McIntosh Foul Play

A pulse-racing crime thriller from the million-copy bestselling author (DCI Jack Hawksworth, 5)
1. Auflage 2025
ISBN: 978-1-83501-127-0
Verlag: No Exit Press
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: 6 - ePub Watermark

E-Book, Englisch, Band 5, 416 Seiten

Reihe: DCI Jack Hawksworth

Autoren/Hrsg.

McIntosh, Fiona

Leseproben

1

Jack hadn’t wanted to go but Kate had pleaded with him over the phone. ‘I haven’t had a birthday party since I was a child. Besides, I haven’t seen you for months,’ she grumbled. ‘And don’t say you’ve been busy. I know you’ve been in a quiet job since Australia.’

‘Neither have I,’ he countered, ignoring the jab.

‘Neither have you what?’

‘Had a birthday party since I was a child,’ he said, remembering the last one before the car crash that had killed his parents. He banished that memory quickly. ‘I don’t like parties, Kate, you know that.’

‘But this is mine!’

He laughed that hers should be the special one. ‘You’ve never invited me to a birthday gathering before.’

‘I’ve never been this close to forty before.’ She groaned.

‘You’ve still got a few years up your sleeve,’ he said to soothe her. ‘Kate, don’t ask me to—’

‘But I am. I haven’t seen you for months because you’ve been hiding away in Cold Cases and I’ve been at Anti-Corruption. Did you even know I’d moved to CIB?’

‘Yes,’ he answered, knowing full well she was in the Complaints Investigation Bureau 3, the proactive branch of that division, gathering intelligence on suspected or detected serious misconduct.

‘You brute. And you didn’t ring to congratulate me?’

‘I should have, but I’d also heard about the teacher, and I didn’t want to put my foot in it.’ He didn’t say: And I didn’t want you to get the wrong idea while you were vulnerable. There was a soft silence. The break-up obviously still hurt. ‘Sorry, I should’ve—’

Now she gave a moan of frustration. ‘Jack, yes, you’re the one person who should, because you’re the one person I don’t mind talking about it with.’

He didn’t ask why. ‘I thought he was a keeper.’

‘He is, for someone. He should have been for me, but I have a habit, as you may have noticed, of pushing nice people away. He deserved more than I was giving. My workload at the time was crushing.’

‘No chance of getting back together?’

‘Doubtful. I’m a bit of a mess, as usual, in that regard. I don’t know if it’s wise either – I couldn’t bear to hurt him again. Deep down I think I’d feel grateful if he told me he’d met someone. But in the meantime, this party will be a good distraction, I’m assuring you, though it wasn’t my idea. It was Gabriella’s. Have you met her?’

‘Not that I recall.’

‘You wouldn’t forget her if you had. I thought you might have come to her thirtieth as my plus one, but you have a marvellous way of wheedling your way out of stuff like that. And yet I know you’re not antisocial.’ She gave him a pointed moment of silence.

He didn’t want to tell her that going anywhere as her plus one was dangerous… for both of them, but especially her. ‘Kate,’ he began.

She sighed loudly. ‘Don’t take that tone.’

‘We’re colleagues. We can’t…’ He didn’t finish.

‘Jack, colleagues can be more than just fellow workers. You know, some are even lovers, but I’m talking about something innocent… just a birthday party my friends are throwing for me. And you are one of my best friends, even though I could be forgiven for thinking otherwise. I’m asking you to be a guest – not a partner, not a date, not a plus one. Just be my friend.’

He sighed. ‘Okay, okay. Send me the when and where.’ He smiled at her soft squeal of pleasure that sounded through the phone.

So now he found himself in a swanky basement bar in Soho that prided itself on serving the best gin cocktails ‘in the world’ according to those in the know.

‘You look amazing.’ He had to yell in her ear over the noise of the music and not just her gang of partygoers but the bar’s general clientele, who seemed to be in high spirits this Friday night. And it was true, Kate had never looked more attractive than she did this evening, in a black metallic party frock that was all fun, showing off toned arms and tanned, shapely legs. A teardrop black pearl hung on a long gold chain contrasting with her dress, which was the colour of mercury and flowed effortlessly around her trim figure. Her hair, normally tied up neatly for work, now flowed in soft golden waves, only adding to her beauty.

‘Thank you,’ she said, kissing him a fraction too close to his mouth but just far enough away for him to accept it might be a clumsy hello. ‘I’m so glad you came.’

‘Happy birthday,’ Jack said, holding out a small wrapped gift.

