The Sixth Estate (The Craig Crime Series) Read Online Free

like he was going to head butt the glass wall.
    After a muttered exchange, Andy returned. “Nothing found in the grounds, but the gun cabinet was open when they arrived.”
    “Good.”
    Liam waited for Craig to explain; a missing rifle didn’t seem good to him. Craig gestured towards a low settee and everyone sat.
    “OK. We have an uber modern house, yet Oliver Bwye’s study is as old fashioned as a vicarage. The downstairs is completely open, no locks anywhere, yet he has two on his doors, front and back. I don’t doubt if we dig deeper we’ll find a safe and other things hidden in there. Liam, get the uniforms onto that. Check with the C.S.I.s, and when they’ve finished tear the place apart. I want every panel of wainscot off those walls and every floorboard up. Andy, I want to know if the gun cabinet was opened with a key or jemmied, and if there was any blood or prints on it. Julia can interview Bernadette Ross––”
    Andy cut in. “She’s already done it.”
    “Then get a fresh pair of eyes. See what Annette can get from her.”
    Liam interrupted. “What are you thinking? And what was that ‘good’ about earlier?”
    Craig shook his head. “I’m not sure yet. Let’s just see what we find.” He glanced at his watch. “I’ll check in with the office then I’m off to Limavady to see Julia. Liam, you’re with me. Andy, make a start and we’ll be back in an hour.”
    As they made to leave, Andy shot them a pathetic look. Craig nodded.
    “Don’t worry. We’ll pick up lunch on the way back.”
     
    ****
     
    Docklands. 11.30 a.m.
     
    Nicky Morris brushed down her vintage seventies dress and scanned the open-plan squad-room, smiling happily. It was only ten days till Christmas and it was lovely and quiet; just how she liked things at this time of year. She didn’t even mind that they had to work on a Sunday; they were on-call all week and once Craig had taken a case they all knew what to expect.
    The P.A. strolled over to their young analyst, Davy Walsh’s, desk, peering nosily at the image on his computer screen. It was a picture of the night sky, with blue, yellow and silver lights sprinkled prettily against the dense black. Just then Davy loped across the floor, carrying a plastic cup from the vending machine.
    She gestured at the drink. “If you’d wanted a coffee I’d have made you one.”
    He smiled and edged his slim shape past her into his chair.
    “I wanted hot chocolate. It’s Christmas.”
    She made a note to buy some hot chocolate and gestured at his PC. “What’s that?”
    His smile became a grin and he leaned in enthusiastically. “Cool, isn’t it? It’s the evolving universe taken by the Hubble Telescope Ultra Deep Field.”
    Before geek speak ruined what to her was just a pretty picture, Nicky searched round for something else to comment on. She found it protruding from Davy’s desk drawer and pointed a finger accusingly.
    “And what’s that ?”
    He saw where she was pointing and tried to nudge the item out of sight, only to succeed in tearing its corner instead. The torn piece fell at her feet and she picked it up, glaring pointedly at the logo of Queen’s University. Davy’s old professor had been hounding him to do a PhD and it looked as if he was considering it.
    She jabbed the paper with her finger. “Is this what I think it is?”
    He blushed and glanced away. “W…What d…do you think it is?”
    Davy’s lifelong stutter had diminished during the years he’d worked on the team to only the occasional stammer on ‘w’ and ‘s’, so the fact that he’d stuttered on a ‘d’ told Nicky that she’d really caught him out.
    She drew herself up to her full five-foot-three. “I think it’s an application form for a PhD.” Her voice rose accusingly. “You’re leaving us to go back to Queen’s! Does Superintendent Craig know?”
    Davy knew he was in real trouble; she never gave Craig his full title except when she was using him as a weapon. As