Death In The Berwyns

Death in the BerwynsJJ Sullivan OTHER Books by this authorThe Batterton Police Procedural SeriesDrawn to MurderDeath to OrderDeath Under SurveillanceAs John Lynch (Contemporary Fiction)The Making of Billy McErlane (first published as Zappa’s Mam’s a Slapper)Sharon Wright: ButterflyDarkness ComesAs RJ Lynch (Historical Fiction)The James Blakiston Series: A Just and Upright ManPoor Law Prologue1990She’d expected more violence. More blood. In fact, the killing had been almost surgical. She said, ‘Where did you learn to do that?’‘Commandos. I joined up in 1939. Why not? There wasn’t a lot going on here. The army didn’t offer much in the way of pay, but they gave us somewhere to live and something to do and they fed us. Then in 1940 they wanted volunteers for what they called hazardous operations. It sounded good, I went for it and they took me. Taught me to live off the land, stay out of sight and kill Germans. 1945, peace all round, I wanted to stay on but they said the army preferred people who’d take orders. Which wasn’t me.’‘She didn’t suffer at all. I don’t think she even knew she was dying.’‘I hope I’m not hearing disappointment? You paid me to knock her off. Terrifying the victim costs extra.’ He took a saw out of the bag he carried. ‘I’m going to take the head off now. You sure you want to stick around?’She shuddered, but she knew she had to make sure everything she’d paid for was done. ‘I won’t watch.’As he went to work with the saw, she stared out of the window of the derelict barn. ‘Where will you dump the head?’‘It will never be found. Anything else, you don’t need to know.’She’d said she wouldn’t watch, but she couldn’t help herself. Whoever had trained him had done an excellent job. ‘The commandos taught you to do that?’‘Don’t be ridiculous. We didn’t behead corpses. Chapter 12022Holly Evans sat back in her chair and eyed the almost naked young woman standing in front of her. ‘That’s very good, darling,’ she said in an accent from which no amount of elocution lessons had been able to remove the final traces of an East European accent. ‘And now the knickers, please.’Without hesitation, the woman let the final garment in her striptease drop to the floor, standing upright and making no attempt to cover herself. Holly said, ‘Nicely trimmed. You need to keep it that way, dear. Our clients are top end and they are demanding. All right; one last step and you’re on board. Think of this as an audition. We need to know you give yourself without reservation and no sign of holding back. Perform to our satisfaction and this will be the last time you have sex without being paid.’ She turned to the heavily built, shaven-headed man standing to her left. ‘Laszlo?’Laszlo stepped forward, took the woman by the hand and led her to the bed. She went with every sign of willingness. Holly said, ‘We need to see your full range, darling. Before he saddles up and rides into town, take him in your mouth. Make it look like nothing has ever given you so much pleasure.’Claire Tanner held out her arms towards coach Jimmy Ojukwe so that he could unlace her gloves. Sweat was pouring from her. Jimmy said, ‘Are you going to a bad time right now?’‘Bad time? No more than usual. Why do you ask?’‘This is a gym, Claire.