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Back Dead Water Save as PDF
Chapters (47)
  1. Chapter One
  2. Chapter Two
  3. Chapter Three
  4. Chapter Four
  5. Chapter Five
  6. Chapter Six
  7. Chapter Seven
  8. Chapter Eight
  9. Chapter Nine
  10. Chapter Ten
  11. Chapter Eleven
  12. Chapter Twelve
  13. Chapter Thirteen
  14. Chapter Fourteen
  15. Chapter Fifteen
  16. Chapter Sixteen
  17. Chapter Seventeen
  18. Chapter Eighteen
  19. Chapter Nineteen
  20. Chapter Twenty
  21. Chapter Twenty-One
  22. Chapter Twenty-Two
  23. Chapter Twenty-Three
  24. Chapter Twenty-Four
  25. Chapter Twenty-Five
  26. Chapter Twenty-Six
  27. Chapter Twenty-Seven
  28. Chapter Twenty-Eight
  29. Chapter Twenty-Nine
  30. Chapter Thirty
  31. Chapter Thirty-One
  32. Chapter Thirty-Two
  33. Chapter Thirty-Three
  34. Chapter Thirty-Four
  35. Chapter Thirty-Five
  36. Chapter Thirty-Six
  37. Chapter Thirty-Seven
  38. Chapter Thirty-Eight
  39. Chapter Thirty-Nine
  40. Chapter Forty
  41. Chapter Forty-One
  42. Chapter Forty-Two
  43. Chapter Forty-Three
  44. Chapter Forty-Four
  45. Chapter Forty-Five
  46. Chapter Forty-Six
  47. Chapter Forty-Seven

Belshaw hesitated for a moment. ‘It was always hard to tell what John was thinking. He’d seemed preoccupied all lunchtime, but that might have been work. He took his work very seriously. And of course there was the wedding. It occurred to me that he’d be remembering Agnes and wondering if he was doing the right thing. Not last-minute second thoughts, because he loved Evie, but just thinking about the last time he was married. Kind of honouring Agnes’s memory, before moving on.’ He paused. ‘I did think it was odd that he wanted to talk about Markham and the murder. He was never one for gossip, for getting excited about another man’s misfortune.’

‘And that was how he seemed?’ Perez leaned back in his chair. ‘Excited?’

Belshaw seemed to consider. ‘Maybe that’s not the right word,’ he said at last. ‘But John kept coming back to the subject. He wouldn’t let it go. Not while we were eating because the children were there then, but later, when we sent them out to play.’

‘Did he have any theories about Markham’s death? Did he speculate about the motive or the killer?’

‘No.’ Belshaw leaned forward across the table. ‘Nothing like that. He seemed upset, disturbed. “Things like that shouldn’t happen here.” That was what he said.’

‘You hadn’t talked to John about Markham’s murder before then? You don’t know how he came to hear about it?’

‘No. I was working on Saturday. I do the occasional day at the weekend. That was when you came to see me.’ Belshaw drained his mug. ‘I’m glad Jen invited John to lunch on Sunday. She rows in the Aith vets’ rowing team and she should have been at the regatta at St Ninian’s, but there were plenty of volunteers, so she was able to get out of it. It gave us a chance to spend some time together. That was the last time I saw him.’

Perez looked up. ‘Is your wife friendly with Rhona Laing?’

Belshaw shrugged. ‘They row in the same team. They both love being on the water. I don’t think that makes them best mates.’

He got to his feet as his phone rang. It was obviously work-related. Perez couldn’t think of a reason to prolong the interview and waved to indicate that he would see himself out. He pinned his card on the notice board in the kitchen before leaving, mouthing, ‘Give me a ring if you think of anything.’ Belshaw nodded and went back to his call.