Read Tainted Ground for Free Online Page B

cars?’ I asked quickly, before Patrick could say anything along the lines of ‘Aye, aye, sir.’
    â€˜They haven’t been found yet. Which, as I’m sure you’ll agree, is strange.’
    â€˜Does Brian Stonelake actually live at the farm?’
    â€˜No. I think the place is completely empty now,’ said Carrick, heading for the door. ‘Thank you for the coffee, Mrs Gillard. No, please, I’ll see myself out.’
    A little silence fell after the sound of the front door closing and then Elspeth said, ‘It’s really wicked to strip out your mother’s home before she’s dead, isn’t it? I knew that some of the larger pieces of furniture had gone to auction in Bristol but people were talking about skips up at the house.’ She gave herself a little shake and began to gather up the cups and saucers. ‘He’s living in a rented place down where the station used to be if you want to go and smack his ears for me. In a bungalow called the Firs.’ Over her shoulder she called, ‘You’re not going to get your own back and make James really beg you to help him when the going gets rough, are you, Patrick?’
    â€˜No,’ he promised gravely.
    Hinton Mill, like so many others in Somerset, had once been used for the production of paper. It was a handsome stone building on three floors, the window apertures edged with cream-coloured Bath limestone. We drove into an expensively paved parking area screened off from the gardens by horn-beam hedges, the gardens almost surrounding the property except for where the river formed the north boundary, where there was a wall. The drive curved round to a row of garages, also partially concealed by hedging.
    We were fairly familiar with the layout as, out of curiosity, we had looked over the place when it had first come on the market, before the conversion, some eighteen months previously. The overall impression had been one of overwhelming dampness, a problem one assumed had now been addressed, and we had decided that the restoration, even if we had decided to move then, would be far too expensive for us.
    â€˜Well, whoever undertook the work didn’t do it on the cheap,’ Patrick said, getting out of the car. ‘I seem to remember that this area was a mass of weeds concealing chunks of stone that had fallen off the building.’ He gazed at me pensively. ‘Are you taking notes or am I?’
    â€˜You’re the copper,’ I reminded him, taking my pad and pen from my bag and placing them in his hands.
    â€˜So it would appear that none of these vehicles belong to the victims,’ he said, quickly listing the two saloons, one four-by-four and a BMW sports car.
    â€˜According to James, no.’
    â€˜James is still being a bit awkward.’
    â€˜He might be deliberately trying to make you lose your rag. He might also be under orders to do just that. I can’t believe that the army wasn’t required to forward a reference.’
    Patrick made a kind of snorting sound. ‘The army was never around when I lost my rag.’
    I did not comment on this and there was a short silence as we walked towards the entrance and then I said, ‘One thing’s for certain, though; it’s proving to be a distraction.’
    â€˜What do you mean?’
    â€˜When you were working for D12 what would you have done with regard to the cars?’
    â€˜The cars?’
    â€˜Patrick!’ I yelled at him furiously.
    He started. ‘There’s no need to shout.’
    â€˜What would you have done?’ I repeated.
    At last, everything got switched on. ‘I’d have immediately contacted base to get a check done on them.’ He sort of sagged. ‘Yes, you’re right. I’m allowing this thing with Carrick to get in the way.’
    â€˜Tell yourself that he isn’t a friend of yours. You don’t know him. He’s the boss. Solve the