you.”
The smile slipped from Holly’s lips and confusion clouded her eyes. “Why on earth are the police looking for me?”
“Did you come back here last night?” Carter said. “After you left Annie’s?”
“No. I went straight round to Sarah’s. Sarah Bennett, a friend of mine. Henry was in a combative mood last night and I didn’t fancy spending the night with him. And all that talk of death was starting to freak me out, so after I left I went round to Sarah’s and we sunk a couple of bottles of Soave and crashed out about four, drunk as skunks. Why the questions?”
“Can we go inside?” Annie asked.
“Sure,” Holly said. She hopped aboard the narrow boat and unlocked the door, disappearing inside. Annie and Carter followed.
Inside Holly was at the sink filling the kettle. “I need a cup of tea. I’m parched. Actually, dehydrated would describe it better. And my head… You two?”
“Tea would be good,” Carter said.
“Coffee for me please,” Annie said.
Holly flicked the switch on the kettle, then went across to one of the bunks and sat, tucking her legs underneath her. “Now will you tell me why the police are looking for me?”
Annie sat down next to her and took her hand. “It’s Henry. He was attacked last night on his way home from mine.”
Holly looked at her incredulously. “Henry? Attacked? That’s ridiculous. Who on earth would attack Henry?”
“That’s what the police are trying to find out,” Carter said. “It’s why they want to talk to you.”
“They think I attacked him?”
“No, I didn’t say that. I think they just want to check everyone’s whereabouts.”
Holly looked about her, as if noticing for the first time that Henry wasn’t there.
“Ridiculous,” she said again. “Where’s Henry now?”
“Calderdale Royal Infirmary,” Annie said. “It was quite a vicious attack.”
“But he’s going to be okay, right?”
“It’s too early to tell.”
Holly snatched her hand away. “What are you telling me here? No! No, I don’t believe you.” She pushed off the bunk and went across to the kettle, pulling mugs from a cupboard.
Carter stepped forwards. “I’ll do that. You sit down. You’ve had quite a shock.”
Holly looked at him as if trying to digest what he was saying. She stared down at the mugs. “Yes,” she said at last. “You do it.” And then she started to cry. Annie came across and put her arm around Holly’s shoulders and led her back to the bunk.
Carter finished making the drinks and handed a mug of tea to Holly and passed a coffee to Annie.
“How has Henry seemed recently?” Carter said.
“Sorry?” Holly said.
“His mood. Has he been distracted? Did he seem like something was bothering him?”
Holly managed a smile. “No more than usual. He’s mostly always distracted by his work. And always a little paranoid too. Last weekend he was convinced someone was following him.” She suddenly realized what she was saying. “Oh my God. Perhaps he wasn’t being paranoid. Perhaps he was being followed.” She jumped up from the bunk suddenly and pulled open a cupboard under the worktop. “I laughed when he brought this home last week, but he said he needed it to protect his work.” In the cupboard was a small, but very robust-looking safe. “It was a bugger to get it in here…almost gave himself a hernia, but he seemed much happier when he’d locked everything away.” She sat back down.
“You said he was combative last night. What prompted that?” Carter said.
“Me probably. I’m sorry, Annie, but I really didn’t want to come last night. Henry told me you had Robert coming to stay, and he thought it would be invaluable to have his input. Said it would help his research immensely. I knew we would be revisiting those horrendous deaths again and, quite frankly, I was sick of hearing about them. It’s all Henry’s been banging on about for months.”
“So what was the subject of his research?”
“Oh,
The smile slipped from Holly’s lips and confusion clouded her eyes. “Why on earth are the police looking for me?”
“Did you come back here last night?” Carter said. “After you left Annie’s?”
“No. I went straight round to Sarah’s. Sarah Bennett, a friend of mine. Henry was in a combative mood last night and I didn’t fancy spending the night with him. And all that talk of death was starting to freak me out, so after I left I went round to Sarah’s and we sunk a couple of bottles of Soave and crashed out about four, drunk as skunks. Why the questions?”
“Can we go inside?” Annie asked.
“Sure,” Holly said. She hopped aboard the narrow boat and unlocked the door, disappearing inside. Annie and Carter followed.
Inside Holly was at the sink filling the kettle. “I need a cup of tea. I’m parched. Actually, dehydrated would describe it better. And my head… You two?”
“Tea would be good,” Carter said.
“Coffee for me please,” Annie said.
Holly flicked the switch on the kettle, then went across to one of the bunks and sat, tucking her legs underneath her. “Now will you tell me why the police are looking for me?”
Annie sat down next to her and took her hand. “It’s Henry. He was attacked last night on his way home from mine.”
Holly looked at her incredulously. “Henry? Attacked? That’s ridiculous. Who on earth would attack Henry?”
“That’s what the police are trying to find out,” Carter said. “It’s why they want to talk to you.”
“They think I attacked him?”
“No, I didn’t say that. I think they just want to check everyone’s whereabouts.”
Holly looked about her, as if noticing for the first time that Henry wasn’t there.
“Ridiculous,” she said again. “Where’s Henry now?”
“Calderdale Royal Infirmary,” Annie said. “It was quite a vicious attack.”
“But he’s going to be okay, right?”
“It’s too early to tell.”
Holly snatched her hand away. “What are you telling me here? No! No, I don’t believe you.” She pushed off the bunk and went across to the kettle, pulling mugs from a cupboard.
Carter stepped forwards. “I’ll do that. You sit down. You’ve had quite a shock.”
Holly looked at him as if trying to digest what he was saying. She stared down at the mugs. “Yes,” she said at last. “You do it.” And then she started to cry. Annie came across and put her arm around Holly’s shoulders and led her back to the bunk.
Carter finished making the drinks and handed a mug of tea to Holly and passed a coffee to Annie.
“How has Henry seemed recently?” Carter said.
“Sorry?” Holly said.
“His mood. Has he been distracted? Did he seem like something was bothering him?”
Holly managed a smile. “No more than usual. He’s mostly always distracted by his work. And always a little paranoid too. Last weekend he was convinced someone was following him.” She suddenly realized what she was saying. “Oh my God. Perhaps he wasn’t being paranoid. Perhaps he was being followed.” She jumped up from the bunk suddenly and pulled open a cupboard under the worktop. “I laughed when he brought this home last week, but he said he needed it to protect his work.” In the cupboard was a small, but very robust-looking safe. “It was a bugger to get it in here…almost gave himself a hernia, but he seemed much happier when he’d locked everything away.” She sat back down.
“You said he was combative last night. What prompted that?” Carter said.
“Me probably. I’m sorry, Annie, but I really didn’t want to come last night. Henry told me you had Robert coming to stay, and he thought it would be invaluable to have his input. Said it would help his research immensely. I knew we would be revisiting those horrendous deaths again and, quite frankly, I was sick of hearing about them. It’s all Henry’s been banging on about for months.”
“So what was the subject of his research?”
“Oh,
Similar Books
