Read Online Shrine to Murder by Roger Silverwood - Free Book Online Page B

stolen from his stall, sir,’ Crisp said.
    ‘ Must be followed up,’ Angel said. ‘I’ll leave that with you, Trevor, but our priority at this juncture has to be to find the link between Luke Redman and Ingrid Underwood. That would hopefully lead to avoiding any of the four other deaths the murderer has threatened.’
    ‘ If it was a sheet, sir,’ the voice at the back said, ‘the murderer would need to destroy the bloodstained sheet, wouldn’t he? The thorough murderer would burn or bury it. There’s no other absolute way.’
    ‘ That’s right,’ Angel said.
    ‘ I was thinking that recently turned-over earth or a fire somewhere -’
    ‘ That’s right, and if anybody comes across such indications in the course of their inquiries, they should follow it up. But, I bring you all back to it, nothing is more important than finding that link. Anything else?’
    ‘ A laurel leaf wreath is, of course, made of laurel leaves, sir,’ Carter said. ‘And a laurel wreath is what they used to hang round racing drivers who have won the Grand Prix, and statues of famous men on their anniversaries and so on. Is there a link between some famous race or event and the two victims?’
    Angel nodded. ‘I don’t know, lass. Can’t think of anything off hand. That’s what we have to find out.’ He looked up and across the eager faces. ‘Anything else?’
    Nobody seemed to have anything more to say.
    ‘ Right,’ Angel said. ‘Thank you all very much. Please carry on. Will DS Carter and DS Crisp and DC Scrivens see me in my office straightaway?’

 
    Chapter Six
     
    ‘Come in, all of you,’ Angel said. ‘Shut the door. I see you’ve met DS Carter.’
    Scrivens said, ‘Yes, sir.’
    Crisp grinned. ‘Yes, sir.’
    Carter smiled across at Crisp.
    Angel noticed the glance and thought they must like each other. He didn’t like it. He hoped it wouldn’t develop into some sort of romance.
    He looked at her and said, ‘You have to report on Cyril Krill.’
    Carter ’s eyes flashed. ‘I haven’t had the opportunity before, sir.’
    ‘ I know you haven’t,’ Angel said. ‘You’ve got it now. Tell me about him.’
    ‘ It’s all a bit odd, sir,’ she said. ‘Everybody says Cyril Krill is in a financial mess. He was doing very well until about six months ago. Last year’s bank and house price collapse seems to have left him in financial straits. As far as I can find out, he has no building projects in hand. All his builders and plasterers and joiners were employed on a contract basis and they have been dismissed. But the Krills still live in a big house in Sheffield, and both he and his wife have big cars. And they went to that trade fair in London together.’
    Angel turned to Crisp. ‘I thought his wife went somewhere to see their daughter.’
    ‘ She wasn’t at her school in Gloucestershire, as she said,’ Crisp said. ‘She could have done, sir.’
    ‘ Why would she lie about that?’ Angel said looking round. Nobody offered an explanation.
    ‘ The headmistress said that she was expected,’ Crisp said, ‘but at the last minute phoned and said she wasn’t feeling well. The daughter was apparently very disappointed.’
    ‘ If she was not well enough to see her daughter, how come she was well enough to go to London with her husband?’ Angel said. He looked at Crisp. ‘I really need to know where the Krills were at the time of her father’s murder and at the time of Ingrid Underwood’s murder.’
    ‘ Right, sir,’ Crisp said, and made for the door.
    ‘ Wait a couple of minutes for me. I’ll come with you. It’s the only lead we’ve got.’
    ‘ Right, sir,’ Crisp said. ‘My car’s out at the front,’ he added and went out.
    Angel turned to Scrivens. ‘You were looking into the possibility that Luke Redman might have made an enemy at his work.’
    ‘ Yes, sir,’ Scrivens said. ‘Mr Redman only ever worked at the Northern Bank. I called on the few contemporaries still living, and made