gasped.
‘It’s his mobile,’ said Deb, reaching forward to move the hand. Beneath was his phone, now vibrating cheerfully. The screen said Loretta . After a moment it stopped and Loretta’s name was replaced with 5 missed calls .
‘God,’ said Will again, speaking for us all.
Chapter Five
I’ve just finished an online writing course and am now looking for a gig like yours. Any advice?
The police arrived at the same time as the ambulance and the room instantly became crowded. Deb and I moved to the table while Will stood at the periphery of the action, still rubbing his hands together. Within minutes the sense of urgency dissipated and I felt my stomach hollow. Deb had put on a pair of red-framed glasses and was scrolling through her phone, pausing every so often to tap rapidly against the screen with a stylus. I turned slightly, so that Sam was not even in my peripheral vision, and then picked up one of the sheets of paper spread across the table. It was the printout of a genealogical tree, with the tiny font almost impossible to read. I put it aside and picked up the one beneath, a copy of a marriage certificate for James Sheridan and Kata Dragovic dated 1867. I stared at it for a few minutes, startled.
‘Nell?’
I looked up and recognised the young policeman with some surprise. ‘Matthew! I didn’t realise it was you there.’
‘Quite understandable. I believe you were one of those who found the body. You okay?’
I nodded and turned to Deb, who was watching with some interest. ‘Deb, this is Constable Matthew Carstairs. He’s going out with my daughter.’
Matthew flushed. ‘Yes, that is … yes.’
‘What’ll happen next?’ Deb gestured towards Sam, who was now hidden from sight.
‘The coroner should be here shortly. She’ll take over.’
‘Heart attack?’
‘Not sure.’ Matthew removed his hat and ran a hand through his hair, revealing a decent V-shaped receding hairline. I wondered if Lucy realised that her boyfriend was going to be bald before he was thirty. ‘The coroner should be able to give us some idea. Listen, ladies, can I ask you a few questions? Just routine. Like what time did you find him?’
‘Eight fifty-six,’ said Deb briskly, checking her phone. ‘I unlocked the door with the master key.’
‘You were looking for him?’
‘Yes. I needed some paperwork and Nell had an appointment.’
‘Did you try to revive him? Touch anything else?’
I chimed in. ‘I took his pulse. Other than that …’ I paused, thinking. ‘Oh, the computer. He had his head on it.’
‘I moved his hand when his phone rang,’ added Deb. ‘It was underneath. But I didn’t answer it.’
A sturdy middle-aged woman entered, followed by a younger man who was carrying a plump briefcase. The woman headed straight for the ambulance officers, who began their report while she was still on the move, both stepping aside so that she had a complete view of Sam. I gazed at his slumped body, the one arm dangling, and remembered the feel of his flesh. My stomach constricted, sending a rush of bile upwards. I swallowed.
‘Sure you’re okay, Nell?’ asked Matthew, frowning.
‘Actually, no. I’m going to go and get some fresh air.’ I rose quickly, before he could respond, and moved to the door. One of the ambulance officers glanced at me sympathetically and just past him I could see the side of Sam’s face, his eye still half closed as if caught in a wink. Just joking. Did I fool you?
Out in the hallway I took a deep breath and hurried towards the staircase, taking the steps two at a time and only slowing when I reached the ground floor. There were a lot more people now, standing in clusters talking in low voices that fell away as I appeared. They glanced hopefully in my direction and then away again as if a lack of answers was written on my face. Not an unusual occurrence.
‘But I spoke to him last night. He was fine .’
I followed her voice and found Loretta with Will by the
‘It’s his mobile,’ said Deb, reaching forward to move the hand. Beneath was his phone, now vibrating cheerfully. The screen said Loretta . After a moment it stopped and Loretta’s name was replaced with 5 missed calls .
‘God,’ said Will again, speaking for us all.
Chapter Five
I’ve just finished an online writing course and am now looking for a gig like yours. Any advice?
The police arrived at the same time as the ambulance and the room instantly became crowded. Deb and I moved to the table while Will stood at the periphery of the action, still rubbing his hands together. Within minutes the sense of urgency dissipated and I felt my stomach hollow. Deb had put on a pair of red-framed glasses and was scrolling through her phone, pausing every so often to tap rapidly against the screen with a stylus. I turned slightly, so that Sam was not even in my peripheral vision, and then picked up one of the sheets of paper spread across the table. It was the printout of a genealogical tree, with the tiny font almost impossible to read. I put it aside and picked up the one beneath, a copy of a marriage certificate for James Sheridan and Kata Dragovic dated 1867. I stared at it for a few minutes, startled.
‘Nell?’
I looked up and recognised the young policeman with some surprise. ‘Matthew! I didn’t realise it was you there.’
‘Quite understandable. I believe you were one of those who found the body. You okay?’
I nodded and turned to Deb, who was watching with some interest. ‘Deb, this is Constable Matthew Carstairs. He’s going out with my daughter.’
Matthew flushed. ‘Yes, that is … yes.’
‘What’ll happen next?’ Deb gestured towards Sam, who was now hidden from sight.
‘The coroner should be here shortly. She’ll take over.’
‘Heart attack?’
‘Not sure.’ Matthew removed his hat and ran a hand through his hair, revealing a decent V-shaped receding hairline. I wondered if Lucy realised that her boyfriend was going to be bald before he was thirty. ‘The coroner should be able to give us some idea. Listen, ladies, can I ask you a few questions? Just routine. Like what time did you find him?’
‘Eight fifty-six,’ said Deb briskly, checking her phone. ‘I unlocked the door with the master key.’
‘You were looking for him?’
‘Yes. I needed some paperwork and Nell had an appointment.’
‘Did you try to revive him? Touch anything else?’
I chimed in. ‘I took his pulse. Other than that …’ I paused, thinking. ‘Oh, the computer. He had his head on it.’
‘I moved his hand when his phone rang,’ added Deb. ‘It was underneath. But I didn’t answer it.’
A sturdy middle-aged woman entered, followed by a younger man who was carrying a plump briefcase. The woman headed straight for the ambulance officers, who began their report while she was still on the move, both stepping aside so that she had a complete view of Sam. I gazed at his slumped body, the one arm dangling, and remembered the feel of his flesh. My stomach constricted, sending a rush of bile upwards. I swallowed.
‘Sure you’re okay, Nell?’ asked Matthew, frowning.
‘Actually, no. I’m going to go and get some fresh air.’ I rose quickly, before he could respond, and moved to the door. One of the ambulance officers glanced at me sympathetically and just past him I could see the side of Sam’s face, his eye still half closed as if caught in a wink. Just joking. Did I fool you?
Out in the hallway I took a deep breath and hurried towards the staircase, taking the steps two at a time and only slowing when I reached the ground floor. There were a lot more people now, standing in clusters talking in low voices that fell away as I appeared. They glanced hopefully in my direction and then away again as if a lack of answers was written on my face. Not an unusual occurrence.
‘But I spoke to him last night. He was fine .’
I followed her voice and found Loretta with Will by the
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