Reluctant Witness Read online

  “I’m fine,” she began, but then she was slowly shaking her head from side to side. “No. No, I’m not.”

  He reached out and gently gripped her elbow, leading her away from the rest of the assembled group. “Come and sit down,” he said, easing her onto one of the many boulders scattered around the edge of the Cove. “It isn’t much in the way of comfort but at least you won’t have so far to fall if you pass out.”

  She managed a smile at that. He’d said it as though he believed she might crumple to the ground any minute. If only he knew how much she’d had to deal with over the last six months. This was just another challenge God had obviously saw fit to bestow on her. She blew out a breath.

  “I’ll be fine.”

  “People have passed out over a lot less, believe me.”

  She turned away from him. “Is that so?”

  “Different things affect different people. I’ve known a cat stuck in a tree to make one old woman pass out, you wouldn’t believe—”

  Julia rolled her eyes. “Well bully for them but I’m not most people, Inspector. Trust me. I will not pass out.”

  She could feel his stare boring into her temple but refused to look at him. He picked up a stray twig from the sand. “You really don’t like me, do you?”

  “That’s neither here nor there under the circumstances.”

  “Fair enough.”

  She inhaled deeply. “Do you have any idea how quickly your life can be turned on its axis in one moment?” she asked, quietly.

  She heard him exhale. “Unfortunately in my line of work, I know only too well how a moment in time can change a person’s life forever,” he said. “One minute...”

  “This is such bad timing,” Julia muttered.

  “Is there ever a good time to witness a murder?”

  Julia pressed her thumbs against her closed eyelids. “God, did I really just say that? I didn’t mean...”

  His fingers unexpectedly circled her wrist and she flinched as his thumb pressed into the bruise there.

  “Hey, sorry, did I hurt you?” he asked. But instead of dropping her arm, he turned it over. Julia’s heart thumped hard behind her ribcage.

  Shit. Here we go. She tilted her chin defiantly. He stared at the mark for a long moment before opening his mouth to speak, but Julia yanked her arm from his grasp and stood, stepping away from him before he had the chance to form any words.

  “So...what happens now?” she asked, looking out over the water with her back toward him. She heard his shoes shift in the sand but didn’t need to turn around to know he stood close behind her. The scent of sandalwood and fresh air settled around her like a cocoon. She resisted the temptation to breathe a little deeper as he lingered a while longer before moving to her side.

  “We wait here until they bring up whatever they find down there,” he said, quietly.

  She nodded. “OK. We wait, then.”

  Julia kept her gaze firmly fixed on the water as the next few seconds beat out uncomfortably loud between them.

  “Miss Kershaw? Julia? Can I ask you something?”

  She didn’t turn around. “If it’s about what I saw this afternoon, yes you can, but if it’s about the mark on my wrist...no you can’t.”

  “Julia...”

  She let out a dry laugh and tipped her head up to look at him. “Oh, I see, it’s Julia now. What’s this? You’ve slipped further into caring cop mode now, is that it?”

  His jaw tightened and Julia found herself struggling to meet his angry gaze but refused to look away.

  “If you don’t want to tell me how you sustained that injury, that’s your business,” he said. “I won’t force you to tell me anything you don’t want to.”

  “Too right, you won’t,” she retorted. “Because I won’t let you.”

  “But as a police officer I am here to help you if I can.”

  She smiled slowly. “I’m fine, Inspector. Apart from witnessing a man being killed today. That, of course, is a bit of a problem but fortunately you are right here, on hand, to solve that problem.”

  His gaze met hers for a moment longer. “You’re absolutely right.”

  And then he swept past her. His absence made her shiver. Feeling incredibly foolish and more than a little childish, Julia stumbled after him, cursing. Not only had she witnessed a murder, she now had the town’s highest ranking police officer wanting to ask questions about the stupid bruise on her wrist. The fact that Marcus, her ex, was becoming a royal pain in the ass had nothing to do with DI Conway.

