Nameless Kill by Ryan Casey Read Free Book Online

Brad continued, turning to face Mrs. Delforth, “but we need to know if you’ve seen anything. Anything out of the ordinary. Kids in the garden. Weird noises. Anything like that. It could be key.”
    Mrs. Delforth’s eyes were watery and bloodshot. Her lips were shaking more than ever. Fuck. If they hadn’t already scared three shits out of Mrs. Delforth, Brad had gone and done it now. She was just a defenceless old woman. They’d get more sense out of a pet dog, or something, than this woman.
    Brian cleared his throat. Glared at Brad, his cheeks burning. “Mrs. Delforth, we don’t mean to‌—‌”
    “I don’t hear nothin’ other than the kids bashing me doorbell or that nigger music.”
    Brian felt like he’d been slapped around the face the moment the old woman said the “n” word. “I’m sorry, the um, the…‌Are these the kids that harass you that you’re referring to‌—‌”
    “I’m on about the niggers,” Mrs. Delforth repeated, so much sincerity in her voice that she didn’t seem to think she was saying anything wrong. Probably didn’t know, in all truth. But it wasn’t cute. Not like Vanessa used to find it when her dad said some kind of racist slur. It was naive. And naivety got right on Brian’s tits.
    “What about the…‌these people, Mrs. Delforth?” DS Carter asked, picking up where Brian had stopped.
    Mrs. Delforth shook her head and muttered a few words under her breath. Then, she pottered across her dusty green carpet towards the door. “That bloody nigger shop. Boomin’ music keeping me awake at night since they moved over here twenty years ago. Need to learn our rules, they do. Savage, still. Not racist, just truth.”
    Brian couldn’t bring himself to nod or smile in feigned agreement. Instead, he just listened.
    And secretly hoped a black kid would throw a brick through her window one day.
    “I think Mrs. Delforth is on about the African Connection store on Church Street,” DC Finch said. Hearing him speak with his high-pitched voice made for a pleasant change. “Just‌—‌just outside our search radius.”
    “Yes, yes, that’s the one,” Mrs. Delforth said, raising her finger. “African-bloody-Connection. Like we need connecting to them bloody Africans.”
    Brian made a mental note to ask DS Carter to take a look at the African Connection place. She was HtoH officer, he didn’t want to piss on her parade any more than it had been pissed on. But if they were a local business, regardless of Mrs. Delforth’s racist slurs, they could be helpful. Other than a corner shop that Carter had already checked out, there weren’t any other businesses round these streets, so that place could be helpful.
    “We all appreciate your help, Mrs. Delforth,” Brian said, holding out a hand. The old smell of this place was starting to get to him, as was the mugginess. The tea was leaving an over-sweet aftertaste in his mouth. “Now just fill in this questionnaire and…” He looked up. Saw DS Carter frowning. “I’ll let DS Carter walk you through it. Just be‌—‌be aware that if you hear anybody ringing that bell of yours, it might be the media. And stay safe‌—‌”
    Brian’s goodbye speech was cut short by the vibrating of his phone in his black trouser pocket. He reached in, automatic in the way he responded to it, and looked at the screen.
    His stomach did a little leap when he saw the name: Jeeves. The pathologist.
    He lifted the phone to his ear and walked out of the room into the even mustier smelling corridor.
    “Jeeves. I’m on my way soon. Please tell me you’ve got something for me.”
    Jeeves was silent for a few seconds. Brian could hear birdsong in the background.
    “Jeeves?”
    “Detective Inspector, I think it would be wise if you or your deputy paid a trip down to the crime scene as soon as possible. There’s something…‌some things I believe you’ll want to hear.”
    As Brian opened the heavy wooden door of Mrs. Delforth’s