Still Death (A Lexie Wyatt murder mystery Book 1)

  Still Death

  Shauna Bickley

  To Mum

  I loved the stories you told of how you’d hide a book under the table during meals so you could carry on reading.

  My favourite character here is named for you.

  Linzee, Emma and Naomi

  Love always

  Table of Contents

  Late May

  Early June - Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  About the Author

  Acknowledgements

  Other books by Shauna Bickley

  Late May

  The woman said goodbye to her friend and left the restaurant. The cafés and pubs were busy, but it was still too early for people to make the move to nearby clubs.

  She smiled, remembering the phone calls of the past days. He missed her, couldn’t wait to finish the research on his current story and fly back. Couldn’t wait to see her again.

  She’d missed him. He would be back at his apartment by now, working on the story. The previously arranged dinner had been unavoidable, but at least it was over.

  Her smile crinkled light lines around her eyes. She glanced at her watch, increased her pace. It only took a few minutes to walk to his flat from here. He’d be waiting for her call, but she’d surprise him.

  She didn’t see the man, silent in the shadows. Didn’t hear the few words he muttered into his phone.

  Further along, she slowed as she turned to cross the street. A car came around the corner. She stepped out between the parked vehicles and glanced towards the dazzling headlights. The car stopped in the road, engine idling. The same model as his. Perhaps he’d come to pick her up, not wanting to wait any longer. The headlights blinded her. She squinted, trying to make out the driver or the registration number.

  The car engine revved, tyres squealed as it hurtled towards her. No time to move or call out. The car rammed into her. Knocked the breath out of her body. Tossed her onto the road like a limp rag doll. The frown of uncertainty still creased her forehead.

  A trickle of blood seeped from the corner of her mouth, dribbled down her cheek and onto the road. The car roared away. The man checked there was no one around. He approached the woman and crouched down. Watched the light fade from her eyes and then made another phone call.

  Early June

  1

  They passed a Welcome to Nettleford sign, and Lexie gave it a half-hearted glare. The children had been fractious for most of the journey, and all she wanted was to get out of the car. Nathan had promised Nettleford was a decent-sized town, not a village, but it would have to prove itself. Before it could do that, Nathan indicated left and turned into what could only be described as a lane.

  ‘Are we there?’ asked Tilly, from the back seat.

  ‘Almost.’ Nathan drove a short way along the lane and pulled onto a grass verge.

  The rental house was postcard perfect from the outside. That’s if you liked a quaintly old cottage, which would no doubt be freezing through the winter. Lexie stood on the verge staring at it. Cherry Tree Cottage. Such a cliché.

  ‘Are there any neighbours close by?’

  ‘There are a few other houses along the road.’ Nathan came up behind and wrapped his arms around her. ‘I know it’s not like our house in London, but it will be better once we’ve settled in and unpacked all our things.’

  Tilly opened the gate and wandered into the garden. A white picket fence!

  The twins scrambled out of the car and ran after Tilly, happy to be out of the confines of the car. A rough track ran along the side of the property and disappeared into trees up a slight incline.

  Lexie did a quick tour inside the cottage. Someone had made a bad attempt at renovating the bathroom and kitchen. In the distant past, judging by the avocado coloured bathroom suite. She shuddered at the state of the ancient oven.

  Tilly, Ruth and Fiona had found a swing hanging from a tree in the back garden, and Tilly was swinging as high as she could, her long hair flying out behind her.

  ‘They’ll love it here.’ Nathan put down the box he had carried in from the car and smiled as he watched the three girls in the garden. ‘Don’t worry. It’s all going to work out.’

  Something else she’d reserve judgement on, but the line between his eyebrows had appeared and she gave him a kiss as he pulled her into his arms.

  The removal men were supposed to follow them, but it was mid-afternoon before they appeared. By the time they’d unpacked the van, the twins were grumpy and everyone was hungry.

  ‘Let’s go and find some fish and chips,’ said Nathan. ‘It’ll give you a chance to see the town.’

  Tilly, Fiona and Ruth magically revived at the mention of chips, and they all piled into the car. Nathan drove along the lane to where they’d turned off when they first arrived.

  ‘This is the main road into town, but we can also get there by continuing on down the lane past our place.’

  Lexie was too tired to care about the routes into Nettleford, but she took more interest when they reached the town centre. A café, pub and the usual selection of high-street shops huddled around the grassed town square.

  They bought fish and chips and then wandered back to the well-kept lawns of the square and sat on a park bench.

  Tilly and the twins had a bag of chips and fish fingers to themselves and dragged the paper down onto the grass. They lay on their tummies around the bag of food, looking like the spokes of a wheel.

  ‘This is yummy,’ said Tilly.

  ‘Mmm, yummy,’ echoed Ruth and Fiona.

  ‘Where did you learn that word?’ asked Nathan.

  ‘Astrid,’ the three girls chorused.

  Lexie sighed. She’d guessed that and wished Nathan hadn’t asked. The girls had already had several outbursts of tears about missing their nanny, and Lexie didn’t want to start another session.