  The sooner she got out of town the better.

  ****

  Fifteen minutes later, Julia was shielding her eyes against the lowering sun as the police boat sped along the water toward them. When it moored at the edge of the pier, she couldn’t pull her eyes away from the black body bag lying behind the officers on board. She trembled as they lifted it from the boat and laid it carefully onto the pier’s planks.

  The sound of the zipper being lowered grated on her nerves as she struggled to regulate her breathing. She purposely stood a few feet away, her gaze hovering above, below and to the side of the body—anywhere to avoid looking directly at it. She heard Inspector Conway address a member of his team.

  “Well? Do you recognize him? Is he local?”

  A long pause. “Yes, sir. He is. He owns a convenience store on the High Street.”

  Julia’s heart began to race. She knew nearly every store owner in town. She bit down on her bottom lip as both the young officer and Inspector Conway rose to their feet.

  “His name is Derek Palmer, sir,” the young officer said.

  Julia rushed forward, pushing past Inspector Conway. “No, it can’t be. Derek? Derek!” She saw the dead man lying at her feet and slapped a hand to her mouth. “No, no, no. Oh, God, Derek. Close it, close it!”

  Without thinking, she turned and buried her head against Inspector Conway’s chest. His arms came around her, strong and unyielding. Derek’s pale, grey face loomed distinct and clear behind her closed eyelids.

  “I’m so sorry, Julia,” the Inspector said softly against her hair.

  She shivered involuntarily. Fighting the urge to stay where it suddenly felt safe, Julia moved out of his arms and forced herself to stand upright. “He was such a lovely man. I don’t understand,” she said, tears burning her eyes. “He opens the store as regular as clockwork. Six o’clock every morning. Never asks for anything, always minds his own business. Why would someone want him dead?”

  He gently cupped her elbow and moved her farther down the pier. Shock engulfed her body and ice-cold perspiration broke out along her spine. The slow transition of emotions flowed through her body. Shock gave way to disbelief, which gave way to grief, which finally gave way to anger. Derek was dead, and if she left it to the police, his killer would more than likely walk away a free man.

  Abruptly she turned to face the man in charge. “You have to find his killer, Inspector. Promise me you’ll find him.” Her voice cracked. “You have to make sure he’s locked away for the rest of his sorry, sick, spiteful life. Do you understand me?”

  “I’m going to do all I can to find...”

  She lifted a hand when he moved to touch her. “That’s not good enough. You’re the detective, you need to find out who did this and why. I’m just glad Inspector Langton isn’t here to see this. Derek was one of his closest friends.”

  She brushed her hair back from her face. “God knows what this will do to him when he finds out. As for...” She stopped.

  “What? What is it?” Conway asked, his hand still hovering close to her elbow.

  His handsome face blurred through her tears. “Thelma. His wife. She’s going to be devastated. She’ll never get over this. They’ve been happily married for nearly forty years.”

  He glanced back at the body bag, which was being lifted into a van to be transported to the morgue. Slowly, he turned back to face her. “Listen, why don’t you go home and I’ll come by later to speak to you agai
n?” he said, pulling a notepad and pen from his back pocket. “What’s your address?”

  “Why do you want me to leave now?”

  “Because your face is white, you look scared and...”

  “When will you be telling Thelma?” she demanded. “I need to be there. She can’t have a stranger coming to her door with the news that her husband has been murdered. I can’t let her go through that alone. No way.”

  “I’ll be going to see her as soon as I leave here. But you cannot accompany me...”

  “The only place I’m going, Detective is with you to see Thelma,” said Julia. “I’m sorry but I couldn’t care less if you have a problem with that.”

  He studied her for a moment before his jaw tightened once more. “Is that so? Well, for your information, I do have a problem with civilians telling me what part they are going to play in my investigation, but if you feel you have a viable reason why you should come with me, I’m willing to listen.”

