Corpse in Waiting by Margaret Duffy Read Free Book Online Page B

ring.’
    Fortunately, Greenway and James Carrick had met and were on good terms so the former was keen that we did not tread on the latter’s toes. In fact it was impressed on Patrick that he should share any gleaned information about the murder victim with Bath CID.
    â€˜I don’t have a problem with that,’ Patrick said after the two had spoken. ‘I’m a cop now, not a spook.’
    I had never heard him describe himself thus and smiled. Then I said, ‘But James might.’
    â€˜I’ll tell him I’ll treat him to haggis and bashed neeps next Burn’s Night.’
    â€˜So what would have been on your agenda today if you weren’t starting this job?’ I hazarded. ‘More house-hunting with Alexandra?’
    â€˜No, she’s really fixed her mind on the place with the corpse.’
    â€˜She’ll rip it apart, do it up and then sell it.’
    â€˜Yes, I think that’s the general idea.’
    â€˜But—’
    â€˜Look, I don’t want to talk about it any more. All right?’
    â€˜No, it’s not all right! Just because she was once your girlfriend it doesn’t mean I have to treat her like some kind of Holy Grail. She’s only going ahead because I’ve set my heart on it. The woman’s a grade one bitch!’
    I found myself looking at empty space and when I got downstairs I discovered that Patrick had gone off without having any breakfast.
    Later, when the bedlam of getting children ready for school had abated and little ones had been fed and were asleep or otherwise engaged, I sat down at what I still thought of as Elspeth’s kitchen table, an historic chunk of oak farmhouse furniture that was far too large to go in their new living quarters, and poured myself a cup of strong coffee. This was worrying. What was the man on ? Had Alexandra put something in his coffee?
    With foreboding, I rang the specialist at the clinic at which Patrick had first been treated when he had been heavily drugged during our previous assignment. I got a very sympathetic ear. Indeed, I was told, what had occurred could temporarily affect judgement and could last for as long as a few months. I pointed out that so far Patrick had shown no sign that anything was wrong but it seemed to have been triggered off by the appearance of a woman from his past. It was then gently pointed out to me that it was quite normal for men to have yearnings for their youth when they were in their mid to late forties, and even older, and I should not read anything sinister into it. He finished by saying that if things took a turn for the worse I was to ring him again immediately.
    â€˜Perhaps he took my wanting my own house as some kind of rejection,’ I said to the four walls of the kitchen after the call.
    There was something in me that prevented me from ringing the agents and calling the whole thing off. An independent streak? Bloody-mindedness? But if Alexandra had put in a higher offer and the vendors had come to their senses I might have already lost it anyway.
    I was still sitting there, agonizing, when my phone rang.
    â€˜I’m at the nick,’ Patrick’s voice said. ‘D’you want to join us?’
    â€˜You have the car but I think there’s a bus in a couple of hours’ time,’ I replied, not about to be anybody’s right now.
    â€˜I’m sure Mother’ll lend you hers.’
    â€˜I happen to know that she needs it to go shopping, your father’s off to a meeting of some kind and Carrie’ll be using hers to take Vicki, plus Mark of course, to Toddlers’ Club in Wellow.’
    â€˜Then call a taxi and charge it to expenses.’
    â€˜I’m not optimistic – all the local ones are on school runs at this time of the morning.’
    I distinctly heard Carrick say something in the background.
    â€˜OK, James is sending a car for you,’ Patrick reported briskly. ‘See you later.’
    Why