The Scent of Death--A Sukey Reyholds British police procedural Read Online Free Page A

to be our turn for weekend duty – remember?’
    â€˜Sorry, I’ve been away covering a trial in Birmingham and I clean forgot. Have you had anything to eat?’
    â€˜Not a lot. I’m going to have a quick snack and then bed.’
    â€˜Well mind you have a good breakfast tomorrow. Keep in touch, love you.’
    â€˜Love you too,’ she said softly as the sound of a kiss came over the wire.
    When Sukey checked in at headquarters the following morning she had a brief word with the staff in CID to ask if any further messages from Dallington Manor had come in before going straight to DI Rathbone’s office. Two other detective constables, Tim Pringle and Mike Haskins, were already there and Vicky joined them a few moments later.
    â€˜I’ve spoken to the manager and told him I’m sending a team of detectives to continue with our enquiries,’ Rathbone began. ‘Freeman and his lot are having breakfast and their morning session begins at nine thirty. Vicky, I want you and Sukey to have a thorough check on the area where the accident happened. Things that got missed last night might be visible in daylight. Have a further talk with Freeman and see if he can identify any of the members of his group who might possibly have crossed swords with Rainbird and if so I want you two to talk to them. Mike and Tim, you will begin by taking statements from people Freeman feels are less likely to have done so. I know this sounds a bit hit and miss,’ he went on, ‘but until we get some idea of the general ambience within the group we’re unlikely to spot anything that looks like a lead. Any questions?’
    â€˜What will you be doing, Guv?’ asked Vicky slyly.
    â€˜I do have several other cases to keep a check on,’ he replied sharply, ‘and please bear in mind that this is officially being treated as an unexplained death at the moment. If any of the press show up you tell them nothing.’ The final remark was intended to be for the whole team, but Sukey’s relationship with Harry was well known and she was aware that it was addressed principally at her.
    When the team arrived at the hotel they found Chapman at reception talking to Freeman. After Vicky had introduced Tim and Mike, Freeman said, ‘Mr Chapman has very kindly set aside some rooms where you can take statements, as requested by Inspector Rathbone.’
    â€˜That’s excellent, thank you very much,’ said Vicky. She outlined Rathbone’s instructions for the conduct of the interviews. ‘I believe your programme begins in twenty minutes or so and we don’t want to disrupt it any more than necessary. It would be very helpful if you could identify a few people from the list of attendees who you feel might have had disagreements with Mr Rainbird.’
    Freeman glanced through the list for a few moments before saying, ‘There are a few that come to mind.’ He put a tick against several names. ‘Eric Bowen, Hugh Pearson and Charlotte Lang – she’s in a wheelchair and brings her carer Millie with her. Poor Millie; Charlotte’s a bit of a bully – if anything goes wrong it’s always Millie’s fault, but she takes it without a murmur. And there’s a couple; Trixie – short for Beatrix – and Stan Day. They’ve been regulars since I started the business. And then there’s Romeo.’
    â€˜Romeo who?’ asked Sukey.
    â€˜Search me. I heard him busking in a shopping centre two or three years ago and I could hardly believe what I was hearing. He’s got a remarkable voice and when he’d finished singing the bird catcher’s song from
The Magic Flute
– unaccompanied except for a set of pan pipes – I asked him where he’d trained, but he insisted it was a natural voice and he’d worked on it by himself. I found it hard to believe, but that was all he’d say. He looks like a gypsy and he just turns