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

‘Dork?’ queried Jun.

‘Yeah, you know, he has definite man-like tendencies... makes a complete prat of himself at regular intervals.’

Jun laughed, tried on a jacket, fitted well, maybe a little long, but no matter, it was dark and warm and cosy, and most importantly for night-time ops, it didn’t rustle when she moved.

‘If you’re sure.’

‘Course! Are you courting, Jun?’

She looked a little uncomfortable at being asked such a question. Perhaps Hong Kongers didn’t like to talk openly about such things, thought Karen, and Jun said, ‘No, wish I was, I’ve never... well you know,’ but she stopped herself saying any more, and went back to commenting on the length of the jacket sleeves.

Karen took hold of her arm.

‘It’ll happen, when you are ready, when it’s meant to, some handsome guy will come along and sweep you off your feet.’

Jun pursed her lips and nodded and glanced away, and then she said, ‘I know. I just wish he’d get a move on, that’s all, getting awfully tired waiting.’

‘Are the guys in the Hong Kong Police hot?’

Jun nodded.

‘Yeah, lots of them are, check out their website, one of the guys on the front page, he’s very nice. A real cutey-pie.’

‘There you are!’

‘He’s married.’

‘Oh dear. Never mind. Plenty more fish in the sea!’

‘Not if the Japanese have their way!’ and they both laughed at that, and Jun said, ‘I sure hope so.’

They heard Greg bellowing through the flat, ‘Dinner is served! I’m having mine!’

But he wasn’t, not really, not even sat at the table, just designed to get them coming and running, and it worked damn well, as they scurried in and sat down, as Greg dished up his medium hot lamb curry with pops, and it was so damned good. The hellava hunk could cook too.

20.45. JESSICA HAD BATHED and smartened up as best she could. Still hated her hacked hair but what could she do about that?  Took an echinacea tab with some herbal tea, nibbled the cheese on toast Walter had prepared, surprised herself at her lack of appetite. Felt a whole lot better for a bath.

Walter came into the sitting room and sat opposite.

‘There’s something I need to say, to tell you.’

Jessica stiffened. Sounded like bad news.

‘Like what?’

‘How important was Ricky Barton to you?’

She pursed her lips.

‘There was a time,’ she began slowly, ‘when he was the be-all and end-all, a time when I could think of nothing and no one else, but it seems these feelings I have for men are only transient, because at the time they are everything, yet the real question is, how strong are they really, for they never seem to last.’

‘Only you will know that.’

‘Well, Walter, when you witness the man you thought you loved, butcher someone in your own front room, fillet them like gutting a herring, without any second thought, without any conscience, well, that kind of thing is inclined to smash any feelings into oblivion. Did in my case, anyhow. Maybe, deep down I kept thinking, it could have been me, because he was capable of it, Walter. What makes you ask?’

‘He’s no more.’

‘Dead?’ and she breathed out heavy.

Walter nodded.

‘How?’

‘Brinton shot him in the throat.’

‘Geez! What a mess!’

‘The good news is the whole sorry business is coming to a close.’

‘Hope so.’

‘With a little luck, tonight will be the final chapter.’

Jessica nodded and said, ‘Live by the sword, die by the sword. Can’t say as I have too much sympathy.’

Walter nodded. She was an intelligent girl, and more than that, a strong person, physically and mentally, and he admired that. ‘That’s about the way of it. You ready to go across the road?’

‘Yeah, tell you the truth, Walter, I’m glad you fixed that up now, wouldn’t really have wanted to sit alone in the house all night.’

‘That’s what I figured. No idea what time I’ll be back.’

Jessica nodded and they went outside, and Walter took her across to number 58, where she was welcomed as if she were royalty. Come in! Sit down. Wanna coffee? Wanna piece o’cake, something stronger, white wine, maybe? We have so been looking forward to meeting you. Lizzy has told us all about you. She’s a HUGE fan!  She has SO-ooo many questions for you, and Walter grinned at them all, and thanked them profusely, and left them to it and went back to his house.

20.50. GREG HAD WASHED and cleared away all the dishes.

‘You’ve got him well trained,’ whispered Jun.

‘Not really,’ said Karen. ‘He’s not normally like this, I think he’s trying to impress you.’

‘It’s working,’ said Jun, and the girls exchanged a giggle.

‘I’ll wait up for you,’ said Greg.

‘No you won’t!’ said Karen. ‘You are going home, and right now!’

‘Oh pigs!’ and he moaned like a young teenaged boy denied a treat, and sighed over-loudly and said, ‘Bye,’ to Jun, and wished them well on their op, as Karen pushed his jacket into his midriff and ushered him toward the door, and out of the flat, as the girls exchanged glances.

‘You only want me for my food!’ he sulked, shouting back through the open door.

‘What else?’ said Karen, and Jun laughed aloud, as she went for her borrowed jacket.

‘Karen?’

‘What?’

‘Do you fancy keeping in touch, once the op’s over.’

Karen grinned and said, ‘Sure.’

‘Maybe you could come and visit us in HK, and perhaps I could come back and see you some time.’

‘Great idea!’ said Karen. ‘Love to,’ and as they were thinking of that, exciting exchanged holidays on opposite sides of the planet, the phone rang three times.

‘It’ll be Walter, wondering where we are,’ said Karen, and she picked up the phone and said, ‘Hi!’

‘Hello, Karen.’

It was a man’s voice, but it wasn’t Walter, and what with everything else on her mind, for a moment she had no idea who it was.

‘Who is this?’

‘Have you forgotten me already?’

‘Ah, Kit, sorry, I am just busy on something.’

‘Have I rung at an inconvenient moment?’

‘No, well yes, but...’ but how do you explain to someone that she was about to