  ‘Is Astrid coming to visit us here?’ asked Tilly.

  ‘Maybe.’

  Nathan leaned back, his long legs stretched out and arms behind his head. ‘This is wonderful. It’s still warm, and everything smells so fresh.’

  Lexie raised her eyebrows at him in a mock really stare, and he grinned back.

  ‘The food tasted good, we’ve done some of the unpacking and I’m at peace with the world.’

  She snuggled up to him, and he put his arm around her and kissed her hair. ‘Plenty of shops.’ He pointed down the street facing them.

  ‘The fish and chips were good, but don’t push your luck.’ She sat up. ‘Come on girls, time to go home.’

  ‘Not home,’ said Tilly. ‘It’s a holiday until we go back to Astrid.’

  ‘We’ll have to see,’ muttered Lexie. ‘Come on, the sun’s going to bed so it’s time you were as well.’

  Nathan took the other route home. ‘This is the far end of our road.’

  ‘More like a lane.’

  ‘It’s nice during the day, trees and flowers and stuff.’

  The trees along the road created a canopy, hidi
ng the last remnants of daylight, and made the lane dark and gloomy. Lexie shivered. Stupid, but it felt creepy. She stared into the darkness of trees and bushes and then saw a small flash of yellow light.

  ‘Stop.’

  ‘What? What is it?’ Nathan pulled onto a patch of gravel next to a driveway bordered by bushes and trees.

  ‘I’m not sure. I thought I saw… yes.’ She pointed, but Nathan was already out of the car.

  It had been a flicker, but now there were definitely flames.

  He rushed back and yanked open her car door. ‘Ring the fire brigade. I think it’s a garage on fire, but I can see a house behind some other trees. I’ll try to find a hose. Stay in the car with the girls.’

  He ran towards the fire, his tall figure illuminated by the growing flames.

  ‘Mummy, I’m scared,’ whimpered Ruth.

  ‘We’ll be okay here in the car, and Daddy will be fine. He’s trying to help.’ Lexie hoped her words sounded more positive than she felt. She jabbed the numbers on her mobile phone. ‘Fire brigade. Where are we? Hell, I don’t know.’

  With the help of the call centre lady, she managed to describe where they were in relation to Nettleford town centre.

  Lexie squinted, trying to make out what was happening. The flickering light cast dancing shadows. The car was far enough away to feel relatively safe, but it meant she couldn’t see clearly what was going on. Something moved. Nathan? Probably just a shadow as it was too far from the fire to be him. The flames were about waist height but then leapt high making her gasp.

  ‘It’s all right, girls. Mummy was just surprised.’ Please Nathan, don’t do anything stupid. Don’t be too brave.

  Someone flashed past her side of the car and she jumped, giving a little yelp. The twins screamed.

  ‘There’s a hose on the outside wall of the garage,’ yelled the woman, but Nathan must already have found it, as a jet of water soared towards the fire. A few seconds later another gush of water joined the first.

  Lexie got out.

  ‘Mummy, don’t go,’ said Tilly.

  ‘I’m staying right here by the car.’ The wind blew the smoke towards them, stinging her eyes. A heavy, acrid smell of plastic overlaid the scent of burning wood. She stared at the flames, willing them to weaken and die. Her glance moved to the right of the fire, to where she thought she had seen something move in the shadows, but her night sight was now useless. Usually the girls’ whimpers and sniffles irritated her, but tonight they were unsettling, as if the children were aware of some evil lurking in the darkness. There were no streetlights along the lane, and it was now fully dark. The slim crescent moon gave little light.

  ‘Anything I can do?’

  She jerked around at the sound of the man’s voice behind her, and the three girls in the car screeched again.

  ‘Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you. I was driving by and saw the flames.’

  In the distance flashing lights appeared.

  ‘Oh, thank goodness, the fire brigade are almost here. I think it’ll be okay now. My husband and someone else are using garden hoses, and the fire doesn’t seem to be getting bigger.’

  The man remained several feet away from her, and she couldn’t make out any facial details. The flames were bright, but she was some distance from the fire and it was difficult to see clearly in the gloom. The fire engine crunched on the gravel, doors banged and firefighters called to each other.

  ‘You won’t need anyone else getting in the way now,’ said the man. ‘I’ll go.’ He melted into the darkness.

  Two firefighters approached, dragging large hoses past the trees, and another hurried towards her. She pointed to where she saw Nathan and the woman. ‘My husband’s up there.’

  He nodded and carried on to where she’d indicated.

  ‘Are they firemen?’ asked Tilly.

  ‘Yes,’ said Lexie. ‘It’ll be okay now.’

  ‘Look at all the water,’ shrieked Ruth.

  It seemed a long time since she’d first noticed the small yellow flickers, but once the firefighters had the large hoses working, the fire died down quickly.

  When the flames were out, Nathan came back and Lexie gave him a hug. His clothes were wet but he grinned at her, white teeth gleaming against the smudges of soot on his face. ‘Bit more excitement than we bargained for.’

