Two Extracts from A Model Murder (Order from Amazon or Alicia Allen Investigates website at http://www.aliciaalleninvestigates.com):
“Quick,” said Will, turning off the
computer. “Let’s hide in the big gap behind those filing cabinets,” he said,
shining the torch into the alcove. “We can squeeze in there. Hurry!” I grabbed
my handbag, and wriggled in behind the filing cabinets. Will crammed in beside
me, squashing me into the corner so that I could barely breathe let alone move.
It was then that I remembered I had left my chiffon scarf on the desk and
started to panic.
“Will,” I
whispered.
“What?”
he whispered back.
“I left
my scarf on the desk.”
“Oh,
Ally, no! We had better hope and pray they don’t see it because there’s no way
we can go back and get it now. Shush. I can hear footsteps. They”re almost
downstairs. Don’t breathe a word.”
It was
not possible for either of us to see anything from where we were hiding but we
could hear most of what was said. There were three of them and I could pick out
the voices of Vincent and Michael, but not the third. They were talking about
some deal they had done on the stock market and how nobody would ever be able
to trace the source of the funds. Vincent was laughing at his own brilliance
and how he had orchestrated the whole thing almost single-handed, although he
did concede that without the assistance of his two companions he would not have
been able to pull it off.
Since we
had been disturbed before completing our investigation Michael”s office was
unlocked and open. Vincent went berserk over this, and accused Michael of being
incompetent, and they had an altercation which seemed to go on for ages. Michael
insisted that he had locked the door, but Vincent continued to berate him about
failing to do so. The first of them to walk into the office, and I thought it
must be Michael, turned on the light. I was praying that he would not discover
my scarf...
###
“Did I not make it perfectly clear to
you before that there are certain matters in this firm which are no concern of
yours?” He pointed his finger at me as he walked towards me, causing me to walk
backwards so that I was now standing against the wall. He put his arms on the
wall either side of me, so effectively I was pinned against it with him
standing over me.
“Yes,” I responded,
looking up at him.
“Then what the fuck
are you doing asking Teresa’s secretary questions which are of no relevance to
your work here?” he screamed. He was so close to me that I could smell his
tobacco breath and I turned my head to the side to avoid it.
“There must be some
misunderstanding,” I replied. “I’m only carrying out the work Andy left me.”
“You couldn’t leave
it alone, could you, Alicia?” He was menacing. “You know what they say about
people who mess with fire?” he added, taking his arms away from the wall. He
reached into his right suit pocket, took out a lighter and repeatedly flicked it
open and shut within millimetres of my face. “They get burned.”
I closed my eyes for
a second, then opened them and swallowed hard. My heart was pounding, I felt
hot and sick and I could not speak. He paused. “And we couldn’t have that
happening to you, could we?”
‘
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