Nightshade: The Fourth Jack Nightingale Supernatural Thriller Read Online Free PDF Page A

head around it,’ said Nightingale. He reached for his cigarettes. He offered the pack to McBride but he shook his head. Nightingale lit one and stared thoughtfully at McBride as he inhaled the smoke and blew a fairly respectable smoke ring at the ceiling. ‘So the Satanic stuff was found when?’
    ‘They were around at Jimmy’s farm the day of the shootings. Monday.’
    ‘And you were there when? Saturday?’
    ‘That’s right. Jimmy said one his tractors was playing up and he needed a hand with it. There was no altar there then.’
    ‘So you think someone is setting your brother up as a Satanist?’
    ‘That’s exactly what I think.’
    Nightingale flicked his cigarette at the ashtray by his paper but missed by several inches. ‘But why would anyone do that?’
    ‘That’s what I want you to find out, Mr Nightingale.’
    ‘Even though you know that your brother did kill those children?’
    ‘There’s no doubt that he did. But I want to know why.’
    Nightingale took another drag on his cigarette. ‘It won’t be cheap, Mr McBride. Berwick isn’t my patch and it’s going to take time.’
    ‘My brother has left everything he had to me and my kids,’ said McBride. ‘Money is one thing I don’t have to worry about. But I won’t be able to rest until I know why Jimmy did what he did.’

9
    J enny showed Mr McBride out and then went back into Nightingale’s office. He was already back at his Sudoku. She waved the cheque that Mr McBride had given her. ‘Two thousand pounds on account,’ she said.
    ‘On account of the fact that his brother is a child-killer,’ said Nightingale, putting down his paper.
    ‘What do you think?’ asked Jenny.
    ‘I think it’ll make a change from chasing unfaithful husbands,’ said Nightingale. ‘And the whole Satanic thing is interesting.’
    ‘Why would a Satanist kill kids with a shotgun? They go in for ritual killings, don’t they? Not much in the way of ritual with a 12-bore.’
    ‘I’ll know better once I’ve had a look around McBride’s barn.’ He rubbed his chin. ‘Bit of a drive, Berwick.’
    ‘There’s a train,’ she said.
    ‘That’ll get me to Berwick, but what do I do then?’
    ‘You can hire a car. Or you could drive up.’
    ‘My MGB isn’t up for that,’ he said.
    ‘But my Audi is, is that what you’re saying?’
    Nightingale grinned. ‘Vorsprung durch technik,’ he said.
    ‘I’m not your chauffeur,’ she said.
    ‘I’ll split the driving with you,’ he said.
    ‘Can’t you fly up?’
    ‘To where? Newcastle? I’m still going to have to get a car. Plus I’ll have to schlep out to Heathrow. Come on, I’ll pay for the petrol and I’ll buy you lunch.’
    ‘Jack, seriously, it’s a six or seven-hour drive. Fourteen hours there and back. It’s an overnighter. And someone has to mind the office.’
    Nightingale nodded. She was right. She usually was. ‘Can I at least borrow the Audi?’
    ‘If you promise to be careful.’
    ‘Cross my heart.’
    ‘I’m serious, Jack.’
    ‘So am I. We’ll do a swap, you can borrow the MGB.’
    ‘I’ll stick with taxis, thanks. Which you’ll pay for. I’ll get a hotel fixed up for you. When are you going up?’
    ‘Might as well go tomorrow, strike while the iron’s hot. Come on, the office can do without you for one day. The answer machine will be on.’
    ‘No can do. I’m at my parents at the weekend.’
    ‘Hunting, shooting and fishing?’ Jenny’s parents owned a huge estate outside Norfolk.
    ‘Eating, walking and napping is what I had planned,’ said Jenny. ‘Plus I’ve a mountain of reading I want to catch up on. I’ve got Jodi Picoult’s new one and I’m dying to get stuck into it.’
    ‘Is your Uncle Marcus going to be there?’
    ‘No. Why do you keep asking about him?’
    ‘Do I?’
    ‘Every time I say I’m going home.’
    ‘Well, forgive me for expressing an interest in your personal life. Anyway, chick lit trumps a nice drive up to bonnie Scotland, does