Restless Dead (Harry Grimm Book 5) David Gatward (reading strategies book txt) 📖

of the old cellar I think. Runs the length of the larger house, still.’

‘Strange thing to do then, knock down the bit in the middle.’

‘It was a long time ago,’ James said.

For a moment, the three men stood staring up at the house. Then James stepped forward and turned to face Harry and Matt.

‘I appreciate you coming out,’ he said. ‘I know it sounds crazy, but all I can tell you is what I saw. And I’m not one for lying or misleading people.’

‘And I’ve a good description of the person you saw, now,’ Matt said.

Harry was about to ask if there was anyone else that James thought the intruder could be, but decided it was best to just leave things as they were, for now. ‘Well, we’ll be leaving now,’ he said. ‘And, like I said when we arrived, we really are sorry for your loss. It’s a terrible thing that happened, Mr Fletcher. And I think it’s good that you have family close by at a time like this.’

‘Yes, family is everything, really, isn’t it?’ James said.

A few minutes later, with their farewells said to James, and having quickly checked with Patricia and her husband that they had not been out in the garden when James said he had seen the woman, Harry was sat in the car, waiting for Matt. Chasing ghosts was certainly something he had never had to do before as part of his job, and it was another surprise that Wensleydale had obviously decided to lay on for him. He couldn’t help but feel for James, and Harry had no doubt that the poor man was just suffering terribly from the loss of his wife, his mind desperate to see her in every shadow, every movement of a leaf or branch.

Matt climbed into the car.

‘Nothing to report,’ Matt said, having just popped around to the cottage to check if James’ other daughter had seen anything strange or out of the ordinary. ‘In fact, me turning up at the door was the first that Ruth had heard about it.’

‘Really?’ Harry said. ‘I would’ve thought Patricia would’ve let her know. Seems a little strange.’

Matt clipped himself in and started the car. ‘Well, with what’s happened, I reckon we can forgive them a little strangeness, don’t you, Boss?’

‘Agreed,’ Harry said and glanced at his watch. ‘Looks like I’m going to be back just in time to go straight to bed.’

As Matt eased the car quietly down the drive, back to the main road, he asked, ‘So, what do you think he actually saw, then?’

‘Well, it wasn’t his wife, was it, that’s for sure,’ Harry said. ‘Could’ve been anything. Grief and stress, they can really play on your mind, make it think and see things it shouldn’t, or that aren’t actually there.’

Matt went to say something, then stopped himself, instead focusing on the road ahead as he pulled out to head back to Hawes.

‘What?’ Harry asked.

‘Oh, nowt, really,’ Matt said.

‘You sure about that?’

‘Yes, I am,’ Matt said, but as they headed back, the detective sergeant was strangely quiet, and Harry was left to wonder what would bother the man enough to keep quiet about it.

Chapter Nine

It was Saturday evening, only five days since her mum had been killed, and Ruth was at the door of her dad’s house, with Patricia and Dan, staring into the face of a woman standing on the doorstep who was all smiles, flowing scarves, and bangles. Her black hair shone with an almost iridescent blue.

None of them had time for this, what with the funeral to be getting on with, which was proving to be one of the most upsetting things she’d ever had to do in her whole life. The time had both flown and dragged, which sounded impossible, she knew, but that was really the only way to explain it. The minutes and hours and days had dragged by, as though being pulled through tar, they’d had visits from the police, the minister, well-wishers, and then there had been that odd episode with Dad saying he’d seen Mum. And yet, here they were, at the weekend, and it felt then as though the time had raced past, as though the death of her mum was already so long ago. And what they were dealing with now, this new arrival, well, it was, in almost every possible way, Ruth thought, just too bloody much to be going on with.

‘I don’t believe this at all,’ Patricia said, and Ruth found herself agreeing with her sister for once. ‘He called you? I mean, he actually called you and asked you to come over here, but didn’t tell us, his family?’

‘Yes,’ the woman said, and held out her business card. Ruth saw that the image on it, behind the woman’s name, was of a dreamcatcher. ‘He rang yesterday and asked if I could come over. I don’t usually do weekend visits, but he was very insistent. I can come some other time, if that suits you better? But perhaps, if I could just chat with James, your father, first?’

‘I’m sure he was insistent,’ Ruth said. ‘He can be quite persuasive. But I just don’t think this is all that sensible.’

‘Not sensible?’ Patricia said. ‘It’s absolutely bloody ridiculous is what it is! And to not even tell us? It’s not on, it really isn’t. We’re all grieving, and he does this? Honestly, I’m lost for words.’

‘Well, there’s no point going off on one about it, is there?’ Ruth said, taking a swipe at her sister. At first, she’d appreciated their visit, but it hadn’t taken long for the novelty to wear off.

‘I’m just saying what I see,’ Patricia snapped back. ‘Whatever is going on with him, he needs help, yes, professional help, actually. And this most certainly isn’t that!’

Ruth took the woman’s business card and stared at it. Not at her name, because right now that wasn’t important. It was her supposed profession that was bothering her, bothering them all.

Dan said, ‘I think Patricia has