'Til Death (DI Steven Marr Book 1) - UK Crime Fiction Whodunnit Thriller Read Free Page B

regained a bit of colour, but she still looked very shaky.
    'I couldn't find the sugar,' Sam said, trying to sound as comforting as possible. This was the one bit of the job she had never, ever clicked with. Some people had the art of the death message down pat; it seemed to be something you were born with, just like some people could walk into a room and be everyone’s friend within minutes. Sam had tried, but it just felt so unnatural; what you were meant to say, and how you were meant to say it. The simple fact was that no matter what she said, Sam never felt like she was really helping. Maybe someone good at delivering bad news – Becky was exemplary – really did think she was making a difference. Maybe that was the key.
    Caroline sat down.
    'I'll get this out of the way,' Sam began, 'Who told you about Anna’s Death?'
    Caroline said nothing, and wouldn’t meet Sam’s eyes.
    'It's OK, you won't get them in trouble,’ Sam continued, ‘You were Anna's best friend, it's natural they would have told you.’
    There was no smile, but Caroline replied.
    'Greg. Greg rang me after the cop had left his house.'
    That was as expected, thought Sam. Partners were always more likely to take friends into account; they spent more time together. Family, especially parents, well…the family was what mattered in the end.
    'What did he tell you?' asked Sam.
    'That Anna had been killed, and that her body had been found by the lake at Hendon House.'
    'OK. And have you told anybody else at all?'
    Caroline shook her head.
    'No, honest.'
    'That’s alright, we just have to check. I'm going to ask you a few questions about Anna now, if that's OK?'
    Caroline nodded her agreement.
    'How long had you known her?'
    'Fifteen years. Since college. Post-16.'
    'And you'd been friends since?'
    'Yes. All through university.'
    'Did you go to the same University as each other?'
    'Yes. Economics at the LSE.'
    'Impressive. How did you find it?'
    Caroline smiled.
    'A bit boring. At least I did; Anna liked it. She was focused. Pretty average ability wise, like me, but a much harder worker. She nearly got a first, I was at the bottom end of the two-ones.'
    'Me too' said Sam. Not entirely true. She’d got a two one, but it had been pretty comfortable. She definitely could have done better, that much was for sure.
    'Did she meet Greg at University?'
    Caroline shook her head.
    'No. She met him about three years ago.'
    'How?'
    'Through me.'
    'You work with Greg?'
    'I used to. Harpenden & Marshall accountants in Chelmsford. Greg learned his trade there before going freelance to get the extra money. He spent eight years in the army, so he had the discipline to do it.'
    Made sense, thought Sam. Hard work and discipline. Just the sort of apprentice that any company would snap up, knowing they could replace him with another apprentice when the time came for him to move on.
    'How was he to work with?' Sam asked.
    Caroline thought about it for a moment.
    'He was OK. To tell you the truth, he was sort of the office slut. Sorry, that sounds bad. But he had a few partners there: a couple of affairs with married women.'
    Again, it made sense enough. Fit, ambitious.
    'Did you and he..?'
    Caroline shook his head.
    'Oh no, I had a steady boyfriend then. One I actually liked. He moved up to Scotland, though. Better opportunities, apparently.'
    Caroline's lip curled slightly. Sam guessed that the break-up had been mutual-but-not.
    'Would you have been interested if not?' Sam asked.
    There was no reply for a moment, then:
    'Yeah, I guess so. Greg's a good looking guy. Quite masculine. I can see why he did as well as he did. I mean, he got Anna to settle: that’s no mean feat in itself.’
    'Did Anna enjoy her sex life?'
    Caroline paused and looked up.
    'Thanks for saying it like that.’
    ‘Like what?’
    ‘Well, whenever that question comes up; the way people ask…it just pisses me off. Shag around. Sleep around. You know, like it’s wrong for a woman to enjoy