The Lipstick Killers Read Online Free PDF

looks like house and office keys. We’ll need you to sign for them.’
    ‘Of course.’
    ‘The car keys were still in the ignition of course. It looks like a write-off I’m afraid.’
    ‘That hardly matters now. Sharon has a car of her own but she wouldn’t get in that car anyway now.’
    The sergeant nodded. ‘After that it’s just procedure – as you’ll be aware,’ he said. ‘Post mortem We’ll be checking for alcohol and drugs in his system as a matter of course. How old are the children?’
    ‘Seven and five.’
    ‘God, that’s a tragedy,’ he said, thoughtfully.
    ‘You can say that again.’
    ‘Well thank you for your time,’ said the sergeant. ‘We’ll be on our way. Sign here please.’ He passed Margaret an official form listing what had been found, and a pen. She dashed off a signature, then he fished a card from his breast pocket. ‘If you need me for anything, just call. Normally we’d stick around but you’re a copper too. We’ll leave you alone for now. But we may have to come back. You know how it is.’
    ‘I do.’
    ‘Sergeant Doyle, thank you.’
    ‘I won’t say it was a pleasure.’
    ‘I’m sure.’ And with that he got up, put his cap back on and allowed Margaret to see him and the WPC out. She had not spoken in the ten minutes she’d been in the house, but Margaret still felt sorry for her. It won’t ever get any better, she thought.

9
     
     
     
    In a tiny flat with broken air conditioning on the Costa del Sol, Roxie Doyle sat in the side of her bed dressed in just a pair of knickers, worrying about her lack of customers and money. Suddenly she heard noises from her beauty salon below the flat. ‘Christ, what now?’ she said aloud as she pulled on a dress and went downstairs.
    The salon was situated in a tacky shopping mall, deserted at that early hour, and the front door stood wide open. The shop was empty, aside from the unwelcome sight of her ex-boyfriend Tony Darrow, elegant, but wasted – his grubby cream suit and pink shirt contrasting deeply with the open shiny blade of the flick knife he was holding.
    ‘Tony,’ she said. ‘What the hell are you doing here?’
    ‘Come for my money love,’ he said, in the cockney accent she’d once found so attractive, but now got on her nerves. ‘You’ve been ducking my calls.’
    When they were together Tony had loaned Roxie a lot of cash, supposedly for the business, but in fact most had gone on the high life for them both.
    ‘I don’t have your money,’ said Roxie. ‘You spent most of it yourself if you remember.’
    ‘Not my fault you couldn’t resist me. But it was a loan, and now I’ve come to collect.’
    ‘Like I said Tony. I don’t have it. Look around. The place is falling apart at the seams. I’m on my own here – most of the time, if you get my drift. Business has fallen off. There’s more fashionable places to go. The whole mall is going down the pan. Ex-pats having their houses knocked down, getting old and dying. I’ve even had to sell my jeep just to pay the rent.’
    ‘Save me the sob story,’ said Tony. ‘Business is just as bad for me. That’s why I need my money back.’
    ‘And if I don’t give it to you?’
    He held up the knife. ‘Then I’m going to fuck you in every hole and then slice that pretty face of yours until your best friend won’t recognise you.’
    ‘Run out of best friends Tony. And as for the fucking bit, I hope you’re better at it than you used to be. ‘Specially in the condition you’re in. Couldn’t get it up most of the time.’
    ‘What did you say, you cunt?’ said Tony, almost dancing in his two-tone shoes with anger and excitement .
    ‘You been at the marching powder again, Tony?’ said Roxie.
    ‘I mean it you bitch. Get me my fucking money or I’ll cut you up good.’ he said.
    ‘Actually I believe you. Listen,’ she said, going behind the counter where the shop’s till hummed. ‘There’s some cash in here. It’s all I’ve got.’ She