throughout my childhood. She got me through my difficult years as a teenager. She made me work at my studies. She encouraged me never to give up. I went to Oxford and studied for a law degree. And here I am, a detective chief inspector. I have a husband who I love dearly and two daughters, Hannah and Jade. And now I have found my grandparents. I am filled with so much mixed-up emotion that I can’t speak properly.’
‘Oh my goodness,’ Florence said. ‘Our granddaughter. For forty-three years I’ve been eaten away by bitterness. I’ve hidden it from everybody, even James. And now it’s gone — you’ve lifted it. It’s almost too much for my old body and mind to take.’ She looked at Sophie shyly. ‘Can I meet them soon? Hannah and Jade?’
‘Of course, Gran. I’m not one to hang about, you know.’
Sophie’s mobile phone started ringing. She glanced at the caller display.
‘Sorry, everyone, I have to take this.’ She walked out to the hallway, and tried to compose herself. ‘Hello, Barry. I didn’t expect to hear from you again so soon.’
* * *
The call had come into the Swanage police station at nine twenty-seven precisely. The receptionist who took the call was very clear on this point. She had just made herself a coffee to wash down her painkillers. Her younger sister’s hen party had been rather too raucous for a Monday evening. She’d drunk too much, had mixed her drinks and was now suffering the consequences. She had glanced at the clock as she swallowed the first tablet and realised she had another eight hours to get through. The ringing of the telephone jarred. She listened to the caller with increasing disbelief.
‘And where exactly are you, sir?’ She waited. ‘I’m sorry. It sounded as if you said you are calling from the top of Ballard Down. Oh, you did say that. But how can you possibly see the top surface of the Agglestone?’
She listened again. ‘Are you sure it’s a body, and not just a bit of tarpaulin or an old coat that’s caught and flapping in the wind?’
She waited for the response. ‘Okay. I’ll pass it on and get someone to check it out. Can you stay where you are until someone reaches you?’
She listened again. ‘Sorry, sir. I forgot that the weather can get a bit blowy up there. Give me your details, please, and your home address, and we’ll be in touch as soon as we can.’
She replaced the phone.
‘Oh, God,’ she groaned to nobody in particular. ‘Why couldn’t it have been a normal, quiet day?’
* * *
Half an hour later, DS Barry Marsh took the call from the officers in the squad car. He drove out to Studland village with his young assistant, DC Jimmy Melsom.
Melsom looked puzzled. ‘Sorry, sir. I didn’t catch all the details. What’s going on?’
‘Apparently there’s a man’s body lying on the top of the Agglestone. And it doesn’t look as though the death was natural. Someone out walking on the top of Ballard Down spotted it through his binoculars and phoned in. A squad car unit went out to investigate. We need to go and assess whether it is suspicious and whether forensics are needed.’
‘Sounds weird to me. Why would anyone put a body up there? Surely, if you’d killed someone, you’d dump the body in a pond, or down a pit? There are enough of those around here. Why drag it to the top of a huge rock? Are you sure someone isn’t just taking the mickey?’
‘Ours is not to reason why, Jimmy. Let’s just do what we’re told, eh?’
Chapter 2: The Agglestone
Tuesday, Week 1
The Agglestone lies about a mile inland from the small, coastal village of Studland. It is a huge anvil-shaped lump of sandstone perched on a mound rising from the grim sparseness of Black Heath. In winter its brooding presence dominates the heath.
Marsh left the car in a narrow lane. A crime scene tape was already stretched across the footpath leading to the rock, with a squad car parked close by. A uniformed officer came across to greet
‘Oh my goodness,’ Florence said. ‘Our granddaughter. For forty-three years I’ve been eaten away by bitterness. I’ve hidden it from everybody, even James. And now it’s gone — you’ve lifted it. It’s almost too much for my old body and mind to take.’ She looked at Sophie shyly. ‘Can I meet them soon? Hannah and Jade?’
‘Of course, Gran. I’m not one to hang about, you know.’
Sophie’s mobile phone started ringing. She glanced at the caller display.
‘Sorry, everyone, I have to take this.’ She walked out to the hallway, and tried to compose herself. ‘Hello, Barry. I didn’t expect to hear from you again so soon.’
* * *
The call had come into the Swanage police station at nine twenty-seven precisely. The receptionist who took the call was very clear on this point. She had just made herself a coffee to wash down her painkillers. Her younger sister’s hen party had been rather too raucous for a Monday evening. She’d drunk too much, had mixed her drinks and was now suffering the consequences. She had glanced at the clock as she swallowed the first tablet and realised she had another eight hours to get through. The ringing of the telephone jarred. She listened to the caller with increasing disbelief.
‘And where exactly are you, sir?’ She waited. ‘I’m sorry. It sounded as if you said you are calling from the top of Ballard Down. Oh, you did say that. But how can you possibly see the top surface of the Agglestone?’
She listened again. ‘Are you sure it’s a body, and not just a bit of tarpaulin or an old coat that’s caught and flapping in the wind?’
She waited for the response. ‘Okay. I’ll pass it on and get someone to check it out. Can you stay where you are until someone reaches you?’
She listened again. ‘Sorry, sir. I forgot that the weather can get a bit blowy up there. Give me your details, please, and your home address, and we’ll be in touch as soon as we can.’
She replaced the phone.
‘Oh, God,’ she groaned to nobody in particular. ‘Why couldn’t it have been a normal, quiet day?’
* * *
Half an hour later, DS Barry Marsh took the call from the officers in the squad car. He drove out to Studland village with his young assistant, DC Jimmy Melsom.
Melsom looked puzzled. ‘Sorry, sir. I didn’t catch all the details. What’s going on?’
‘Apparently there’s a man’s body lying on the top of the Agglestone. And it doesn’t look as though the death was natural. Someone out walking on the top of Ballard Down spotted it through his binoculars and phoned in. A squad car unit went out to investigate. We need to go and assess whether it is suspicious and whether forensics are needed.’
‘Sounds weird to me. Why would anyone put a body up there? Surely, if you’d killed someone, you’d dump the body in a pond, or down a pit? There are enough of those around here. Why drag it to the top of a huge rock? Are you sure someone isn’t just taking the mickey?’
‘Ours is not to reason why, Jimmy. Let’s just do what we’re told, eh?’
Chapter 2: The Agglestone
Tuesday, Week 1
The Agglestone lies about a mile inland from the small, coastal village of Studland. It is a huge anvil-shaped lump of sandstone perched on a mound rising from the grim sparseness of Black Heath. In winter its brooding presence dominates the heath.
Marsh left the car in a narrow lane. A crime scene tape was already stretched across the footpath leading to the rock, with a squad car parked close by. A uniformed officer came across to greet
Similar Books
Amy Lake
The Marquess Takes a Fall
Blood Charged (Dragon Blood, Book 3)
Lindsay Buroker
Missing in Egypt
Rita Lee Chapman
Ship of Secrets
Franklin W. Dixon
Vintage Didion
Joan Didion
Spiral
Kôji Suzuki
The Dastard
Piers Anthony
Glow
Amy Kathleen Ryan
Cooper
Liliana Hart
Beneath the Dover Sky
Murray Pura