The Sting of Death Read Online Free Page B

making mock of someone.’
    In the end Drew went into the house to fetch tea, and threw himself dramatically on Karen. ‘Save me!’ he hissed. ‘She’s never going to go at this rate.’
    ‘Not a very fascinating mystery then?’ she asked, from her cosy place on the couch, with a child on each side. ‘I had a feeling it wouldn’t be.’
    ‘I think she’s making something out of nothing. Although … well …’
    ‘Drew Slocombe!’ she accused. ‘You’ve been hooked, haven’t you? Don’t pretend to be bored. I know that look.’
    ‘No, really. I think it’ll come to nothing.’ Drew glanced impatiently at the window onto the patio. ‘I’m supposed to be doing that piece for the Natural Death Centre. I’ll never finish it now.’ He scratched his hairline with frustration. ‘What shall I do?’
    ‘Leave it to me,’ said Karen. ‘I think I know the very thing.’
    And she did. She carried Timothy outside, and plonked him on Penn’s lap. ‘Sorry I’ve been so selfish with him,’ she beamed. ‘He’s having his bath in a little while, so this is your last chance to play with him. It’ll do me a favour, too. Stephanie likes a bit of special time with me, especially on a Sunday.’
    Penn got the message. After three minutes ofclumsy dandling, she made a big show of not realising the time, and gathered up her things.
    At the front gate, to which Drew had accompanied her, she turned. ‘You don’t think she’s in trouble at all, do you?’ she accused.
    ‘Well …’
    ‘I didn’t want to tell you this, because I’m sure you’ll think it’s rubbish. But I do rune readings for people.’ Drew said nothing. ‘And when I did Justine’s, on Thursday, I got Hagalaz which means radical disruption. Then the symbol for breakthrough – complete transformation – and then the Blank.’ She looked at him fiercely. ‘And that means death. Those last two in combination are the most powerful thing you can draw. And believe me, Drew, I’m good at the runes. My readings are always accurate. So when Justine didn’t turn up for our lunch date, I was sure something had happened to her.’
    Drew sighed. ‘I said I’d do what I can to help. I’ll go to her cottage tomorrow evening, and see what strikes me about it. I can’t say more than that, can I?’
    ‘You might say you believe me,’ she flashed, before getting into her car and driving off with the briefest of waves.
    Penn hadn’t missed the glance that Drew and Karen exchanged when she first mentioned Justine. There’d been something avid, especiallyin Drew’s eyes – something almost predatory. He’d wanted to hear the whole story, leaning slightly towards her. ‘Just because a person disappears doesn’t mean they’ve been murdered,’ he said. Penn thought he lingered on the word murdered as if saying rapture or merriment . In short, he’d reacted very much as she’d hoped he would. Drew Slocombe was obviously obsessed with violent death, preferably with a mystery attached, and Penn had handed him the very thing he craved. The eager hungry look in his eye had betrayed him and belied the charming boyish manner he adopted.
    The brief reference to person named Maggs had been intriguing. ‘She’s a marvel,’ Drew said, as if repeating something he’d said countless times. But Penn had gleaned very little more about her than that. A young female partner in the undertaking business, who apparently had many skills and talents, and who of necessity would be made party to the Case of the Missing Cousin, as Penn suspected Drew had instantly labelled her story.
    Everything had been kind and calm and sympathetic, but there had been a moment when the summer sky suddenly turned heavy and sinister. The blue intensified, the air thickened, until she could hardly breathe. She hadn’t known Drew well enough to predict hisresponse, and it was never easy to manipulate people into doing what you wanted. She had almost lost his attention at one point,