To Die Alone by John Dean Read Free Book Online Page B

place.’
    ‘Can you think of any reason why anyone would want to kill Trevor?’
    ‘No. The man was a saint as far as I was concerned. Loved dogs, really loved them. The idea that a dog owner could be the one who ki—’
    ‘This talk of you closing down a few months ago,’ said Harris, cutting across him. ‘Was there anything in that?’
    ‘Gossip, Jack,’ said Ramsden, with a shake of the head. ‘All pub talk. You know what people are like up here. God knows where these rumours begin.’
    Harris nodded and, without another word, walked away, leaving the councillor standing in the street. It was not long before the detectives emerged into the market place where they headed towards the inspector’s white Land Rover parked close to the town cross. Harris glanced across to the far side of the square, where two drunks in their late twenties were arguing outside the darkened Co-op store.
    ‘What’s the betting they’ve been at the King’s Head?’ he said.
    ‘Been like this all day apparently,’ said Butterfield, following his gaze. ‘Uniform have been called there three times. Every time they get things calmed down, it flares up again.’
    She glanced at the inspector. Although desperate to ask about the encounter with James Thornycroft, the constable nevertheless resisted the temptation to raise the subject: you never knew where you were with Jack Harris and she realized that, having irked him earlier, she had to choose her words carefully. Her short experience of working with the DCI had taught her that only when he was ready would Jack Harris talk.
    ‘So what do you think about James Thornycroft?’ asked Harris, as they reached the vehicle and he fished in his jacket pocket for his keys.
    Butterfield looked at him with relief: it was so often the way with Harris, his moods blew over so quickly, and to be excluded from the murder inquiry would be a major disappointment for the ambitious young officer. Nevertheless, she resolved to proceed with care.
    ‘Look,’ she said, trying to sound respectful, ‘I know that you are friends with the guy and all that….’
    ‘What on earth gave you that idea?’
    ‘Well, he called you Hawk for a start.’
    ‘Yeah,’ said Harris darkly, ‘and if he does it again, I may be forced to rip his oily little head off his oily little shoulders.’
    ‘So you’re not friends then?’
    ‘Of course we’re not,’ said Harris. ‘I mean, give me some credit, Constable. The man’s a deeply unpleasant individual. I would like to think that I display a little more judgement when selecting my friends.’
    ‘In which case,’ said Butterfield, realizing not for the first time that she did not really know who the inspector’s friends were, ‘I would say that James Thornycroft is lying through his teeth.’
    ‘I agree,’ said the inspector. He stopped walking and looked hard at her. ‘And I would hope that even if he was my best friend you would still tell me if he was a wrong’un.’
    ‘Of course I would.’
    ‘Good. And you are right, he was certainly acting strangely,’ said Harris, starting to walk again and nodding across at the drunks who were now squaring up to each other. ‘He’s not the only one, though, mind. Isn’t that Len Radley and Charlie Myles? I thought they were good friends?’
    ‘Thick as thieves, guv.’
    ‘Like I said, this weather does funny things to people,’ said the inspector, unlocking the vehicle’s door and gesturing for Scoot to jump into the passenger seat. ‘I’m going to see Matty, he’s over at Meredith’s cottage. Can you go back to the station and do some discreet checking on James Thornycroft?’
    ‘Be a pleasure.’
    ‘Discreet, remember.’
    ‘You know me, guv.’
    ‘Exactly,’ he said, pausing halfway into the vehicle. ‘Look, I’m serious, don’t talk to anyone up here, you know how fast word gets round. That’s why I didn’t pursue it back there – let’s keep this nice and quiet. Let’s just see if