One Last Lesson Read Free Page A

path, so I headed straight in about there,’ he said pointing at the bushes to their right, ‘and got bloody well scratched to bits for me trouble.’
    He leaned over and tapped Walters on the shoulder. ‘You coppers know all about first-aid , don’t you? Perhaps you could come around to my cottage later on and attend to my wounds. I promise I won’t scream.’
    Walters screwed her face up as she recoiled from his touch, eliciting a throaty laugh from the big man. It was a dirty laugh, more suited to a Saturday night in a busy pub than talking to two detectives about a young girl’s murder. Those nearby didn’t like it much either as it drew disapproving glances from the SOCO’s, coppers and ambulance crews and it took a considerable amount of self-restraint on Henderson’s part to desist from landing a fist into the big man’s ugly mug.

THREE
     
     
     
    ‘What are you thinking?’ Walters said after she finished the last of several phone calls and texts to re-schedule her busy social life.
    Henderson said nothing as he guided the car onto the southbound carriageway of the M23, a dangerous prospect at the best of times . Drivers, frustrated by long delays on the M25, six or seven miles further north, put their foot down here as they still had a long way to go before they reached the coast.
    ‘I’m thinking that’s such a crap record they’re playing on the radio; why does every new artist think they need the services of a street-wise LA rapper to sex-up their song? In case you think me too frivolous, I’m also thinking there is one aspect of this case , which is different from the last two we’ve worked on.’
    ‘Why, because this one involves a young girl?’
    ‘That’s part of it certainly, but take into consideration the place where her body was found.’
    ‘What, a golf course? I suppose closing it down will piss off a lot of high-profile people. Maybe the Chief Constable plays there.’
    ‘That’s an interesting thought but I’m sure they’ll soon be back whacking their little white balls just as soon as we give them the all clear tomorrow or the day after.’
    ‘I’ve never fancied playing myself. Too expensive for starters.’
    ‘What I mean is, the scene back there has all the hallmarks of a cold-blooded killer. The last two cases we worked on, involved friends and the husband, people that knew the victim well. Someone has battered to death and sexually assaulted a beautiful young woman and dumped her naked body in the woods when he was finished with her. To me, that has all the markings of a cold, calculating murderer and doesn’t much sound like a random or opportunistic crime or a domestic dispute that’s suddenly gone wrong.’
    ‘I see what you mean.’
    ‘What did you think of our witness?’
    ‘He’s just the so rt of person I’d cross the road to avoid. Did you see the way he leered at me?’
    ‘Yeah, the fool , doesn’t he realise you know bugger-all about first aid? You’d probably kill him just by taking his blood pressure.’
    ‘Cheeky beggar.’
    ‘Do you think he did it?’
    ‘He’s big and ugly enough.’ She paused for a few moments. ‘The thing is, if it was him, why would he tell us where he dumped her body? In fact, why go to the bother of digging a big hole and covering her up? I mean, it just doesn’t make sense.’
    ‘I t wouldn’t be the first time, so we need to check him out. Why don’t you take that job on as you seem to have built up such a good rapport with the man?’
    ‘You are joking, aren’t you?’
    He shook his head. ‘No, but take somebody with you, somebody big like Harry or Seb otherwise he might get the wrong idea. Don’t bring him down to the station though, go to his place and see how he lives. Find out if his work or social life brings him into contact with young women like our victim.’
    ‘I doubt it , as he says he’s a builder and his company are renovating old flats. There’s not many women in that game;