Read Online Faithfully: Chase & Halshaw #1 by Howard Mellowes - Free Book Online
Authors: Howard Mellowes
Ads: Link
through, please.”
He ushered Chase into a lounge congruent with the office
below.
“This is Will,” he continued, pointing out a pasty-faced,
dark-haired young man in jeans and T-shirt, who sat holding his head in his
hands. A fleshy brunette with a spectacular ring through her lower lip held him
close to her well-upholstered bosom. “And this is Julie. Have a seat, please.”
Chase seated himself in the one vacant armchair, which
sagged a little under his weight. “Thanks,” he replied. He glanced at Will. “Is
he all right?”
Geoff smiled ruefully. “He’ll be OK,” he replied. “He’ll
have a sore head tomorrow, though.”
Chase nodded and took out his notebook and pen. “This won’t
take long, I promise. First of all, who found the body?”
“Will did,” said Geoff.
“What did you see, Will?” asked Chase, gently.
Will groaned and said nothing.
“We were on our way back from the pub,” Geoff explained.
“Lisa had to park the car a block or so away, and we were walking back when I
noticed the front door was open downstairs, and the lights were on. I called
out to Will and Julie, who were in front. They went downstairs to have a look.
Lisa and I followed them, but by the time we got there Julie and Will were on
their way out again. We came back up here and dialled 999.”
“Did you touch anything in the downstairs flat?”
“No,” replied Geoff.
Julie shook her head.
“I touched the wall,” groaned Will. “I thought I was gonna
faint. What a fuckin’ awful way to end my fuckin’ birthday!”
“You’ll never forget it, will you mate?” smiled Geoff,
patting Will’s shoulder sympathetically.
“Did you see anyone about?” asked the detective.
“No, Inspector,” said Julie. Chase caught a glimpse of the
silver stud in her tongue as she spoke.
Will shook his head and groaned again.
“We did,” Geoff replied. “A woman passed us – Lisa and me,
that is - just after we’d parked the car.”
Chase pulled out his notebook and pen. “A woman?”
“Yeah. Can’t tell you much more than that, I’m afraid. Too
dark, you know.”
“Which way was she heading?”
“Towards the main road.”
“In the opposite direction to you, then?”
“Yeah.”
“How did she seem?”
“Kind of in a hurry, I guess. She nearly knocked Lisa over.”
“Was she carrying anything?”
“A black shopping bag and a briefcase.”
“What about a handbag?”
“Don’t know. Sorry. It was dark.”
Chase made a note. “You mentioned someone called Lisa,” he
said. “Who is she?”
“She’s my girlfriend, Inspector.”
“Where is she now?”
“In the kitchen, making tea and toast. Want some?”
“No thanks. I’ll just go and have a word with her, and then
I’ll be on my way.”
Geoff nodded. “Come on. I’ll take you to her.”
*
Lisa was bright-eyed and petite, with dark waist-length hair
tied back in a loose ponytail and a smile Chase could only describe as perky.
Her feet were bare, her toenails painted cornflower blue to match the flowers
on her short blue dress.
“That’s right, Inspector,” she replied, turning the gas ring
under the kettle up high. “I dropped Will and Julie off on the main road. Geoff
stayed with me while I looked for a parking space. They must have been mucking
about, though. By the time they reached the house we’d almost caught up with
them.”
“Who spotted the lights downstairs?”
“Not sure. Will and Julie, I guess.”
“And you went down to investigate?”
“Yes. Well, Will and Julie went down first, like I said. We
followed them.”
“Who phoned the police?”
“Geoff did. He ran straight up here, while Julie and I were
trying to get Will up the stairs.”
“And did you see anyone?”
“A woman almost ran into me when I was getting out of the
car.”
“Can you describe her?”
She shook her head. “Not really. It was dark, of course, and
I didn’t realise it would be important.”
“Please think, Lisa.
He ushered Chase into a lounge congruent with the office
below.
“This is Will,” he continued, pointing out a pasty-faced,
dark-haired young man in jeans and T-shirt, who sat holding his head in his
hands. A fleshy brunette with a spectacular ring through her lower lip held him
close to her well-upholstered bosom. “And this is Julie. Have a seat, please.”
Chase seated himself in the one vacant armchair, which
sagged a little under his weight. “Thanks,” he replied. He glanced at Will. “Is
he all right?”
Geoff smiled ruefully. “He’ll be OK,” he replied. “He’ll
have a sore head tomorrow, though.”
Chase nodded and took out his notebook and pen. “This won’t
take long, I promise. First of all, who found the body?”
“Will did,” said Geoff.
“What did you see, Will?” asked Chase, gently.
Will groaned and said nothing.
“We were on our way back from the pub,” Geoff explained.
“Lisa had to park the car a block or so away, and we were walking back when I
noticed the front door was open downstairs, and the lights were on. I called
out to Will and Julie, who were in front. They went downstairs to have a look.
Lisa and I followed them, but by the time we got there Julie and Will were on
their way out again. We came back up here and dialled 999.”
“Did you touch anything in the downstairs flat?”
“No,” replied Geoff.
Julie shook her head.
“I touched the wall,” groaned Will. “I thought I was gonna
faint. What a fuckin’ awful way to end my fuckin’ birthday!”
“You’ll never forget it, will you mate?” smiled Geoff,
patting Will’s shoulder sympathetically.
“Did you see anyone about?” asked the detective.
“No, Inspector,” said Julie. Chase caught a glimpse of the
silver stud in her tongue as she spoke.
Will shook his head and groaned again.
“We did,” Geoff replied. “A woman passed us – Lisa and me,
that is - just after we’d parked the car.”
Chase pulled out his notebook and pen. “A woman?”
“Yeah. Can’t tell you much more than that, I’m afraid. Too
dark, you know.”
“Which way was she heading?”
“Towards the main road.”
“In the opposite direction to you, then?”
“Yeah.”
“How did she seem?”
“Kind of in a hurry, I guess. She nearly knocked Lisa over.”
“Was she carrying anything?”
“A black shopping bag and a briefcase.”
“What about a handbag?”
“Don’t know. Sorry. It was dark.”
Chase made a note. “You mentioned someone called Lisa,” he
said. “Who is she?”
“She’s my girlfriend, Inspector.”
“Where is she now?”
“In the kitchen, making tea and toast. Want some?”
“No thanks. I’ll just go and have a word with her, and then
I’ll be on my way.”
Geoff nodded. “Come on. I’ll take you to her.”
*
Lisa was bright-eyed and petite, with dark waist-length hair
tied back in a loose ponytail and a smile Chase could only describe as perky.
Her feet were bare, her toenails painted cornflower blue to match the flowers
on her short blue dress.
“That’s right, Inspector,” she replied, turning the gas ring
under the kettle up high. “I dropped Will and Julie off on the main road. Geoff
stayed with me while I looked for a parking space. They must have been mucking
about, though. By the time they reached the house we’d almost caught up with
them.”
“Who spotted the lights downstairs?”
“Not sure. Will and Julie, I guess.”
“And you went down to investigate?”
“Yes. Well, Will and Julie went down first, like I said. We
followed them.”
“Who phoned the police?”
“Geoff did. He ran straight up here, while Julie and I were
trying to get Will up the stairs.”
“And did you see anyone?”
“A woman almost ran into me when I was getting out of the
car.”
“Can you describe her?”
She shook her head. “Not really. It was dark, of course, and
I didn’t realise it would be important.”
“Please think, Lisa.
Similar Books
