Read First Frost for Free Online Page A

right?’
    ‘Yeah,’ the lad said, not looking up. ‘Originally.’
    ‘Prefer the weather over here?’ Frost asked.
    The lad peered up at the sky. Heavy clouds were tumbling in from the west. ‘Yeah. Every minute of it.’
    ‘Steven Hudson, then – where was he dashing off to yesterday?’
    ‘Who knows?’
    ‘You can do better than that.’
    ‘Why should I?’
    Frost looked over at Hanlon, who was leaning against the Cortina. ‘Don’t think I need to spell it out, do I?’
    ‘All right,’ Brendan said calmly, ‘I didn’t hear everything but it looked like he had a blazing row with a customer, over that very car, the Datsun. Then he says he’s got an appointment out of town, and that I can have the rest of the day off. So I’m out of here, too.’
    ‘What time exactly?’ Frost said.
    ‘One thirty, two? I don’t know. I didn’t hang around, that’s for sure. It was pissing down. And the boss isn’t usually so generous.’
    ‘Who was the customer?’ asked Frost. ‘Seen him before?’
    ‘Seen her before, you mean. It was a she.’
    ‘A woman?’ said Frost, surprised.
    ‘Yeah, she was pretty, too. But you’d be surprised at the number of women who come round here, looking for something fast and sporty. Mr Hudson seems to have a way with them.’
    ‘That so?’ said Frost, backing away. ‘Well, I’ll leave you to enjoy the rest of your Sunday. Don’t work too hard. And if Mr Hudson does turn up with the combination give me a call right away. I can just see myself in the Datsun.’ He dropped his card at the lad’s feet.
    ‘I know all about you lot,’ Brendan said quietly.
    ‘Sorry, didn’t catch your last name … Brendan who?’ Frost called back. But the lad either didn’t hear, or didn’t answer. Frost flicked away the rest of his Irish smoke and made his way across the forecourt. Hanlon had already squeezed himself into the Cortina’s driver’s seat, and the engine was ticking over.
    ‘Jack, Control have been on twice,’ said Hanlon breathlessly. ‘This Liz Fraser has called a number of times wanting to know where we are. She’s frantic. She thinks that whoever, or rather whatever, attacked her baby might strike again. She’s too terrified to leave the house.’
    ‘I thought it was a fox.’ Frost climbed into the passenger seat, relieved that he didn’t have to drive. ‘She should have called Rentokil, or that bleeding Johnny Morris for all I care. This is still not a job for CID.’ He paused, fished for a fresh cigarette. ‘That lad back there, Brendan, something about him I can’t quite place. Not sure he’s on the level.’
    ‘Ah, Forest View,’ Frost said as Hanlon swung the car into the secluded but scruffy cul-de-sac. ‘Mary’s always nagging on about wanting to move here. I can’t see the attraction myself. Flamin’ countryside with its rampaging wildlife. There’s enough to deal with in the sodding town centre.’
    ‘What’s that, Jack?’ Hanlon had been quietly humming along to ‘The Winner Takes It All’, which was blaring from the radio, annoying the hell out of Frost.
    ‘Never mind. What number?’
    ‘Two. Think we’ve just passed it.’ Hanlon braked and reversed up the unmade road. ‘Here we go … Jesus! What the …’
    A dark-brown Mini Metro sped past, spraying gravel and clipping the Cortina’s wing mirror.
    ‘What number did you say?’ Frost asked, blithely unconcerned.
    ‘Two … wait a sec.’ Hanlon dug out his notebook. ‘No, twelve. But blimey, people shouldn’t drive so fast down lanes like this.’
    ‘Unless of course you think you’re being chased by a rabid monster. C’mon, let’s take a look anyway.’
    Hanlon slammed the car into first, then abruptly stopped as quickly as he’d pulled away.
    ‘Flaming hell, Arthur, you steady on now!’
    ‘But it’s criminal damage,’ Hanlon said. ‘At the very least dangerous driving. Besides, you’re meant to stop at the scene of an accident – it’s the