Read Online The Teacher: A shocking and compelling new crime thriller – NOT for the faint-hearted! by Katerina Diamond - Free Book Online

hour or so was next to impossible. He watched as his only hope of survival disappeared into the forest. He was alone, all hope was gone.

Chapter 6
    The Widow
    ‘Come on, then, we’re up.’ Grey slammed a lukewarm cup of coffee on the desk in front of Adrian. She groaned and drank the contents of her own mug with a contorted grimace on her face. ‘Some woman keeps calling about her husband, said he’s gone missing and cleared out all her accounts.’
    ‘And that’s the reason I’m never getting married.’
    ‘Sure it is.’ Grey pulled Adrian’s chair backwards so his feet slid off the desk on to the floor. ‘Come on, I’ll get you some real coffee on the way.’
    ‘OK fine, goddamnit.’ Adrian pulled himself out of his chair, his head still throbbing after the many shots he had downed the night before. ‘You should probably drive.’
    ‘I should definitely drive.’ She snatched the keys from his hand.
    Despite Adrian’s first impression of DS Grey she was surprisingly motivated – scratch that, annoyingly motivated. Any case, regardless of whether it was some illegal fly-tipping or a serious violent assault, was awarded the exact same amount of professionalism and attention. They had worked together for three weeks now, settled into their respective roles within the relationship. Adrian let her boss him around and she let him be the butt of all her jokes, everyone was happy. This was the first female partner Adrian had ever had, he had worked with both DS Mike Daniels and DS Jonathan Fraser in the past, and he had never really been much of a team player. He knew that this time he had to play the game. He was under the microscope and he couldn’t afford to make any more enemies. Besides, Grey was easy to work with, somehow they just fit.
    In the unmarked police car Adrian put his shades on and rested his head against the window, a position he would soon regret. Grey drove as if she were in hot pursuit of a bank robber, pedal to the metal. You could get away with that kind of driving in the city but in this part of the Devonshire countryside you may as well just cut out the middle man and drive straight into a ditch.
    ‘Jesus, don’t they have country lanes in Plymouth?’ Adrian felt something twang in his neck. ‘You are giving me whiplash.’
    ‘Quit being such a baby, Miley, you are fine.’
    ‘What’s your hurry? The only other case we have on at the moment is the lawnmower theft.’
    ‘I want to clock off early today, I’ve got a date.’
    ‘Seriously? I thought you were a … what’s the word for a female with no privates, not a eunuch?’
    ‘Please stop thinking about my junk, Miley.’ She swerved into the driveway and they were confronted with a large art deco house.
    ‘What a dump!’ Adrian muttered.
    ‘How the other half lives.’
    On the luxurious cream velvet sofa the lady sniffed into her tissue, her eyes puffy and red.
    ‘He calls me every day, well, he used to.’
    ‘And he just stopped?’ Adrian asked as Grey wandered around the room, fingers hovering above every surface. It was so clean and shiny, it looked like a show home, every item carefully placed and the only personal effects an alarming array of cat ornaments.
    ‘Yes, he stopped. I haven’t heard from him in well over a week.’
    ‘But you’re separated?’
    ‘That’s right.’
    ‘Do you know anyone who would want to harm your husband?’
    ‘Besides me, you mean?’
    ‘It was a bad break-up?’
    ‘It was and there’s a long list of people who want to hurt Ian, he stole money, a lot of money from a lot of people. The auditors are still neck deep in the mess he left behind.’
    ‘How much money are we talking?’
    ‘Thousands? Millions? Who knows?’
    Grey finally sat down next to Adrian and leaned back into the deep sofa until she was almost horizontal. He half expected her to put her feet on the coffee table, but instead she folded her arms and stared at Deborah Markham.
    ‘You have to appreciate what