Read Online The Nine Bright Shiners by Anthea Fraser - Free Book Online

divorced?’
    â€˜Not yet.’
    â€˜I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry.’
    â€˜I know.’
    The clock on the mantelpiece whirred preparatory to striking. Jan saw it was eleven o’clock. Miles followed her glance.
    â€˜I’d better be going.’
    â€˜It’s so kind of you to have come. I did need to talk.’
    â€˜Feel any better for it?’
    She smiled. ‘A bit.’
    â€˜Good.’ He got to his feet. ‘Let me know if you hear any more about this mysterious corpse. Not that I suppose you will. After such a wildly improbable start, no doubt the whole thing will fizzle out into something run-of-the-mill like gang warfare.’
    â€˜That’s run-of-the-mill?’ Jan asked, with raised eyebrows.
    He smiled. ‘You’ve been away a long time.’
    â€˜I’m beginning to realize how long.’
    â€˜Don’t let it get you down. I’m at the end of the phone if you need me.’
    She watched him walk down the drive. Then she closed the door, double-locking and bolting it as Edward had instructed. For the first time, she was grateful that he and Rowena had gone to such lengths to safeguard their home.
    The early morning was bitingly cold. The sky, only just lightening, was still streaked with red, the colour luridly reflected in the thin layer of ice which coated a pothole. The uniformed men detailed to preserve the scene stamped their feet and blew inside their gloves and the police dogs in the back of the van clouded the glass with their warm breath.
    Webb stood watching the Scenes of Crime team, already re-engaged on work which darkness had interrupted the previous night.
    â€˜From the position of the body, I’d say he was simply tipped out of a car,’ commented Inspector Hodges. ‘Not much attempt at concealment. If it hadn’t been for the tree, he’d have been spotted straight away.’
    â€˜Which the murderer might have intended for some reason, or simply not given a damn about.’ Webb turned to look at the road. They were two miles short of the village of Chedbury, whose woods had yielded another murder victim some years previously. This part of the road lay between open fields, and the back of the lay-by could only be seen from directly opposite. Late at night, there wouldn’t be much passing traffic. Now, however, a few early commuters were already driving in the direction of Shillingham, slowing down as they passed to stare curiously at the police activity.
    â€˜When did the gales start, anyone remember?’
    â€˜Night of the eighteenth,’ volunteered Jackson. ‘I know, because the twins were teething and Millie had to get up to them. The wind was howling round the house, and I thought, “This time next week, Christmas’ll be all over.”’
    â€˜And it was the eighteenth that this London journalist was due. Looks as though he could be our man.’
    â€˜But it couldn’t have been him that took the wallets, back in November.’
    â€˜Unless he came over regularly. I hope to God this girl knows who he was coming to see.’ Webb turned to the dog-handlers. ‘OK, give them the scent and let them go. What we’re looking for is anything which might be buried nearby – clothes, even – please God – a diary or notebook.’
    â€˜Right, Guv.’ The van door was opened and the two dogs jumped down. As they moved away, the animals straining eagerly at the leash, a uniformed constable approached.
    â€˜Excuse me, Guv, there’s still some coffee in the Thermos, if you’d like some.’
    â€˜That would be very welcome, thank you. PC Linton, isn’t it?’
    â€˜That’s right, sir. We were on a case together a few years back.’
    â€˜Yes, I was just thinking of it. Comes of Chedbury being the nearest bit of open countryside hereabouts.’ They moved over to one of the Panda cars and stood with their hands cupped