Hidden From Sight

HIDDEN FROM SIGHT SALLY RIGBY Copyright © 2022 by Sally Rigby All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. This story is a work of fiction. All names, characters, organisations or places, events and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to any persons, alive or dead, events or locals is almost entirely coincidental. Contents Introduction Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34 Chapter 35 Chapter 36 Chapter 37 Claim your free book Read the Sebastian Clifford Series Also by Sally Rigby: The Cavendish & Walker Series Writing as Amanda Rigby Acknowledgments About the Author GET ANOTHER BOOK FOR FREE! To instantly receive Nowhere to Hide, a free novella from the Detective Sebastian Clifford series, featuring DC Lucinda Bird when she first joined CID, sign up here for Sally Rigby’s free author newsletter. Chapter 1 ‘Annabelle. What are you doing here?’ Lucinda Bird, aka Birdie, jumped at the sound of Sebastian Clifford’s voice coming from behind her. ‘Hello, Sebastian. I came to see you about a matter, and your … girlfriend was about to inform you of my arrival.’ ‘My girlfriend?’ ‘I didn’t say that.’ Birdie glanced over her shoulder at Seb, her cheeks flaming. Birdie was telling the truth. But when she had opened the door of Rendall Hall to the tall, and somewhat intimidating, attractive woman who’d immediately assumed that she was a member of staff, she hadn’t been able to resist misleading her. Even if it was only for a minute or so. ‘You said you were his partner. What else could that mean?’ Birdie winced at the woman’s hostile tone. Seb walked over and stood beside Birdie. ‘I think it means that Birdie and I have now officially gone into business together. Am I correct?’ ‘It sure looks like it.’ Birdie grinned, even though inside unease coursed through her. It wasn’t because she didn’t enjoy working with Seb because she totally did. And after he’d set up Clifford Investigation Services and offered her the chance of joining him she’d been thrilled. But it hadn’t been an easy decision to make because she loved being a detective with Market Harborough Police. That said, Seb had given her a fantastic opportunity. Not least because being her own boss meant she would no longer find herself regularly in trouble with her superior officers. All that was left to do was hand in her notice at work. Not something she was relishing, but she’d park that thought for now. She couldn’t do anything about it until the morning. Seb smiled at Birdie and then turned his attention to Annabelle. ‘What are you doing here?’ ‘I have a case for you.’ ‘I see. How did you know where to find me?’ Seb’s frosty tone could be cut with a knife. Birdie wouldn’t call it rude, exactly, but it certainly wasn’t friendly and was most unlike his usual polite manner. ‘It wasn’t hard. I asked around. Your somewhat bizarre choice of lifestyle is still the subject of talk amongst many of the old gang.’ Seb stiffened beside Birdie. Her partner rarely discussed being the son of a viscount. But he’d turned his back on the aristocratic life, in favour of becoming a police officer and, more recently, a private detective. ‘Come in, Annabelle,’ Birdie said, wanting to end the awkwardness. ‘Sorry for the confusion with the whole partner thing.’ Annabelle remained stationary, staring directly at Seb, and ignoring her. Rude. ‘Will you take my case or not?’ the statuesque woman said. ‘It’s not a decision I’m prepared to make without knowing further details.’ Seb stepped to the side, his face set hard, and ushered Annabelle into the large hall. Tension hung in the air. Did Seb still have feelings for Annabelle? Is that why he was acting weird? All he’d ever told Birdie about their break-up was that they’d wanted different things in life. She’d always imagined that it was mutual. Maybe it wasn’t. ‘Let’s go to the kitchen,’ Birdie suggested. ‘The kettle’s only just boiled for our coffee. I’ll make one for you too, Annabelle. It’s instant. I hope that’s okay.’ She moved ahead of the others and headed to the rear of the house and into the large farmhouse-style kitchen. Following the outcome of the case concerning her husband, Seb’s cousin Sarah had decided to up sticks and fulfil a lifelong dream of travelling the world, and so she’d offered Seb Rendall Hall to live in while he got back on his feet after a rather inauspicious exit from the Metropolitan police, thanks to a member of the team he was on being on the take, and it had now become the base of operations for his private investigation services. Birdie had been here so often in the last year that she felt practically at home in the place. And most importantly, knew exactly where the coffee was kept. Annabelle and Seb sat in silence at the table as Birdie busied herself making the drinks. When they were ready, she joined them, placing a steaming cup in front of their guest, hopefully hiding the chip she’d just noticed on the edge. ‘Right,’ Birdie said, taking charge. ‘What’s the problem?’ ‘Jasper’s gone missing. I haven’t heard from him since Tuesday.’ ‘Jasper?’ Birdie queried. ‘Jasper Pemberton. Annabelle’s fiancé,’ Seb said, his voice flat. Yikes. Not even a year since she’d split with him. She hadn’t taken long to move