The Inspector Walter Darriteau Murder Mysteries - Books 1-4 by David Carter (best finance books of all time .txt) 📕

a stretch was not the most comfortable thing to do, and regular air was pretty important to anyone.

Pryce sat in the opposite chair and smiled across at her.

‘You must be hungry, and thirsty.’

‘I need a drink,’ she said.

‘And you shall have one,’ and he yanked open a desk drawer and pulled out a similar green glass bottle of water.

He saw the doubt in her eyes.

‘Oh, don’t worry, this is water,’ and to prove the point he removed the cap and swigged the content. The acid on the desk gave a final hiss, as if it were a death rattle, and then all was quiet as the last of the fumes faded away. Remaining on the desk was a deep and nasty scar, or could it be described as a burn mark, no matter, Pryce had made his point.

‘And you must be hungry too,’ and he went back to the drawer and pulled out a large bar of chocolate fruit and nut, his favourite, full of sugar, calories, fat, and life giving ingredients. He tugged off the end piece, broke it in half and slipped a piece into his mouth, before reaching across and slipping the balance into hers.

‘Nice, isn’t it?’ as he crunched his way through best almonds.

She didn’t reply.

‘Now the thing is, Jessica, you are a woman in great demand.’

‘Am I?’

‘Oh yes, all kinds of people are looking for you. The Barton brothers, as you know, are prepared to break the bank to get hold of your fair skin, but you know that already, though I wouldn’t like to be in your shoes if they do, and the Crown Prosecution Service of course, and not to mention the police. They must be tearing their hair out wondering where you are now, and what you are doing, and of course they would never think of looking here in a million trillion years.’

‘Walter will find me.’

‘Who the hell’s Walter?’

‘You’ll see.’

‘Ah well, no matter, I have no idea who this Wally fellow is, and frankly I have no interest in that either, my dear. Where was I? Oh yes, I know, it must be so lovely to be popular.’

‘What are you talking about?’

‘Oh, didn’t I say? I’ve had a better bid. Two million dollars as it happens, so I have agreed, in principle, to trade you for cash. That’s what I do, you see, trade in humans. Why not? It’s a very lucrative business. I mean, there are horse dealers and cattle dealers and cat dealers and dog dealers, even camel merchants, can you believe? It’s only a small step up to human trading, I am a human merchant, if you will, and if I say so myself, one of the most successful in the industry, though I have to confess there is a great deal more competition these days, and it’s just the same as in equine blood, the best colts and fillies always make the best prices. Must make you feel great, eh?’

She looked at him, pityingly, but he wasn’t to be interrupted. He probably didn’t even notice.

‘That must impress you, does it? The thought that another man would pay two million dollars for you, to have access to you, for the rest of your days, whenever he wishes, I wish I was worth two million dollars to another human being, but hey ho, we can’t have everything in life, can we?’

‘Who is it?’

‘Ah, now that will remain a secret for a little while longer. Leave you something to ponder. Anyway, I thought you’d like an update, and I’m sure you’d like to know that your stay here will not be overlong, we are just ironing out the final details.’

‘The Barton brothers will kill you.’

‘Oh, I don’t think so. They don’t know me, and they don’t know you are here. Must be driving them wild too, all that uncertainty, but hopefully they will soon be convicted, despite the lack of evidence from you, and put away for a very long time.’

‘You underestimate them.’

Pryce pulled a face.

‘Don’t think so. In a moment I am going to release you for five minutes. You can finish your meal, and use the bowl,’ and he glanced at the washing-up bowl on the floor, and returned to the desk drawer and pulled out a roll of toilet tissue and set it on the desk.

‘I don’t think so.’

‘Oh, don’t worry, my dear, I shall be outside, I am not a voyeur, never have been, you will have your privacy, so if we are ready, I shall release you,’ and Pryce went silently behind her and unclipped the first of the cable ties. She flexed her wrist, as he went to the other and unclipped that too. She rubbed her wrists hard as he moved around the desk, opened the door to the corridor, paused and said, ‘Ah yes, the acid, better take that, don’t you think, dangerous stuff, we don’t want any nasty accidents, do we?’

He stood in the doorway and grinned and watched her reach across and grab the water.

‘Good,’ he said. ‘Just remember, if I so much as hear a squeal from you, you get the acid, understand? Even I am prepared to forgo two million dollars in certain circumstances, and if you think about barricading yourself in the room I shall simply let you do so by locking the door, and leaving you inside, alone forever. Wouldn’t recommend it though. Death by starvation is agony, so I believe.’

She emptied the water and took another piece of fruit and nut.

‘You have five minutes. When I return I shall expect to see you sitting quietly in the chair.’

Forty-Seven

Walter, Karen, Jan, Jenny, Hector and Gibbons were all sitting around the main bank of desks. Walter said, ‘Sadie,’ and everyone switched on, though for some reason the still unproven monster system was not in the loop.

‘Still no ID?’

Lots of puzzled faces and shaking heads.

‘It stands to reason that the fact that no one has reported her missing means that she has not become fully entrenched