Cherringham - Episode 22-24 E-Book

Matthew Costello

• Herausgeber: Bastei Lübbe
• Kategorie: Krimi
• Serie: Cherringham: Crime Series Compilations
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 382

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2016

Beschreibung

Jack's a retired ex-cop from New York, seeking the simple life in Cherringham. Sarah's a Web designer who's moved back to the village find herself. But their lives are anything but quiet as the two team up to solve Cherringham's criminal mysteries.

This compilation contains episodes 22 - 24. The storyline after episode 24 continues in the first Cherringham novel "Dead in the Water".

THE SONG NEVER DIES
When Alex King, leader of legendary 90s rock group Lizard, hosts a party to get the band back together, old grudges surface. At dawn Alex is found floating in the pool of his Cherringham mansion. To the police it's a drug-fueled accident. But when Jack and Sarah get involved, they quickly discover that while a song may never die - the person, who wrote it, might have been murdered.

A BAD LIE
When talented young artist Josh Andrews goes missing after a stag night prank at Cherringham Golf Club, the bride in desperation asks Jack and Sarah to find him. It seems he’s gotten cold feet, with the wedding just days away.
But Josh is not all he appears to be... And soon suspicion falls on the Golf Club itself. Can Josh be found before he takes justice into his own hands?

A DEATH IN THE FAMILY
When a doddering Harry Platt tumbles from the top of his stairs in a deadly fall, it looks like an unfortunate accident. But when solicitor Tony Standish meets the beneficiaries and discovers the immense size of the estate, his suspicions are aroused. Jack and Sarah are asked to investigate and find that nothing is what it seems when it comes to families - not when money and secrets are involved.

ABOUT THE SERIES
Set in the sleepy English village of Cherringham, the detective series brings together an unlikely sleuthing duo: English web designer Sarah and American ex-cop Jack. Thrilling and deadly - but with a spot of tea - it's like Rosamunde Pilcher meets Inspector Barnaby. Each of the self-contained episodes is a quick read for the morning commute, while waiting for the doctor, or when curling up with a hot cuppa.

You'd like to know what happens after episode 24 in Cherringham? The first Cherringham novel "Dead in the Water" continues where "A Death in the Family" left off. The second book The "Body in the Woods", will be out on July, 25th 2017. Or maybe you'd like Neil Dudgeon to read them to you? Episodes 1-18 are also available as audiobooks!

For fans of Agatha Christie's "Miss Marple" series, Lilian Jackson Braun's "The Cat Who" series, Caroline Graham's "Midsomer Murders", and the American TV series "Murder She Wrote", starring Angela Lansbury.

ABOUT THE AUHORS
Neil Richards (based in the UK) and Matthew Costello (based in the US), have been writing together since the mid 90's, creating content and working on projects for the BBC, Disney Channel, Sony, ABC, Eidos, and Nintendo to name but a few. Their transatlantic collaboration has underpinned scores of TV drama scripts, computer games, radio shows, and - most recently - the successful crime fiction series Cherringham.

Leseprobe

Contents

Cover

Cherringham — A Cosy Crime Series

The authors

Main Characters

A Cosy Crime Series Compilation

Copyright

The Song Never Dies

A Bad Lie

A Death in the Family

Cherringham — A Cosy Crime Series

“Cherringham — A Cosy Crime Series” is a series made up of self-contained stories. A new episode is released each month. The series is published in English as well as in German, and is only available in e-book form.

The authors

Matthew Costello (US-based) is the author of a number of successful novels, including Vacation (2011), Home (2014) and Beneath Still Waters (1989), which was adapted by Lionsgate as a major motion picture. He has written for The Disney Channel, BBC, SyFy and has also designed dozens of bestselling games including the critically acclaimed The 7th Guest, Doom 3, Rage and Pirates of the Caribbean.

Neil Richards has worked as a producer and writer in TV and film, creating scripts for BBC, Disney, and Channel 4, and earning numerous Bafta nominations along the way. He’s also written script and story for over 20 video games including The Da Vinci Code and Starship Titanic, co-written with Douglas Adams, and consults around the world on digital storytelling.His writing partnership with NYC-based Matt Costello goes back to the late 90’s and the two have written many hours of TV together. Cherringham is their first crime fiction as co-writers.

