Slur: The Riverhill Trilogy: Book 1 by Heather Burnside Read Free Book Online

while in the company of the suspects, sir.’
    ‘Are you
referring to Mr Leslie Stevens?’
    ‘Yes sir.’
    ‘A man with
a previous record, I believe.’
    ‘Yes sir,
but not drugs related, just driving offences, and petty theft when he was an
adolescent.’
    ‘Nevertheless,
it makes him an unreliable witness. What about the urine samples?’
    ‘No trace
of drugs sir.’
    ‘Very well.
Under the circumstances, I feel that I have no alternative but to recommend to
the superintendent that we release the suspects due to lack of evidence.’
    As
Inspector Bowden began to make desperate protestations, the DCI added, ‘That
will be all inspector! You may leave my office.’
    Inspector
Bowden, realising that he was wasting his time by pleading any further,
retreated from DCI Marshall’s office, feeling temporarily defeated.
    --------------------
    Sunday
22 nd June 1986
    In the
early hours of Sunday morning Sergeant Miller entered Julie’s cell.
    ‘Go and
collect your things, you’re going home,’ he instructed.
    ‘Why,
what’s happened?’ she asked.
    ‘Never
mind, just do as you’re told and do it quickly before the inspector changes his
mind!’
    Julie obliged.
She was unaware that Inspector Bowden had been compelled to release her
following his meeting with DCI Marshall.
    In a
neighbouring interview room Rita had also undergone stringent questioning from
one of Inspector Bowden’s colleagues, and this interview hadn’t yielded any
results either. So Julie left the police cells feeling a mixture of emotions;
relief that she was no longer in custody, but anxiety about the reception that
she would receive when she arrived home.
    Throughout
her time spent at the police station, the one person who Julie had not given
any thought to was her boyfriend, Vinny. In the midst of her ordeal, it had
escaped her mind that she had arranged to meet him at the Bella Vida restaurant
at 8pm on Saturday evening.

Chapter 6
    Saturday 21 st June 1986
    Vinny entered the Bella Vida just before 8pm. He was feeling
a combination of nervousness and excitement as he thought about his plan to
take his relationship with Julie to a higher level of commitment, and toyed
with the small package inside his jacket pocket. He was dressed smartly in a
pair of beige Chino trousers, a pale blue and beige striped shirt and a navy blue
jacket. Vinny had made a special effort for this evening, which he hoped would
be a memorable one. However, although he had arranged to meet Julie inside the
restaurant at 8pm, there was no sign of her. “ Oh well, I am a bit early ,”
he thought, and he took his seat at the table for two and waited patiently.
    While he
anticipated Julie’s arrival, his mind became absorbed by thoughts of her. He
had known Julie for most of his life. When he was eleven they began to attend
the same secondary school; Vinny had recognised her as the well-presented and
attractive girl who lived a few streets away. Even at that age there was
something about her that made her stand out from the crowd. She later admitted
to him that until she saw him at secondary school, she wasn’t aware that he
existed.
    That didn’t
surprise Vinny as he had been the quiet type. All through school they didn’t
have much to do with each other. They were in different classes for one thing. Julie
was in one of the top classes whereas Vinny was midstream.
    He had
always liked her and when he reached the age where girls became a major
obsession, Julie was top on his list of desirables. He’d never had the courage
to approach her though. Although good looking, he wasn’t cool enough to be
considered a heart-throb, and he thought of girls like Julie as being well out
of his league. In a school of over a thousand pupils, Vinny saw himself as just
one of hundreds of ordinary boys.
    After
leaving school he noticed her the odd time in the street or at the bus stop and
they would acknowledge each other with a polite nod of the head. He still
didn’t have the