A Dark Shadow Falls Read Online Free PDF Page A

Peggy wore her dyed blond hair in a twist on top of her head and her make-up was heavily applied. Despite this, it was obvious the woman had been extremely pretty. Eric was dressed in a grey morning suit, with a hand placed around his wife’s narrow waist. His hair was naturally dark and his face tanned and handsome. Bevan took a sip from the mug of sugary tea she’d placed on the bedside table. Both Peggy’s parents were still alive and lived just a few streets away from the house in which their daughter was killed.
                  Peggy’s sister was questioned extensively by Janette Morrow, the American consultant to City and Borders Police. According to her, Eric Fisher was possessive and manipulative. Gracie Wheelan was with her sister when she first met Fisher at the club in Edinburgh. Even back then she’d not taken to him, claiming the man was very aware of his considerable good-looks and a charmer with the ladies.
                  Gracie was convinced he’d had a number of other girlfriends in the city before finally settling down with Peggy. Morrow had asked if any of these girlfriends were still on the scene at the time of the murders. The sister was forced to admit she didn’t think so.
                  Dani shook her head, flicking through the many pages of interview transcripts. There was plenty of evidence here about Eric, provided by Peggy’s friends and family, most of it uncomplimentary but without solid evidence to back it up.
                  Bevan would expect that, particularly in the aftermath of a crime in which the press had already decided Fisher was guilty. What Dani wanted to see more of was information about Peggy’s life and background. It was her and the children who were the victims of this terrible atrocity. As a detective, she needed to know more about them . If Peggy had a boyfriend then that would provide a much clearer motive for her murder than if Eric Fisher had been the one playing the field.
                  The phone by Dani’s side began to buzz. It was a text message from Sally. They’d arranged to meet at a bar in the Grassmarket in half an hour. The lawyer was confirming she’d be there. Bevan was about to leave the file for the time-being and take a quick shower when a piece of paper amongst the pile caught her attention. It was a hospital letter.
                  Dani snatched the document up. The letter was dated three months before the murders and appeared to contain the results of a paternity test. Bevan gawped at the words printed on the sheet for several minutes before rushing into the bathroom to get ready for her appointment.
    *
     
    It was still early and the bar was quiet. Dani ordered a glass of red wine and took a table by the window, waiting for her companion to arrive. She gazed out at the darkening street. A noisy group of students were heading for the Salsa bar, a place advertising cheap deals on pitchers of Sangria and bottles of Spanish lager. Dani saw Sally approach, her long stride un-curtailed by the high heels she wore. The lawyer pushed through the door, lowering the mobile phone held to her ear when she spotted Bevan. She pointed in the direction of the bar to indicate she’d get a drink before joining her.
                  When Sally reached the table, with a glass of gin and tonic in hand, the phone was safely tucked away in her bag. ‘Thanks so much for meeting me,’ she began, crossing one elegant leg over the other. Wasting no time she added, ‘have you had a chance to review any of the case notes?’
                  ‘I have. You didn’t tell me everything Sally.’
                  The woman tipped her head to one side innocently. ‘What do you mean?’
                  ‘DCI Carmichael gave me a copy of the ‘psychological autopsy’ file this morning.’
                  ‘Ah, I see. Well, my chambers