Bad Moon Rising (#1 - D.I. Paolo Storey Crime Series) Read Free

terrified. They squared up to him as he approached, trying to give the impression that finding a dead body and dealing with the police was no big deal. An impression that disappeared as soon as they had to describe what had happened.
    “It were just lying there, like. All bloody,” Patrick said in answer to Paolo’s question about finding the body. He shuddered. “The ball went in the car park, dinnit? An’ we ran after it. It rolled up against the… you know… the…”
    Paolo waited, but Patrick swallowed and shook his head. “What happened after you found the body? Did you touch anything?”
    “No way,” Freddy jumped in when his friend didn’t answer. “We ran. He was screaming like a girl,” he said, giving Patrick a disparaging look.
    “I was not,” spat his friend. “What about you then? You puked your guts up. You wasn’t so tough, was you?”
    “Well it stank, an’ I nearly fell on it when I went to get the ball.”
    Paolo was put in mind of his daughters, when they used to bicker. His throat closed with the old familiar ache and his guts tightened. His skin suddenly felt clammy.
    “Okay, lads, that’s enough,” he said in a harsher tone than he’d intended.
    Forcing himself to concentrate, he continued to question the friends for a little longer, but it was clear they couldn’t tell him anything else. Paolo asked WPC Start to see them home and make sure there was someone to take care of them.
    He left Dave to question James Smedley, who looked even more shaken than the boys, and headed back to Barbara.
    “First impressions?” he asked.
    “You know I hate it when you do that,” she answered. “This is science, not some guessing game.”
    “I wasn’t asking for details, Barbara, just your impressions.”
    “Ja, well, you always want answers before I’ve even had time to decide what the questions are.” As always when she was upset he could hear a slight South African twang in her voice.
    Paolo watched as she debated with herself whether or not to answer him. Professional pride won.
    “Initial impressions? Cause of death appears to be strangulation. The way the body was left and the black plastic bag used, I’d say we were looking at a repeat of last month’s murder.” She looked up at him, her full lips curved, not quite smiling. “But don’t quote me on that until after the autopsy.”
    She turned back to the body, dismissing him. As Paolo walked away, his mobile phone rang. The display showed his ex-wife’s number and his stomach churned. That was all he needed to make his day complete.
    “Hi, Lydia. Nice to hear...”
    “Don’t forget Katy’s prize giving. It starts at 7.30, so don’t be late.”
    She was gone before he could reply. Paolo sighed. How had he screwed up his life so much that Lydia now hated him? Shaking off the familiar despair, he sighed and continued over to where Dave was standing, grinning broadly.
    “What have you got to smile about?”
    “I’ve got a date tonight. WPC Rebecca Start is about to find out what a lucky girl she is,” Dave answered.
    Paolo glared at his Detective Sergeant. “Let me tell you something right now,” he hissed so that no one else could hear, “you need to change your ways. When you’re on the job, that’s all you think about. Got that?”
    Dave nodded, but the smirk playing around the corners of his mouth riled Paolo.
    “Don’t think being related to the Chief Constable earns you any special treatment in my eyes, because it doesn’t. So stop using my crime scene as a fucking dating agency. And keep your conquests to yourself.” He waited to make sure the message had got through. “Right, drop me off back at the nick. You go over to Lisa Boxer’s place and see what you can find out about our missing witness. I’m going to read through the reports on the last girl who ended up looking like this.”
    ***
    Paolo looked up as Dave entered his office.
    “Any joy?”
    “None, sir,” Dave answered making himself