Death Takes A Trip (Julia Blake Cozy Mystery Book 5) by Gillian Larkin
Authors: Gillian Larkin
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waiting for her at the entrance
to the police station. Julia narrowed her eyes. “ Are you waiting for me? Have you got a tracking device on me? ”
“ No, it ’ s just a happy coincidence. I thought you ’ d turn up sooner or later. What ’ s that in your hand? Have you brought me a cake? ”
Julia opened the cloth and held up the item.
Without showing any hint of humour the inspector said, “ Ah, a rock
cake. ”
Julia let out an undignified snort of laughter. She
immediately regretted it. She said, “ This is the rock that came through Douglas ’ window. You
can dust it for fingerprints. ”
“ Is that a
clean cloth? ”
Julia nodded.
“ It ’ s unlikely that we will get any prints off it. ”
“ But you can
try? ” Julia asked.
DI Clarke flicked the cloth back over the rock and
took it from Julia ’ s outstretched
hand. “ We can try. Is
there anything else? ”
“ I was just
wondering if you ’ ve got any
further with your enquiries, ” Julia said casually.
There was a glint in the inspector ’ s eyes. Julia couldn ’ t read his expression, but that wasn ’ t anything new. She was convinced that DI Clarke practised his
expressions, or lack of them, on a daily basis.
DI Clarke said, “ Not that it is any of your business but we have discovered that the
carpet had been cut and pulled up deliberately, the part that had been fixed
down is still in place. ”
“ I knew it!
What about the footprints in Douglas ’ house? They
belong to Alexander Adams, it must do. That ’ s whose voice I heard in the woods. ”
“ Calm down, Ms
Blake. Didn ’ t you say the
voice in the woods belonged to a young man? ”
“ Yes. Why? ”
“ I ’ ve met Alexander Adams before, he ’ s in his sixties. I very much doubt that it was him that you heard in
the woods. He ’ s got a good
reputation, he ’ s not the type
to go around throwing rocks through people ’ s windows. ”
Julia frowned and looked at the ground. Then she
looked back at DI Clarke. “ But he must have something to do with Douglas ’ death. Have
you interviewed him? ”
DI Clarke sighed. “ That really is none of your business. ” He held the
rock up. “ I will see to
it that this is looked at but I want you to leave this investigation to me. Do
you understand? ”
“ Of course I
understand. But if that carpet was cut deliberately that means that Douglas was
murdered. ”
“ We don ’ t know at all that he was murdered, all we know is that he fell down his
stairs. I ’ ll say this
again, Ms Blake, leave this investigation to me. ” He turned on
his heel and walked into the police station without saying another word.
Julia knew she should leave the investigation to him
but it seemed he had already decided that Alexander Adams was not connected to
Douglas ’ death. Julia wasn ’ t convinced.
She was even less convinced when she went on the
Internet later.
Chapter 11
There were a lot of positive posts about Alexander
Adams and his construction work online. There were also a lot of photographs of
the houses that his company had built. Julia tried not to be impressed by them.
There were a few photographs of the man himself. DI Clarke was right about him
being in his sixties. The photographs showed a smart-looking older man who was
in good shape. Julia thought immediately that he looked fit enough to fling a
rock through somebody ’ s window and then sprint away.
She scrolled through more pages. There were plans of
future housing developments but she couldn ’ t find any mention of any that were to be built on Douglas ’ land. That
didn ’ t mean it wasn ’ t going to happen.
“ Ah! I knew
there was something fishy about him! ” Julia had
found a website that disclosed disreputable contractors. There were many
comments about the poor quality of Adams ’ houses and the
problems that people had encountered when they tried to get recompense from the
builders. Julia dug a bit deeper and found some
to the police station. Julia narrowed her eyes. “ Are you waiting for me? Have you got a tracking device on me? ”
“ No, it ’ s just a happy coincidence. I thought you ’ d turn up sooner or later. What ’ s that in your hand? Have you brought me a cake? ”
Julia opened the cloth and held up the item.
Without showing any hint of humour the inspector said, “ Ah, a rock
cake. ”
Julia let out an undignified snort of laughter. She
immediately regretted it. She said, “ This is the rock that came through Douglas ’ window. You
can dust it for fingerprints. ”
“ Is that a
clean cloth? ”
Julia nodded.
“ It ’ s unlikely that we will get any prints off it. ”
“ But you can
try? ” Julia asked.
DI Clarke flicked the cloth back over the rock and
took it from Julia ’ s outstretched
hand. “ We can try. Is
there anything else? ”
“ I was just
wondering if you ’ ve got any
further with your enquiries, ” Julia said casually.
There was a glint in the inspector ’ s eyes. Julia couldn ’ t read his expression, but that wasn ’ t anything new. She was convinced that DI Clarke practised his
expressions, or lack of them, on a daily basis.
DI Clarke said, “ Not that it is any of your business but we have discovered that the
carpet had been cut and pulled up deliberately, the part that had been fixed
down is still in place. ”
“ I knew it!
What about the footprints in Douglas ’ house? They
belong to Alexander Adams, it must do. That ’ s whose voice I heard in the woods. ”
“ Calm down, Ms
Blake. Didn ’ t you say the
voice in the woods belonged to a young man? ”
“ Yes. Why? ”
“ I ’ ve met Alexander Adams before, he ’ s in his sixties. I very much doubt that it was him that you heard in
the woods. He ’ s got a good
reputation, he ’ s not the type
to go around throwing rocks through people ’ s windows. ”
Julia frowned and looked at the ground. Then she
looked back at DI Clarke. “ But he must have something to do with Douglas ’ death. Have
you interviewed him? ”
DI Clarke sighed. “ That really is none of your business. ” He held the
rock up. “ I will see to
it that this is looked at but I want you to leave this investigation to me. Do
you understand? ”
“ Of course I
understand. But if that carpet was cut deliberately that means that Douglas was
murdered. ”
“ We don ’ t know at all that he was murdered, all we know is that he fell down his
stairs. I ’ ll say this
again, Ms Blake, leave this investigation to me. ” He turned on
his heel and walked into the police station without saying another word.
Julia knew she should leave the investigation to him
but it seemed he had already decided that Alexander Adams was not connected to
Douglas ’ death. Julia wasn ’ t convinced.
She was even less convinced when she went on the
Internet later.
Chapter 11
There were a lot of positive posts about Alexander
Adams and his construction work online. There were also a lot of photographs of
the houses that his company had built. Julia tried not to be impressed by them.
There were a few photographs of the man himself. DI Clarke was right about him
being in his sixties. The photographs showed a smart-looking older man who was
in good shape. Julia thought immediately that he looked fit enough to fling a
rock through somebody ’ s window and then sprint away.
She scrolled through more pages. There were plans of
future housing developments but she couldn ’ t find any mention of any that were to be built on Douglas ’ land. That
didn ’ t mean it wasn ’ t going to happen.
“ Ah! I knew
there was something fishy about him! ” Julia had
found a website that disclosed disreputable contractors. There were many
comments about the poor quality of Adams ’ houses and the
problems that people had encountered when they tried to get recompense from the
builders. Julia dug a bit deeper and found some
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