Shimmer by Hilary Norman Read Free Book Online Page A

yesterday.
    Strained was how she looked to him, and he’d like to have stayed home, caught up with her, spent time with his family, but there was a brutal killer to be caught and the usual stresses of his overdue paperwork mountain – and Sam had woken up worrying about Mildred Bleeker, even though he had given a cell phone to one of the night patrol guys to pass on to her. He and Martinez had agreed that it might be as well to put out a BOLO (police shorthand for ‘be on the lookout for’) on her silver stranger, and even though that man had probably had zilch to do with the killing, it was still troubling Sam that he might have seen Mildred watching him.
    â€˜Tea?’ Claudia offered, aware of his antipathy to coffee.
    â€˜No, thanks.’ Sam opened the refrigerator, took out the jug of squeezed orange juice, poured himself a glass and went to take Woody’s leash from its hook, creating a wag-fest and eager cries at floor level.
    â€˜I know you got in late,’ Claudia said, pouring water on a teabag. ‘I could take Woody for his walk, if it would help.’
    â€˜It would more than help.’ Sam put the leash back, and the dog subsided in disappointment. ‘You sure?’
    â€˜I’d enjoy it.’
    He downed his juice, rinsed the glass, kissed the top of her head. ‘Tonight,’ he said, ‘I promise we’ll have some time.’
    â€˜Don’t make promises you can’t keep,’ Claudia told him.
    â€˜I can promise to try,’ Sam said.
    It was comfortable, affluent suburbia. Lovely houses, lush palms, thick bladed lawns, colourful flowers and shrubs, well-maintained sidewalks.
    The kind of road people could feel safe in.
    Yet Claudia, changed into jeans, T-shirt and sneakers fifteen minutes later for Woody’s walk, found she did not feel safe.
    She’d had this feeling before.
    Of being watched.
    Not here, of course, but back on Bainbridge Island, all too recently, and on the mainland, too, on one occasion, in Seattle.
    There she knew now that the feeling had been all too well-founded, but there was no one watching Claudia here, she knew that perfectly well, too, unless perhaps it was a neighbour taking a look out of their window at an unfamiliar dog walker; but still, it was unsettling enough to remind her of why she’d abandoned her husband and sons to come here.
    She knew full well that she was going to have to tell Grace soon, not because her sister was inquisitive, but because she loved Claudia, and, of course, she was also a psychologist, accustomed therefore to picking her way over sensitive terrain until she struck emotional oil.
    â€˜OK, Woody,’ she said to the dog. ‘Time for me to face the music.’
    Woody peed against a palm, and then he stood perfectly still, and growled.
    â€˜What?’ Claudia said, the small hairs at the nape of her neck rising.
    And then she saw the ginger tomcat, sitting on the path of a house just ahead of them, staring out Woody.
    â€˜Fool,’ Claudia told herself, and went on walking.

13
    No witnesses or leads as yet.
    Nor a single clue as to where their John Doe had been slain.
    No Missing Persons reports matching his description.
    No instant miracles from the ME’s office either.
    Sam had received a text from Mildred a little while ago.
    DEAR SAMUEL, THANK YOU FOR THE PHONE. PLEASE DO
    NOT CONCERN YOURSELF ABOUT ME. YOURS, MILDRED .
    â€˜She texts better than I do,’ he said, showing it to Martinez.
    â€˜Maybe she had some help.’
    â€˜I wouldn’t bet on it,’ Sam said. ‘Mildred’s an enigma.’
    â€˜Doesn’t mean her silver dude’s our guy,’ said Martinez.
    â€˜Means I’d like us to talk to him, though,’ said Sam.
    â€˜You and me both,’ said his partner.

14
    â€˜ I had an affair,’ Claudia told Grace, and then swiftly, desperately, added: ‘Please don’t hate me.’
    Grace stared at her.