Scorched Heart (The Firebrand Series Book 4), Helen Harper [free ereaders .txt] 📗

‘Uh…’ Everyone looked at him, myself and Lukas included. ‘Could I have your autograph?’

I only just managed to avoid rolling my eyes.

‘If any of you can tell us who this man is and where we can find him,’ Lukas said, ‘you can have whatever you want.’

Bill muttered something and marched towards us. His expression was set and for a moment I was genuinely unsure what he was going to do. Then he stopped and looked hard at the photo on my phone screen. ‘Is he the one who killed Julie?’

‘He can help us with our inquiries into her murder,’ I said firmly, ‘and Patrick’s.’

Bill threw me an irritated look, obviously well aware what “helping with inquiries” actually meant. ‘I’ve seen him,’ he said. ‘I don’t know his name but I know where he’s staying.’

The air around me seemed to still. ‘Where?’

‘The campsite out by Lowes Green farm,’ Bill replied. ‘He’s pitched a tent there.’

Lukas brushed against me almost imperceptibly, and I remembered to breathe again. ‘Thank you,’ I said. I swung my gaze round the room. ‘The man who murdered Julie Mackintosh and Patrick Lacey is not to be underestimated. Don’t walk around Barchapel on your own. The killer is incredibly dangerous.’

Bill placed the cap back on his head. ‘He’s not the only one,’ he muttered, disdain dripping from his voice. He turned and returned to his stool.

I opened my mouth to say something else. ‘Leave it,’ Lukas murmured. ‘We’ve got more important things to worry about.’

I closed my mouth. Yeah. I shook my head resignedly and we departed.

‘I need a better PR team,’ Lukas said, once we were outside.

My hackles were still raised. ‘How do you change the hearts and minds of an entire nation?’

He dipped his head and kissed me briefly. ‘Capturing a serial killer might be a good start. Besides, the barman is a fan.’

I clicked my tongue. Yeah, yeah. It was either adulation or dread where supes were concerned and nothing in between. ‘Much as I want to head to that campsite immediately, we can’t go all vigilante. I must speak to Boateng first. This is his investigation and he needs to know what we’ve found out. Personal as this is, I’m still a serving police officer.’

Lukas glanced up at the sky. ‘It’s already dusk. Boateng won’t be at the cottage for much longer.’

‘Then let’s hurry.’

We jogged round the back of the Bird and Bush and down the road out of Barchapel. We’d barely gone fifty metres, when a familiar figure waved from the other side of the street.

‘Detective!’ PC Rothsay started jumping up and down. ‘I was on my way to find you!’ He flicked a look at Lukas and flinched. Rothsay wasn’t much of an actor; he’d have to work on that if he wanted to become a better police officer. You couldn’t allow your personal feelings to interfere with your work. I smiled faintly. That was advice I needed to remember sometimes, too.

‘I’ll wait here,’ Lukas said. ‘It’s probably easiest.’

I grimaced but didn’t disagree then crossed the road to see what Rothsay wanted. Hopefully not much. ‘What is it?’

He beamed at me. ‘I did what you asked, DC Bellamy. I found who Patrick Lacey was sleeping with.’

To be honest, I’d all but forgotten about that line of enquiry. ‘Oh. Good work.’

‘Miranda James,’ Rothsay declared. ‘It appears they were having some kind of clandestine affair.’

I wrinkled my nose. ‘Are you sure?’ It seemed unlikely. Why wouldn’t Miranda have mentioned it? Considering the other things she’d admitted, a relationship with a single man with whom she already had a complicated history hardly seemed a big deal.

‘Well,’ Rothsay said, his manner suddenly awkward, ‘that’s what I’ve been told. This is a small place. No matter how hard you try to keep secrets, the truth always comes out sooner or later.’

Indeed. ‘Thanks for that.’ I nodded at him. ‘I appreciate your efforts.’

‘No problem.’ He gazed at me, as if expecting me to turn and head straight for Miranda James’s house.

‘I’m looking for DCI Boateng,’ I said. ‘I expect he’s still overseeing the examinations at the cottage.’

‘Uh,’ Rothsay blinked. ‘Yeah, as far as I know.’

I smiled. ‘Good.’ I thought of something else and took out my phone. I showed Rothsay the photo of Gwynne Evans. ‘Have you seen this man?’

PC Rothsay blinked. ‘No. Who is it?’ Then his eyes went wide. ‘Is it…?’

‘I’m almost certain it is.’

‘Shit.’ His Adam’s apple jerked in his throat. ‘Shit.’ He looked down at my crossbow. ‘Shit,’ he said again.

Uh huh. Rothsay was desperate to be a hero and he was naïve enough to go looking for Evans on his own. Unfortunately that was only likely to get him killed.

‘Come with us to Boateng,’ I told him. ‘You won’t want to miss any of this.’

Rothsay looked nervously at Lukas.

‘Actually,’ I said, irritated, ‘scratch that. Head to the station and see if you can contact Boateng from there. Tell him we’re on our way to see him. Then muster the troops – every police officer within a twenty-mile radius needs to be ready.’ That was what Boateng would do, so I hoped he wouldn’t mind me taking the initiative.

‘Okay.’ Rothsay seemed relieved. He started running towards Barchapel police station.

I exhaled a long breath and returned to Lukas.

‘What was that all about?’ he asked.

I tutted. ‘Nothing really. Apparently Miranda James was sleeping with Patrick Lacey before he died.’

‘Why wouldn’t she have mentioned that before?’

I shrugged. ‘I have no idea. She was about the only person who was sad about what happened to him. Maybe she was embarrassed, or she didn’t want her son to know what she was up to.’

‘Humans are weird,’ Lukas commented.

I couldn’t argue with that. ‘Yeah.’

We picked up the pace again. The sun was already sinking into the hills beyond the village but the last thing I had time for was enjoying the view. I was within touching distance of the man who’d murdered my parents. Justice would finally be served. I could hardly wait.

We were passing the park where Julie Mackintosh