over-compensating in his efforts to be jolly and attentive, when all he wanted to do was get back to Sussex House and be with his team. But no matter how difficult it was for him to get away, she still wanted to see him and often an evening away from the problems of the case was a good chance to clear his head.
Several times in the evening , he seemed distracted, even when they made love back at her flat on the fifth floor. If she was being picky, it was not one of his better performances but it was worth it, as he looked refreshed and alert when he left for work early that morning.
She tried calling him once again but it defaulted to the call answering service and so she tried his office and after a few rings, it diverted to Eileen Hayes, his Management Assistant.
‘Hello Eileen, it’s Rachel Jones. How are you doing?’
‘Rushed off my feet as usual. How are you? I saw your piece in the Argus the other day about that new offshore wind farm at Shoreham. I’m glad you think it’s a waste of money, I think so too. I take it you’re after our Mr H?’
‘I am. Is he there? I tried his mobile a few times but he’s not answering. He hasn’t left it at home again, has he?’
‘ I don’t think so. He’s still in this morning’s status meeting and it’s been going on for ages. That lot are like a bunch of old women when they get going.’
‘I know what you mean. It’s the same at our place. Tell him I phoned and I’ll call back later. Thanks Eileen, bye.’
She knew about the meeting but thought it would be finished by now. It didn’t usually go on all morning unless they were discussing some new development or he was giving them a bollocking for the lack of progress or for some error of judgement. Either way, she hoped she would find him in a good mood tonight as she was taking him to meet her friends, Becky and Sam and their new baby.
She was desperate to open up the engine and see what the little car was made of, but couldn’t do so as she was approaching Ardingly village and several elderly people were ambling about with milk and newspapers in their hands or standing chatting, oblivious to the point where the pavement stopped and the road began. If avoiding knocking down a pensioner wasn’t incentive enough to encourage her to slow down, holding onto her driving license was, as she had already accumulated six points for speeding and she didn’t want any more.
She turned right into College Road and to her relief, the village soon ended and the countryside began. She zipped past Ardingly College and when the speed limit changed to fifty, she overtook the van in front. From a vantage point on a section of high ground, a long straight beckoned but first she needed to get past a slow-moving tractor that was up ahead, hauling animal feed. She edged closer and braked gently as she watched the stacked trailer swaying from side to side, trying to gauge how much room there was for her.
The tractor driver acknowledged her presence and edged into the side of the road, allowing her to pass. The road was narrow with high hedgerows on both sides and the large rear tyres of the tractor looked enormous from the low seat in her car. She drew level and the young driving waved an apology for holding up traffic, but grinned inanely when he noticed her skirt had ridden up several inches above the knee.
She glanced up to give him one of her trademark scowls , reserved for lechers and perverts, when suddenly she spotted a grey shape nosing out of the hedge about twenty or so yards ahead. She stamped on the brakes and blasted her horn but in less than a second, her car slammed straight into it.
TEN
Frustrated at not finding a parking place, DI Henderson left his car on double-yellow lines and placed a homemade ‘police business’ sticker on the windscreen. Before closing the door, he removed a bunch of lilies from the passenger seat, bought from a garage when he stopped for petrol and a quick sandwich, and
Several times in the evening , he seemed distracted, even when they made love back at her flat on the fifth floor. If she was being picky, it was not one of his better performances but it was worth it, as he looked refreshed and alert when he left for work early that morning.
She tried calling him once again but it defaulted to the call answering service and so she tried his office and after a few rings, it diverted to Eileen Hayes, his Management Assistant.
‘Hello Eileen, it’s Rachel Jones. How are you doing?’
‘Rushed off my feet as usual. How are you? I saw your piece in the Argus the other day about that new offshore wind farm at Shoreham. I’m glad you think it’s a waste of money, I think so too. I take it you’re after our Mr H?’
‘I am. Is he there? I tried his mobile a few times but he’s not answering. He hasn’t left it at home again, has he?’
‘ I don’t think so. He’s still in this morning’s status meeting and it’s been going on for ages. That lot are like a bunch of old women when they get going.’
‘I know what you mean. It’s the same at our place. Tell him I phoned and I’ll call back later. Thanks Eileen, bye.’
She knew about the meeting but thought it would be finished by now. It didn’t usually go on all morning unless they were discussing some new development or he was giving them a bollocking for the lack of progress or for some error of judgement. Either way, she hoped she would find him in a good mood tonight as she was taking him to meet her friends, Becky and Sam and their new baby.
She was desperate to open up the engine and see what the little car was made of, but couldn’t do so as she was approaching Ardingly village and several elderly people were ambling about with milk and newspapers in their hands or standing chatting, oblivious to the point where the pavement stopped and the road began. If avoiding knocking down a pensioner wasn’t incentive enough to encourage her to slow down, holding onto her driving license was, as she had already accumulated six points for speeding and she didn’t want any more.
She turned right into College Road and to her relief, the village soon ended and the countryside began. She zipped past Ardingly College and when the speed limit changed to fifty, she overtook the van in front. From a vantage point on a section of high ground, a long straight beckoned but first she needed to get past a slow-moving tractor that was up ahead, hauling animal feed. She edged closer and braked gently as she watched the stacked trailer swaying from side to side, trying to gauge how much room there was for her.
The tractor driver acknowledged her presence and edged into the side of the road, allowing her to pass. The road was narrow with high hedgerows on both sides and the large rear tyres of the tractor looked enormous from the low seat in her car. She drew level and the young driving waved an apology for holding up traffic, but grinned inanely when he noticed her skirt had ridden up several inches above the knee.
She glanced up to give him one of her trademark scowls , reserved for lechers and perverts, when suddenly she spotted a grey shape nosing out of the hedge about twenty or so yards ahead. She stamped on the brakes and blasted her horn but in less than a second, her car slammed straight into it.
TEN
Frustrated at not finding a parking place, DI Henderson left his car on double-yellow lines and placed a homemade ‘police business’ sticker on the windscreen. Before closing the door, he removed a bunch of lilies from the passenger seat, bought from a garage when he stopped for petrol and a quick sandwich, and
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