Shrine to Murder Read Online Free Page A

went along to the bathroom to clean up, then returned and went down the ladder to make his exit.’
    ‘ So you’ve nothing in the way of fingerprints or footprints?’
    ‘ No sir.’
    Angel ’s face dropped.
    ‘ Anything in the bags?’ he said.
    ‘ We haven’t finished, sir, but very little. The house is spotless.’
    ‘ In that case, whatever you have sucked up must be pretty interesting?’
    Taylor shrugged. He clearly wasn’t certain.
    ‘ Bring them to my office, anyway,’ Angel said. ‘I want to see for myself. And look after that mirror,’ he said, pointing to the dressing table. ‘I’ll want that taking to the station. Preserve that at all costs.’
    ‘ Oh yes , sir.’ Taylor said. He had already anticipated that he would want that.
    ‘ Where’s the bathroom?’
    Taylor went out of the bedroom, along the landing and turned right into the room next door. Angel followed.
    ‘ There is a trail of blood on the carpet,’ Taylor said.
    ‘ In both directions?’
    ‘ Yes, sir.’
    ‘ So we can take it he wasn’t familiar with the layout of the house?’
    ‘ Looks like it.’
    The bathroom was a large room. It had plastic covering on the floor.
    ‘ Where is the blood?’
    ‘ There’s a trail of blood to this sink. He’s run both taps. There were traces of pink, as you’d expect. He didn’t use the soap.’
    Angel turned and looked at the towel rail. There were two towels folded neatly across the heated rails. There was room for several more.
    ‘ He didn’t use those towels either.’
    ‘ I suppose there could have been three towels there, Don?’
    ‘ Yes. Or more, sir.’
    ‘ I’ll see if his daughter knew.’ He remembered she was downstairs waiting for him. ‘I’ll have to go,’ he said and made for the door. ‘I’ll come back.’
    Mac, who had been standing patiently by the bathroom door, said, ‘All right to move the body now, Michael?’
    ‘ Yes, Mac. Thank you.’
    Angel went out of the bedroom and down the stairs.
    Mr and Mrs Krill were still in the drawing room. They stood up when he went into the room. Kathleen Krill looked very pale. Angel thought that shock was now telling on her.
    ‘ Sorry to keep you,’ he said. ‘Please sit down.’ He turned to Mrs Krill. ‘I won’t keep you much longer today, but…something has cropped up. Is there anybody in the family, or that your father knew, whose name begins with the letter V?’
    Mrs Krill thought a moment, then looked at her husband. ‘Do we know anybody, Cyril, whose name begins with V?’
    He looked vague and shook his head.
    They both turned to Angel.
    ‘ I’m sorry,’ she said. ‘Can’t think of anybody. Is it important?’
    ‘ It might be. It’s incorporated in the phrase, “V to go”, daubed on the mirror up there. Does that mean anything at all to you?’
    Mrs Krill gasped. The whites of her eyes grew bigger. The murderer left a…a message on a mirror?’ she said.
    ‘ I am afraid so, Mrs Krill.’
    She shook her head, found a tissue and wiped her nose.
    Krill looked at her and his manner suddenly became assertive. He was no longer interested in the questions. He stood up, reached himself up to his full height and said, ‘We really need to be on our way. My wife needs to rest.’ He took a business card out of his pocket and passed it to Angel. ‘My private address and telephone number are on this, if you need to get in touch with us. I will take Kathleen home in my car, and collect hers later.’
    ‘ Very well,’ Angel said. ‘Thank you, sir.’
    Krill pushed his wife gently through the door and followed close behind.
    Angel turned away, looked down at the business card, read it and then pushed it into his pocket. He wasn’t happy with the way things were developing. He rubbed his hand across his mouth thoughtfully.
    DS Carter peered through the door.
    ‘ Ah, there you are, sir,’ she said brightly and bounced into the room like a teenager just out of school.
    He looked up and frowned. He