CXVI The Beginning of the End (Book 1): A Gripping Murder Mystery and Suspense Thriller (CXVI BOOK 1) Read Online Free PDF Page A

dam, and is
currently being examined by forensics. His wife says he’d left the house just
after nine supposedly going to collect their son from Slaithwaite, but didn’t turn
up.” Higgson took a breath. “When she discovered he’d not arrived she’d kept
trying to ring him on his mobile, but it had been switched off. Only once did
it ring through at around 11.15, but the call was rejected. We’ve analysed the
data from the phone and this tallies with what she says. Signals indicate he
travelled from the house towards Slaithwaite and then headed up to the dam,
switching the phone off at 9.21. It was turned back on at 11.12 and off again
at 11.17, during which time an e-mail, with all the hallmarks of a suicide
note, was sent to a work colleague, Mrs Julie Noble. I’m going to interview her
later. It’s looking like Hussain was in some sort of relationship with her and
that things were getting on top of him. His wife said he’d been acting out of
character for the past few weeks, but she thought it was related to work
pressures; she never mentioned anything about Noble. I should have the initial
results from forensics and the post-mortem later this morning.”
    “Good work, Shaun.”
    “Thank you. Oh, one thing I nearly forgot to mention.
On the e-mail to Noble, Hussain ended it with MCXVI.”
    “One thousand, one hundred and sixteen?”
    Higgson smiled, “Yes, I had to look it up, and I
wasn’t sure what significance it had, but then realised the e-mail had been
sent at 11.16; maybe it was Hussain’s way of noting the time. I’ll check it out
with Noble and see if it has any specific meaning to her.”
     
     
    Higgson walked up to the small
semi-detached house and pressed the doorbell.
    The woman who answered looked as though she had been
crying and not slept much during the previous night.
    “Julie Noble?” he asked.
    “Yes.” She sounded nervous.
    “Detective Inspector Shaun Higgson,” he held up his
ID. “Can I come in and have a word?”
    “Is this about Abdul?” she asked anxiously.
    He nodded.
    “Has he committed suicide?”
    “I’m afraid I’m investigating his death, that’s all
I can say at the moment. Please may I come in?”
     Mrs Noble started weeping. “Yes,” she managed to
say.
    “Is there someone here with you?” he asked, as he
was shown into the living room, which was tastefully decorated in a minimalist
style. “Or do you live alone?”
    “No, I live with my husband, Edward,” she said
between sobs. “Luckily, he’s away golfing this weekend; it would have been kind
of awkward, if he’d have been here.”
    “Shall I make you a drink?” Higgson offered, looking
towards the kitchen.
    “No, I’ll be okay.” She blew her nose on an already
damp handkerchief. “What a mess this all is.”
    He waited until she had composed herself, “So tell me
about you and Abdul Hussain.”
    The colour slowly returned to her face, but her
voice was quaking. “We’ve been seeing each other for about six months. We
became friends at work and started going out for lunch together. We shared a
passion for walking and we’d head up to Scammonden Dam.”
    Higgson leaned forward. “The car park near the
motorway?”
    “Yes, it’s quiet there; we enjoyed the solitude and walks
around the dam.”
    “When were you last there?”
    “Thursday lunchtime.”
    “Did you argue, or have you been falling out
recently?”
    “No, not at all.”
    “Had you noticed anything strange about his
behaviour?”
    She sighed, and blew her nose again. “He was under a
lot of pressure at work, budget cuts. I sensed it was getting to him, but he
said he looked forward to our lunchtimes, it was a way of relieving the
pressure.”
    “Were you lovers?”
    “What difference does that make?” She appeared
cross.
    “Mrs Noble, I’m not here to make judgements, I’m
just trying to build up a picture.”
    She sighed. “Yes… we were lovers,” she answered sheepishly.
    “Can you think of anything