Web of Lies Sally Rigby (summer reading list TXT) 📖

‘Can I get you anything to drink, coffee, tea? A soft drink?’

‘We’ve just had one, thanks,’ Seb said.

‘Would you like some cake?’

‘We’re fine, thanks,’ Seb said.

‘Tell me what happened.’ Sarah said once they’d reached the drawing room and sat down.

‘I was attacked after leaving the pub in Market Harborough town centre on Saturday night.’

‘He ended up in the hospital at Leicester and he discharged himself yesterday against doctor’s orders,’ Birdie added. ‘That’s why I was the one to bring him here, because he wanted to see you and he can’t drive himself, yet.’

‘Do you know why you were attacked?’ Sarah looked from Birdie to him.

‘They took his wallet, but we think it might be related to your case,’ Birdie answered before Seb had time to speak.

He hadn’t intended to be quite so direct, but it was out in the open, now. ‘But I’m fine,’ he added.

‘You don’t look it. Stop the investigation straight away. They might come after you again if you don’t. I couldn’t have that on my conscience.’

‘Let’s not jump the gun. First of all, we’ve got to find out who did this to me and whether it was a random attack, or whether it’s actually related to the investigation into Donald. Before this happened, we had intended telling you that we’d found nothing to make us think his death was anything other than suicide. Even the note we believed we could justify. But if this is to do with it, then that changes everything, and it points to you being right.’

Sarah bit down on her bottom lip. ‘If you’re sure, then carry on, but promise me you’ll be careful. Both of you.’ She looked across at Birdie and back at him.

He was in too deep now not to carry on.

‘Oh, believe me, we will be. I was taken unawares on Saturday. That won’t happen again, I can assure you.’

Chapter 26

17 May

‘Thanks for lunch, Sarah. And especially the chocolate cake, that was to die for,’ Birdie said as they stood on the doorstep saying goodbye. She’d never been in such a large house before. It was beautiful, and she’d have loved to look around, but she didn’t think Seb would be happy about her asking.

‘You’re welcome. It’s nice to have someone appreciate my baking.’ Sarah smiled, and it lit up her whole face. There was a definite family resemblance between her and Seb.

‘You should take it up professionally. I’d be first in line to buy whatever you made.’

‘Maybe I will.’ Sarah turned to Seb, her face becoming serious. ‘Please be careful, I don’t want you hurt on my account. And don’t forget to keep me updated.’

‘I’ll be fine.’ He glanced at Birdie. ‘We’ll both be fine.’

They headed slowly to the car and Birdie opened the door for Seb to ease himself in.

‘We’ll go to the station so you can have a look at this CCTV footage and then I’m going to get you home because you’re looking even worse than you did this morning,’ Birdie said, once they were both strapped in and she had started the engine.

‘I’m sure by tomorrow I’ll be feeling much better.’

‘Yeah, maybe. But you still had a nasty attack. How’s your head? Do you want some headache pills?’

‘I’ll be fine.’

‘Don’t tell me you’re one of those men who couldn’t possibly take anything to help in case it made you seem weak?’

‘I’m in no mood to discuss this.’ He turned his head and stared out of the window.

That was the first time she’d heard him snap like that. Hardly surprising considering the state he was in, but it shocked her a little. He’d always given the impression of being so laid-back that nothing ruffled him.

She drove to the station and parked in the street, rather than the car park, concerned that someone might hit the BMW. It had been such a treat to drive it. The leather seats were soft and luxurious, and it was an automatic transmission, so all she had to do was sit back and stare at the road ahead. It would be a shame to go back to her old Mini.

They walked into the station through the front door.

‘Afternoon, Bill,’ she said on their way past the officer at the front desk.

He coughed and nodded at Seb. ‘Signing in book.’

‘Oh, yeah, sorry, I forgot.’

‘No cameras or facial recognition?’ Seb asked, looking all around.

‘You do realise that we’re in the sticks.’ She rolled her eyes. ‘Talk about you can take the man out of the Met, but you can’t take the Met out of the man.’

After signing him in, she took him to the CID office.

‘It’s empty,’ he said.

‘Only me around today. It’s Twiggy’s day off. Rambo’s on paternity leave, and Tiny and Sparkle are both in court. Different cases. Sarge might be somewhere, I’m not sure. If I didn’t know better, I’d say he lived here. He’s never far away. With no one else in it will make our work much easier, as we won’t be interrupted.’ She grabbed a chair and pulled it along so he could sit next to her at her desk. ‘I’ll show you the CCTV footage that I didn’t download to my phone.’ She pulled it up on the screen. ‘This is when you left the pub.’

‘Can you pause it so we can take a closer look,’ Seb said. ‘I want to see if there was anybody else in the vicinity.’

‘I’ve already looked and there wasn’t. Not on this camera.’

‘Did you look at any cameras further down the road, away from the direction I was heading?’

‘No, I only checked the camera which followed you. There’s one further down the street, let’s take a look.’ She went into the system and called up the particular camera she had referred to.

‘See over there, standing in the shop doorway.’ He pointed to the two shadows, who were clearly the men who’d been following him earlier.

‘I’m such an idiot. Why didn’t I think of going back rather than just looking at your