Ashes by Now Read Online Free PDF

I’m new here. DC Millar’s nicked him before. He was about. Then there’s the business of the bath and all his clothes being in the wash. He fits the bill.’
    â€˜He could have changed his MO,’ said Harvey.
    â€˜He could,’ I agreed. ‘Maybe I’m wrong.’
    â€˜I’ve spoken to Millar. He still likes him for it.’
    That’s not what he said on the phone, I thought. He’s humouring you, my son.
    â€˜Have you spoken to Grant?’ asked Harvey.
    â€˜Briefly.’
    Harvey crashed one fist into the palm of his other hand. When he looked at me I saw he was close to tears. ‘My daughter,’ he said. ‘Why?’
    â€˜I’m sorry,’ I replied, and it sounded pretty lame. ‘We’re still looking. We’ll find him eventually.’
    â€˜You married, Sharman?’
    â€˜Yes.’
    â€˜Kids?’
    â€˜My wife thinks there might be one on the way. We’ve only been married a little while.’
    â€˜I hope for your sake it’s a boy.’
    She wasn’t as a matter of fact, and I’m not a little bit sorry. Not so far.
    We stayed in the office talking for another five or ten minutes, then Harvey looked at his watch, and I knew the interview was over.
    â€˜Just keep at it, son,’ he said. ‘Don’t stop until you get the bastard who did it. Whoever it is.’
    â€˜I won’t, sir. And nor will any other officer at this station. Count on it.’
    â€˜I believe you,’ he said. ‘And I will.’
    He shook my hand too hard and we left the office.
    As we went into the corridor, Collier and Harvey’s daughter came out of the super’s office. Collier looked serious and Jackie Harvey’s glasses were smeared.
    â€˜Just saying goodbye to her uncle,’ Collier said quickly.
    The girl peered at me through the thick lenses she wore, and her eyes were very old.
    â€˜Come along, Jackie,’ said Harvey. ‘Let’s go and see how your sister is.’
    Collier and I watched as they turned the corner of the corridor. Jackie Harvey looked back, and the expression on her face chilled me to the bone.

9
    â€˜Come on then, Sharman,’ said Collier. ‘Don’t hang about. Let’s go and see Mr Grant. I think it’s about time we got him to tell us the truth about what happened yesterday.’
    â€˜I thought it was a washout, skip,’ I said. ‘I thought you were going to let him go.’
    Collier turned on me furiously. ‘Who told you that? DI Grisham and I say when he goes. Don’t pay any attention to rumours amongst the lower ranks. Grant did it. I know he did. And now he’s going to tell us all about it.’
    â€˜Can we hold him much longer without charging him?’ I asked.
    â€˜We are going to charge him. No, you were there, you’re going to charge him. Any problems with that?’
    Lots, I thought.
    â€˜No, sir,’ I said. ‘No problems at all.’
    So we went downstairs and I charged Sailor Grant with the assault and rape of Carol Harvey.
    â€˜Do you want a solicitor present?’ I asked after the formal charges had been made.
    Grant shook his head.
    Then the interrogation began.
    In those days we didn’t tape-record interviews. All that was to come later. So were DNA tests. All that had happened was, at some point the previous evening, Grant had given some blood. His group was the most common. So was the blood group of whoever had raped Carol Harvey.
    Having that blood group was definitely the unluckiest thing that had ever happened to Sailor Grant.
    I was left alone with him for a few minutes whilst Collier went and fetched Grisham and Lenny Millar.
    â€˜I never done it, Mr Sharman,’ he said pleadingly. ‘Honest, I never done it. I couldn’t hurt anyone. Not like that.’
    â€˜We think you did, Sailor,’ I said.
    I still didn’t, but I had to stand solidly with my