CXVI The Beginning of the End (Book 1): A Gripping Murder Mystery and Suspense Thriller (CXVI BOOK 1) by Angie Smith Page A

in the afternoon. At Barnes’ insistence they’d called
for a sandwich on the way. Her hunger surprised Woods, as she’d already
devoured a large bacon, sausage and tomato bread roll at around ten o’clock,
and her slight build and delicate frame suggested her calorie intake was
minimal. Disproving his assumption she’d just munched her way through a six
inch oven roasted chicken breast sandwich, and was sipping the last remnants of
a large Coke as they pulled up.
    “Where do you put all those calories?” he asked.
    “I go out running, go to the gym, swim and keep fit.
I burn it off. I don’t know how you survive not eating all day. Don’t you ever
get hungry?”
    Woods shrugged. “Not really. It’s something I don’t
get hung up on. I’ll have some cereal in the morning and eat when I get home at
night.”
    They got out of the car and walked up the path.
    Wright was waiting at the door watching them
approach. “Hello Superintendent.”
    Woods asked if they could go in and they made their
way through the house and out onto the patio where Wright appeared to have been
sitting enjoying the afternoon sunshine.
    “I suppose you’ve heard what’s happened to
Mateland?” Woods said, as they seated themselves around the patio table.
    “Mick Greenwood telephoned this morning.”
    “News travels fast.”
    “Good news definitely travels fast.”
    “Why is the death of Mateland good news?”
    “Oh come on, everyone in the Force knows what a prat
he is; I bet you can’t find one person who’s got a good word to say about him.”
    “What about his wife?” Barnes interjected. “Does she
have a good word to say about him?”
    Woods shot her a glance, but did not speak. Normally
he might have snapped and made some derogatory comment at an officer
interrupting his line of questioning, but on this occasion he approved and
there was the hint of a smile.
    “You did see us, up by the bridge that day. I wasn’t
sure you’d recognised me.”
    Barnes nodded.
    “Did you tell Mateland?”
    “No! Why would I tell Mateland? And what was there
to tell? You could have just been talking.” Woods saw her lips seal tightly as
if holding back a smile.
    “Well someone told him, and you don’t exactly have a
reputation for being tight mouthed. Do you?”
    “I don’t have a reputation for screwing around
either,” she snapped.
    “All right Maria,” Woods jumped in. “Did Mateland
confront you about it?”
    “No, he never said a word to me; I didn’t know he
knew. I was called into his office one afternoon and told, pending an
investigation, he was suspending me. I was dumbstruck. I didn’t know it at the
time, but he’d had it out with Dawn — his wife — that morning; they had a
blazing row and he ended up knocking her about. She was in A&E when he was
suspending me.”
    “Is she okay?” Barnes asked.
    “Yes, but it’s no thanks to Mateland. He’d told her
he was sacking me and if she was thinking of leaving him for me, she’d better
think again as I wouldn’t have a future in the Force.”
    “Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we
practise to deceive,” Barnes quoted.
    “So where were you yesterday evening at around 9.00
p.m.?” Woods asked.
    Wright laughed. “You honestly think it was me on the
top of the bridge smashing a drain cover through his windscreen? I might have
smashed my fist through his ugly face for what he did to Dawn, but I’m not
stupid enough to do him in. It was probably kids acting about.”
    “It wasn’t kids acting about, it was murder.”
    “Murder!” Wright echoed, appearing shocked.
    “So where were you yesterday evening?” Woods asked
again.
    “Here watching TV.”
    “Can anyone verify that?”
    “No, I live on my own. My wife left me eighteen
months ago.”
    “What significance has CMXVI to you, or Mateland?”
    “What?”
    “CMXVI. They’re Roman numerals. Nine hundred and
sixteen.” Barnes said.
    “I’m not sure; it’s something I know nothing