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extra staff brought along more headaches. Still, Mickey had the last laugh.’ Derek smiled faintly. ‘His teachers at Reginald High School had been certain he’d make nothing of himself but he’d proved them all wrong. Taylor Made Pottery Factory has been going strong for twenty years now.’ Then his demeanour changed. ‘Why would anyone kill my boy?’ His voice broke and he held back a sob before he spoke again. ‘He didn’t do anyone any harm. He was kind and gentle and a – a gentle giant.’
    ‘We often called him that,’ Doris confirmed. ‘Come and sit in the office for a moment, Derek. I’m sure the police will come back before they leave.’
    ‘Let’s get this over with,’ Allie said quietly as she and Perry were left alone. ‘We can interview the family at the end.’

Chapter Five
    Just after half past ten that evening, Perry let himself into his house, closing the front door as quietly as possible. It had been a long, busy day and he was exhausted. Finding the living room empty, he went upstairs and opened the bedroom door to see his wife asleep with the light on, her Kindle on his pillow. He gazed at her, half-expecting her to be wide awake and fooling around, to break down in giggles if he stayed watching much longer. But after a few seconds, she still didn’t move.
    Not wanting to wake her straightaway, he switched the light off and showered in the main bathroom. But after a quick bite to eat and a hot drink, he climbed into bed beside her, the warmth of her body instantly comforting. Normality, he sighed, that’s what he wanted. Mundane, day-to-day normality.
    Lisa snuffled in her sleep and he pulled her close. Half-sitting, half-lying, he waited for his mind to rest after the events of the day. Mickey Taylor – he’d been glad he hadn’t had to go and tell his wife what had happened. Allie had told him about the daughter, too, how hard it had been for her to watch her fall apart.
    Lisa wrapped an arm around his chest and pressed her body along the side of his. ‘Hey,’ she said sleepily.
    ‘Hey yourself. You’re to bed early.’
    ‘Yes, felt knackered when I came in from work – again. How about you? Was it a bad one?’
    ‘Nothing for you to worry about.’
    ‘Did he have a family?’
    ‘Yes.’
    ‘Oh, that’s so sad. Did you have to visit his wife?’
    ‘No, Allie went with Nick. Then we went to his factory. There were lots of staff who thought highly of the guy. Took us a while to get through them all. They were all upset too – not a one unaffected by it. We have to go back in the morning to question the early shift. I doubt anything will come of it, but you never know.’
    Lisa lifted her head and gazed at him, trying to focus in the dim light through half-closed eyes. ‘Ouch.’
    He ran a hand over her hair. ‘I’m a big boy, Lees. I can cope with it.’
    ‘I still worry for you. Was it tough?’
    ‘I wouldn’t be human if I said it wasn’t.’ Perry thought back to the moment when Mickey Taylor’s father had finally been unable to contain his grief. ‘Or good at my job. I want to nail the bastard who did this though. I . . . I knew him.’
    Lisa propped herself up on her elbow. ‘Oh. Are you okay?’
    Perry nodded to reassure her, knowing he needed to hide his distress. But even though he had dealt with a few murders over the years he’d been in the force, nothing could have prepared him for it being someone he knew. Even though he hadn’t seen Mickey Taylor in years, it had come as quite a shock.
    ‘Mickey was a piss-taker, one of the jokers,’ he explained. ‘I had some good times growing up with him, having a laugh. If I’m not asked to attend the funeral, I might go anyway. Show my respect.’
    Seeing Lisa stifle a yawn, he realised it wasn’t fair to keep them both awake. He pulled her further into his arms, enjoying the feel of her skin against his. It made him realise that he was alive, able to face another day. Not like Mickey Taylor. He