  Julia swiped a tear from her cheek. “Look, I’m sorry to yell but you have to understand Thelma and Derek were inseparable. They loved each other like no other couple I know. Please. You have to let me do this. She shouldn’t be alone when you tell her he’s dead.”

  He shook his head. “It isn’t appropriate.”

  “Please, Daniel...I mean, Inspector, don’t do this.”

  His eyes wandered over her face, before he blew out a breath. “Don’t do what? My job?”

  “Don’t deliver the news to her like it’s an everyday occurrence. It’s the worst possible thing to hear it said like that.”

  “I am not going to...”

  “Can’t you just show a bit of empathy? There has to be one cop on this earth with a heart.”

  “What’s that supposed—?”

  She held up a hand. “It’s just...look, please, let me come with you.”

  His eyes held hers for a long moment before he held his hands up in surrender. “Fine, you can come. You’ve got spunk, Julia. It’s—an admirable trait.”

  He walked past her, heading for his car and Julia narrowed her eyes at his retreating back. For a second, she’d thought his observation was meant as a compliment but then she’d seen that damn twitching at the corners of his mouth.

  Chapter Two

  Daniel held the car door open for her and she slid into the seat. From the way she hesitated, her brow creased in confusion, Daniel had the distinct impression she wasn’t often exposed to old-fashioned gallantry. Well, while in his company she might as well get used to it. Julia Kershaw was a lady and he would treat her as such.

  “Are you OK?” he asked, leaning on the open car door.

  “As well as can be expected under the circumstances,” she muttered, reaching for the handle.

  Daniel smiled. “Allow me.”

  He waited until she’d put her hand back in her lap before closing the door. He made his way around to his side of the car, got in and reached for his seatbelt. They had not found one other person at the beach who had taken any notice of the boat, so Julia Kershaw had quickly become the sole witness to Derek Palmer’s murder.

  And that worried him.

  With no guarantee the killer hadn’t seen her, it became an extremely dangerous situation for Julia. Daniel would be keeping a close eye on her until he had Derek’s killer safely behind bars. A fact he was sure she would welcome about as much as a tooth extraction without anesthetic.

  He gunned the engine and glanced at Julia. He took in the determined set of her jaw and the way her head was resolutely turned toward the window. A smile rose inside him. Something about this woman sent his stomach spinning and his mind reeling. But he could not allow himself to become distracted from the fact that she was his most crucial link in the investigation.

  Why her open hostility toward the police? Surely she knew he would do everything in his power to catch Derek’s killer and protect her?

  Turning back to the windshield, Daniel pulled out of the beachside parking lot. His officers had tried reaching Thelma Palmer, but she wasn’t answering her phone. They had no choice but to trawl all over town until they found her. She could be anywhere. Corkley Park was the kind of place where people still dropped in on neighbors for a cup of coffee, gave a helping hand at a jumble sale or simply decided to spend the day sitting outside one of the numerous cafes watching the world go by.

  Julia gave a heavy sigh beside him.

  “You OK?” he asked.

  “Fine.”

  She didn’t turn to face him and his smile returned. She was a feisty one, he had to give her that. When she’d stormed into his office, more or less taking the door off its hinges, Daniel had leapt to his feet, readying himself for some sort of ambush. Instead, it had taken all his strength not to let out a wolf whistle. To say Julia Kershaw was beautiful was a massive understatement.

  Her hair was sunshine blond, thick and curly, and fell a few inches below her shoulders—-a perfect frame to showcase her intelligent, curious face. Her figure? He shifted in his seat as his pants became tighter. It was good to see at least one woman left on this earth that leaned more toward Marilyn Monroe than Twiggy.

  “What’s so funny, Inspector?”

  Her voice broke through his sudden discomfort.

  “Pardon me?”

  He met those big green eyes for an instant before turning back to the road.

  “You were smiling. I’m interested to know what you could possibly be smiling about when we’re on our way to tell a woman her husband has been shot dead and his body just hauled out of the ocean.”

  He kept his eyes facing front. She was right. “I wasn’t smiling, Miss Kershaw, I was thinking.”

