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

his head in exasperation and said, ‘Keep on at them. I want that product out of the place ASAP!’

‘I’m on it,’ said Brinton, and he stood up and loped back to his office, glad to be out of there.

INSIDE THE PALLET, Jun Woo was getting cramp. She was puzzled as to why the pallet hadn’t been loaded onto a vehicle, puzzled as to why they weren’t moving, puzzled why everything was so quiet, and worried in case there was a snap roll call. She had talked to Shu about that eventuality and plans were in place to deal with it, but plans had a habit of falling down, and she knew she was still very much at risk.

WALTER AND KAREN WENT for an early noon lunch. He was eager to discover what was on her mind, and he knew that Toad-in-the-Hole, one of his all time favourites, was on the menu that day in the Royal Oak. His Aunt Mimosa used to do the most amazing Toad-in-the-Hole.

‘Do you wants chips with this, Walter?’ asked, Elsie, the catering manageress.

‘What do you think?’

‘Thought so,’ and she smiled at the big man. Why the hell was he so huggable? ‘And what about you, Karen, what are you having?’

‘The poached salmon salad.’

‘Good choice,’ she said, grinning at Walter, ‘Take a seat, I’ll bring them over.’

It was early and it was quiet and they took a nice table by the window, and for a second stared out at the bustling passers-by, Chester, lunchtime on a typical autumnal weekday, as the rain had vanished, and Walter said, ‘What’s on your mind?’

Karen glanced around, checked they were not being listened to.

‘Kitnap’s offered me a job. Double pay.’

Walter sat back in his chair, folded his arms, pulled a face, took a deep breath, exhaled loudly, ‘And you’re minded to accept?’

‘Don’t know yet, Guv. Have to think about it.’

Walter already knew that he didn’t like Kit Napoleon, not that he had ever met him, but now that dislike had ratcheted up a notch.

‘I suppose Greg’s in favour?’

‘Sure, big time, says we could buy a big house together.’

Walter thought that a bit premature, but didn’t say. There was a short silence and she said, ‘So what do you think?’

‘I think you’d be mad to give up your career to go and work with an odd-ball character like that.’

‘Knew you’d say that.’

‘So why ask?’

She grinned and said, ‘I value your opinion.’

‘Yeah, right. So what are you going to do?’

‘I’m going to sleep on it.’

Walter didn’t say anything else, though it was obvious what he thought. Elsie brought the meals and set them down. Geez! thought Walter, that Toad looks magnificent.

‘Bon appetite, boys and girls,’ she said, and then she was gone.

‘So what did Roland Barraclough have to say?’ asked Karen, dragging a bone out of the salmon.

‘He said what you said, that they would guarantee any losses.’

‘That’s amazing.’

‘Yes, it is, don’t think I have ever come across anything quite like it before.’

‘Mrs Cresswell will be pleased.’

‘Yes, but you have to ask yourself, why would they do that?’

‘Don’t want the bad publicity, I guess.’

‘An expensive way of avoiding it.’

‘I tell you, Guv, money’s no problem to them.’

Walter was chewing juicy pork sausage, good it was too, and then he said, ‘That’s obvious, if they can afford to double your pay.’

‘Don’t you think I’m worth it?’

He swigged his bitter and said, ‘Didn’t say that.’

JUN WOO, WITHIN THE pallet, didn’t have any lunch. Wouldn’t get any dinner either. Or breakfast. She tried to relax, but that was impossible, for all her joints were aching like hell.

Sixty-Eight

The next time Pryce glanced at the bank balance on the screen he couldn’t believe what he saw. There it was, two million dollars, hurriedly exchanged into sterling. He checked his emails. New one in from China. Dispatch details for the special cargo. Out of Liverpool again. State of Divine Providence, sister ship to the Heavenly Peace. Lived up to its name, thought Pryce, for it was bringing him plenty happiness. Glanced at the time in the bottom corner of the screen. 15.19.

Geez! He thought, then he yelled, ‘Brinton!!’

Brinton came running, wondering what was up now.

Hurried into Pryce’s office and sat down.

‘What’s up?’

‘We’re on!’

‘Jessica?’

‘Yes, she’s going out tonight.’

‘All paid for?’

‘Obviously! Is the gurney ready?’

‘It’s in the van.’

‘Well it’s no good there! Get it inside and get it ready, and when you’ve done that, go and have a word with that Monica bitch of yours, and find out if any of our Oriental friends has any nursing experience.’

‘Nursing experience?’

‘Why do I have to keep repeating myself? Just do it!’

Brinton shrugged his shoulders and pulled an unhappy face and said, ‘I’m on it,’ and went outside.

Pryce switched back to the Portuguese property website.

It really was going to happen. It really was.

TOWARDS THE CLOSE OF play more than half of all the electronics companies in the area had been visited and checked out. Hadn’t produced much. Four illegal workers, by the look of things, but all Afghanis, and young men at that. No sign of Chinese young women, no sign of serious employee abuse, and no sign of Jessica Stone either.

THEN SOMETHING SURPRISING happened. The Rushnells turned up at the Police station at 17.30, complete with one contrite Donald.

Developments, thought Karen. How did the old rogue do it? Donald was taken into custody, questioned, held overnight, and the anxious parents were sent home. None of the Rushnells were told of Roland Barraclough’s promise to make good any losses, Walter would believe that when he saw it, and in his eyes it didn’t make a fig of difference anyway. The crime had been committed and the culprit would have to pay the price. In any event, it was out of his hands, the Crown Prosecution Service would decide what charges the young Rushnell would face.

IN MINSTREL ELECTRONICS, Monica had found a young trainee nurse for Brinton. Her name was Shu Lang, one of the new units, not long