Read Online Dying to Meet You by Patricia Scott - Free Book Online
Authors: Patricia Scott
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Jude. Flew back pronto. Soon as I heard the news from the boys. Sorry, bruv.’
Erik’s hand trembled on the slim can as he watered the spray of cerise pink blooms in front of him. ‘You took your bloody time about it. I wondered when you would turn up.’
‘I came as soon as I could.’
Erik studied his brother’s face. ‘Given yourself an alibi, have you? I’d say that right now you feel like dancing on her grave. And I’m warning you, if I find that you’re responsible for my Jude’s death I’ll see to it that you die slowly and painfully.’
Freddie threw his arms up in the air in a wide sweeping gesture. His heavy spicy cologne filling up the warm air around them.
‘I’ve been in my place on the Algarve! What have I fucking got to do to convince you that I had nothing to do with it? I don’t know who killed her!’
Erik wheeled quickly towards him up and whipped out a small pruning knife from the side of his chair that flashed and gleamed in the sunshine. Freddie yelled and instinctively covered his face with his hands as Erik brandished it in the air in front of him.
‘What are you fucking doing with that for Christ’s sake? What’s wrong with you?’ he mumbled. ‘Have you gone bloody mad?’
Erik shouted. ‘Shall I show you, Freddie? Shall I? A knife like this slit up her belly and gutted her like a fish from her navel to her throat - my beautiful, sweet Jude.’
Erik gestured wildly with the knife and nicked his brother with the blade drawing a bead of blood on his freshly barbered cheek.
‘Jesus Christ! What the fucking hell has got into you?’ Freddie said looking down at the smear of blood on the back of his hand. ‘No fucking tart is worth all this.’
‘Clear out! Get out of here you fucking bastard and take your bloody pikers with you, do you hear!’ With tears rolling down his cheeks Erik charged at him in the wheelchair. ‘Get out of here! I don’t want to see you in here ever again. You pollute her memory!’
‘You’re a bloody madman! I wouldn’t have got rid of her. Jude made too much money for the family business for me to want to kill her,’ Freddie shouted back.
‘Fuck off!’
Erik slammed the glass door in his face and scowling, Freddie left. A moment later the door opened again.
‘Good morning, Mr Kaufman. Your brother told me you were in here. That looks like a pretty sharp weapon you’re brandishing in your hand.’
Peterson stood in the doorway, with Farmer close behind her.
Erik looked down at the knife balanced in his hand. His laughter had a harsh ring to it. ‘You picked your time. Brothers can fall out occasionally. This is my plant knife. Not a deadly weapon, Superintendent.’
‘Your brother - where was he when Jude was killed?’
‘According to him sunning himself on the Algarve. He likes the sun.’
‘Don’t we all. Perhaps you will tell us then what you were doing on the night that Jude Van Hoet was killed. You said you were waiting here at home before you set out to find her at the Orchid Club. Is that correct?’
‘Yes - I couldn’t get her on my Blackberry and I was worried. It’s usual for her to give me a call if she’s going to be late. There’s a lot of money kept in the casino safe.’
‘Would you would need a key to get in?’
‘A password. And Jude didn’t answer my call.’
‘You think she could have let the killer in?’
‘Yes I do.’ He shook his head, wiped his eyes quickly with the back of his hand. ‘Possibly it was someone she knew.’
‘It is estimated that she was killed about one a.m. So the casino was still open when she went upstairs to the apartment. It could be someone in your employ whom she let in.’
He nodded. ‘Possible. You will need to question everyone. The knife could have been taken from the kitchens downstairs in the club or from the flat kitchen. I suppose you have checked on that already.’
‘Yes, sir, we have. There are no knives missing from either. The killer it seems
Erik’s hand trembled on the slim can as he watered the spray of cerise pink blooms in front of him. ‘You took your bloody time about it. I wondered when you would turn up.’
‘I came as soon as I could.’
Erik studied his brother’s face. ‘Given yourself an alibi, have you? I’d say that right now you feel like dancing on her grave. And I’m warning you, if I find that you’re responsible for my Jude’s death I’ll see to it that you die slowly and painfully.’
Freddie threw his arms up in the air in a wide sweeping gesture. His heavy spicy cologne filling up the warm air around them.
‘I’ve been in my place on the Algarve! What have I fucking got to do to convince you that I had nothing to do with it? I don’t know who killed her!’
Erik wheeled quickly towards him up and whipped out a small pruning knife from the side of his chair that flashed and gleamed in the sunshine. Freddie yelled and instinctively covered his face with his hands as Erik brandished it in the air in front of him.
‘What are you fucking doing with that for Christ’s sake? What’s wrong with you?’ he mumbled. ‘Have you gone bloody mad?’
Erik shouted. ‘Shall I show you, Freddie? Shall I? A knife like this slit up her belly and gutted her like a fish from her navel to her throat - my beautiful, sweet Jude.’
Erik gestured wildly with the knife and nicked his brother with the blade drawing a bead of blood on his freshly barbered cheek.
‘Jesus Christ! What the fucking hell has got into you?’ Freddie said looking down at the smear of blood on the back of his hand. ‘No fucking tart is worth all this.’
‘Clear out! Get out of here you fucking bastard and take your bloody pikers with you, do you hear!’ With tears rolling down his cheeks Erik charged at him in the wheelchair. ‘Get out of here! I don’t want to see you in here ever again. You pollute her memory!’
‘You’re a bloody madman! I wouldn’t have got rid of her. Jude made too much money for the family business for me to want to kill her,’ Freddie shouted back.
‘Fuck off!’
Erik slammed the glass door in his face and scowling, Freddie left. A moment later the door opened again.
‘Good morning, Mr Kaufman. Your brother told me you were in here. That looks like a pretty sharp weapon you’re brandishing in your hand.’
Peterson stood in the doorway, with Farmer close behind her.
Erik looked down at the knife balanced in his hand. His laughter had a harsh ring to it. ‘You picked your time. Brothers can fall out occasionally. This is my plant knife. Not a deadly weapon, Superintendent.’
‘Your brother - where was he when Jude was killed?’
‘According to him sunning himself on the Algarve. He likes the sun.’
‘Don’t we all. Perhaps you will tell us then what you were doing on the night that Jude Van Hoet was killed. You said you were waiting here at home before you set out to find her at the Orchid Club. Is that correct?’
‘Yes - I couldn’t get her on my Blackberry and I was worried. It’s usual for her to give me a call if she’s going to be late. There’s a lot of money kept in the casino safe.’
‘Would you would need a key to get in?’
‘A password. And Jude didn’t answer my call.’
‘You think she could have let the killer in?’
‘Yes I do.’ He shook his head, wiped his eyes quickly with the back of his hand. ‘Possibly it was someone she knew.’
‘It is estimated that she was killed about one a.m. So the casino was still open when she went upstairs to the apartment. It could be someone in your employ whom she let in.’
He nodded. ‘Possible. You will need to question everyone. The knife could have been taken from the kitchens downstairs in the club or from the flat kitchen. I suppose you have checked on that already.’
‘Yes, sir, we have. There are no knives missing from either. The killer it seems
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