Tarot's Touch Read Free Page A

he drove—Conor was in his bed and those beautiful lips had been wrapped around his cock not that long ago—no one else’s. Though he occasionally had a pang of doubt that Conor would stay with him, it was always brushed away by soft kisses and annoyed reassurance from the man in question. Alex wished there had been time to express his appreciation for that amazing blow job, either by returning the favor or by fucking Conor’s gorgeous arse. Still, there would be time for thank yous later. Preferably lots of thank yous.
    With some reluctance, Alex switched his thoughts away from Conor and back to being a detective—and a bloody good one at that. He slowed the car as he approached the High Street and knew he was in the right place when regular flashes of blue illuminated the gloom. He peered through the windscreen and took in the area. It was the rundown end of the town’s main shopping street. Frontages with peeling paint and the ubiquitous pound shops mingled with a tattoo parlor, spit and sawdust pubs and a dingy café. It was less than a quarter of a mile away from glossy chain stores and upmarket restaurants, but felt quite different. The beat officers got more calls to attend disturbances in this area than any other part of town. Assault, concealed weapons, vandalism and burglary were all common. The menacing atmosphere wasn’t helped by the scattered police cars and uniformed men that cluttered the road. A small crowd of gaping bystanders had gathered to watch the action, no doubt engaging in lurid speculation about what had happened. Alex doubted that there would be a single useful witness among them.
    He parked the car a short distance away from the rubber-neckers and walked toward a fluttering barrier of blue and white striped crime scene tape. The coroner’s van provided an effective block to anyone being able to see anything interesting, however much they might contort themselves to catch a glimpse of something gruesome.
    “Inspector Courtney, over here, sir!”
    Alex identified the source of the voice and walked toward a young PC who was beckoning him enthusiastically. As he got closer he realized that the young man was dripping wet and looked very cold.
    Definitely a candidate for man-flu in the next couple of days. Alex summoned up a smile.
    “And who might you be?”
    “PC Naylor, sir. I found the body.”
    Alex listened intently as Naylor described how he had come across the body and what he had done to preserve the scene. He had been observant and careful, qualities that Alex approved of. He made a mental note of the PC’s name, thanked him then went in search of the forensics team.
    The alley was lit up like a football stadium. Arc lights were strategically placed around a white tent that almost filled the entire width of the lane. Alex hovered outside the tent flap. He wasn’t wearing coveralls and didn’t dare set foot inside without permission. He was just about to shout for attention when a crime scene tech scuttled out from the tent. Alex grabbed him before he could escape.
    “Can you let the coroner know that Inspector Courtney is here?”
    “Of course, sir.” The tech slipped back the way he’d come.
    “Come in, Alex. We’re about done in here.” The voice that called out had a distinct West Country burr. Alex pushed the tent flap out of the way and ducked inside. A photographer was snapping away but Alex’s attention was drawn to a middle-aged woman with sharp eyes and an immaculate bun, who was clad in a set of shapeless white coveralls. She stripped off a rubber glove and shook Alex’s hand.
    “Alex. Drew the short straw then?”
    “Mmm. My night to be on call, unfortunately. How are you, Adele?”
    “All the better for seeing you, gorgeous. Now I know this will be done properly.”
    Alex grinned. Adele had been one of his tutors at Police College and he had always gotten on well with her, despite the occasional clip around his ear when he played up. Others balked at her