Main Characters

Jack Brennan is a former NYPD homicide detective who lost his wife two years ago. Being retired, all he wants is peace and quiet. Which is what he hopes to find in the quiet town of Cherringham, UK. Living on a canal boat, he enjoys his solitude. But soon enough he discovers that something is missing — the challenge of solving crimes. Surprisingly, Cherringham can help him with that.

Sarah Edwards is a web designer who was living in London with her husband and two kids. Three years ago, he ran off with his sexy American boss, and Sarah’s world fell apart. With her children she moved back to her home town, laid-back Cherringham. But the small town atmosphere is killing her all over again — nothing ever happens. At least, that’s what she thinks until Jack enters her life and changes it for good or worse …

Matthew CostelloNeil Richards

CHERRINGHAM

A COSY CRIME SERIESCOMPILATION

Episode 22—24

BASTEI ENTERTAINMENT

Digital original edition

Bastei Entertainment is an imprint of Bastei Lübbe AG

Copyright © 2016 by Bastei Lübbe AG, Schanzenstraße 6-20, 51063 Cologne, Germany

Written by Matthew Costello and Neil Richards

Edited by Sean Sinico

Project editor: Kathrin Kummer

Cover illustration © shutterstock: Buslik | Ihnatovich Maryia | kodachrome25

Cover design: Jeannine Schmelzer

E-book production: Urban SatzKonzept, Düsseldorf

ISBN 978-3-7325-2129-6

www.bastei-entertainment.com

Matthew CostelloNeil Richards

CHERRINGHAM

A COSY CRIME SERIES

The Song Never Dies

1. Old Friends

Lauren Dumford checked her makeup in the passenger mirror one last time. She didn’t usually make a fuss, but this evening was special.

“Just keep the bloody car steady, Will,” she said, leaning in as close as she could to the mirror to reapply her lipstick. “How am I supposed to do this if you’re bouncing all over the road?

“You should have done it back at the house,” said Will. “You can’t expect me to drive smoothly on a track like this. And find the bloody party, too.”

Lauren glanced at her husband as he drove. He wore jeans and trainers and an old shirt that she knew was his barbecue special.

Palm trees and Hawaiian dancing girls.

His idea of dressing up.

God help me, she thought. Why can’t he ever make the effort?

Whereas Lauren had gone into Oxford first thing, to have her hair and nails done, and then spent most of the afternoon with her sister Janet, getting her outfit right.

Trying on everything. Then trying it on again.

It’s got to look cool and sophisticated and casual and totally effortless, she’d said to Janet.

Not the usual blouse and black trousers she wore when they went out for dinner.

Not that even going out to dinner happens much these days, she thought.

Hard to imagine all those years ago when she and Will hardly got to bed before dawn most nights of the week.

But that … that was a different life.

Before the band broke up.

Before kids came along.

And before normal life — the kind of life that most people in Cherringham lived — resumed.

Paying the mortgage, mowing the lawn, Tesco’s, school runs, dreary summer holidays on rainy English beaches …

She wiped her mouth with a tissue, folded the mirror back, and watched the countryside go by through the side window.

The little lane they were driving down, in their beaten up old Vauxhall Zafira, was lined with dry stone walls. Open meadows dotted with oaks lay on either side. Lauren could see sheep and tiny white lambs huddled under the oaks, the low sun making the grass glow orange.

So beautiful.

She’d lived in Cherringham all her life, but couldn’t recall ever coming down here.

But then why would she? This was a private road and as far as she knew there was only one house at the end of it.

Kingfishers.

Once upon a time the discrete home of the Member of Parliament for the whole area.

Now the country mansion and residence of Alex King — Cherringham’s one and only former rock idol, lead singer of one-time monster group Lizard, and now prodigal son returned from Los Angeles.

How the other half lives, she thought.

A far cry from Lauren and Will’s detached house with its built-in double garage on the ‘nice’ estate up by Cherringham cricket club.

Funny how life never goes quite how you expect, she thought.

