Settled Blood Read Online Free PDF Page B

painting was commissioned.
    ‘Before she went to university . . .’ Finch said, eyes fixed on the painting. ‘Getting her to sit was hopeless. My daughter is a wonderful free spirit, but wilful to the point
of being downright obstinate at times. No sense of ancestral history, I’m afraid, unlike her mother.’
    Daniels knew he was a widower. Bright had told her as much. She couldn’t help wondering what had happened to the late Mrs Finch, but decided that now was not the time to pry into his
personal affairs. In the past few hours, Adam Finch had faced a parent’s worst nightmare. He didn’t need her adding to his grief, reminding him of the wife he’d once had. There
would be time enough for questions later, and every reason to hope that his daughter was still alive.
    For now.
    Looking up at the painting, Daniels said, ‘She’s very beautiful.’
    ‘And very like the young woman I saw earlier,’ Finch said.
    His jaw bunched, his eyes growing cold. It was as if he’d read her mind.
    ‘Yes, I’m so sorry we put you through that.’
    ‘I’ve work to do, DCI Daniels.’ It was a dismissal. He pointed towards the door where his housekeeper was still waiting. ‘Mrs Partridge will show you to my
daughter’s room.’

8
    D aniels woke early, unable to sleep, and spent the next half-hour on her new treadmill, feet pounding, giving it her all – heart monitor showing she was at the peak of
fitness.
    A digital clock clicked forward a notch – 06:00.
    She killed the machine, ending her workout, and walked back to her bedroom undressing as she went. There was a pile of neatly folded clean clothes on a chair by the door put there the night
before; shoes and briefcase on the floor beneath; a banana, a bottle of water and car keys on her bedside table in case of a call-out during the night.
    Thankfully there hadn’t been one.
    Daniels jumped in the shower, deliberating the day ahead. It came as no surprise that there was too much to do in too little time. That was the reality of being an SIO. She would spend the day
prioritizing actions, house-to-house, forensics, press, TV, public relations, liaison with HQ and dealing with scene issues. Both ends of the enquiry would be tricky and time consuming. Searches of
areas surrounding Housesteads and the Mansion House involved outbuildings, difficult terrain and woodland, taking up valuable resources, financial as well as human.
    Please God nobody call in sick.
    She dressed quickly, a pair of black pants and a silk blouse, the top button left undone. She dried her hair, tied it up and applied a little make-up. A last check in the mirror and she was
ready for anything.
    H igh Shaw cottage was shrouded in early morning mist. Without knocking, she opened the door to the Mobile Incident Unit and came face to face with Police Constable Kevin Hook.
He was around thirty years old with a great body, much of which was on display. He’d cut himself shaving in two places, was only half dressed and was holding a steaming mug of coffee.
    ‘Too early for you is it, Constable?’
    ‘A little . . .’ Hook stuck out his hand. ‘Name’s Kevin, ma’am.’
    Daniels accepted the greeting. ‘I won’t shake it too hard, Kevin. I’m worried about that towel. Is anyone else here?’
    ‘Only DS Gormley . . .’ Hook grinned. ‘I thought you were staying on here last night, ma’am? Or that’s what I was led to believe, anyhow.’
    ‘I was late back from Yorkshire.’
    They both turned to the sound of a vehicle approaching. Seconds later, a rusty old Ford Fiesta limped up the lane. The car was full to bursting, its suspension unable to cope, DS Robson and DC
Lisa Carmichael in the front, DCs Brown and Maxwell in the back. They all got out and trooped inside the cottage, Daniels following them in.
    The team set about unpacking what they’d brought with them, all the usual paraphernalia they needed to run a murder enquiry efficiently. Documentation included: action forms,