  Lexie pulled the picnic rug out of the car boot, and Nathan dried himself with it as best he could. The fire officer appeared and thanked him.

  ‘It wasn’t just me.’ Nathan nodded towards the woman who’d helped him.

  ‘Good thing you were around,’ said the officer. He explained they’d check to ensure no embers were left to start another fire. ‘Does the garage belong to you?’ He gave each of them a glance.

  Nathan shook his head.

  ‘Evelyn Sinclair is the owner. She lives in the house along there.’ The woman nodded towards a building beyond some trees. ‘She’s not well and can’t get about much. I’ll go and check she’s okay.’

  ‘I’ll come with you and talk to her,’ said the officer.

  Nathan turned to the woman. ‘Thanks for your help.’

  She shrugged, as if it were nothing.

  ‘I’m Nathan Wyatt and this is my wife Lexie.’

  The silence was uncomfortable, but finally the woman spoke. The words came grudgingly, like teeth being pulled. ‘I’m Miriam Connell.’ She moved as if to walk up to the house.

  ‘Does anyone else live here?’ Lexie asked.

  Miriam turned back and stared at her.

  ‘It’s just I thought I saw someone over by the trees.’ Lexie’s voice tailed off. She sounded as bad as the kids when they had a nightmare.

  ‘Do you want us to come with you?’ Nathan rubbed at the soot on his cheek.

  Miriam shook her head and then walked towards the darker shadows of the house without looking back.

  Nathan folded the picnic blanket and put it on the driver’s seat. ‘Let’s get the girls home.’

  The children took a while to settle into their new bedrooms, wanting extra cuddles with Nathan, even though he was still in his damp clothes.

  Lexie went to have a shower. A trickle of cold, brownish water came out of the old shower head. The rusty tinge eventually turned to clear water, but the temperature stayed resolutely cold.

  ‘I’ll ring the letting agent tomorrow and get them to fix the water heater,’ said Nathan.

  After the quickest shower she’d ever had, Lexie lay in bed thinking about their house in London with the big SOLD sticker on the sign in the garden and wanted to cry.

  She rubbed her eyes and tried to swallow away the lump in her throat. It was only a house. But it wasn’t just the house, losing her job prior to that hadn’t helped either.

  Nathan hurried in from the bathroom and leapt into bed. ‘That wasn’t even tepid, it was positively freezing.’

  Before they’d left Primrose Hill that morning, he’d taken the girls to the local shop to buy drinks and sweets for the trip. He’d done it deliberately to give her time to have a last walk round the house and say goodbye. She turned over and cuddled up to him.

  She’d been frightened for him as he attempted to put out the garage fire. Things could so easily have been different. Lexie ran her fingers lightly over his arm and shoulder, feeling the muscle under his skin, and then put her arm across his chest.

  ‘I love you,’ she whispered, but he was already asleep.

  She tried to picture the man who had spoken to her, but his features had been shadowed and lost in the darkness. The whole thing was scary.

  The man said he’d been driving past, but before he appeared there was no sound of a car crunching on the gravel. No sound of a door closing.

  2

  Lexie woke the following morning as Nathan got dressed. He pulled a T-shirt over his head, and she enjoyed the view of muscles stretching as he moved.

  ‘What time is it?’

  He bent over the bed, gave her a kiss and ruffled her
dark curls. ‘Early. Go back to sleep. Sorry to leave you to finish things off here, but there’s still a lot to do to get the factory up and running for next week.’

  After he’d gone, she pulled the covers around her shoulders and hoped the girls wouldn’t wake too early. Nathan’s damp, smoky clothes, lying in a heap on the floor, reminded her of the previous night and the man in the shadows. She shivered, even though fingers of pale light showed through the gap between the curtains.

  It was easy for Nathan to say things would be okay. He was always cheerful, and he had his job. It was because of his job they were in this place in the middle of nowhere.

  Nettleford, it sounded awful. She tried so hard to be enthusiastic and excited for him in his new role, but her face didn’t always co-operate.

  Tilly’s feet thudded on the floor as she got up. So much for hoping she might get a lie-in. The girls beat her to the kitchen and the open cupboard doors reminded her they needed to go shopping. She scraped enough cereal together to feed them all, despite an argument between Tilly and Fiona over who had more cornflakes versus Rice Krispies.

  Lexie thought longingly of the frothy flat white she used to enjoy on her way to work. Hopefully Nettleford had a café with someone who could make a decent cup of coffee.

  In the supermarket car park, Ruth wandered off while Lexie struggled to prise a trolley away from several others. ‘Ruth, come away from the cars.’

  Lexie let go of the trolley, but it started rolling down the slope. She grabbed it and fought the awkward wheels to make it go in the direction she wanted.

  Meanwhile, Tilly raced after Ruth and tried dragging her back which started another argument.

  The morning had hardly started and she felt frazzled. By the time she finished in the supermarket all three girls were eating bread rolls out of a packet she’d bought. At least she’d stopped them eating the sweets they’d wheedled her into buying.

  She packed the shopping into the car and managed to find her way back to Cherry Tree Cottage.