Back in the 90s if she’d ever given a minute’s thought to the future, this was exactly the kind of life she’d assumed she would have.

And why not? She was a big part of the Lizard family. The classic rock girlfriend, always on tour, on the road, playing Sydney, LA, New York, Wembley, the albums coming out once a year, unstoppable, massive fan-base …

Money no object — private jets, big hotels, clothes, limitless cash.

And of course, turning a blind eye to the groupies that popped up at every tour stop.

Here tonight and gone by sunrise.

Then one day — out of nowhere — meltdown. Arguments. Fights. Cancelled gigs. Lawsuits.

And as easy as turning off the garden tap — the whole thing stopped.

Lizard broke up.

Leaving her and Will washed up and in debt.

Where did that money go? Surely some of it should have come their way?

She still wondered.

But Will — her lovable but dopy drummer boyfriend — could never tell her.

And the other guys had split before she could ask.

There’s no family breakdown quite like a rock family breakdown, she thought.

“I feel a bit nervous,” she said — as much to herself as to Will.

“What is there to be bloody nervous about?” said Will, edging the car carefully round a tight bend. “It’ll just be Alex — and the rest of the band. Old mates — back together again.”

“It’s a party,” said Lauren. “There’s bound to be other people.”

“No need to talk to them,” said Will. “Anyway, we’re just showing our faces, aren’t we? Getting the lie of the land. Seeing what the deal is.”

“If there’s a deal,” she said.

“God, Lauren, let’s not start that again—”

“All right, all right. It’s just I feel …”

But Lauren didn’t know how she really felt.

She just knew she felt poor. And old. And tired.

“We need this — remember?” said Will, slowing down. “Anyway — we’re here. Show time!”

Ahead, Lauren could see the lane ended abruptly at a pair of tall, black iron gates, with a high wall on either side.

Show time indeed …

*

Lauren took in the security cameras, the white heavy chain link, the gravel, the embossed metal sign — Kingfishers — the words scrolled, with beautiful kingfishers flying through the letters.

Magically the gates opened as they approached and Will carried on driving into the estate.

She could see the house, a mansion really, just a couple of hundred yards ahead, nestled in a fold in the meadows. It looked like a massive children’s toy house — a big door in the middle at the front with pillars holding up the porch, two pairs of giant windows either side and six windows above.

All those bedrooms …

“Bloody hell,” said Will. “Look at this! Maybe I should have stayed in the game.”

Maybe you should have, thought Lauren. And maybe I should have made some other choices too …

As they drove toward the house a man in a dark suit and sunglasses gestured them to take a gravel road that curved away to the back, where Lauren spotted more outbuildings and tall walls.

Will indicated and turned.

When they got to a big courtyard at the rear of the house, another man pointed to a paddock by some stables. Lauren saw a field already dotted with big black SUVs and shiny coloured sports cars.

“All these people …” said Lauren.

Will pulled up next to a red Mercedes and turned off the engine.

“Ready?” he said — and she watched him climb out before she could answer.

Lauren checked herself one last time in the mirror, grabbed her new sequined handbag, pulled her long black dress up away from her heels and climbed out.

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” she said to herself.

She watched a young couple get out of the Mercedes. The guy slick in a t-shirt and silk suit. The girl wearing a silver mini-skirt, clunky shoes, and nothing else.

The couple smiled at her.

“Great night for a bash,” said the guy, his eyes twinkling.

“Isn’t it?” said Lauren. She watched the guy put his arm around the girl and walk her toward the house.

She saw his hand resting lightly on the girl’s slim, bronzed lower back. His wristwatch, silver, chunky.

Will walked round the car and joined her. She could see his stomach bulging against the Hawaiian dancers and palm trees on his shirt.

“I hate this car,” she said.

“Can’t beat a Vauxhall,” said Will. “All these airbags keep the kids safe. It’s the right car for us, trust me.”

Maybe that’s the trouble, thought Lauren. I do trust you. Too much.

And she followed him towards the house.

2. Just a Little Get-together

“Babes — look at you.”

Lauren felt herself flush as Alex King kissed her on both cheeks then stood back and stared into her eyes.

