The Inspector Walter Darriteau Murder Mysteries - Books 1-4, David Carter [diy ebook reader .txt] 📗

we knew where he worked.’

The door to 3A suddenly opened and a smart woman in a yellow suit and wide-brimmed hat stood out. She looked at the strangers, half smiled and said, ‘Can I help you?’

‘We are looking for Derek.’

‘He’ll be at work now.’

‘You wouldn’t happen to know where he works?’ asked Karen.

‘Sure. He’s a floor manager at First Image.’

‘Gents outfitters,’ clarified Karen.

‘I know that!’ said Walter. ‘I am a gent, and I do buy outfits.’

‘Yeah, sure, course, sorry, Guv.’

‘You’re police aren’t you?’ said the woman, smirking.

‘Yes, how did you know?’ said Walter.

‘Oh every woman knows you now, Walter, you’re quite famous around Chester these days.’

Karen grinned.

‘Really?’ said Walter, unable to keep a smile from his face.

‘Oh yes,’ she said. ‘No one would ever forget a man with an image like yours.’

Karen smiled and gave her boss the once over as if she had never really examined him before. Maybe the woman was right. A big black man with a head of unkempt grey hair, even in twenty-first century Britain there would not be too many Walter Darriteau look-a-likes strolling round Chester way, that was for sure.

‘He’s not in any trouble, is he?’

‘No, nothing like that, just routine enquiries.’

‘Ah, that’s what you always say, “routine enquiries”, if I know you, he’s probably mixed up in some gruesome murder.’

‘I don’t think so,’ said Karen, picking up on Walter’s body language that he wanted the chatter to come to an end.

But Walter surprised her by continuing the chat.

‘That your car downstairs?’

‘It is. How did you know?’

‘Only one there, and it’s yellow. Colour coordinated,’ and Walter glanced pointedly at the yellow suit and hat.

The woman laughed.

‘We try. Once a detective, always a detective, eh?’

‘Something like that. New is it, the car?’

‘Six months.’

‘Do you like it?’

‘Best car I’ve ever had.’

‘Great,’ said Walter. ‘What’s your name, by the way?’

‘Mary Warner, I’m not a suspect too, am I?’

‘No. Course not, just....’

‘Yes, I know, “routine enquiries”.’

Walter nodded and grinned.

‘Can’t stand about here all day,’ she said. ‘Nice to have met you. Good luck with whatever it is you are looking into.’

‘And you too,’ said Walter, as they followed her down the stairs and out into the gloomy November day.

SITTING IN THE CAR, they watched her back the Cayton out and smile and wave and drive off.

‘What was that all about?’ asked Karen.

‘I have no idea. Nice woman though.’

‘You fancied her?’

‘I wouldn’t say that exactly. And anyway....’

‘Anyway what?’

‘I have a new lady friend now.’

‘Do you? Since when?’

‘Didn’t I tell you?’

‘No, you did not.’

‘Met her on the Internet.’

‘Did you now?’

‘Yes.’

‘On the site I mentioned?’

‘The very same.’

‘What’s her name? What’s she like?’

‘Not now, let’s get on with the job. I’ll maybe tell you later.’

Karen grinned and made a mental note to come back to that.

‘Where to? First Image?’

Walter nodded and growled, ‘Yep,’ and then he added, ‘how old do you think she was, yellow Mary?’

Karen pulled a face and said, ‘Hard to tell, forty, maybe forty-five.’

‘She was well preserved for that.’

‘You think so? I hope I look like her when I am forty-five. Forty-five is positively ancient.’

‘Forty-five is positively young, but that’s another issue, come on, I want to talk to this vacuous man, Nesbitt, as Dot described him.’

‘Me too,’ said Karen. ‘Can’t wait.’

Six

The general manager at First Image wasn’t too keen on having an important member of his sales staff dragged off the floor during peak time selling, and even less impressed when the police commandeered his office to speak to Nesbitt. Derek came to the open door and knocked.

‘You wanted to see me?’

‘Yes,’ said Karen, doing the introductions.

‘No trouble is there?’ said an obviously nervous Derek, as he sat down in front of the desk.

‘Just routine,’ said Walter, trying to put the guy at ease.

Walter glanced across as the man. What was he? Mid to late thirties maybe, probably six feet, slim to medium build, short neatly parted brown hair, dark eyes, and neatly and smartly dressed, which was almost certainly a requirement in his profession. Walter kicked things off.

‘Correct me if I’m wrong, but are you Ellie Wright’s boyfriend?’

‘Ellie? No, why? I know her but she isn’t my girlfriend, no way, never.’

‘Really?’ said Karen. ‘But Ellie’s mother told us that you went to Spain on holiday with her.’

‘Well yes, we did, but just as mates, not as a couple, we’re not bed sharers, or anything like that.’

‘But you knew her well?’ asked Walter.

‘Yeah, I guess, look what is this all about? What’s Ellie been up to now? What’s she been saying?’

Walter and Karen ignored the questions for both wanted to ask the same thing. Walter got there first. ‘When did you last see her?’

‘Ooh, let me think, last week sometime.’

‘When last week?’ persisted Karen.

‘Let me think, Friday, we went for a curry together, no, hang on, Thursday night it was, Friday I was out playing darts.’

Walter clarified. ‘You last saw her on Thursday night?’

Derek nodded and looked confident. ‘Yeah, Thursday it was, look, do you mind telling me what this is all about?’

Again the officers ignored his question.

Walter asked, ‘Do you know where she lives?’

‘Yeah, course, she’s staying in a dilapidated old caravan down by the river, at the very end of Marigold Lane, pretty rank it is too. I’ve been trying to persuade her to get a decent flat.’

‘Do you do drugs, Derek?’ asked Karen.

‘Me? Certainly not. I’m clean.’

‘But you knew that Ellie did?’ said Walter.

Derek pulled a face and said, ‘Yeah, she’s messed about with it, but nothing too serious. At least I don’t think so.’

‘Do you deal drugs?’ asked Karen.

‘Me! No! Course not! What do you take me for? Look, what is this all about?’

‘What else do you know about Ellie Wright?’ asked Walter.

‘How do you mean?’

‘You know what we mean!’ said Karen.

Derek breathed out heavy and fidgeted in his seat. Looked as if he needed a cigarette.

‘Come on Derek,’ said Walter softly. ‘What else?’

‘You mean the men?’

Walter nodded.

‘The men?’ said Karen.

‘Yeah. You know, she did tricks for men, for cash like, now and again.’

‘Down at the caravan?’ said Walter.

‘Yeah,