  “You were smiling.”

  His grip tightened on the steering wheel. “I was thinking.”

  “You were smiling and I want to know when murder became so amusing to you. I’m sure you’ve seen more dead people than I’ve had hot dinners but that is no excuse—”

  He swung the car to the curb and killed the engine. He swiveled around in his seat. “Enough! I wasn’t smiling. Now, just drop it.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “How dare you—”

  “We are going to see Thelma Palmer, and when we get there you’re going to let me get on with doing my job. Is that clear?”

  She crossed her arms. “Do you always speak to witnesses like this?”

  “No, but I don’t get many witnesses who actually speak to me the way you are, either.”

  Their eyes locked. Bronze. The flecks in her eyes were bronze. The observation seeped into his mind before he could stop it. He shook his head. “Look, are we done here? Because I refuse to waste any more time in a battle of wills with you. I’ve got a murder to solve.”

  She glared at him for a moment longer. He waited. Slowly her shoulders relaxed and her chin lowered. “Maybe I shouldn’t have shouted at you,” she said. “I’ve got a lot going on at the moment and witnessing the killing of one of the nicest people to walk this earth is just about as much as I can take.”

  He quietly exhaled. “Is it anything you want to talk about?”

  “No.”

  “Are you sure?” He couldn’t help a glance toward the bruising on her wrist.

  She covered it with her hand and when he met her eyes again, her gaze was steely. “Yes. Completely sure. Shall we go?”

  He blew out a breath. “Tell you what, why don’t we call a truce? From now on there will be no more shouting, and more importantly, under absolutely no circumstances will there be any more smiling. Agreed?”

  She eyed him suspiciously for a second or two, before her deliciously full lips slowly curved into a full-blown grin. The blood immediately rushed to the surface of Daniel’s skin.

  “Agreed,” she said.

  Giving her an encouraging wink, he swiveled back round in his seat and started the car. They traveled a few minutes in silence before he spoke again. “Thelma Palmer wasn’t answering her phone earlier. One of my officers tried both her home n
umber and her cell several times. Do you think she could be at the store?”

  Julia looked at her watch. “It’s almost six-thirty. She’ll be at home preparing Derek’s dinner.” Her breath hitched. “Oh, God, this is going to destroy her.”

  “Listen to me. She’ll get through this. It may take a year, it may take more, but in my experience, with support, people always get through losing a loved one.”

  Her face paled and her shoulders went rigid.

  “Julia? Have I said something wrong?”

  “A year, maybe more, huh? Is that the average grieving period—-in your experience?”

  “I’m only saying...”

  “Let’s hope you’re right. For all our sakes.”

  “What do you mean?”

  She ignored the question. “Can I ask you something?”

  He glanced at her. “Sure.”

  “I’m leaving town in less than two weeks on the Princess II...”

  Daniel’s stomach gave an inexplicable lurch at this news but he kept his face neutral as she continued.

  “...And I have to be on that ship...”

  “Have to be?” he asked.

  “Yes, it’s important.”

  “And you want to know how long this investigation to is likely to take?” He looked straight ahead, ignoring the rush of disappointment he felt. His gut instinct had told him Julia wasn’t the type to think of herself first, but it turned out he’d been wrong. “I’m not sure. Could be days, could be months. I thought Derek Palmer was important to you.”

  “He is.”

  “So why the rush?”

  “Because...because I’ve landed the most fantastic job and it could be the best career move of my life.”

  “I see.”

  “Don’t say it like that. You don’t know anything about me. I’ve worked hard for years and this is the first time an opportunity like this has come along.”

  “It’s a job, Julia. We’re talking about a life here.”

  She chewed her bottom lip before she turned away and looked out of the side window. She let out a wry laugh. “I don’t know why I’m even justifying myself to you. What the hell do you know?”

  They pulled to a stop at a set of traffic lights and he turned to look at her. “There you go again with the throw away comments. If you’ve got something to say, will you just say it?”