BooksBarbecue
Back Found
Chapters (62)
  1. Title
  2. Copyright
  3. Contents
  4. About the Author
  5. About the Book
  6. Dedication
  7. Your Worst Nightmare
  8. ONE
  9. TWO
  10. THREE
  11. FOUR
  12. FIVE
  13. SIX
  14. SEVEN
  15. EIGHT
  16. NINE
  17. The Answer to All Your Prayers
  18. TEN
  19. ELEVEN
  20. TWELVE
  21. THIRTEEN
  22. FOURTEEN
  23. FIFTEEN
  24. SIXTEEN
  25. SEVENTEEN
  26. EIGHTEEN
  27. NINETEEN
  28. TWENTY
  29. TWENTY-ONE
  30. TWENTY-TWO
  31. TWENTY-THREE
  32. TWENTY-FOUR
  33. TWENTY-FIVE
  34. TWENTY-SIX
  35. TWENTY-SEVEN
  36. TWENTY-EIGHT
  37. TWENTY-NINE
  38. THIRTY
  39. THIRTY-ONE
  40. Somebody Else’s Child
  41. THIRTY-TWO
  42. THIRTY-THREE
  43. THIRTY-FOUR
  44. THIRTY-FIVE
  45. THIRTY-SIX
  46. THIRTY-SEVEN
  47. THIRTY-EIGHT
  48. THIRTY-NINE
  49. FORTY
  50. FORTY-ONE
  51. FORTY-TWO
  52. FORTY-THREE
  53. FORTY-FOUR
  54. FORTY-FIVE
  55. FORTY-SIX
  56. FORTY-SEVEN
  57. FORTY-EIGHT
  58. FORTY-NINE
  59. Sunlight on Water
  60. July
  61. September
  62. Acknowledgements

‘Well, yes and no. It’s my name on the paperwork, but it’s Brian who generally drives it. I have the Hyundai which is better for my needs.’

‘Brian being?’

‘My husband.’

‘And you’ve owned the car how long?’

‘I should say it’s about eighteen months since he bought it. Brian wanted a workhorse – as he put it – and he really rates his Fords. I preferred the newer model – I think it looks sportier, more modern – but he wasn’t so keen. He thought it would leave his samples exposed if he had to leave them in the car. The model he bought has the full boot, which I suppose is more secure.’

‘What samples, Mrs Birch? What does your husband do?’

‘He sells compressed air, pneumatics, things like that. He’s what they used to call a rep, a travelling salesman. The stuff he sells is quite specialised, so he covers a big area. He travels all over the country seeing customers.’

‘And how long has he been doing that?’

‘A while. Is this about Brian or the car? I’m surprised you’re taking such an interest. I assumed gone was gone, and that’d be an end to it. You haven’t found it, have you? Only we’ve started the insurance claim. I’ll be disappointed to be honest if you have. I was hoping we might get something newer.’

‘We have found it, yes, but that doesn’t mean your insurance claim will be invalid. The car was involved in a criminal offence, so we’ll be hanging on to it for a while longer yet.’

‘A crime? What sort of crime?’

‘I’m afraid I can’t say.’

‘Does that mean you’ve got Brian’s samples? Was there anything in the boot?’

‘I’m afraid not, no.’

‘I expect they’ve sold them. Some of his stuff must be worth good money.’

Naylor is finding Mrs Birch’s wheezing disconcerting, like sitting opposite a vastly oversized pug.

‘Where was the car when it was stolen, Mrs Birch?’

‘I don’t know, exactly. I wasn’t there, was I? You’d have to ask Brian. Haven’t you got that information from when he reported it?’

‘Where did he tell you it was?’

‘He was in Hartlepool. He goes there regularly. They’re doing a lot with wind farms up there and Brian’s company’s involved in all that.’

‘And what company is that?’

Mrs Birch scowls.

‘I don’t see what that has to do with anything. He’ll have told the police up there where it was taken from. Don’t you people talk to each other? I can give you the incident number if you don’t have it. I needed it for the insurance.’