‘You really didn’t have—’

‘I wanted to,’ he said, cutting off her protest.

She held up the black pearl around her neck and waved it in front of him. ‘This will always be my favourite.’

‘From one of my Australian trips. Do you remember what I told you?’

‘Yes.’ She smiled, leaning in close. ‘That the only naturally black pearls are Tahitian. I only wear it on special occasions. You couldn’t top it.’

He shrugged. ‘You don’t have to open that now,’ he said, looking around with disguised horror at the already busy dancers and flowing alcohol.

‘We’re not on duty,’ Kate said, reading his mind as she undid the wrapping.

‘Are we ever off?’

‘Oh, Jack!’ she breathed in awe, lifting out black pearl earrings that matched the pendant.

He couldn’t help smiling. ‘I’m glad you wore that tonight.’

She was already pulling the hoops from her ears. ‘I have to put them on right now,’ she said, excitedly. ‘My gosh, this is too much. There, what do you think?’ She glanced around, and a couple of her friends leaned in and made the right noises of approval.

Jack was still holding the hoops she’d flung into his hands. ‘They’re up to the job of matching how insanely gorgeous you look this evening.’ He kept his tone just right for a friend offering a compliment.

‘Right answer, Jack!’ She laughed and gave him a huge hug, saying, ‘I love them, thank you,’ and then, without warning, she did kiss him on the mouth, very briefly, before turning away hurriedly to order a drink. She looked over her shoulder. ‘What are you having?’

‘Er…’

‘Don’t bother, let me choose.’

A few moments later she returned with an intriguing amber-coloured cocktail with a twist of burnt orange in it. Jack had watched the bartender light the spritz from the zest as he peeled off the skin from the fruit.

‘You’re going to love this, Jack. It’s called a—’

Before she could finish speaking, a raven-haired woman eased up to them. Over her skin-tight black dress, cut away in places to reveal smooth olive skin, she wore a scarlet jacket. No one could miss her in any crowd. ‘Oh my, Kate, who is this handsome fellow?’ she asked in a smoky voice.

‘I’m Jack,’ he answered for Kate.

‘The policeman?’

‘Detective Superintendent Jack Hawksworth,’ Kate said, pointedly.

Jack cast her a look of soft despair.

‘Aha,’ the newcomer drawled knowingly. ‘I know who you are now.’ She gave him a wink.

‘Jack, this is one of my school pals from a hundred years ago, Gabriella Ferrari. It was her idea to have this party, and at this venue.’

He could detect disapproval in Kate’s tone that perhaps her friend could not, but then she wasn’t looking at Kate but at Jack, with a sort of open hunger. ‘Ferrari?’ It was all he could think of to say under her hot gaze.

Gabriella made a growling sound, like a car engine revving. Jack obliged with a chuckle, although her overt seduction was unnerving. ‘I prefer my pet name of Bella among friends,’ she said, only a trace of her heritage perceptible in her southern English accent. ‘Kate, I had no idea the mysterious Jack you’ve spoken of was so alarmingly attractive,’ she said, leaning in to kiss him slowly on both cheeks. She smelled of alcohol and Chanel No.5 Eau Première, which was all the rage in the department stores, being sprayed on every available female wrist that passed by. ‘You should know that Kate makes you sound awfully stuffy and conservative.’

He grinned. ‘Regularly guilty of both, actually.’

‘Not with a wicked smile like that, you can’t be,’ she said with authority and took the glass he was yet to sip from. She helped herself to a swig. ‘Mmm, scrumptious, just like you,’ she said, smiling with that famished look again.

Kate clearly thought it was time to intervene. ‘As I was saying, I ordered you a—’

‘Hanky panky,’ Gabriella finished, shutting down Kate. ‘So appropriate, you tease.’

‘I’ve never indulged before,’ Jack said, instantly regretting the opening he’d given Kate’s friend.

‘Never indulged in hanky-panky?’ she replied in an arch tone. ‘We must fix that.’ Then she turned to Kate. ‘Don’t you love this bar?’

‘It’s great,’ Kate agreed but Jack knew that tight cadence in her voice meant she was telling a fib. ‘Listen, I think Annabelle was looking for you.’

‘Why?’

Kate gave her an airy look and a slight shrug. ‘Not sure. Cake stuff probably, so I’m not meant to know.’

‘I’ll find her and then I’ll come back and find you, Jack Hawksworth.’ Gabriella sashayed away, no doubt presuming they were both watching her shapely behind disappear into the crowd.

Jack blinked and...