Read Online Dead Unlucky by Andrew Derham - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Andrew Derham
Ads: Link
anticlimax.
‘There’s nothing to tell, really. I was just saying that I didn’t know Sebastian very well, so I couldn’t help much. He seemed okay, but a bit big for his boots sometimes, although I know I shouldn’t speak badly about him now that he’s dead.’
And I’m starving to death just so I can hear the disc I’ve been listening to all morning sing out from yet another jukebox , thought Hart, feeling sorry for himself.
‘That’s not quite all, is it Dear?’ prodded mother. She was a bit more savvy because of her age and sensed that her daughter possessed a titbit that the policemen wanted passed their way, although she had no idea what it was. Petra knew no more than anybody else, and probably much less than most. But the boss had been summoned so it must be important, and her mother was rather enjoying the attention. ‘You had told the other policeman something else, Dear.’
‘Well, I just said that Sebastian being killed is all so very sad.’ The girl’s brown eyes moistened as they looked across the desk. ‘Especially after what happened at the beginning of term. That just broke my heart.’
‘Gosh, of course.’ Hart slapped his forehead. ‘I wasn’t thinking about that. There’s no doubt about it, it’s all very sad indeed,’ he acknowledged, closing his eyes and slowly shaking his head. ‘And it must be particularly upsetting for you, having to endure two awful traumas like this in such a short time.’
‘It’s unbelievable, coming so soon after what happened to Nicola.’
‘Yes, it certainly is,’ said Hart. ‘I’ve heard what other people think, of course, they’ve hardly stopped talking about it this morning, but what’s your own opinion about the beginning of term? I agree with you that what happened to Nicola was absolutely dreadful, that’s obvious. But I’d still be interested in your own account of what took place.’
The man’s a master , conceded Redpath. I’m in the presence of a true genius. Never let them know when they’ve surprised you, Hart had always taught him; that would give them the feeling they have a hold over you, that they possess some greater power. Of course, Redpath had dashed next door to Hart like an excited schoolboy immediately the nugget had been tossed in his direction.
‘I only know what everybody else knows, nothing more. A few months ago, Nikki was found hanging in her room. She killed herself.’ Petra’s eyes suddenly overflowed with tears; it was amazing how so much water could just arrive from nowhere. ‘That’s it, really. That’s all I know.’
Hart yanked a handful of tissues out of one of the boxes he had arranged to be in the interview rooms. ‘Thank you, Petra, you’ve been a great help. I’m sorry to have brought all that back to you again,’ he said, as he passed them to the sobbing girl.
*****
‘Where’s that wretched woman?’ Hart spat through gritted teeth after Petra and her mother had left. ‘Boiling her alive would be too good for her.’ And with that curse resonating in Redpath’s ears, he stormed into the corridor.
Bouncing down the stairs and out of the building, striding across the playground, stomping into the Old House and throwing open Mrs Hargreaves’ door so that the handle clanked against the wall and the wood and the glass rattled.
‘Why didn’t you tell me? How could you not tell me something like that?’
‘Tell you something like what, Chief Inspector?’ she replied, tipping petrol onto his burning anger.
It hurt him to have to spell it out, but the person sitting before him was not going to budge from her position of contrived ignorance.
‘You had a student commit suicide here a few months back. Don’t you think you should have bothered to mention that fact?’
‘Yes, that was very sad of course, but I do not see why I needed to tell you something that is already known to the police,’ began Mrs Hargreaves. ‘Indeed, it has been investigated by them, and the
‘There’s nothing to tell, really. I was just saying that I didn’t know Sebastian very well, so I couldn’t help much. He seemed okay, but a bit big for his boots sometimes, although I know I shouldn’t speak badly about him now that he’s dead.’
And I’m starving to death just so I can hear the disc I’ve been listening to all morning sing out from yet another jukebox , thought Hart, feeling sorry for himself.
‘That’s not quite all, is it Dear?’ prodded mother. She was a bit more savvy because of her age and sensed that her daughter possessed a titbit that the policemen wanted passed their way, although she had no idea what it was. Petra knew no more than anybody else, and probably much less than most. But the boss had been summoned so it must be important, and her mother was rather enjoying the attention. ‘You had told the other policeman something else, Dear.’
‘Well, I just said that Sebastian being killed is all so very sad.’ The girl’s brown eyes moistened as they looked across the desk. ‘Especially after what happened at the beginning of term. That just broke my heart.’
‘Gosh, of course.’ Hart slapped his forehead. ‘I wasn’t thinking about that. There’s no doubt about it, it’s all very sad indeed,’ he acknowledged, closing his eyes and slowly shaking his head. ‘And it must be particularly upsetting for you, having to endure two awful traumas like this in such a short time.’
‘It’s unbelievable, coming so soon after what happened to Nicola.’
‘Yes, it certainly is,’ said Hart. ‘I’ve heard what other people think, of course, they’ve hardly stopped talking about it this morning, but what’s your own opinion about the beginning of term? I agree with you that what happened to Nicola was absolutely dreadful, that’s obvious. But I’d still be interested in your own account of what took place.’
The man’s a master , conceded Redpath. I’m in the presence of a true genius. Never let them know when they’ve surprised you, Hart had always taught him; that would give them the feeling they have a hold over you, that they possess some greater power. Of course, Redpath had dashed next door to Hart like an excited schoolboy immediately the nugget had been tossed in his direction.
‘I only know what everybody else knows, nothing more. A few months ago, Nikki was found hanging in her room. She killed herself.’ Petra’s eyes suddenly overflowed with tears; it was amazing how so much water could just arrive from nowhere. ‘That’s it, really. That’s all I know.’
Hart yanked a handful of tissues out of one of the boxes he had arranged to be in the interview rooms. ‘Thank you, Petra, you’ve been a great help. I’m sorry to have brought all that back to you again,’ he said, as he passed them to the sobbing girl.
*****
‘Where’s that wretched woman?’ Hart spat through gritted teeth after Petra and her mother had left. ‘Boiling her alive would be too good for her.’ And with that curse resonating in Redpath’s ears, he stormed into the corridor.
Bouncing down the stairs and out of the building, striding across the playground, stomping into the Old House and throwing open Mrs Hargreaves’ door so that the handle clanked against the wall and the wood and the glass rattled.
‘Why didn’t you tell me? How could you not tell me something like that?’
‘Tell you something like what, Chief Inspector?’ she replied, tipping petrol onto his burning anger.
It hurt him to have to spell it out, but the person sitting before him was not going to budge from her position of contrived ignorance.
‘You had a student commit suicide here a few months back. Don’t you think you should have bothered to mention that fact?’
‘Yes, that was very sad of course, but I do not see why I needed to tell you something that is already known to the police,’ began Mrs Hargreaves. ‘Indeed, it has been investigated by them, and the
Similar Books
