Murder in the Blood Read Online Free PDF Page A

written his address in his passport. I never do,’ said Libby.
    Justin came back to the table and stood, looking agitated, beside it. ‘Martha said the Jandarma have already seen her and Ismet. She suggested the British Consul, but apparently the Jandarma brushed it aside. She’s going to ring them tomorrow.’
    â€˜All that man wants to do is bury the body and get on with his life,’ said Ben. ‘I’m not normally in favour of sticking our noses into places they don’t belong, but that would be criminal in itself.’
    â€˜But he’ll want to solve it, won’t he?’ said Guy.
    â€˜I don’t think they care much,’ said Justin. ‘I don’t really know – we get so little crime here.’
    He jingled some coins in his pockets, staring out at the sea. ‘Martha said – um – would you like to go up for coffee – or something –’
    â€˜Yes,’ interrupted Libby. ‘We would. When?’
    â€˜Tomorrow? I don’t think I can fit all you in the car …’
    â€˜We’ll get a cab,’ said Libby. ‘Where do we go and what time?’
    â€˜Martha said about eleven. Before the lunchtime customers start coming in. It’s just called Martha’s Place, on the river.’
    â€˜Oh, one of the river restaurants?’ said Peter. ‘We wanted to try them.’
    â€˜Will you be there?’ asked Harry.
    â€˜I suppose so.’ Justin looked glum. ‘Neal?’
    â€˜Do I need to?’ Neal sounded nervous.
    â€˜I think so,’ said Libby. ‘After all, it was you –’
    â€˜Yes, all right, all right.’ Neal stood up. ‘And now I’m going to bed. I’ll see you all down here at breakfast.’
    He strode off, his rather long face longer than ever.
    â€˜I’ll go too,’ said Justin, pulling car keys out of his pocket. ‘Er – nice to meet you … ’ He trailed off, gave a brief nod and disappeared into the night.
    â€˜Well!’ said Libby, looking round at her friends. ‘That was illuminating.’
    â€˜It was?’ said Guy.
    â€˜Well, yes. We know who the body was, all about his mother trying to find him and that he’s got friends in the village.’
    â€˜Some of whom are very uncomfortable,’ said Fran.
    â€˜Who?’ said Ben.
    â€˜Neal and Justin. They really don’t want anything to do with it, do they?’
    â€˜No,’ said Libby slowly. ‘I wonder why.’
    â€˜We can walk,’ said Neal Parnham the following morning. ‘It’s just at the other end of the bay and up the river road.’
    â€˜How far?’ asked Libby. ‘It’s very hot.’
    â€˜And no shade along the bay,’ said Fran.
    â€˜It takes me about half an hour,’ said Neal, ‘but I suppose it is hot. I’ll walk and you can share a taxi.’ He gave them a quick smile and loped off, Panama tilted forward.
    â€˜I’ll go and ask Jimmy to book a taxi,’ said Guy.
    â€˜He didn’t want to come with us in the first place,’ said Libby, as they waited in the shade of the bar.
    â€˜No. Do you think he’ll turn up?’ asked Fran.
    â€˜Debatable,’ said Ben with a shrug. ‘It doesn’t really matter if he doesn’t.’
    â€˜Of course it does!’ said Libby.
    â€˜Not really,’ said Peter. ‘He didn’t know the man. He’s on holiday like us, this Alec Wilson was a casual acquaintance.’
    â€˜How casual?’ said Harry. ‘Could it have been …?’
    â€˜Sex? Possibly. I don’t see that it matters,’ said Peter.
    â€˜Here’s the taxi,’ said Guy.
    Further along the bay, where there were no hotels or bars, just beach, sea, and mountains that ran down to the road, they passed Neal, striding along, head down. They waved, he looked up and lifted a hand.
    â€˜Not that overjoyed to see us,’ said