Souvenirs of Murder by Margaret Duffy Read Free Book Online

straight look, his eyes still swimming with tears. ‘Of course. What else did you think I meant?’
    â€˜You were still a little wuzzy and I didn’t know what to think you meant.’
    Patrick looked appalled. ‘Someone filled me up with drugs thereby finding out that I was an undercover cop, took my gun and then had themselves a massacre. I couldn’t stop it. And didn’t save Leanne.’
    â€˜You didn’t fire a shot?’ I exclaimed.
    â€˜I’m not too sure but probably not.’
    â€˜Patrick, you were carrying a gun when you were found, your gun.’
    â€˜I’m pretty sure I didn’t fire it.’
    â€˜What can you remember, clearly?’
    â€˜Really clearly only carrying Leanne as she didn’t want to leave the house. The bastard shot her in my arms. He was probably out to get me.’
    Patrick’s voice broke as he uttered the last words and he put his head in his hands.
    â€˜Do you know this bastard’s name?’ I asked gently.
    â€˜No, I didn’t really get a look at him. I’m not sure why.’ A few seconds elapsed before he added, ‘D’you mind if I go back to sleep?’
    I got up immediately. ‘Of course I don’t mind. I shouldn’t be asking you all these questions.’ Quickly, I went over to him and kissed his cheek. ‘I’ll come back when you’re feeling better and take you home.’
    â€˜Ingrid . . .’
    I turned from going over to the door.
    â€˜I’ve been going out with the woman.’
    â€˜That was part of your brief?’ I enquired, more shocked by the tortured look on his face than what he had just said.
    â€˜Yes. I should have refused, shouldn’t I?’
    I made myself remain pragmatic. ‘You’ve done some iffy things in the past in order to take dangerous criminals out of circulation.’
    â€˜There was a party at the house. I could have been dosed with something then, in a drink, as I can’t really remember it at all. I might have slept with her.’
    When men say ‘might’ in this kind of context they usually mean ‘probably did’.
    â€˜At least, I can remember wanting to,’ he muttered to the floor. ‘She was naked at some point during the evening. I feel a real shit.’
    â€˜You’re not and we’ll talk about it when you come home,’ I told him. ‘But if that’s all SOCA wants you for then you’d be better off in neck-end Bath selling second-hand cars for a living.’
    I shut the door very gently behind me.
    â€˜So then,’ I said to Greenway, rounding a corner and making him start slightly. ‘He’s screwing she-crooks to get their plans, ambitions and secrets. Is that what the training was for? All the latest techniques, positions, advice on the best aftershaves and talcs to drive women wild?’
    He opened his mouth to speak but I ploughed on.
    â€˜Did you have a vote among your female staff as to who would be the best-looking guy for the job? Oh, yes, Gillard’s got quite the prettiest eyelashes and is actually quite a stunner when you think about it. Never mind that he’s a clean-living bloke, even when he was in the army, and can’t actually make much of a stand against filth who drug his drinks, strip off their clothes and then get their minions to drug him again. I told you he wasn’t the right man for the job and he wasn’t. My husband is crying in there, Commander, because a little girl he was trying to rescue – God knows how, the state he was in but I got the impression that it was part of his orders that she should come to no harm – was shot in his arms. We’ve had a murder in our church at home and the bishop is going to reconsecrate the building. Shall I ask him to do Patrick while he’s at it?’
    I walked off, aware that I had yelled the last couple of sentences.
    â€˜Ingrid, listen – please!’