Page 61 of Three Widows

‘Yeah. She stumbled on the body. She’s a school teacher, on the last few days of her summer holidays. Very calm.’

‘I always say teachers have the patience of saints.’ Lottie looked up. Grainne was calling across to her. ‘What is it?’

‘I’ve been wondering why the ground is so wet around here when we had no rain last night.’

‘I thought that too.’

‘We found a hose over there on the grass under the bush. It’s been gushing out water for some time. Might be no harm seeing what’s on the other side of this clearing.’

‘I will.’ Lottie made to move forward.

‘No, Inspector, head back around and look at it from outside. I can’t allow any more foot traffic here.’

Once she was outside the cordon, Lottie brought Boyd with her to investigate the water source, keeping her protective clothing on. The site where the body was located backed onto the car park. Peering through the trees, she could see the SOCOs in their white suits working like a colony of ants.

A concrete structure of three walls about four feet high housed a cold-water tap attached to a wooden stand, for visitors to the lake. A green hosepipe was screwed to the tap. With a fresh pair of gloves on, Lottie turned off the tap and sent word to the SOCOs to examine it and to follow the line of the hose for any clues left behind by the killer.

‘We are dealing with someone very determined and very smart,’ Boyd said. ‘They literally covered their tracks.’

‘Whoever it is, they are extremely vicious.’

At the car, she tore off the outer clothing and stuffed it into an evidence bag. Then she followed Boyd’s car back to the station, wondering why he hadn’t confided in her the reason for being late that morning. She needed him at his best. Since he’d found out he was a father, his attention was definitely not on the job. Something had to give.

40

Kirby ambled over to Lottie’s office door after she had updated the team about the discovery of the body at the lake.

‘Boss? I wonder if it’s okay for me to examine the Tyler Keating cold case?’

It took her a few seconds to understand what he was saying. ‘I spoke with his wife yesterday and she sure has an attitude against us.’

‘I wouldn’t blame her really. We never did find her husband. I think maybe I should take a fresh look.’

Lottie moved like a panther around her desk to face him.

‘In case you missed the memo, Kirby, in the last twenty-four hours we have two dead women, a shitload of paperwork, and now you want to examine a file on a man who disappeared a year ago? Why in God’s name would you even entertain that idea?’ Breathless, she sat heavily on the desk, knocking a container of pens to the floor. How did she even have a container for them? Boyd and his compulsive need for neatness, she assumed.

‘I only asked because his wife enquired if I had an update. And then I learn she’s a member of this Life After Loss widows’ group. I just need a yes-or-no answer.’

‘Simple answer is no. The department budget is shot to pieces, but don’t let me stop you if you want to work on it in your spare time. Seems to me you might have an awful lot of it in the not-too-distant future.’

Kirby scratched his head and dandruff flew into the glimmering light. ‘What do you mean?’

‘You’ve been late for work two days in a row. Please don’t continue in that vein. It will end up outside my control and you may well be suspended.’

‘That’s unfair, so it is.’

‘Is it? You’re better than that, Kirby.’

‘Sure, boss, whatever you say.’

She watched his shoulders hunch over and his head droop as he walked back to his desk, wheezing like an old man. He needed to get a hold of his life. It was Boyd she was annoyed at, but Kirby was taking the brunt of her anger. With a shake of her head, she followed him, forcing merriment into her tone.

‘You could start yoga or meditation. Seems like everyone’s at it nowadays.’

He drew out his chair noisily, the wheels catching on sheets of paper that had spewed from a file on the floor under his desk.

‘Goddammit to hell and back.’ He looked at her, his bloodshot eyes watering. ‘I need yoga like I need a nail in the head.’