to call us.’
‘OK, thanks.’
Baker walked outside into the sunlight with an oncoming chill. Snow clouds teased in the distance.
Columbo was still alert at the barrier.
‘Hey, Columbo, which house is Irene Hex’s?’
He pointed across the road to a set of three houses. ‘The one in the middle.’
With a nod, Baker left him and crossed the road to the house with the tidy garden where various flowers bordered well fed grass turning what was once a boring scene into something out of this world.
When he knocked on the door, a small old lady with curly white hair answered, standing in his shadow and looking up at him with a smile.
‘Mrs Hex?’
‘Yes?’ she said through whistling teeth.
‘I’m Detective Baker.’ He held up his badge. ‘I believe Father McGregor is here and I need to talk to him.’
‘Yes, yes, come on in please. He’s in the living room to the left drinking some tea. I made it,’ she said proudly. ‘Would you like a cup?’
Baker smiled. ‘No, thank you, Mrs Hex.’
He found Father McGregor sitting on the edge of a flower decorated sofa staring into space with a cup of tea resting on his lap. The rest of the living room was also florally decorated with pictures of various flowers hanging on the walls and the air smelled fresh. A certificate for Southbrook Garden of The Year hung on the wall. It was almost too much.
Irene Hex in Wonderland.
‘Father McGregor, my name is Detective Baker,’ he said, showing his badge. ‘I’d like to speak with you regarding the incident this morning.’
‘Yes, erm, of course.’
Baker sat in a chair opposite.
Irene joined them, sitting on the chair arm.
Taking out his notepad and a pen, Baker began: ‘I understand this isn’t easy, but it’s vital we get as much information as possible to stop it happening again.’
Father McGregor lifted his head from the warm cup on his knees. ‘What would you like to know?’
‘Can you tell me what happened?’
After taking a moment to remember, he said: ‘Well, I was walking to the church this morning as I do every morning. I found the main door open, and not for the first time. This is a nice area and nothing ever happens here so I walked inside without any idea something was wrong. Then I saw it.’ Shaking, he placed his cup on the coffee table in the centre, spilling some.
Irene was braced, ready to pounce on any spillage, tissues in hand.
‘I found the body tied to the cross. Whoever did it must have used the rope from my storage cupboard. The blood had dried on his face. It was awful. There were also some footprints running along the centre aisle.’
Baker made notes: Footprints? Killer left no other clues, no casings and used storage cupboard.
‘Around what time was this?’
‘I’d say it was around six twenty, six thirty.’
‘Did you know the victim?’
‘Not exactly. I know his ex-girlfriend, Lucy. She confided in me many times during a rough period in their lives.’
‘Lucy who?’
‘Lucy Decker.’
‘What was the victim’s name?’
‘Frederick Mason, she always referred to him as Freddie.’
‘And what are these problems mentioned?’
‘I think that’s something you should speak to her about. Please, it’s not my place to be telling you this. She can tell you more than I can. She lives with their daughter at this address.’ He wrote it down on a piece of paper and handed it to Baker.
Baker asked, ‘If you hadn’t met Freddie in person, how did you know what he looked like?’
‘She showed me many pictures of them together, back when they were very happy.’
Baker stood up and Irene stood with him.
‘OK,’ he said. ‘Thank you for your cooperation. Please don’t go too far as we may need to speak with you again in the future.’
‘Of course, detective. Please find this person.’
‘We will.’
CHAPTER TWELVE
Parked at the side of the road rolling through a mental
‘OK, thanks.’
Baker walked outside into the sunlight with an oncoming chill. Snow clouds teased in the distance.
Columbo was still alert at the barrier.
‘Hey, Columbo, which house is Irene Hex’s?’
He pointed across the road to a set of three houses. ‘The one in the middle.’
With a nod, Baker left him and crossed the road to the house with the tidy garden where various flowers bordered well fed grass turning what was once a boring scene into something out of this world.
When he knocked on the door, a small old lady with curly white hair answered, standing in his shadow and looking up at him with a smile.
‘Mrs Hex?’
‘Yes?’ she said through whistling teeth.
‘I’m Detective Baker.’ He held up his badge. ‘I believe Father McGregor is here and I need to talk to him.’
‘Yes, yes, come on in please. He’s in the living room to the left drinking some tea. I made it,’ she said proudly. ‘Would you like a cup?’
Baker smiled. ‘No, thank you, Mrs Hex.’
He found Father McGregor sitting on the edge of a flower decorated sofa staring into space with a cup of tea resting on his lap. The rest of the living room was also florally decorated with pictures of various flowers hanging on the walls and the air smelled fresh. A certificate for Southbrook Garden of The Year hung on the wall. It was almost too much.
Irene Hex in Wonderland.
‘Father McGregor, my name is Detective Baker,’ he said, showing his badge. ‘I’d like to speak with you regarding the incident this morning.’
‘Yes, erm, of course.’
Baker sat in a chair opposite.
Irene joined them, sitting on the chair arm.
Taking out his notepad and a pen, Baker began: ‘I understand this isn’t easy, but it’s vital we get as much information as possible to stop it happening again.’
Father McGregor lifted his head from the warm cup on his knees. ‘What would you like to know?’
‘Can you tell me what happened?’
After taking a moment to remember, he said: ‘Well, I was walking to the church this morning as I do every morning. I found the main door open, and not for the first time. This is a nice area and nothing ever happens here so I walked inside without any idea something was wrong. Then I saw it.’ Shaking, he placed his cup on the coffee table in the centre, spilling some.
Irene was braced, ready to pounce on any spillage, tissues in hand.
‘I found the body tied to the cross. Whoever did it must have used the rope from my storage cupboard. The blood had dried on his face. It was awful. There were also some footprints running along the centre aisle.’
Baker made notes: Footprints? Killer left no other clues, no casings and used storage cupboard.
‘Around what time was this?’
‘I’d say it was around six twenty, six thirty.’
‘Did you know the victim?’
‘Not exactly. I know his ex-girlfriend, Lucy. She confided in me many times during a rough period in their lives.’
‘Lucy who?’
‘Lucy Decker.’
‘What was the victim’s name?’
‘Frederick Mason, she always referred to him as Freddie.’
‘And what are these problems mentioned?’
‘I think that’s something you should speak to her about. Please, it’s not my place to be telling you this. She can tell you more than I can. She lives with their daughter at this address.’ He wrote it down on a piece of paper and handed it to Baker.
Baker asked, ‘If you hadn’t met Freddie in person, how did you know what he looked like?’
‘She showed me many pictures of them together, back when they were very happy.’
Baker stood up and Irene stood with him.
‘OK,’ he said. ‘Thank you for your cooperation. Please don’t go too far as we may need to speak with you again in the future.’
‘Of course, detective. Please find this person.’
‘We will.’
CHAPTER TWELVE
Parked at the side of the road rolling through a mental
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