Unnatural Wastage by Betty Rowlands Read Free Book Online Page A

give evidence in court and she said she would. And there’s your motive for murder, ladies. What more do you want?’
    â€˜Mr Donaldson, as you are no doubt aware, Fenella Tremaine’s body was discovered in a rubbish skip on the Sycamore Park estate, which is several miles from here,’ Sukey pointed out. ‘Have you any theory as to why that should be the case?’
    â€˜That’s for you to find out; there could be half a dozen reasons. They almost certainly know where she lived – not being a relative, she wouldn’t have been allowed to visit Auntie Peg without producing satisfactory credentials so her address would be on file in the office.’
    â€˜We’ll need their names, of course.’
    â€˜Got them here.’ Donaldson handed over one of his business cards with two names written on the back.
    Vicky slid the card into her pocket. ‘Thank you, sir, we’ll be in touch. And thank you for the coffee.’
    As the two detectives prepared to leave, Donaldson rose to his feet and said, ‘Anything else I can do . . . anything at all . . . just let me know.’
    â€˜Thank you, sir,’ Sukey repeated and then added as an afterthought, ‘In case you’re asked, I’d advise you not to say anything to the press about this interview.’
    â€˜Don’t worry. I’ll keep shtum until you’ve made the arrests.’ He picked up a small brass bell and rang it vigorously. ‘Evans will see you out.’
    â€˜It looks as if we have to take this seriously,’ said Sukey as they returned to the car. ‘I guess our next step is to go to the home and interview these two women. The Sarge said we should contact whoever’s in charge beforehand. You’ve been doing the research – I take it you’ve got the details.’
    â€˜Yes, but I vote we go and get something to eat first,’ said Vicky. ‘I’m starving; that mean old so-and-so didn’t even offer us a biscuit with our coffee.’
    â€˜OK,’ Sukey agreed. ‘We may as well go back to HQ and call the home from there.’

FIVE
    â€˜S o, Penny, how do you feel after your first press conference?’ asked Rathbone while the media representatives were being escorted from the building shortly before midday on Monday.
    â€˜It was fascinating, Sarge,’ said Penny enthusiastically. ‘I thought the way DCI Leach handled some of the questions was quite masterly. That journalist from the
Bristol Evening Echo
had obviously done his homework – he knew about Fenella Tremaine being called as a witness in the case that Mr Bradley Donaldson is bringing against the nursing home and he did his best to get more information.’
    â€˜Ah yes, young Harry Matthews,’ said Rathbone. ‘As a matter of fact he’s been helpful to us more than once by turning up bits of evidence. He also nearly got himself and Sukey killed in a tattoo parlour a while back,’ he added with a grin. ‘We’ve laughed about it since, but it wasn’t funny at the time.’
    â€˜I heard about that, of course, but I didn’t recognize him.’ Penny thought for a moment and then began hesitantly, ‘You don’t suppose—’ and then broke off in evident embarrassment.
    â€˜Suppose what?’ said Rathbone impatiently.
    â€˜It’s just that I believe he and Sukey have been seeing each other quite a lot lately.’
    â€˜It wouldn’t surprise me. They’re neighbours. What of it?’
    â€˜Well, Sarge, there’s been a lot of stuff in the papers lately about journalists finding out personal details of people involved in criminal cases by hacking into their mobile phones and listening to their voice mail. Could that be how Harry Matthews got his information about Fenella?’
    Rathbone frowned. ‘I’ve always thought him pretty high principled in spite of being a journalist. I