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    Death For Art's Sake
    Death For Art's Sake
    Death For Art's Sake
    Ebook140 pages2 hours

    Death For Art's Sake

    By Milly Reynolds

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    About this ebook

    With his forthcoming wedding just around the corner, DI Mike Malone is hoping that his little town stays crime-free. Unfortunately, his peace and quiet is shattered when the hideously mutilated body of a young girl is found. As he and his faithful DS, Alan Shepherd pursue the callous murderer, an old nemesis returns to cause even more problems.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMilly Reynolds
    Release dateDec 27, 2013
    ISBN9781311604330
    Death For Art's Sake
    Author

    Milly Reynolds

    As you may have already guessed, Milly Reynolds is not my real name. Like my 'hero' Detective Inspector Mike Malone, I also hide my real identity. Having 'retired' from my job, I was a full-time teacher in a secondary school, I decided to pursue my dream of becoming a writer. So why Mike Malone? I love all things detective and wanted to create my own series. However, I decided not to go for the deep, dark thriller - I could never compete with the masters of that genre, like Jo Nesbo whose books I adore? Therefore I came to the decision that the Mike Malone series would be off-beat. I like to think that there is humour in my books; I don't want to scare people, I want to make them chuckle - there is not enough laughter in the world at the moment. As the series has progressed, I have become very attached to Mike; he is the comfortable pair of slippers that I put on at night. My husband has also become attached to Fi and I am under strict instructions not to let anything happen to her - yet. Living in Lincolnshire, I love the flat, endless landscapes and want these to be seen in my books alongside places that I know and love. Mike Malone has moved from the city to Lincolnshire and has fallen in love with the place; me, I was born here and can't think of anywhere else I'd rather be. However, although Mike was my first creation, he is not the only one. I have also created Jack Sallt, another Detective Inspector. Jack is grittier than Mike and there is not the humour in his stories that there is in the Mike Malone stories. I wanted to write a more 'grown-up' detective story. When time allows this will be developed into a series as well. With two male detectives under my wing, I also decided that it was time for the girls to take centre stage and 'Scorpion's Tale', my first novel featuring Liv Harris, a character in the Jack Sallt novels, was published in 2013. I am hoping that Liv will make another appearance at some point in the future. Not content with crime, I have also wandered into the realms of romance; my first stand-alone novel 'The Unseen Sky' was published August 2011. I'm lucky, I enjoy writing and find it just as relaxing to sit and create as it is to read, although sometimes a good book can get in the way of my writing. I read on average 50/60 books a year and always keep my blog updated with reviews. Anyway, I hope you like my novels. I have fun coming up with ideas for Mike -...

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      Book preview

      Death For Art's Sake - Milly Reynolds

      Prologue

      Shuffling his feet into his slippers, Richard Austin glanced over Moira's sleeping body to see the alarm clock. Three o'clock. From downstairs, the crying of the fifteen-week old puppy that his soft-hearted wife had taken in was getting louder, so he grabbed his dressing gown and tip-toed out of the bedroom, gently closing the door behind him.

      Shut up, you little beggar, he whispered as he got to the bottom of the stairs. I'm coming.

      As soon as he opened the kitchen door, a black fur-ball shot across the floor and started nipping at his pyjama bottoms.

      I've not come down to play with you, you daft bugger. Do you even realise what time it is?

      Richard bent down and tickled the little cocker spaniel under its chin, sending it into a state of bliss. The puppy rolled over onto its back, kicking its legs and trying to cover Richard's fingers in wet kisses.

      Come on, outside and then you can settle down again. The puppy ran around in tiny circles as Richard got to his feet and headed towards the back door. Outside, now. Do what you have to do and then I can get back to bed.

      Richard flung open the back door, flinching as the cold November air rushed in and pinched his cheeks. With a yelp of joy, the puppy rushed into the garden and began sniffing around while Richard watched him indulgently. In the three weeks that the puppy had been with them, Richard had fallen in love with it – though he would never tell Moira – that would ruin his standing as the family grump. Although initially, he had tried to persuade Moira not to have the puppy, to let Mrs Jackson, their cleaner, send it back to the breeder when she found that she couldn't cope with it. Now, he was so glad that he had given in, Bentley and he were going to be great friends. Snapping out of his reverie, Richard realised that he couldn't see the puppy any more.

      Bentley! Come here, you daft mutt, I'm not playing with you now.

      He looked around the garden, trying to peer into the darkness. A sudden sniffling from behind the shed alerted him to the whereabouts of the puppy and he tentatively started to walk over the damp grass towards the sound, fully aware that his pyjama bottoms were going to be sodden by the time that he had retrieved the dog.

      Bentley! Come out! With a yelp, the puppy shot from behind the shed and as Richard scooped it up, it buried its wet nose in his neck. Right you, back to bed.

      Kicking the back door closed behind him, Richard kicked off his gardening shoes and dropped the puppy onto the kitchen floor. He was right, his pyjama bottoms were dripping, and his pyjama top wasn't that much drier either after carrying the puppy inside. He grabbed a tea towel from the drawer and started to wipe himself down, while Bentley went over to his bed and started to turn around to find the perfect spot. As he watched the puppy, two things happened, two things that would mean that he would get no more sleep that night. Firstly, as Bentley finally settled down on his blanket, Richard saw bright red streaks dotted across its cream surface. Secondly, as he threw the tea towel into the laundry basket, he saw that it too was streaked with red. He looked down at his pyjama top and saw the red slashes across it from where Bentley's paws had tried to find a grip. Blood! Richard fumbled in the drawer for a torch and put his gardening shoes on again, hoping as he shut the back door behind him that Bentley hadn't just taken a bite out of the neighbour's cat.

