Lost Souls by Jenny O'Brien (android e book reader txt) 📕

himself a huge asset to the team during the last case even if he puts us all to shame with his dress sense and clothing allowance.’

‘He could dress like the Queen of Sheba for all I care. You haven’t been here long, Gaby, certainly not long enough to see the way Marie has changed. She’s far better without that git of a husband but that’s something she has to learn for herself. Shacking up with a player like Devine isn’t going to help and it could very possibly make it worse but that’s not what concerns me.’

‘I’m listening,’ Gaby said, reaching for the brass door handle, her head tilted in his direction.

‘What’s in it for him? Because I can’t think of one thing apart from the obvious and if that’s the case, Marie is completely out of her depth. Yes, she’s a good-looking woman but there’s the age difference for one and, from what I hear, she’s pretty much dependent on him for everything from the roof over her head to the sheets on her bed.’ He placed his hand on the side of the door and, pulling it open, gestured for her to precede him. ‘I wonder what his price will be and whether she can afford to refuse to pay it?’

Gaby walked into the plush surroundings, her feet starting to skid on the highly polished wooden floor as she tried to switch her thoughts from concerns about her staff and back to the investigation. Managing her team was the one part of her promotion to DS and then acting DI that she didn’t relish. She knew where she was with the dead. While they couldn’t speak, there were other ways for them to share their secrets. But people management was like finding an unexpected trunk poking out of that proverbial can of worms. She could cope with the day-to-day detritus that accompanied office life but the unexpected elephant popping up in the corner was something she wasn’t equipped for. Gaby would be the first person to admit that she was crap at relationships. Her mind dipped back to Cardiff and her entanglement with Leigh Clark, which had ended in his heavily pregnant wife exposing her for the fool that she was. If she could make such a catastrophic mess of her own life, what were the odds that she’d be just as likely to mess up someone else’s?

No. She was going to leave Marie and Malachy to their own devices. All she asked was that any relationship issues they might have didn’t impact on their work.

Her thoughts shifted to Rusty but, approaching the wide expanse of desk, she forced them to shrivel and die, leaving only withered remains. Her relationship with the man was far too new to be allowed room during the middle of an investigation. She was meant to be seeing him later – only time would tell if she was able to honour that plan. She had the hurdle of dealing with Bill Davis to face first, a man who would do anything to see her fall flat on her face.

Gaby had had such high hopes when she’d been transferred from Cardiff to Swansea but she’d only worked there a day when she’d had her first run-in with the DS and, as his junior, she’d had to take everything he’d dished out. The worst of it was he still blamed her for the untimely death of her former boss, Rhys Walker. And sadly, part of her agreed with him. The only saving grace was that she’d managed to save the life of Izzy Grant in the process, in a case that was also about a missing child, she remembered – an investigation into the disappearance of Izzy’s newborn baby daughter.

She wouldn’t last five minutes if Bill got the job of DI but the only way she could prevent it was to apply for the post herself, therefore leaving her even less time for any sort of a personal life. Catch 22.

Gaby paused her musings to take in the quiet, ambient surroundings that featured lots of highly polished glass and subtle furnishings. It took both time and effort to create such a calm, stress-free environment, one which was at odds with the hustle and bustle she was used to. The person standing up to shake their hands matched the environment exactly.

Trevor Beeton was firmly in the grasp of middle age, his thick, brushed-back grey hair a perfect foil for his heavy jaw and deep-set eyes. The suit he wore was dark and formal, the shirt pristine white, the tie dark grey instead of the black she’d been expecting. The shoes were buffed to a high sheen. There was no jewellery apart from a thick wedding band and a steel watch, which looked like it needed a pilot’s licence to operate it. He appeared exactly what he was: affluent and opinionated.

‘How can I be of help, officers?’ he said, sitting back in his chair. He picked up a gold-lidded fountain pen and swirled it through his fingers. ‘It’s not often we get a visit from the police. In fact, I can’t remember the last time.’

‘No, well, when they get to you it’s usually a little too late for us to intervene,’ Gaby replied, angling her head in Owen’s direction. This was his party and she was quite happy for him to take the lead.

‘I’m not sure whether you know but one of your staff came to see us at the station earlier. A Mr Martin Penrose?’

There was no change in Trevor Beeton’s expression but for some reason Gaby sensed that he was annoyed. It made her think that he wouldn’t be the most compassionate of men, which was interesting when taking into account his career choice.

‘Really? I am surprised. I’m sure that the police have a lot more important things to concentrate on than a little problem of sloppy housekeeping.’

‘But Mr Penrose is adamant that he cleaned the cremator thoroughly on both occasions?’

‘And why wouldn’t he –