He was tanned and his bronzed face seemed to glow.

No lines after all these years, she thought. Has he had a face job?

Must have.

But then he always had looked ten years younger than the rest of the band.

Tonight, standing there with a big smile, his long black hair looking perfect, wearing a crisp, tailored white shirt, tight jeans, cowboy boots — it should look so 80s but somehow he carried it off.

And underneath, she wondered — that same lean body …?

“Alex,” she said. “Long time.”

She hadn’t expected him to be at the door greeting every guest, so she hadn’t had a second to prepare what she was going to say.

But here — now — in this grand marble reception room, with spiral staircases and tall portraits, and beautiful people all drinking champagne and looking so at ease, so relaxed, she felt her mind go blank.

“Lauren, you haven’t changed a bit,” he said. “Still as beautiful and as sexy as ever.”

“I always said you should bottle that charm and sell it,” said Lauren, recovering her wits.

“Ah, the one girl I could never fool,” said Alex laughing. “I must introduce you to everybody.”

“Hope you don’t use that line as the intro,” said Lauren. “The girl who can’t be fooled?”

“How about — let me introduce my beautiful and very dear old friend Lauren, wife of the best drummer I ever played with, the legendary Will Dumford?”

Lauren watched him turn to Will and give him a man hug. Will looked uncomfortable.

“Don’t recall us ever hugging like that, mate,” said Will wiping his damp brow. “Even when we were pissed.”

“Times change Will,” said Alex. “Gotta be in touch with your softer side.”

“And you can’t miss Will’s softer side,” said Lauren nodding to the Hawaiian dancing girls.

Will rolled his eyes.

And she did have to wonder … why did she always mock him when they were out in a crowd?

She felt a pang of guilt: she knew how much it hurt him.

“I thought you said this was going to be low-key, Alex” said Will.

“It’s rock and roll, Will. No such thing as low-key, now is there?”

“You said.”

Lauren saw Alex frown. Will sounded like a whiny teenager. No — a grumpy old man, that was it.

She hadn’t really noticed that before.

“Tell you what mate, head out back to the bar. Chris is there. He can’t wait to see you.”

Chris? Here already?

And Lauren felt something she hadn’t felt in quite a while.

And what was that?

Interest?

Chris Wickes, the bass player back in the day. All angsty and troubled.

But she always felt that Chris was the brains of the band — while Alex was the beauty.

So this is for real, she thought. The band getting back together …

“I knew you’d get Chris. Didn’t I say that, love?” said Will, turning to her.

“You did, love.”

Trying to make amends …

“He’s still on the circuit, isn’t he? Gigs here and there. So he was bound to come,” said Will.

Then he turned back to Alex, his expression almost challenging: “But what about Nick? You get Nick?”

Lauren saw Alex’s face — unmoved, but the light gone from the eyes.

“Time will tell. Nick’s not here yet. But he said he’s coming.”

“We can’t do it without him, Alex. You know that.”

Lauren noticed Will’s face getting pink. He was sweating.

“Will, don’t worry. He’ll show. I promise. Bygones and all that jazz, hmm? Plus a lot of money on the table to just walk.”

Will’s face scrunched up as if he was going to start an argument — then Lauren saw him pull back as if he realised he might be making a scene.

“Okay. That’s great, Alex,” he said. “Great. Trust you, you know. Always have.”

Alex’s smile returned, full-force. “Su-per. You go find Chris. Grab yourself a beer — catch up on the good old days, hmm?”

“Yes, yes. I will,” said Will. Then he turned to her: “You all right then love, if I go do that?”

“It’s a party, Will. You don’t have to ask permission to get a drink.”

She saw Will blink and smile, then he turned and threaded his way through the crowd into the next room.

And she thought: I might have house-trained him too much.

“Come on,” said Alex, and he swept her away across the room, his arm so casual around her shoulder.

“Want you to meet Gail,” he said. “You’re gonna love her. You two are going to be total soul mates, I just know it.”

*

Alex steered a path through a crowded sitting room, then across an enormous ballroom edged with long tables covered with food, and out through massive sliding glass doors onto a terrace at the back of the house.