      This time when he reached the shed and shone the weak torchlight into the black shadows behind it, he didn't notice the damp creeping up his trouser legs. In fact, he didn't notice a lot of anything at all, except that the woman laying across his compost heap had lost the top of her head.

      1

      I could feel the sweat cascading down my back as I ran; the thudding of my heart in my chest was deafening and my breath came in short, painful gasps. I glanced at my watch. Five to eleven. I wasn't going to make it. Tears rushed into my eyes, blurring my vision so that I could no longer see the church tower. She would be worried. She wouldn't know where I was. Suddenly, I heard the first bell. The chiming of the bells, which should have been heralding joy, were now foretelling my doom. I knew that she wouldn't wait for me. I knew that, with a heart that was broken in two, she would leave the church and my life. I closed my eyes, letting my tears squeeze through my eyelashes and onto my cheeks. My body start to shudder as my own heart splintered and I could feel the weight of my sorrow crushing my chest. I opened my eyes.

      Mike, didn't you hear the phone? Fi was shaking me, her hands were on my chest rocking me.

      Phone? What phone? I looked around, disorientated for one brief moment and then I sighed with relief. It had been a dream, a bad dream. Fi was still here.

      Your phone, idiot. Fi's eyes, although tired with sleep, were smiling at me. You were dead to the world.

      I was in the middle of a nightmare. I'm so glad that I woke up.

      Not the wedding again?

      Yes, it's always the same. I can't reach the church.

      You're worrying over nothing. You know that Alan will take care of everything. She leaned in and kissed my cheek. Now check your missed call and let me go back to sleep.

      As I reached for my phone, Fi snuggled down under the duvet again until all I could see was the top of her head. One missed call. The station. I dialled the number, checking the time as I did so. Three thirty-five.

      Grayson, it's me. What's the problem?

      Richard Austin has a body in his garden, Sir.

      Richard?

      Yes, Sir.

      Does he know who it is? I crossed my fingers hoping that it wasn't one of his two daughters.

      He doesn't know who it is, Sir. But, she's in a bit of a mess.

      Ok, call Shepherd.

      I already have, Sir. He's on his way to pick you up.

      OK, Grayson. Thanks.

      Great! Another murder. I was beginning to lose track of exactly how many murders had occurred in my little town since I had arrived. At this rate, I would be affecting property prices. Soon the town council would be getting up a petition to have me evicted so that they could return to being a nice quiet Britain in Bloom winning town. I pulled on my trousers and crept into the bathroom to give my teeth a quick once over before going downstairs to find my coat and shoes. I aimed to be at the gate when Shepherd pulled up so that he didn't disturb Fi by knocking. I just made it. His fist was raised to strike as I opened the door.

      Morning, Sir. Grayson couldn't get a reply. Everything ok?

      Fine. I locked the door behind me. A bad dream.

      Mr O'Brien and the team are on their way, Sir. Shepherd opened the gate to let me through.

      Ok. Poor Richard. He'll be in a right old panic, if I know him.

      Shepherd started the engine as I buckled up my seat belt and I looked across at him, at his blond hair that was flopping over his eyes. He didn't look old enough to be a husband, let alone a father. He and Cat had told us a fortnight ago that they were expecting their first child and I couldn't have been happier. Shepherd and Cat were like my own kids and I knew that Fi felt the same as I did. It was going to be brilliant to have a baby on my knee – it was something that I thought would never happen. I looked out of the window at the town that was still asleep and smiled. This town and the people in it had given me a second life, a new life and I was going to grasp it with both hands and never let it go.

      Richard's house was strangely quiet as we pulled up, although the glow from the rear of the house told me that the team had already arrived. Miller came down the drive to meet us.

      Well, lad?

      Mr O'Brien is with the body, Sir, and Mr Austin is in the kitchen.

      Ok, thanks. I turned to Shepherd who was locking the car. Go and have a sniff around, lad. I'm going to see how Richard is.

      Yes, Sir.

      I watched Shepherd and Miller disappear down the drive before heading for the front door. I knocked softly and entered. Richard was sitting at the kitchen table watching a black puppy bouncing around, lapping up all the fuss and attention.

      How are you, Richard?

      I pulled up a chair opposite him and immediately the puppy started trying to climb up on my knee. I put my hand out so that he could cover it in slobbery kisses.

      How do you do it everyday, Mike? How can you look at things like that and stay normal? His eyes were searching my face for answers.

      You never get used to it. I just focus on trying to catch the person that did it. That's what drives me, the desire to never let the deaths go unpunished.

      It was awful, dreadful. The top of her head was missing and Bentley was ... he stopped, unable to continue, his eyes reliving the horror as he watched the dog licking my fingers.

      He's a pup, how would he know what was and wasn't wrong. Have you had him long?

      Bentley? No, he belonged to our cleaner, but he was a bit too lively for her so Moira offered to have him. Push him off if he starts to bother you.

      He's fine. I finally gave in and invited the puppy onto my knee from where he proceeded to try to lick my face while I looked around. Where's Moira and the girls?

      Upstairs. They know what has happened. I just told them to stay in bed, after all it was me that found her.

      I'll need to talk to them at some stage, but not now. I'll pop back this evening for a chat if that's ok?

      Yes, fine, but they didn't see her.

      But they might have seen something strange during the day or evening. Something that they didn't even think odd, but which might be significant now. It will just be an informal chat, Richard. Nothing heavy.

      Oh, right. Sorry.

      Did you recognise her, Richard?

      I didn't look to be honest. I just ran back into the house and phoned the station.

      How easy is it for anyone to get into your garden?

      Well, I didn't think it was. I'd checked fences and whatever when we had Bentley. I didn't want him getting out and running off.

      I had never been been in

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