Cold Justice (Willis/Carter #4)(47)

Willis watched them walk away and disappear around the back of the Surfshack before she got in the car. She drove back to Kellis House and took Russell inside. The fire had gone out.

Willis picked up her bag. ‘Which of the rooms do you want?’ she asked Lauren.

‘Shall we go next to each other in the two front-facing bedrooms?’ Lauren replied.

‘Yes, that’s fine. I don’t think either of them have an en-suite.’

‘Are you going to bed now?’

‘No, don’t worry – just taking my bag up, that’s all, I’ll be straight back.’

‘Shall I make us some dinner?’ Lauren sounded like she wanted to and Willis was starving.

‘Yes, if you don’t mind – I’m always hungry. I’ll come and chop stuff for you in ten.’

By the time Willis got back down the smell of onion and garlic was all round the house. ‘Have I missed my chance?’ Willis said as she looked inside the saucepan at the pasta sauce. ‘I’m a lousy cook but a good chopper.’

‘Just a quick pasta sauce,’ Lauren said.

‘Great.’

As Lauren stirred the sauce she sighed continually. Her shoulders rose and fell with her exaggerated breathing.

‘You want me to do something for you, Lauren?’

‘A glass of wine, please.’

Willis went and got the bottle from the fridge and poured Lauren one.

‘Are you going to join me?’

‘Not tonight, thanks.’

Willis knew what she was in for. She hoped that they would make it to the end of dinner before Lauren broke down.





Chapter 21


Carter sat at the bar with his bottle of beer and watched the bearded barman connect up the new barrel. There was an ‘aboard deck’ style about the bar that worked in summer but was cold-feeling in winter with albatross carvings and white sail cloth for curtains, ships’ portholes along the front of the bar. There was a game of bridge going on. This time of year it could have done with a wood-burner because there was a cold draught from the long thin main part of the bar; at the back and up a few steps were two pool tables and a few gaming machines. The sound of one being played was a constant noise in the background. Carter was thinking how people must be seriously short of somewhere to go to have to come to this place every night. He was going off the idea of owning a second home.

Raymonds had come in at the other entrance to the bar some five minutes ago and was working his way up towards him. He hadn’t missed Carter and looked amused by his presence. He walked in with what looked like his son and another man. The son was taller than his dad but had the same stretched skin over fine features. His face was smoothed out.

There was no music in the bar – just the sound of the pool table and the gambling machines. There was a hard-core set of local drinkers present.

‘She let you off your leash?’ The three men walked up to Carter’s end of the bar. Raymonds stopped to talk to him while the other two walked past to have a look at the pool table. Carter did his best to look as if he didn’t understand. ‘Have you had a good day playing with your gadgets: helicopters, dogs and search teams?’

‘It’s been interesting. We even saw you out at the old mine.’

‘Oh, I expect you’ll see me a lot before you’re through here. I like to keep a good eye on my flock.’ He laughed.

Carter took in the interest in him that Raymonds had generated with his question. Carter smiled, looked back at his beer and took a drink from the bottle.

‘You haven’t found him yet then?’ Raymonds said as he picked up his pint from the barman and moved along the bar next to Carter.

‘Not yet.’

‘Dead – no doubt about it. He’ll be lying in some ditch somewhere. In some dark place that you can’t see.’

‘Possible, but this case isn’t an easy one to call. I could do with a little help from you – ex-officer, you want to share some pearls of wisdom?’

‘I’ll share one for a start – the father, Toby, did you investigate him like I said?’

Carter gave a small shake of the head. ‘We’ve got nothing on him.’ He ordered another beer and offered Raymonds one. He accepted and downed the half-pint he had in his glass. ‘We can’t establish a motive at the moment.’

‘Some people don’t need a motive. Just an opportunity and a bucket-load of malice – bound to come out some day. Busy London streets. A baby could easily go missing from a buggy. Especially if the father was just plain careless with it.’

‘As I said, we don’t have any idea.’

‘Yet, something brings you down here.’

‘It’s just another line of enquiry.’

‘Is his estate tidied up yet?’

Carter shook his head. ‘It’s a lengthy process, as you know. I’m not the one looking into it – I leave that to the clever ones in London. If it had anything to do with his estate you’d think someone would have waited until it was settled and there was money in the bank.’

‘They have plenty of money – I’m sure the wife has a good job. It’s a big expense living where they do.’

Carter took a swig of his beer.

‘You went sightseeing the day of the funeral – did it include a tour of Toby’s apartment?’