Here, in the evening sunshine, Lauren was amazed to see yet more crowds, everyone looking so young, chatting happily, smiling, laughing, drinking champagne as if they were all in some TV commercial for the Good Life.

The successful life …

“Gail, sweetie!” called Alex.

Lauren saw a tall blonde woman in a long dress (at least I’m not the only one in a long dress) turn from a group of young men and walk towards her.

Lauren recognised her instantly from the TV.

“Darling,” said Alex. “Meet Lauren. Lauren — Gail, my wife.”

“Aha! The famous Lauren,” said Gail, leaning in and kissing her on both cheeks.

“You’re the famous one,” said Lauren. “I watch all your shows.”

“Do you? That’s so lovely of you to say that.”

“I like that one where you try and get people to move to a house in the country.”

“Oh God, that one. Well I can tell you — it’s a right pain to shoot,” said Gail. Then she leaned in conspiratorially. “Half of the buggers don’t really want to move anyway — whole show’s just a con.”

Gail laughed — and Lauren laughed too.

She had dreaded meeting Gail but maybe it was going to be all right.

“You need a drink darling,” Gail said. “Spot of champagne?”

“That’d be lovely.”

“Come on then. We are well stocked with bubbly. But …”

Gail led her across the terrace past a canopied bar, staffed by more good-looking young guys in dark suits.

“… I’ve got my own secret stash of the special stuff down by the pool house.”

They headed down a wide set of marble steps that led into a formal garden with a fountain — Venus — or someone rising in the middle. At the base, water cascaded from the mouths of four cherubs into a brimming pool.

Beyond it, Lauren could see a series of low barns, all renovated with sliding glass doors and their own terraces.

A handful of people sat on the grass in groups, drinking.

Loud music boomed from one of the barns.

She saw Gail nod towards it.

“Alex’s studio,” she said. “Filled to the rafters with all kinds of retro stuff. Amps, Fender guitars from the 80s you know? Wants to bring back the old Lizard ‘monster sound’ just as it was.”

“So he’s serious?” said Lauren. “About a new tour?”

“Deadly.”

“Nick too?”

“Well, Alex hopes so. They’re both twenty years older now,” said Gail, stopping at the fountain. “Swallowed their pride — that’s what Alex told me.”

“There’s a lot to swallow,” said Lauren, then suddenly realising what she’d said, she looked to Gail guiltily.

“Ha! What am I saying? He’ll love it,” said Gail, grinning at her.

Lauren watched her reach into the bubbling waters of the fountain and, like a magic trick, pull a bottle of champagne from the foaming water.

“Ta-da!”

Then she plucked two glasses from under the stone bench that circled the fountain.

“Just time to grab a bit of peace and quiet before this party really takes off. And for you to tell me all about the old days!”

“The old days,” said Lauren. “God. Where shall I start?”

“Start with LiveAid at Wembley — and work your way back darling! I want all the gossip — every last delicious drop.”

3. Party On

Lauren leaned in as close as she could to the young guy she was dancing with and shouted:

Got to get some water!

But the music was so loud all he did was grin and shrug at her.

So she grinned and shrugged back, then fought her way through the darkness, the strobe lights picking out the mostly stoned faces in the mill of gyrating people, and she moved towards the brighter lights of the ballroom doors.

Wow, she thought. I havent danced like that in years. And I havent danced with anyone as sexy as that in years either …

In the banquet room, she found a pillar to lean against and checked her watch.

It was nearly one in the morning.

That too was rare!

And this party was still going strong. But where was Will?

She found her shoes where shed hidden them in a corner and just about managed to get the straps on.

Im a bit pissed, she thought, swaying.

No. Scratch that.

More than a bit …

She took a deep breath and headed for the French windows that led out onto the terrace.

It would be quieter there …

But a big crowd stood outside too. As she stepped out onto the terrace, she could see clusters of people chatting, smoking, chilling.

Lanterns and flares made pools of orange light in the darkness. She could see the fountain now rippled with blue, red, and green lights. A laser arced up into the sky from the roof of one of the outbuildings.

Some small party.

Silent movie scenes were being projected onto the back of the house.