fatally pinned beneath the still-burning rafter. At the sound of another creak overhead, Betsy swiftly clambered over the dead lad and the beam towards the pale rectangle of the door.
As she stumbled into the yard, Micky swept her into her arms. Betsy pulled away, hot vomit surging from her stomach and splattering the herringbone brick of the yard. Tears were running down her face, and not just from the smoke. As she steadied herself, one hand on the cool wall of a building not on fire, the fire brigade’s engines swung into the yard, splashing blue light on the scarlet flames shooting through the roof.
Betsy panted, legs suddenly weak. So this was what it felt like when Jacko Vance came after your peace of mind. At the thought, she was sick all over again.
46
The boat rocked and Tony’s heart leapt in his chest. Only the impact of a human body had that effect. He tried to scramble to his feet, but the space between the bench seat and the table was too tight. Panicked, he scrabbled for purchase with his feet then nearly wept with relief when he heard Ambrose calling, ‘OK if I come down?’
‘For fuck’s sake,’ Tony said. ‘You nearly gave me a heart attack.’
Ambrose appeared, legs first. ‘You need to get yourself a doorbell. Or one of those brass bells like some of them have got. Be a proper water person.’ He looked around, taking in the laptop and the scattered papers. ‘DCI Jordan was looking for you,’ he said. ‘I told her you were probably here.’
‘Thanks,’ Tony said. ‘Did I mention she thinks her brother’s murder is my fault?’
‘Ah,’ said Ambrose. ‘She didn’t say anything. I thought … ’
‘Any day before yesterday, you would have thought right.’
‘So where has she gone?’
Tony gestured towards the bows with his head. ‘She’s having a kip.’
Ambrose smiled the weary smile of a married man who knows how these things go. ‘So you sorted things out, then?’
Tony shook his head, trying not to show how upset he was. ‘Armed truce, I think you’d have to call it. Exhaustion in a points victory over rage.’
‘At least she’s talking to you.’
‘I’m not sure that’s a plus,’ Tony said wryly. He was spared any further explanation by the opening of the cabin door.
Looking slightly smudged and tousled, Carol appeared. ‘Does this place have— Oh, Sergeant Ambrose. I had no idea you were here.’
‘Just arrived, ma’am. I hoped I’d find you here. I’ve got an update for you both,’ he said, all serious business now his next boss was in the room.
‘In a minute,’ Carol said. ‘Tony, what do you do for a loo here?’
‘The door on the left,’ he said, pointing right. Carol gave him a pissed-off look and disappeared into the head. ‘It’s actually a proper bathroom,’ he said to Ambrose. ‘She’ll be impressed.’
Ambrose looked doubtful. ‘If you say so.’
‘This update – it’s not good, is it? I can tell by the way you were avoiding looking at either of us.’
Ambrose glared at him. ‘You know better than to ask.’ He looked around the galley appreciatively. ‘This is lovely, this. I’d love a boat. Me and the wife and the kids, we’d properly enjoy ourselves with one of these.’
‘Really?’ Tony tried not to sound bemused.
‘Yeah. What’s not to like? Your own boss, no traffic jams, take things easy, but you’ve still got your home comforts around you.’
‘You could borrow it, you know.’ Tony waved an expansive hand in the air. ‘I hardly use it. You might as well.’
‘You mean it?’
‘Sure. Trust me, Alvin. This is not going to be my home. I’m only here right now because I realised this morning that it’s safer than Bradfield.’
Carol emerged in time to hear the last phrase. She’d managed to smooth out the crumples and looked fresh and alert. ‘I wish you’d thought about safety a bit sooner,’ she said, before giving Ambrose the full wattage of a welcoming smile. Tony wondered how she could find the energy to keep lashing out at him. ‘So, Sergeant. What have you got that’s too important for a phone call?’
The corner of Ambrose’s mouth quirked in something that might have been a smile. ‘To be honest, I needed to get out of the building. There’s a kind of energy that builds up when an inquiry isn’t going the way you want. It’s not a good energy, and sometimes you just got to get out of it. I need to get my mojo back. So I took the opportunity to bring you the latest news myself.’ He sighed. ‘It’s not good, I’m afraid, though it’s a lot less bad than it could have been.’
‘Micky?’ Tony asked. ‘Has he gone for her? Is she OK? Is Betsy OK?’
Ambrose nodded. ‘They’re both fine.’
‘What happened, Sergeant?’ Carol cut in, cool and firm, back in full professional command of herself.
‘Vance got through the security cordon.’ He shook his head in amazement. ‘He was on a quad bike with a bag of stallion stud nuts, whatever they are. Dressed like one of the local landed gentry. One of the stable lads stopped him, but he gave some convincing load of tosh about having promised Micky to drop off this special feed. Drove straight into the barn and set a slow-burning fire. Then drove off on this bloody quad bike in full view of the cops. He was out of sight by the time the barn went up.’
‘Was anyone injured?’
