order to accentuate dark, almond shaped eyes. She wore a piercing through her nose and was a least a couple of stone overweight. Her mother returned with the drinks and a plate piled high with cakes and biscuits. The fiercely independent Alice felt that Mhairi might do well to move out of home and into her own place, where she could regulate her lifestyle better.
Dan shifted forward in his seat. ‘I’m afraid we have distressing news, Mhairi. Nathan McLaren is dead. His body was found yesterday.’
The girl put a chubby hand up to her crimson mouth. Tears began to streak down her face. ‘What happened to him? Was there an accident?’
‘No,’ Dan continued gently. ‘We believe he was murdered.’
Mhairi’s eyes widened. ‘Who would want to murder Nathan?’
‘Miss Henderson, you told us before that Nathan was having some problems with his wife. Did he give any indication of what might have caused these difficulties?’
She looked uncomfortable. ‘I only knew about it because of working right next to him. Their phone conversations were really tense. One day, Nathan actually made a joke out of it. I suppose he needed to let off steam. After that, he would tell me the odd detail about what went on at home. I think he liked to have someone to confide in.’
‘Did you ever meet Jenny McLaren?’
‘Yes, a few times at work dos. She looked at me as if I was something that had just crawled out from under a stone.’ Mhairi said this without self-pity. ‘You know, the way that really thin and fit people do when faced with someone like me. My existence seems to actually disgust them.’
‘So you didn’t like Mrs McLaren very much?’
‘Have you met her? She’s horrible.’ Mhairi lifted her mug and took a tentative sip. ‘I don’t know why Nathan stayed with her. For the boys I suppose. They are both really nice.’ She sighed. ‘Poor things, they’ll be stuck with her now.’
‘Was there anything else that Nathan confided in you about? Did he have feelings for anyone other than his wife, for example?’ Dan opened his hands out with their palms facing upwards, trying to project an image of being as open and friendly as possible.
Mhairi’s eyes began to search around the room for something other than the detectives to settle on. ‘I dunno, not really.’
‘This is important,’ Alice chipped in. ‘Nathan is dead now and we need to find his killer, to stop anyone else suffering the same fate. He wouldn’t want this person to get away with it. I’m sure Nathan would rather his secrets got out than a murderer went free.’
Mhairi’s eyes shot back to the DC. This point appeared to have hit home. ‘Nathan never actually told me, but I knew. I had loads of gay friends at college.’ She laughed bitterly. ‘Gay men like me much better than straight ones. I think Nathan quite fancied one of the guys in our office. He’s a real hottie. We used to smirk at one another when he came near our desk and bent down to get stuff out of a drawer. I know it sounds bad, but it was like a release for Nathan – to be able to laugh about his feelings with someone else and not be condemned for it. I would never have told his wife. I’m not happy about telling you
They sat in a large conservatory, which was semi-circular in shape and provided an impressive view out towards Crookston Castle. Mhairi had dyed her hair jet-black and her make-up was deliberately applied in order to accentuate dark, almond shaped eyes. She wore a piercing through her nose and was a least a couple of stone overweight. Her mother returned with the drinks and a plate piled high with cakes and biscuits. The fiercely independent Alice felt that Mhairi might do well to move out of home and into her own place, where she could regulate her lifestyle better.
Dan shifted forward in his seat. ‘I’m afraid we have distressing news, Mhairi. Nathan McLaren is dead. His body was found yesterday.’
The girl put a chubby hand up to her crimson mouth. Tears began to streak down her face. ‘What happened to him? Was there an accident?’
‘No,’ Dan continued gently. ‘We believe he was murdered.’
Mhairi’s eyes widened. ‘Who would want to murder Nathan?’
‘Miss Henderson, you told us before that Nathan was having some problems with his wife. Did he give any indication of what might have caused these difficulties?’
She looked uncomfortable. ‘I only knew about it because of working right next to him. Their phone conversations were really tense. One day, Nathan actually made a joke out of it. I suppose he needed to let off steam. After that, he would tell me the odd detail about what went on at home. I think he liked to have someone to confide in.’
‘Did you ever meet Jenny McLaren?’
‘Yes, a few times at work dos. She looked at me as if I was something that had just crawled out from under a stone.’ Mhairi said this without self-pity. ‘You know, the way that really thin and fit people do when faced with someone like me. My existence seems to actually disgust them.’
‘So you didn’t like Mrs McLaren very much?’
‘Have you met her? She’s horrible.’ Mhairi lifted her mug and took a tentative sip. ‘I don’t know why Nathan stayed with her. For the boys I suppose. They are both really nice.’ She sighed. ‘Poor things, they’ll be stuck with her now.’
‘Was there anything else that Nathan confided in you about? Did he have feelings for anyone other than his wife, for example?’ Dan opened his hands out with their palms facing upwards, trying to project an image of being as open and friendly as possible.
Mhairi’s eyes began to search around the room for something other than the detectives to settle on. ‘I dunno, not really.’
‘This is important,’ Alice chipped in. ‘Nathan is dead now and we need to find his killer, to stop anyone else suffering the same fate. He wouldn’t want this person to get away with it. I’m sure Nathan would rather his secrets got out than a murderer went free.’
Mhairi’s eyes shot back to the DC. This point appeared to have hit home. ‘Nathan never actually told me, but I knew. I had loads of gay friends at college.’ She laughed bitterly. ‘Gay men like me much better than straight ones. I think Nathan quite fancied one of the guys in our office. He’s a real hottie. We used to smirk at one another when he came near our desk and bent down to get stuff out of a drawer. I know it sounds bad, but it was like a release for Nathan – to be able to laugh about his feelings with someone else and not be condemned for it. I would never have told his wife. I’m not happy about telling you
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