Hot Blood (Bloodwords Book 1) Read Free

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the barn that we didn’t know where anything was and it’s my guess that when the
contractors cleared the site, some boxes of things we should have kept were
thrown away with the rubbish, so documentation of the gift is among the things
we don’t have. All we have is the record at the Land Registry. That proves that
we own everything. But that’s not the issue. It’s how we came to own it all
that he is jumping up and down about. We know the land was gifted, your brother
knows it was gifted, bloody hell, everyone knows that it was gifted, but he
feels left out of your Pop’s will and is fighting for what he believes is his
inheritance.   At least, that is what
he is claiming. You and I both know that that is not the real motive. He’s
desperate, needs money and land, and this is a way to get both. If that wasn’t
the case my guts wouldn’t be as raw as the meat on the butcher’s slab and I
wouldn’t be walking about like a cripple or living on pain killers.’
    Before she could answer, the doorbell rang.
Their discussion cut abruptly, the unspoken question of who their visitor might
be hung in the air as they looked worriedly at each other. Was this the big
guns coming out? Was somebody coming to add some weight to the previous pressure?
Was this unfinished business? Mike raised his eyebrows, pursed his lips and,
looking at his wife, shook his head slowly from side to side in a visual ‘I’ve
no idea’ response.
    Joan brought two strangers into the room. ‘It’s
the police Mike.’
    ‘Good evening Mr Johnson.’ The older of the
two, a tall and immaculately dressed man in his fifties, with clean features
and greying hair beginning to recede introduced himself as Detective Inspector
Radcliffe and his sidekick as Detective Sergeant Fraser. ‘We’d like to ask you
a few questions about the attack please.’
    Rubbing his bruised ribs, Mike struggled to
rise then fell back into his chair. Normally placid, pain had taken its toll on
his patience. His face ruddy and veins starting to protrude, the prospect of
repeating yet again what he had already said several times pushed him even
closer to snapping.
    ‘For Christ’s sake inspector’ he stormed, ‘I
know who worked me over and I’m trying to forget it as much as I can, but you
lot keep turning up to remind me. Pardon my cynicism but I’ve already told you
exactly what happened and who attacked me but nobody seems to care a shit. I
suggest that you check back in your reports if you want the details. Now if
that’s all, we are about to eat our evening meal. Goodbye inspector.’
    ‘I’m sorry if you’ve been troubled that much
sir,’ said the tall officer. ‘I am not surprised that you want to put it all
behind you as much as possible but a beating of the severity you received is a
serious crime and we cannot just ignore it. As for who did it, at the moment we
don’t know. But please Mr Johnson, don’t keep blaming your brother-in-law. At
the time you were being attacked he was nowhere near here. We have witnesses
corroborating that.’
    ‘No he wasn’t. I tell you it was definitely
him. I know that it was dark and by the time I was facing him my vision had
gone anyway, but it was him. There’s no doubt at all. It’s not just the attack.
He’s breaking my family and trying to steal my house, so if you cannot sort him
out then he’ll have another go at me. Before I’ll let that happen I will kill
the bugger myself.’
    ‘Mr Johnson,’ the young sergeant cut in. ‘I
advise you not to make rash accusations like that. We want a conclusion just as
much as you do and I assure you that we are making progress. We’ve taken
on-board what you have said and we are continuing to make enquiries, both with
respect to your brother-in-law and to any other potential suspect. But at the
moment he’s in the clear.’
    ‘Like hell he is!’
    ‘Mr Johnson, please keep an open mind.’ Why did
everybody get bogged down with their own agenda