CRIME ON THE FENS a gripping detective thriller full of suspense by JOY ELLIS Read Free Book Online Page B

minute do I believe that’s the case here. However, our next task looks as if it will be speaking to the parents.’
    Joseph glanced across and saw her face harden. No one liked this part of the job. He loathed it, but looking at her, he had the feeling that DI Galena hated it as much as he did.
    Without thinking, his foot eased further down on the accelerator. He was starting to feel as uneasy as his new boss.

CHAPTER SEVEN
    ‘What do you think of this, Davey-boy?’ Cat threw a catalogue onto Dave’s desk.
    ‘Whoa! I’m not sure the old ticker is up to looking at that kind of thing! Where on earth did you get it, and what’s it got to do with the investigation?’ Dave tried hard not to look at the abnormally large-breasted woman in the shiny red rubber catsuit.
    ‘Shot in the dark, but I called into that adult shop down Carvery Lane.’ She threw him an accusatory look. ‘Nothing kinky, just checking for masks.’
    ‘And?’
    ‘Well, if they ever send me undercover to an S & M club, I know exactly where to buy my outfit, that’s for sure! But, I digress. The bloke who runs it, Jimmy, he imports all his masks, via a wholesaler, from China. Hardly surprising, I know, but listen to this. Apparently there’s a big market in really scary hand-made ones. Made here in the UK.’
    ‘I’ve just been looking at them on the web. They are horrific! Look at this one.’
    He double-clicked the mouse and a hideous, rubber horror mask appeared full screen.
    ‘That is kid’s stuff, mate, believe me. Take a look at this, if you’ve got the stomach.’ Cat flicked through the brochure to find the right page. ‘What about that?’
    Dave visibly recoiled.
    Cat hid a sly smile at his reaction. ‘Effective, isn’t it? Apparently made of quality latex, and all individually designed and hand-painted. They are full head covering and are moulded from a human head to get a life-like effect.’
    ‘Who the hell would buy something like that?’
    ‘Any freak who has sixty quid to spare, and fancies looking like a flesh-eating nightmare from hell, I suppose.’
    ‘Sixty quid!’
    ‘Get one of your own design made up, and it will be more like a hundred.’
    Dave closed the catalogue. ‘Well whoever is spreading ours around the town didn’t spend that kind of money, surely?’
    ‘Of course not. These tacky things,’ she pointed to the dead-rat-man mask on the desk, ‘are rubber, and nowhere near the quality of this.’ She jabbed a finger at the brochure. ‘What I’m saying is that it is possible to get these things made to order. And Jimmy told me you can even get a DVD from the Internet that tells you how to mould and cast your own. Not an easy process, but it can be done. Maybe I’ll download it and find out what equipment you need. Checking out the suppliers could be my next avenue to follow.’ She picked up the magazine and flicked through it. ‘Wow! Gorgeous outfit! I wonder how you would get that on, or more to the point, how you’d get it off.’
    ‘Please!’ Dave closed his eyes. ‘Remember my heart!’
    Cat grinned and shut the book. ‘Okay, in the interests of your cardiac health, I’ll change the subject slightly. Has anyone got any further with the name Griffyx?’
    Dave shook his head. ‘No, nothing. I’ve Googled it myself but can’t find anything on any variation of spelling.’
    ‘Means nothing to me, but I can ask around on the streets.’
    ‘I wouldn’t, well not until you run it past the guv’nor. Don’t want to give anything away. So far it’s the only info we’ve had on the damned things.’
    ‘Yeah, you’re probably right. Maybe I’ll try a few searches of my own. It sounds like something from a computer game to me.’ She logged into her computer and while she waited for the search engine, said, ‘So, what do you think of the new boy?’
    ‘Sergeant Easter? Well, not what I was expecting, that’s for sure. Seems okay. And so far , pretty resistant to the boss’s acid