'Til Death (DI Steven Marr Book 1) - UK Crime Fiction Whodunnit Thriller by SP Edwards Read Free Book Online Page B

pregnant.’
    Marr couldn’t help but smile. Yes, that was his wife. Nothing but enthusiasm and passion and love and G od he was an idiot sometimes.
    ‘Yeah, that’s her.’ He said simply.
    Becky seemed to relax.
    ‘Your wife, and Sam, and a baby on the way. You’re a lucky man, and you don’t need me to tell you that you won’t be able to keep all those plates spinning. Sam’s not going to freak out, but at the same time I can’t see her being happy playing second fiddle. Sam doesn’t like losing.’
    Marr nodded, and looked up at the clock. Five to seven.
    ‘I suppose I’d better get off. Got a wife to look after, and a kid now. Christ. Anyway, thanks Becky, it’s been nice talking about it to someone. In a strange way I’m glad you know.’
    ‘I’m not’ Becky muttered, once Marr was out of the room.
     
     

 
     
     
     
     
     
    CHAPTER THIRTEEN
     
     
    Marr’s mobile rang as he was on the way home. It was Yovanovitch again.
    ‘I can confirm that Anna Markham was killed by the stab wound.’ The doctor said, by way of a hello. ‘There was some bruising around the throat, but I don’t think it was enough to indicate anything more than choking her unconscious. The wound itself, as we discussed earlier, was worryingly accurate. Anna would have bled out, and quickly. I’m assuming, given the lack of blood at the murder scene, that he threw her body into the lake immediately and she happened to wash up on the bank during the night.’
    ‘Christ. That’s a way to go.’
    ‘Well, quite. A chirpy evening to you.’
    The doctor hung up.
    This killing was more vicious than Marr had thought. Choking Anna out first, then one stabbing motion.
    It was the control that surprised him. One wound. If the killer didn’t know what they were doing, why not stab Anna ten times just to make sure?
    Something about it made Marr uncomfortable, and it wasn’t just the fact that out of all their suspects, Gregor Stanic was the one most likely to know how to handle a knife.
     

 
     
     
     
     
     
    CHAPTER FOURTEEN
     
     
    Across town, Anna’s windower was trying to remain calm. Even as Caroline Marcus paced the room in front of him, throwing glances in his direction as if she expected him to get up and join her.
    There was little point. Stanic had long ago learned that stressing about anything was pointless. All it did was raise your blood pressure, and it was no substitute for taking action.
    The problem, of course, was that right now he didn’t know what action to take.
    The cop who’d come to see him didn’t think he’d killed Anna. That was good. Well, it was better than good given that Stanic was probably the number one suspect.
    None of those facts, though, were going to help calm Caroline down.
    Gregor sighed.
    Only a firm hand would get results here.
    He stood, and gently pulled Caroline down onto the sofa next to him.
    ‘Caz…’ he said, putting his hands on hers, ‘Try to calm down. This isn’t helping us, is it?’
    Caroline took a deep breath in.
    ‘No,’ she said, ‘I suppose it’s not’.
    Then, she put her head in her hands, and let out a noise that was half-sigh, half sob.
    ‘What did the cop say to you?’ Stanic asked, ‘The one who told you about Anna?’.
    ‘Not much’ said Caroline, brushing a tear from her cheek. ‘She just asked about us, and about you. I told the truth; that you loved Anna.’
    ‘And Tom?’
    Caroline nodded.
    ‘I said that if anyone was the killer, it was probably going to be him.’
    Stanic nodded, and smiled at her.
    ‘Good girl,’ he said, ‘You’ve done the right thing. And remember; you’ve not lied. Nothing you’ve said has been a lie. You don’t have to feel guilty.’
    Caroline said nothing for a moment, then spoke.
    ‘It still felt wrong. I mean, they’re trying to help find who killed Anna, aren’t they? We should be helping them. We should tell them.’
    Stanic shook his head.
    ‘There’s no point. If they’re half-decent