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

‘Krukowski was a Christian. Getting down with the sinners.’ Charlie, trying for a laugh and missing the mark.

‘Why not?’ Vera said. ‘We don’t come across them very often, but there are some good people out there.’ The door opened and Joe slid in at the back. ‘Anything for us, Joe?’ To show him that she’d registered the fact that he was late.

He grinned and her heart gave a little leap. Ah, my Joe, my little teacher’s pet, what have you got for me?

‘I’ve been chatting to the guys manning the phones. A few bits of information in the last couple of minutes.’

‘Well, don’t keep it to yourself, man.’

‘Jason, the guy who took Dee Robson back to his flat on the afternoon Margaret died, has just got in touch. He saw a picture of Dee on the early-evening news. Had to wait until his girlfriend went out to her mam’s before making the call.’

‘And?’ Vera was almost hopping with impatience.

‘Corroborates Dee’s story. He’d just been made redundant from a place in the Mardle industrial estate.’ Joe looked at his notes. ‘Mardle Foods. They make own-brand cakes for the supermarkets. His shift finished at one and he headed for the Coble with the sole intention of getting pissed. Achieved the aim big-style. Somehow allowed himself to be picked up by Dee and took her home. Realized it wasn’t such a good idea when he sobered up a bit, and he bundled her out of the flat before his girlfriend got back. Later that evening he carried on drinking with mates, who can vouch for him.’

Vera nodded. She’d always believed Dee and she couldn’t see how that got them much further forward. Ah, Joe, you shouldn’t have raised my hopes like that. But Joe hadn’t finished.

‘We know where Margaret Krukowski went the afternoon that she died.’

She beamed. She should have had more faith. ‘Well, put us out of our misery!’

‘To see a Mr Edwin Short, who has an office in Gosforth High Street. He’s been away for a couple of days – a city break in Barcelona. Not short of a bob or two, Mr Short.’ Joe looked up and grinned. ‘He’s a solicitor from the firm Medburn, Liddle and Short. Margaret Krukowski went to see him because she wanted to make a will.’

Chapter Twenty-Two