BooksBarbecue
Back A Change of Circumstance Save as PDF
Chapters (67)
  1. Cover
  2. One
  3. Two
  4. Three
  5. Four
  6. Five
  7. Six
  8. Seven
  9. Eight
  10. Nine
  11. Ten
  12. Eleven
  13. Twelve
  14. Thirteen
  15. Fourteen
  16. Fifteen
  17. Sixteen
  18. Seventeen
  19. Eighteen
  20. Nineteen
  21. Twenty
  22. Twenty-One
  23. Twenty-Two
  24. Twenty-Three
  25. Twenty-Four
  26. Twenty-Five
  27. Twenty-Six
  28. Twenty-Seven
  29. Twenty-Eight
  30. Twenty-Nine
  31. Thirty
  32. Thirty-One
  33. Thirty-Two
  34. Thirty-Three
  35. Thirty-Four
  36. Thirty-Five
  37. Thirty-Six
  38. Thirty-Seven
  39. Thirty-Eight
  40. Thirty-Nine
  41. Forty
  42. Forty-One
  43. Forty-Two
  44. Forty-Three
  45. Forty-Four
  46. Forty-Five
  47. Forty-Six
  48. Forty-Seven
  49. Forty-Eight
  50. Forty-Nine
  51. Fifty
  52. Fifty-One
  53. Fifty-Two
  54. Fifty-Three
  55. Fifty-Four
  56. Fifty-Five
  57. Fifty-Six
  58. Fifty-Seven
  59. Fifty-Eight
  60. Fifty-Nine
  61. Sixty
  62. Sixty-One
  63. Sixty-Two
  64. Sixty-Three
  65. Sixty-Four
  66. Sixty-Five
  67. Sixty-Six

‘Surprised you didn’t then,’ Serrailler said.

He stepped inside, stood still and listened. There was the strangely dead silence of an empty house but he still called out, and went on calling, as he entered the two ground-floor rooms, kitchen, pantry, covered walkway with two children’s bicycles and the recycling bins. A small wooden sledge was tied to the roof.

Upstairs. Four bedrooms, all curtains drawn, everything tidy and clean and very empty. He opened a wardrobe in the main bedroom, then a chest of drawers, after which he went into the children’s and a spare room and did the same. All of the drawers and hanging cupboards were more than half empty of clothes, shoes, toys and both bathrooms clear of any toiletries.

As he stood on the landing he saw that the hatch to the roof space was very slightly out of place. He pulled the ladder down but found only some rolled-up carpet and an old television set and faint lines in the dust.

‘They’ve gone,’ he said, running down the stairs. ‘Clothes and personal stuff missing, and it looks as if there were some suitcases in the attic which have been dragged out.’

‘So that’s it?’

‘For now. You can get off, don’t want you missing a second of off-duty time. I’ll lock up and take the key.’

‘SOCO then.’

‘As far as we know the house isn’t a crime scene, so probably not for the time being. Thanks, guys. Oh, and well spotted on that trick stone – you saved your shoulder and the force a repair bill.’

In the car and about to pick up messages, Serrailler felt as if life and energy had been drained out through the soles of his feet. He had had no sleep, only coffee and a bacon bap to eat, his throat was raw and he could taste the smoke in his mouth. When he breathed in, the lining of his lungs were sore. If he went back to the fire scene there would be nothing he could do, and there would be no more information now until access to the building was allowed. He opened the window and inhaled deeply a few times. Bevham air was not like that on top of a Swiss mountain but still a definite improvement on that in and around Starly now.

He usually ran up the stairs to his flat but now, his legs apparently full of lead, it was three flights of toil. He felt better after a hot shower but when he sat down on his bed, he was swallowed up by tiredness. Three minutes later, he was asleep.

Fifty-Four

‘Brookie and Alfie, get out of there and home, now, or you’ll feel the back of my hand. I said you weren’t to come round here, it’s not safe, and that cop has told you to scarper. Tommy and Connor, you should know better. Now come here!’