Hindsight (9781921997211) by Melanie Casey Read Free Book Online

Phil. People have been known to bare their souls in the course of a good haircut.’
    â€˜Well, yours wouldn’t know much about your soul. When was the last time you paid him a visit?’
    â€˜Yeah all right, I know.’ Ed ran a hand over his head, making tufts of sandy hair stick out in all directions. ‘I reckon it’s worth getting the guys from the lab to check over the car. She might have known her killer. He could have sat in this very car.’
    â€˜Ah, the return of the optimist, that’s what I like to see.’ Phil shot him a half smile. ‘Next stop, Janet Hodgson’s apartment.’
    They climbed back into Phil’s bright yellow Mustang, her pride and joy. The only thing closer to her heart was her partner, Grace. Grace’d tell you that it was a pretty close thing sometimes; if it came to a toss-up between her and the car she wouldn’t like to put money on herself.
    â€˜There’s something not right about this girl,’ Phil said. ‘Nobody knows her — not one person we spoke to today told us anything about who she really was and what she was like. Shit, Ed, how many women do you know who don’t have any close friends that they talk all kinds of crap with?’
    â€˜Maybe we just haven’t found them yet. Might be that she likes to keep her work life and personal life separate. Her apartment might give us some more to go on.’
    They didn’t have long to wait. Within a couple of minutes they pulled up outside the apartment. It was in a two-storey block; one of the newer high-density developments that had caused an uproar when it was built back in the nineties. A glass door gave way to a small entry foyer housing a wall of letterboxes and an intercom system so visitors could be buzzed in. There was a phone next to the intercom with an emergency number. After trying the phone and discovering it was out of order, Ed punched the number into his mobile and got the apartment manager. She only lived a couple of blocks away and she reluctantly agreed to come over to let them in.
    She arrived bad tempered and flushed, greying hair hanging limply to her shoulders, a floral dress stretched tight over her ample waistline and breasts.
    â€˜So what’s all this about?’ she snapped. ‘I can’t have police coming in and out of here. I hope Miss Hodgson hasn’t been causing trouble. I like to keep a certain tone of tenants. These apartments are in great demand, you know.’
    Ed looked slowly around the cheap décor of the foyer, taking in the lifting vinyl and flaking paint, then switched on his iciest smile.
    â€˜Janet Hodgson was found murdered this morning, ma’am. We need to have a look through her apartment as part of the investigation.’
    He watched as her mouth opened in an O of surprise. She said, ‘Well I suppose you’d better come with me then.’
    They trudged after her, watching the veins in her legs bulge and strain as she tackled each stair, finally arriving at apartment 17.
    â€˜This is it. Don’t be making no mess or disturbing the other tenants,’ she spat out as she turned to go.
    â€˜The key please, ma’am. We may need to come back with forensic teams and we would hate to have to disturb you,’ Phil said in saccharine sweet tones.
    The manager thrust the key at her and stomped off down the corridor.
    â€˜Thanks for your help,’ Phil called out, before turning to Ed, who was surveying the inside of the apartment from the door.
    There wasn’t a lot to see: a couple of newish cream couches with scatter cushions in a range of yellows and blues, a patterned rug on the floor and a coffee table with a couple of magazines on it. A small television sat in one corner. A couple of pot plants here and there added a bit of greenery. A set of bookshelves lined one wall, full of novels and historical texts. They gloved up and slowly and methodically worked over the