DEAD & BURIED a gripping crime thriller full of twists (19 page)

Chapter 24

Sunday

“I’m dreading this.”

Eve Buckley was fixing Calladine’s tie. “You’ll be fine. The vicar will tell you what to say.”

“It’s not that. It’s Shez.”

“The woman upstairs? The one singing her head off?” Eve smirked. “I take it she’s coming to the christening too?”

Calladine nodded. “I haven’t told Ruth. She is still expecting me to partner Monika. She’ll break my flaming neck for letting her down again.”

“Are we going straight to the church?”

“And that’s another thing. We had to have a grave opened. It was happening last night. I hope they’ve closed it, or covered it up, because Ruth will never forgive me if it’s just sitting there for everyone to gawp at.”

“Don’t be silly. You won’t be able to see a thing. It’ll be cordoned off. Probably even closed already.”

Calladine checked his mobile. Nothing. He was expecting a call or a text from Julian, telling him what they’d found.

“Will I do?”

Shez Mortimer was standing at the foot of stairs. She looked stunning. Calladine whistled. “Loving the dress.”

“Not too short?”

He smiled. “You can carry it off. This is Eve, my mother.”

Eve Buckley moved forward and held out her hand. “Pleased to meet you. Good that you can join us.”

Calladine’s phone bleeped. It was a text from Julian. The wording was brief and simple. They had found a body. About a foot under the coffin of Doris Ludford. The theory that Carol had been put in the open grave back in 1969 was confirmed. They’d also found a locket around her neck with her name engraved on it.

“Look at the time. We’d better get going.”

“Taxi?” Shez asked.

“I thought we’d walk,” Calladine responded. “It’s only round the corner.”

“Well, it had better not be far. Have you seen these heels?”

“What about the dog?” Eve asked, giving him a pat.

“He can’t come. He’ll be fine here.”

Calladine ushered the two women out of the front door and locked up. They walked together in front of him, chatting away. They were so different but they seemed to get on fine. Eve might be one of the wealthiest women in Leesworth but she was no snob. Shez made no secret of what she did for a living. Neither was she concerned about people’s opinions of the way she dressed. She had a loud laugh, liked a drink and wasn’t shy about sharing her views. He liked her and so, it seemed, did his mother.

* * *

There were dozens of people milling about the churchyard, waiting to go in. Calladine nodded at Rocco and Imogen. Rhona Birch was chatting to his daughter Zoe and her partner, Jo. Everything seemed relaxed enough. And then he spotted Ruth.

Shez was holding onto one of his arms and Eve the other. Ruth’s face was like thunder.

“You look great. Like the suit,” Calladine tried.

“A word.” She smiled at the two women and pulled him to one side. “What are you playing at? Monika will arrive any second.”

“It won’t work. Monika knows that too if she’s honest with herself.”

“I could bang your heads together. And who’s
she
, your
escort
woman?”

“Don’t be like that. She’s fun. We get on. Eve seems to like her.”

“Eve is just being polite.”

Calladine tried to change the subject. “Did you hear about the case?”

“I can see that Doris Ludford’s grave has been temporarily covered. Down to you, was it?”

“Carol Rhodes was down there. We were right. And it looks like Mary Slater is in the well up at Clough Cottage.”

“Who’s in the frame?”

“Costello. But there is no evidence. Everyone else connected to that night back in 1969 is dead.”

“The two young men off the Hobfield?”

“We got someone for that.”

“In that case, you got a result. Don’t beat yourself up. The job is hard enough.”

Calladine grinned. “I can hear Harry crying.”

“He’s on one again. Jake’s been wheeling him around trying to get him off.”

“Want me to have a go?”

“No, you’d better stay put. Monika’s arrived.”

Calladine turned around to look. Monika was getting out of a taxi. There was a man with her.

“Who’s he?”

“I don’t know but he’s got his arm around her.”

“She’s dumped me!”

“Looks that way, Tom.” Ruth giggled. “Your face is priceless, and it serves you right.”

“You’re not very nice to me at times, Ruth Bayliss.”

“Do you blame me?”

“Can we get this over with? I’m a bag of nerves.”

“Don’t be stupid. It’ll be over in no time.”

“I’ve had a hard week,” he said to her, as folk began to enter the church. “I had to interview Vinny Costello at one point. Nearly threw up before that one.”

“If you like I’ll do you a swap. You come and look after that grumpy little bundle next week and I’ll do your job.”

“Can’t be that difficult. I’m something of a natural. You said so yourself. When are you coming back anyway?”

“Don’t know that I am,” she looked at him. “I might decide to be a full-time mum.”

Calladine stood stock still. “Please don’t frighten me like that. After the week I’ve had, I’m delicate.”

“You are so easy to wind up, Tom Calladine.”

The End

THE FIRST FOUR CALLADINE AND BAYLISS MYSTERIES

BOOK 1 DEAD WRONG:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/WRONG-gripping-detective-thriller-suspense-ebook/dp/B010Y7641M/

http://www.amazon.com/WRONG-gripping-detective-thriller-suspense-ebook/dp/B010Y7641M/

First a shooting, then a grisly discovery on the common . . .

Police partners, D.I. Calladine and D.S. Ruth Bayliss race against time to track down a killer before the whole area erupts in violence. Their boss thinks it’s all down to drug lord Ray Fallon, but Calladine’s instincts say something far nastier is happening on the Hobfield housing estate.

Can this duo track down the murderer before anyone else dies and before the press publicize the gruesome crimes? Detectives Calladine and Bayliss are led on a trail which gets dangerously close to home. In a thrilling finale they race against time to rescue someone very close to Calladine’s heart.

BOOK 2: DEAD SILENT

http://www.amazon.co.uk/SILENT-gripping-detective-thriller-suspense-ebook/dp/B01185U8NE/

http://www.amazon.com/SILENT-gripping-detective-thriller-suspense-ebook/dp/B01185U8NE/

A body is found in a car crash, but the victim was already dead . . .

BOOK 3: DEAD LIST

This book is the first to feature D.I Greco

http://www.amazon.co.uk/DEAD-gripping-detective-thriller-suspense-ebook/dp/B013J9BUAW

http://www.amazon.com/DEAD-gripping-detective-thriller-suspense-ebook/dp/B013J9BUAW

An unlikely serial killer with a bucket list of victims . . .

BOOK 4: DEAD LOST

An abandoned cotton mill holds horrific secrets

Police partners, D.I. Calladine and D.S. Ruth Bayliss face one of their toughest challenges yet. A group of homeless people have set up camp in the grounds of a disused cotton mill belonging to local businessman Damien Chase.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/DEAD-gripping-detective-thriller-suspense-ebook/dp/B018W6EANQ/

http://www.amazon.com/DEAD-gripping-detective-thriller-suspense-ebook/dp/B018W6EANQ/

THE DI GRECO MYSTERIES

DI GRECO BOOK 1: DARK MURDER

http://www.amazon.co.uk/MURDER-gripping-detective-thriller-suspense-ebook/dp/B0163DVHC2/

http://www.amazon.com/MURDER-gripping-detective-thriller-suspense-ebook/dp/B0163DVHC2/

A woman is found dead by a canal . . . why have her eyes have been viciously poked out?

Detective Stephen Greco has just started a new job at Oldston CID and now he faces a series of murders with seemingly no connection but the brutal disfigurement of the victims. Greco’s team is falling apart under the pressure and he doesn't know who he can trust. Then they discover a link to a local drug dealer, but maybe it’s not all that it seems. 

Can Greco get control of his chaotic team and stop the murders?