Angel Hunt Read Online Free PDF Page B

amnesty.’
    You noted that. Other landlords would have said three weeks ‘rent free’ or ‘credit’ or something. Nassim called it amnesty. I added some goat’s cheese to the basket.
    â€˜I haven’t done anything, except spend most of last night and all of this morning keeping the police off your back. Can you reach the milk?’
    Without thinking, he added a carton of milk to his basket. From behind her check-out till, Mrs Patel looked at us curiously over the top of her blue-framed spectacles. ‘Police? What police?’
    â€˜Tall guys in blue uniforms and cars with flashing lights on top. You must have seen ‘em. Butter, please.’
    â€˜Why police? Were they looking for Sunil? I’ve never trusted that damned boy.’
    â€˜No, it’s nothing to do with him. Put that back, will you, and get the slightly salted type. I know it’s bad for you, but what isn’t these days?’
    I winked at Mrs Patel, and to my surprise she winked back.
    At the meat fridge, I picked up a pack of ground beef. ‘They used to call this mince until people started making their own hamburgers, you know. I always use garlic and a smear of tomato puree in mine.’
    By now he was totally bemused.
    â€˜Look,’ I said, to put him out of his misery, ‘you know that big skylight Sunil had put in the bathroom when the house was done up?’
    â€˜Of course I do. I paid for it. His damn wife said it was not natural to have a room without a window. Sunil would not buy the place until it had been done. Why? Why are you asking?’
    â€˜Because you’re going to need another.’ I snapped my fingers as if I’d forgotten something. ‘Yoghurt. Plain sheep’s, please. It’s back there with the milk.’
    It was only after he had reached for it that he realised he was carrying my groceries around. Huffily he pushed the basket at me.
    â€˜So what happened? Drunken party, I expect. Throwing beer bottles through the window. That it?’
    â€˜Not quite. Someone sort of ... dropped in.’ I couldn’t think of any other way of saying it. ‘A guy had been on the roof. Maybe he was doing a bit of breaking and entering.’ Well, he certainly did that. ‘And he sort of came through and landed in the bath.’
    â€˜In the bath?’ Nassim’s eyes were out like organ stops by this time. So were Mrs Patel’s, who had cocked her head on one side to listen better.
    â€˜I can see nobody is going to believe this story first time, are they?’ I said resignedly. ‘Yes, he landed in the bath and the fall killed him.’
    â€˜He’s dead?’
    â€˜Mostly.’
    â€˜But it is nothing to do with me,’ he squealed, turning to Mrs Patel for sympathy. She shook her head slowly and tut-tutted to herself. I hoped I never got her if she did jury duty.
    â€˜No-one’s saying it is, but I’m in the house because I’m doing you a favour. I don’t know Sunil from Adam –’ and I went on before he could ask ‘Adam who?’ ‘– and naturally, the cops will want to check that out. They might ask if you know if Sunil had any dealings with Billy Tuckett ..’
    â€˜Who is this Billy person?’ Nassim’s arms started whirling. Not a good sign.
    â€˜The man who fell through your window.’
    â€˜It is not my window, it is that good-for-nothing Sunil’s window.’
    â€˜And what does good-for-nothing Sunil do for a living?’
    â€˜Nothing. He works for me.’
    Fair enough.
    â€˜So that’s all you have to tell the police.’ I put a hand on his shoulder. He looked at it suspiciously. ‘In fact, all they’ll probably do is ask if you can get in touch with Sunil for them. They don’t know that Billy Tuckett was actually making for Sunil’s house. It could just have been bad luck.’
    â€˜Who is this Billy Tuckett person?’ He