Indefensible (DI Sara Ramsey Book 12), M Comley [world of reading TXT] 📗

woman’s. “Is that right? You wouldn’t be trying to pull a fast one now, would you?”

“Me? No, I don’t know what you’re talking about. Ring the station and ask for Roger Purcell, he’s my son.”

“Nah, can’t be arsed. The money, where is it?”

She sighed and squirmed away from him. “I haven’t got any. That’s all I have. Please, don’t take it. Go now before my husband returns.”

Adam knelt on one knee, getting ever closer to her. “Lies, lies, lies. We’ve been watching you for months, you haven’t got a husband so don’t lie.”

“I… I have, he doesn’t get out much. If you’ve been watching us, you might not have seen him.”

Adam raised his fist and punched her in the face. Blood poured from her nose.

The older one yanked on Adam’s arm. “Get up, leave her alone. We’re out of here.”

“Not going to happen until I get more money out of her. I know she’s hiding it somewhere. Where is it, bitch?”

The old woman leaned back on her elbow, distancing herself from Adam. “I haven’t, that’s all I have. Why won’t you believe me and leave?”

“Once a liar, always a liar. You ain’t got no husband, but I believe you’ve got another stash of money somewhere, so give it up and we’ll leave you in peace.”

“You’ve broken my damn nose. Eighty-five years on this earth and no one has ever struck me like that. What gives you the right to bully me? To steal what is mine?”

“Hand it over or…” Adam drew a hand across his throat; his meaning was obvious to all three of them. “You want to die today?”

She trembled and her shoulders dipped as if defeated. Her voice shaking, she said, “What sort of question is that? Of course I don’t, but I have no other money. I would tell you where it was if I did, I swear I would. Please, leave me alone, you’ve got what you want.”

“We want more, this isn’t going to keep us in beer for more than a few days.”

“Beer money, is that what this is about? You’re prepared to kill me for beer money? My Lord, I’ve never heard the like. Just go.”

“Come on, Adam, you heard her, she hasn’t got any more cash around here. Time’s getting on, we need to be elsewhere.”

Adam rose to his feet. His hand went behind him and came out holding a ten-inch kitchen knife.

“Wait! That wasn’t part of the plan. Don’t do it. Put it away, Adam. Now!”

“Shut the fuck up, old man. I ain’t leaving here until she hands over all the cash she’s got hidden in this crummy house. You hear me, lady?”

The old lady gasped, her gaze drawn to the knife in his outstretched hand. “Don’t you think I would give you the money if I had any extra? I haven’t, I swear. Please, leave me alone. Don’t do this.”

Adam tipped back his head and let out a demonic laugh. “Now she’s scared, good and proper, but she’s still not giving the money up. Your loss, lady. You’ve probably led a full life already, it’s all downhill from now on, you’re going to thank me for putting you out of the misery that lies ahead of you.”

The older one grabbed Adam’s arm. He could see the terror in the woman’s eyes, almost pleading with him to intervene. “Adam, no! Leave her alone. I won’t allow you to do this. She’s done nothing wrong. She doesn’t deserve to go out like this.”

“Shut the fuck up. That’s your problem, you’re all talk and no action. Whereas I, always see a plan through to its conclusion.”

“Your plan, not mine. I didn’t want this to end like this. There’s no reason to kill her, let her be.”

“You’re a wuss, always have been and always will be. Wusses never prosper in this life. Get out if you don’t want to see it.”

He stared on as Adam thrust the knife into the woman’s chest, over and over until her screams died down and blood covered her white blouse and jumper.

Satisfied, Adam took the money and left the house. Regret coursed through the older man. Why did I get him involved? Now I have the old woman’s blood on my hands.

1

“Before you go, ma’am, I’ve just received a call that I think you’ll be interested in.”

Sara stared at the desk sergeant and glanced up at the clock on the wall behind him. “At nine-fifteen on a Monday evening? When my beloved husband probably has my dinner waiting for me on the kitchen table? This better be good, Jeff.”

He winced. “Sorry, I believe it’s good enough to want to bypass your dinner.”

She stepped closer, leaving her partner behind, and warned, “This better be worth it now that you’ve managed to grab my attention.”

“We’ve had a call from a concerned neighbour. She popped out to the shops and when she came back, she found her elderly neighbour’s door wide open and her lying in the hallway, dead. Looks like a suspicious death.”

Sara held out her open hand. “Give us the address. As if I can turn an elderly victim down. Reminds me of the first case I was assigned when I joined the station. I’ve always been a sucker for the old and infirm.”

He smiled and nodded. “That’s what I thought. Here you go.”

Sara looked at the address and ran through the map forming in her mind. “I know it, out near Callow, isn’t it?”

Jeff nodded. “That’s right, not far.”

Sara turned and faced Carla. “Do you want to tag along or are you going to call it a night?”

“If I had a hot man waiting for me at home, I’d tell you to do one, as I don’t, count me in.”

Sara sniggered and pushed open the main door. “My car or two cars?”

“We might as well go in one car, you can drop me back here on your way home since you have to pass the door, anyway.”

“You read my mind. Hop in.” Sara inserted the postcode into