Read Online Murder My Neighbour by Veronica Heley - Free Book Online

succeeding.
    The DC looked over her notes, frowning. ‘He certainly doesn’t sound like the usual run of con men, but I suppose . . . ?’
    â€˜He convinced me that his great-aunt did live at that big house and that he’d bought some Liquorice Allsorts for her.’
    â€˜Liquorice Allsorts?’ The DC smiled. ‘Yes, you’d think he’d talk about a box of Cadbury’s Milk chocolates if he were a con man.’
    â€˜Or Thornton’s, something expensive for an elderly relative you were hoping to tap for a loan. He rang true when he said he was desperate for money. I don’t know whether I believed him or not about the sister and her partner and all the rest. He might even have been telling the truth about working in the bedding department of a big store.’
    â€˜We can’t ring round every department store asking if they know him when we don’t even know his name. He was probably lying, anyway.’
    â€˜But his appearance . . . ?’
    The DC sighed. ‘Perhaps it was his first venture into this sort of crime? I sympathize, I really do, but we haven’t the manpower to follow up every lead in this sort of case. The best we can do is to put his details and a note of what you’ve lost into circulation and see if anything turns up. If he tries again, we’ll be sure to hear about it. I’ll give you a police report number, which you’ll need for the insurance people. I assume you are insured?’
    Ellie let her visitor out. Ears had taken the car, of course, and the girl would have to walk back to the station. Not that it was all that far.
    Thomas materialized from his office. ‘Satisfactory?’
    â€˜The police think it was just another con artist.’ Ellie wanted to hit something. Hard.
    â€˜Annoying. Are they going to follow up on the lost lady?’
    â€˜Did I even mention it? Yes, I did. In passing. But I’m not even a member of her family. In fact, I don’t think I’d know her if I saw her in the street.’ She shook her head. ‘Honestly, I can see their point of view. I was very silly to let the boy into the house in the first place, and it’s my own fault that he stole from us.’
    â€˜No, it isn’t. What about Hoopers, the estate agency? Did they give you an address where Ms Pryce can be found?’
    The doorbell rang. ‘I’ll take it,’ he said. ‘I’m expecting someone.’ He didn’t look happy about it, but went off to answer the door.
    Ellie stormed off down the corridor to her office and banged the door behind her. There were times when . . . men could be so irritating . . . hadn’t she got her hands full at the moment, what with Rose . . . and Mia must be encouraged to leave them, but it was going to be difficult to manage without her . . . and as for Diana . . . Don’t think about Diana. That was one problem too far.
    She must talk to Thomas about it soon.
    Ellie sat down at her desk, pushing away the pile of paperwork which her part-time secretary had left for her to deal with. Well, if Thomas was too busy to help, and the police thought her an idiot, she would have to set about finding the thief herself. It shouldn’t be too difficult.
    First, she rang Stewart on his mobile phone. ‘Stewart, it’s Ellie here . . . No, no problem with Frank. As I told you, he went off to school quite happy, said it was football this afternoon after school and he’s looking forward to that. How the young can keep chasing a ball around a field in this heat, I don’t know. Have you spoken to your solicitor yet about Diana?’
    A sigh. ‘I have. He needs all the paperwork from the time of the divorce. My darling wife took the news bravely. She reminded me that I’d put the deeds of this house in her name, which is true and means Diana can’t force us to sell.