BooksBarbecue
Back What Lies Beneath Save as PDF
Chapters (70)
  1. Cover
  2. Get more of my books FREE!
  3. Map of Rutland
  4. Map of Oakham
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. 59
  64. 60
  65. 61
  66. 62
  67. 63
  68. On Borrowed Time
  69. Acknowledgments
  70. Adam Croft

‘Well, yeah. Just Google the guy.’ Hannah stood up and walked over to her desk, before tapping a couple of keys on her laptop to wake it up. She logged in, pulled up a browser tab and typed Patrick Walsh into Google Images. ‘There you go. Fit or what?’

Caroline had to admit he wasn’t bad at all, but refrained from saying so. She took her mobile phone from her pocket and snapped a couple of pictures of the screen.

‘Urgh. Old people are so dumb. You don’t need to do that. Just Google him on your phone and download the images.’

‘Well it’s done now,’ Caroline replied, smiling. As she went to put her phone back in her pocket, it began to vibrate. Sara Henshaw’s name was on the screen. ‘One sec,’ she mouthed to Hannah, stepping out of the room. ‘Sara?’

‘Thought you might like to know, one of the councillors called me back. Barbara Tallis, her name is. She’s free tomorrow morning and happy to meet for a chat.’

Caroline smiled. She had a feeling that could be very useful indeed.

11

‘Who’d he play for?’ Caroline asked as they walked into town the next morning to meet Councillor Barbara Tallis.

‘Leicester Tigers, apparently,’ Dexter replied, reading off his phone. ‘Local lad, played his whole career there. Even got a few games for Ireland.’

‘Ooh, properly local then.’

‘His parents are Irish. You know what it’s like with international sport. If you order a takeaway once a week they let you play for China.’

‘Is he married?’

‘Dunno,’ Dexter said, grimacing at his phone. ‘Can’t see any mention of a wife here, but I’ll keep looking.’

Before long, the looming spire of the Church of All Saints was behind them and the marketplace opened in front.

The Lord Nelson was a traditional characterful pub tucked away in the corner of the marketplace, with the original building dating back to the 1500s. They ordered two coffees at the bar, then made their way through the labyrinthine corridors and up the stairs.

‘Christ, this place is like a maze,’ Caroline said, trying not to spill her coffee.

‘Don’t tell me you’ve never been here before,’ Dexter replied, already knowing what the answer would be.

‘I’m not really a pub person.’

‘It’s not just a pub. It’s the heart of the community. Then again, I don’t suppose that appeals either, does it?’ he said, checking one of the upstairs lounge rooms and finding it empty.

‘Why do you say that?’

‘Because you’re not community-minded and you don’t have a heart. Ah! You must be Councillor Tallis. DS Antoine. Lovely to meet you.’

Caroline knew he’d timed his barb perfectly and would spend the rest of the meeting with a smug grin on his face, knowing all she wanted to do was put him right.