Death in July Read Free

grinned Sam.
    'Oh, I do, Sam,' laughed Archie. 'I often do. Anyway, what's on your mind? I can't leave the girls on their own for too long while it's this hectic.'
    Sam picked up his drink and took a sip.
    'Have you heard of a bloke called Geoffrey Compton?'
    Archie gave the name consideration. Sam was asking him because Archie Curran knew more people than most in Newgate. He had lived in the town all his life and had worked in a good number of its pubs before taking over the Barton.
    'The name rings a bell,' said Archie, his face screwed up in concentration, 'but I just can't put a face to it.'
    'Ex-soldier,' prompted Sam. 'Lived on Eastern Green Road. Walked with a limp.'
    Archie's eyes lit up.
    'Wasn't he the bloke who was attacked outside his home a while back?'
    'That's the one,' confirmed Sam. 'You didn't know him personally, then?'
    'No, never met him,' replied Archie, shaking his head. 'But I remember the fuss in the papers at the time. A war veteran being set upon on his own doorstep and all that.'
    'Archie!'
    Both men looked over to the bar. Tina had her arm aloft, beckoning Archie over. The queues at the bar had got even longer.
    'No rest for the wicked,' sighed Archie. 'I'd better go.'
    'I'm getting off as well,' said Sam, draining the last of his drink. 'I'll explain the questions next time I see you.'
     
    ***
     
    Outside the pub, Sam pulled his phone out. He didn't know anybody down at Newgate police station, but he still had a contact from his days on the force. The phone rang out twice before a strong Midlands accent answered.
    'DI Humphreys.'
    'Richie, it's Sam. How are you?'
    The groan down the line didn't sound good.
    'I'm desk-bound right now, Sam. Broke my leg on a job. It's just paperwork for me for the next few weeks.'
    Sam offered his commiserations, knowing only too well how much his old friend would be struggling, stuck behind a desk every day. Sam had worked alongside Richie Humphreys for many years. Richie had stood by him during the dark days following Sam's departure from the force.
    'Anyway,' said Richie, 'enough about me. How's life by the seaside?'
    'Fresh air, Richie. You can't beat it.'
    Richie laughed.
    'Give me thick, industrial smoke any day. And how's the private sleuthing going?'
    'It's been quiet, but something's just rolled up, and I could do with some details confirming.'
    'Fire away, Sam. I'm in front of a computer right now.'
    In no time at all, Richie brought up the police report regarding Geoffrey Compton's death. A neighbour had knocked on Geoffrey's door last Thursday evening. Getting no reply, he peered through the window and saw Geoffrey slumped in his chair, surrounded by tablets and alcohol, and immediately rang the police. On arrival, officers broke down the front door and found Geoffrey unconscious. Despite administering emergency first aid, they pronounced him dead at the scene at half past seven. The investigation found no suspicious circumstances. No sign of a break-in. No unexplained prints. Based on the evidence and post-mortem, the coroner recorded a verdict of suicide.
    'Sounds pretty straightforward, Sam.'
    Sam remembered the conviction in Benjamin's voice earlier that day.
    'His son isn't so sure,' he told Richie. 'He's asked me to check it out.'
    'Found anything yet?'
    'It's still early days.'
    'Well, it's hard to argue with the evidence.'
    'I know, mate, but I promised the son I'd do a bit of digging...and he's paying well.'
    'Fair enough, bud. Just give me a bell if you need anything else.'
    With that, Sam rang off and headed for his car. It was time to see where Geoffrey Compton had lived.
     
    ***
     
    Eastern Green Road was on the other side of town. With the roads quiet, Sam got there in ten minutes. He took a leisurely drive around the area, getting a feel for the neighbourhood. Driving down Eastern Green Road itself, he noted well-kept houses running down either side. Tidy front gardens and relatively new cars implied the residents were both proud of