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

‘Not yet Guv, take it next month.’

‘No matter, you can still come.’

‘I’ll look after you,’ grinned Jenny, smiling at Jan.

He smiled back and flexed his eyebrows.

‘Go and get kitted out,’ said Walter to Jenny, ‘and take Jan with you. Meet you downstairs in ten.’

‘How do you feel?’ Mrs West asked Jun.

‘I’m good, food’s good,’ and she wiped her hands together after polishing off what remained of Walter’s lunch, and picked up the hot coffee and began sipping.

‘You can come and sit in my office,’ said Mrs West. ‘We’ll monitor things from there.’

Jun looked disappointed.

‘I’d rather go with the Inspector,’ she said. ‘See it through to the end.’

Mrs West glanced at Walter. He nodded. Said, ‘It makes good sense ma’am, Jun knows where everything is, knows the layout, she can ID people, I think she should go.’

Mrs West pulled a face and said, ‘On your head be it, Walter, you know my thoughts, just so long as I don’t have to explain to the HKPF about any nasty accidents,’ and she turned and headed back toward her office, as Walter and Jun shared a grin, and Mrs West was heard to yell back over her shoulder in that unmistakeable voice of hers, ‘Keep me informed!’

‘Sure you’re all right?’ asked Walter.

Jun nodded. ‘Never been better!’

12.55. KAREN PILOTED the new silver Volvo S80 out of the garage, the recently delivered and shiny executive saloon, Swedish tough technology, ideal for northern European climes, the fab D5 Geartronic SE UX model that Karen adored. God alone knows how they had landed such a beast, but Karen was going to make the most of it. It was the one with the kinky active bending Xenon headlights, though she hadn’t yet had reason to use those, but she’d find one.

Walter sensed her excitement.

‘Don’t prang the car, Greenwood! Five minutes either way won’t make any difference.’

‘Sure, Guv,’ though whether his words sank in he wasn’t so sure. The three J’s were in the back, Jan, Jun, and Jen, Jan in the middle. They had all taken to Jun immediately. Seemed liked she had been part of the team for weeks, which in a way she had. She recognised the road back to Minstrel, the hospital, the pubs, supermarket, filling station, down the hill, over the canal, no narrowboat this time, no barking running dog, and the right fork that was signposted Ellesmere Port.

Karen was a quality driver, Jun instinctively knew that, felt safe in the car, felt safe with Karen at the wheel, felt safe in the team, felt among friends, which she was, colleagues with the same aim in life, to stop a truly disgusting trade, and put some despicable people behind bars for a very long time.

Walter, Karen, and Jenny were armed. The same weapon.  Heckler & Koch USP – Universal Self-loading Pistol, made in Germany, launched in 1993, and still as relevant and popular as ever, used by law enforcement agencies around the world, fired nine 19mm Parabellums, and the reason they had selected that weapon was because they could all take extra ammunition from the one box, should the need arise. Made a lot of sense.

Jenny loved firing it, on the range, but had never fired a gun anywhere else, and in truth didn’t wish to, but it gave her a real adrenaline rush, and she loved the short recoil facility. It wasn’t Walter’s favourite weapon, but it sure as hell could do the job when called on. Walter pondered on what was ahead. Going out with guns happened an increasing number of times, and that worried him, but firing them was very rare indeed, thank goodness, and Walter wanted to keep it that way, for firing a gun meant only one thing: Someone could get killed. Fact was, modern guns were lethal, and the Heckler & Koch was no different in that respect.

If somebody was shot and killed it could be one of their dedicated team, a real live cheerful human being who might not come home, or it could be one of the opposition, and both eventualities brought nothing but dread to Walter, not to mention the inquests and paperwork, and inevitable rebukes that would surely follow.

On the trip, Jun was telling them about how she managed to escape, about the excruciating agony of being imprisoned in that tiny cardboard box, within that pallet of completed product, that had sat there for more than twenty-four hours. It was the hardest thing she had ever done.

Jun stared through the window and recognised the industrial estate, and the cavernous grey soulless buildings, and knew they were only a minute away.

‘There’s Gibbons and Browne,’ said Karen, nodding to the left, and theirs was the only car in an empty car park in front of an empty unit.

‘Pull in next to them,’ said Walter, and Karen did, and they all got out for a final pow-wow.

Seventy-Five

13.15. Walter introduced Inspector Jun Woo to the boys.

‘Acting Inspector,’ Jun corrected him.

‘Only a matter of time, kid.’

Gibbons liked her from the first second he set eyes on her.

Jun Woo wasn’t so sure.

‘Layout of the building?’ said Walter.

Jun said, ‘Reception desk on the right, one guy there.’

Walter glanced at Hector. He nodded agreement.

Jun continued, ‘Rooms on the right side of the corridor, Boardroom, Accounts, Stationery, Brinton’s office, Pryce’s office.’

She was good, thought Gibbons. Good memory, perfect English, no accent at all, all courtesy of Saint Mary’s College back in Honkers, though he didn’t know that.

Hector nodded agreement again, and said, ‘The last one, Pryce’s office, it was being emptied. Carpet gone already.’

‘Why would Pryce’s room be empty?’ asked Karen.

‘Maybe it was about to be redecorated,’ suggested Hector.

Walter pulled a face, it was possible, but it seemed odd.

Jun began again. ‘At the end of the corridor there are double doors, always locked, they lead into an inner hallway.’

‘Yep, been in there,’ said Gibbons.

Hector nodded agreement too.

‘There’s a room off to the right, I have never been in there,’ continued Jun.

‘It’s a small