With a Narrow Blade Read Free Page B

middle of her chest.
    Caroline Weekes turned and walked out of the room into the hall, and out to the front door. This she opened, then walked a little way down the path, then stopped for a moment, then walked a little way more until she reached the gate. There her knees seemed to give way, for she found herself clutching at the gate to stop herself from falling over.
    A car went by in the road, the sound of the tyres hissing on the wet tarmac loud in her ears. Across the road she thought the old woman, still standing in her doorway, called out something, but she couldn’t seem able to make out what it was.
    After a few moments, she reached into her bag, only then aware that she was getting soaking wet, as the rain ran off the red leather of her bag and dripped onto the concrete beneath her feet.
    With shaking hands she got out her mobile phone, turned it on, took a deep breath, and dialled 999.

chapter two
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    H illary Greene put her bag down on the table and held out her hand. ‘You must be DC Barrington?’
    ‘Yes ma’am.’
    ‘Guv.’
    ‘Yes, guv.’
    From his file, Hillary knew he was twenty-five years old, but he looked younger. It was possibly his colouring that made him appear so, for his sandy hair bordered on the ginger, and he had very pale skin with the usual smattering of freckles that went with it, reminding her of a schoolboy Just William type. He also had round, pale green eyes that looked disproportionately large in a triangular-shaped face. But looks, in this case, were almost certainly deceiving. There was nothing innocent about this young man.
    ‘I see you’ve met Sergeant Tyler,’ Hillary said, glancing down at Janine, who didn’t appear to hear her. She was reading a file, probably on her battered wife case, but Hillary got the feeling that the younger woman wasn’t really paying attention to that either. She’d noticed this air of distraction about her before, and had assumed it was down to pre-wedding jitters. Now she was not quite so sure.
    ‘Janine is getting married on Friday.’ She turned back to Keith Barrington, a definite warning in her voice now. ‘To Detective Superintendent Mallow. He’s known around here as Mellow Mallow, or Mel for short. Our Super,’ she added, just in case he hadn’t twigged yet. ‘It means she’s leaving us to go to Witney nick, so we’ll be short-handed. I hope you like hard work.’
    Keith smiled. ‘I like it better than being bored, guv,’ he admitted.
    Hillary nodded, not missing the quick, assessing look he shot down at Janine, who, at last, had realized she was being talked about, and was staring right back at him. Good, he’d got the message. The last thing the new boy wanted to do was run foul of his superior’s soon-to-be missus.
    ‘Ross phoned to say he’d be late, boss,’ Janine said, and Hillary raised an eyebrow. Frank Ross never usually bothered to explain himself.
    ‘He say why?’ she asked curiously.
    ‘Of course not,’ Janine said, as if surprised she should even ask.
    Hillary grunted, then seeing the new boy follow this byplay, nodded to a chair. ‘Sit down, let’s have a chat. I like to keep things up front and clear. That way we can avoid sticking our foot in it.’ She took her own seat, pushed her towering In tray to one side, and regarded the London boy closely.
    ‘I don’t know whether you’ve heard about my late husband, Ronnie Greene, or not,’ she began, seeing by the fleeting look of surprise to cross his face that he either hadn’t, or hadn’t expected her to mention him. She smiled wearily. ‘I don’t want you putting anyone’s back up because you’re not up to speed, that’s all. I was on the point of divorcing my husband, when he was killed in a car crash and allegations of serious corruption against him came up. These were investigated and substantiated.’ She stated the facts boldly, and without any emphasis.
    Keith blinked, but said nothing.
    ‘I also was investigated, as was DS Ross, who