Read Online Walk a Narrow Mile by Faith Martin - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Faith Martin
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instincts? Or was she in denial and simply unable or unwilling to think the worst? Or was it not Deirdre Tinkerton’s thinking that was at fault here?
Hillary twisted unhappily on her seat.
‘You seem a bit pensive guv,’ Jimmy said suddenly, glancing over at her.
Hillary sighed in acknowledgement. ‘I don’t like the way this case is going Jimmy,’ she admitted at last. ‘This is the second time I’ve felt something is a bit off. Like we’re not seeing the whole picture. Or we’re approaching it from a wrong angle. Or … oh, I don’t know. Perhaps I’m just a bit off my game.’
‘That’s understandable,’ Jimmy said quietly.
Hillary sighed impatiently. ‘It’s not just the stalker. There’s something else … oh forget it. It’s early days yet.’
Jimmy nodded. ‘You’ll get there guv. You always do,’ he said.
And if his voice sounded just a tiny bit unsure, neither of them acknowledged it.
Back at HQ, Geoff Rhumer was waiting for her outside her ex-stationery cupboard. She unlocked the door and waved at the tiny office space. ‘I’d offer you a seat, but you can see how it is.’
The DI grinned. ‘No worries. Just thought I’d keep you updated. We’ve got a trace installed on both your office phone and mobile, so if he calls or texts we might get lucky.’
Hillary nodded, but said nothing. They were both very much aware that her stalker was unlikely to be caught out so easily.
‘I’ve also got my team started on trying to run-down any likely looking lads on staff here.’ He handed Hillary a folder with three full sheets of names. He grimaced. ‘I know. Even with narrowing down the criteria, it’s still a lot of possible suspects. We’ve kept it to men aged between eighteen and forty, and physically fit. But as you can see, that doesn’t eliminate a whole lot. We’re going to concentrate on those who worked MisPer or sex crimes, since the shrink who’s doing the profile on him thinks that’s more likely where chummy would have gravitated .’
‘These are the ones highlighted in yellow?’ Hillary asked.
‘Yeah. Could you take some time and go through them, see if any names stand out? Although the shrink seems to think it more likely that chummy won’t have had any prior contact with you. He said something about the pathology of it being wrong. But still….’
Hillary nodded in understanding. ‘Yeah. I’ll go through them all carefully tonight and let you know if anyone sets off alarm bells.’
Geoff nodded. ‘Anything your end?’
Hillary gave him a brief run down of her activities, and concluded grimly, ‘So, nothing that’s standing out so far.’
‘OK. Well, we’ll let you know if anyone acts twitchy at interview . We’re using a cover story of missing inventory as our reason for sniffing around, but I don’t know how long that’ll hold water.’
Hillary nodded. ‘It won’t fool him for a minute.’
Geoff shrugged. ‘That’s not really the point, is it?’
Hillary smiled wanly. ‘No. I don’t suppose it is.’
Steven Crayle stood and stretched, glancing at his watch as a knock came at the door. It had just gone 6.30 in the evening, and he was more than ready to call it a day.
‘Come in.’
Jimmy Jessop stuck his head around the door. ‘Just wondered if I needed to keep obbo tonight, guv,’ he said quietly.
‘No. I’ll see to it tonight,’ Steven said flatly. ‘I’m going over to her boat for supper and I’ll be staying the night.’
Jimmy was careful to keep his face utterly neutral. ‘OK, guv. See you in the morning.’
Steven sighed as the door closed. Of course, he knew that it was all over the station by now that he and Hillary were an item, but he was not so sure what the consensus was. He had an uncomfortable feeling that most of them probably thought she could do better.
At first, he and Hillary had deliberately cultivated the rumour of their affair in an attempt to try and flush out Hillary’s stalker. But somehow
Hillary twisted unhappily on her seat.
‘You seem a bit pensive guv,’ Jimmy said suddenly, glancing over at her.
Hillary sighed in acknowledgement. ‘I don’t like the way this case is going Jimmy,’ she admitted at last. ‘This is the second time I’ve felt something is a bit off. Like we’re not seeing the whole picture. Or we’re approaching it from a wrong angle. Or … oh, I don’t know. Perhaps I’m just a bit off my game.’
‘That’s understandable,’ Jimmy said quietly.
Hillary sighed impatiently. ‘It’s not just the stalker. There’s something else … oh forget it. It’s early days yet.’
Jimmy nodded. ‘You’ll get there guv. You always do,’ he said.
And if his voice sounded just a tiny bit unsure, neither of them acknowledged it.
Back at HQ, Geoff Rhumer was waiting for her outside her ex-stationery cupboard. She unlocked the door and waved at the tiny office space. ‘I’d offer you a seat, but you can see how it is.’
The DI grinned. ‘No worries. Just thought I’d keep you updated. We’ve got a trace installed on both your office phone and mobile, so if he calls or texts we might get lucky.’
Hillary nodded, but said nothing. They were both very much aware that her stalker was unlikely to be caught out so easily.
‘I’ve also got my team started on trying to run-down any likely looking lads on staff here.’ He handed Hillary a folder with three full sheets of names. He grimaced. ‘I know. Even with narrowing down the criteria, it’s still a lot of possible suspects. We’ve kept it to men aged between eighteen and forty, and physically fit. But as you can see, that doesn’t eliminate a whole lot. We’re going to concentrate on those who worked MisPer or sex crimes, since the shrink who’s doing the profile on him thinks that’s more likely where chummy would have gravitated .’
‘These are the ones highlighted in yellow?’ Hillary asked.
‘Yeah. Could you take some time and go through them, see if any names stand out? Although the shrink seems to think it more likely that chummy won’t have had any prior contact with you. He said something about the pathology of it being wrong. But still….’
Hillary nodded in understanding. ‘Yeah. I’ll go through them all carefully tonight and let you know if anyone sets off alarm bells.’
Geoff nodded. ‘Anything your end?’
Hillary gave him a brief run down of her activities, and concluded grimly, ‘So, nothing that’s standing out so far.’
‘OK. Well, we’ll let you know if anyone acts twitchy at interview . We’re using a cover story of missing inventory as our reason for sniffing around, but I don’t know how long that’ll hold water.’
Hillary nodded. ‘It won’t fool him for a minute.’
Geoff shrugged. ‘That’s not really the point, is it?’
Hillary smiled wanly. ‘No. I don’t suppose it is.’
Steven Crayle stood and stretched, glancing at his watch as a knock came at the door. It had just gone 6.30 in the evening, and he was more than ready to call it a day.
‘Come in.’
Jimmy Jessop stuck his head around the door. ‘Just wondered if I needed to keep obbo tonight, guv,’ he said quietly.
‘No. I’ll see to it tonight,’ Steven said flatly. ‘I’m going over to her boat for supper and I’ll be staying the night.’
Jimmy was careful to keep his face utterly neutral. ‘OK, guv. See you in the morning.’
Steven sighed as the door closed. Of course, he knew that it was all over the station by now that he and Hillary were an item, but he was not so sure what the consensus was. He had an uncomfortable feeling that most of them probably thought she could do better.
At first, he and Hillary had deliberately cultivated the rumour of their affair in an attempt to try and flush out Hillary’s stalker. But somehow
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