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The margarita was one of the best she had ever drunk. It tasted sharp and strong, the barman had added just the right amount of Cointreau and had salted the rim to perfection. After a week in this hotel, he had got the hang of the way she liked it.
She loved the view from here, lying on the thick, soft mattress on the lounger on the white sand beach, staring out across the bay. And she loved this time of day – late afternoon, when the heat was less fierce and she didn’t need the shade of her parasol. She put her book down for a moment, took another sip and watched the yellow paragliding boat as it powered away from the wooden jetty, across the flat water, heading out into the bay, the orange and red parachute rising into the clear sky.
She might have another swim in a few minutes. She pondered whether to go in the sea or in the hotel’s vast infinity pool, which was a little cooler and more refreshing. Such tough decisions!
She thought constantly about her mother, and about Ronnie and Ricky. Despite all her anger about Ricky, and her shock about Ronnie, she couldn’t help feeling just a tiny bit sorry for each of them, in different ways.
But not that sorry.
‘Are you enjoying that book?’ the woman on the lounger next to her asked suddenly.
Abby had noticed her earlier, asleep, with a copy of a novel she had read recently,
‘I am,’ she said. ‘Yes. But most of all, I’m a big Douglas Adams fan. I think I’ve read everything he wrote.’
‘Me too!’
He was the author of one of Abby’s favourite quotations, which she had come across again only recently:
I seldom end up where I wanted to go, but almost always
end up where I need to be.
Which was pretty much how she felt at this moment.
She took another sip of her drink. ‘They make the world’s best margaritas here,’ she said.
‘Maybe I should try one. I only arrived today, so I haven’t sussed out what’s what yet.’
‘It’s great. It’s paradise!’
‘Seems it.’
Abby smiled. ‘I’m Sarah,’ she said.
‘Nice to meet you. I’m Sandy.’
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Although the Roy Grace novels are fiction, the backgrounds in all the areas of law enforcement in which my characters exist and function are real. For help with the writing of this novel I am indebted as ever to the Sussex Police Force, and also to the NYPD and the New York City Office of the District Attorney, and to the Victoria Police, New South Wales, Australia.
Special thanks to the Chief Constable of Sussex Police, Martin Richards, for his kind sanction, and to Detective Chief Superintendents Kevin Moore and Graham Bartlett for generously opening so many doors for me. And a very singular thank you to former Detective Chief Superintendent Dave Gaylor, who has helped me in more ways than I can ever repay.
To single out a few other names in particular in Sussex Police who have really helped make a difference to this book (and please forgive any omissions), thank you to Chief Superintendent Peter Coll; Brian Cook, Scientific Support Branch Manager; Senior Support Officer Tony Case of the HQ Criminal Investigation Department; DCI Ian Pollard; DI William Warner; DS Patrick Sweeney; Inspector Stephen Curry; DI Jason Tingley, Ops/Intel HQ CID; Inspector Andrew Kundert; Sgt Phil Taylor, Head of the High Tech Crime Unit; Computer Crime Analyst Ray Packham of the High Tech Crime Unit; PC Paul Grzegorzek of the LST; PC James Bowes; PC Dave Curtis; Inspector Phil Clarke; Sgt Mel Doyle; PC Tony Omotoso; PC Ian Upperton; PC Andrew King; Sgt Malcolm (Choppy) Wauchope; PC Darren Balcombe; Sgt Sean McDonald; PC Danny Swietlik; PC Steve Cheesman; Ron King, Forces Controller; and Sue Heard, Press and PR Officer.
Thank you also to forensic archaeologist Lucy Sibun. And to Abigail Bradley of Cellmark Forensics; Essex Coroner Dr Peter Dean; consultant pathologist Dr Nigel Kirkham; Dr Andrew Davey; Mr Andrew Yelland, MB BS, FRCSEd, MD, FRCS; Dr Jonathan Pash; Nigel Hodge; Steve Cowling: and Christopher Gebbie. And I owe an extremely special and massive thanks to the terrific team at the Brighton and Hove Mortuary, Elsie Sweetman, Victor Sindon and Sean Didcott.
In New York a huge debt to Detective Investigator Dennis Bootle of the Rackets Bureau, Office of the District Attorney; and Detective Investigator Patrick Lanigan, Special Investigations Unit, Office of the District Attorney. In Australia a very huge thank you also to DI Lucio Rovis, Victoria Police Homicide Unit; Detective Senior Sergeant George Vickers and DS Troy Burg, Carlton Crime Investigation Unit; Detective Senior Constable Damian Jackson; Sgt Ed Pollard, Victoria Police State Coroner’s Assistants Unit; Andrea Petrie of
Thanks to Gordon Camping for his invaluable master classes in stamps; to Rob Kempson; to Colin Witham of HSBC; to Peter Bailey for his encyclopaedic knowledge of Brighton modern and past; to Peter Wingate-Saul, Oli Rigg, and to Phil White of the East Sussex Fire Brigade, and Dave Storey of the Nottingham Fire and Rescue Service; to Robert Frankis, who caught me out on cars again – and to Chris Webb for keeping my Mac alive despite all the abuse I give it!
Very big thanks to Anna-Lisa Lindeblad, who has been my tireless and wonderful ‘unofficial’ editor and commentator throughout the Roy Grace series, and to Sue Ansell, whose sharp eye for detail has saved me many an embarrassment.
Professionally I have a total dream team: the wonderful Carole Blake representing me, together with Oli Munson, and my awesome publicist, Amelia Rowland of Midas PR; and there is simply not enough space to say a proper thank you to everyone in Macmillan. Suffice it to say that it is an absolute joy to be published by them, and I totally lucked into the jackpot in having Stef Bierwerth as my editor. A huge thank you also to all of my foreign publishers. Danke! Merci! Grazie!! Gracias! Dank u! Tack! Obrigado!
As ever, Helen has been a rock, keeping me nourished with saintly patience and constant wisdom.
And lastly I have to say farewells to my deeply loved canine friends Sooty and Bertie, who have both sadly departed to the Big Boneyard in the sky, and a welcome to Oscar, who has now joined Phoebe under my desk, waiting to chew to shreds any loose pages of manuscript that should fall to the floor…
Peter James
Sussex, England
scary@pavilion.co.uk
www.peterjames.com
Peter James
