Nesting Place

Jacqueline Harrett

Description

Megan Pritchard is reported missing during a party in an isolated house in the Vale of Glamorgan. A short time afterwards, her body is found. It looks like an accident, the result of consuming too much alcohol. But DI Mandy Wilde is suspicious. And Megan's friends are hiding something. As Mandy and the team dig deeper, they uncover a catalogue of secrets, and reasons why being friends with Megan could be difficult. A series of disturbing activities come to light, adding lies, blackmail and trolling to a complex murder investigation.

Sujets

• Thriller

Informations

• Publié par: Diamond Crime Books Ltd
• Date de parution: 24 novembre 2021
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781915649102
• Langue: English

Extrait

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
 
Originally from Northern Ireland, Jacqueline Harrett has lived in Cardiff with her husband for over thirty years. Her two grown-up children also live in the capital city.
 
A multi-genre author, Jacqui has published non-fiction; Exciting Writing , (Sage), Tell me Another… (UKLA); children’s stories; and short stories in anthologies. She has co-authored a novel with Janet Laugharne, What Lies Between Them , (Dixi, 2022) as well as flash fiction and blog at www.jlharland.co.uk.
 
The Nesting Place is her debut novel, a police procedural set in South Wales with Mandy Wilde as the feisty detective .
Published in Great Britain in 2021
By Diamond Crime
 
ISBN 978-1-8384026-7-9
 
Copyright © 2021 Jacqueline Harrett
 
The right of Jacqueline Harrett to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1998.
 
All rights reserved.
 
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior permission in writing of the publisher, nor be circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published.
 
All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
 
Diamond Crime is an imprint of Diamond Books Ltd.
 
 
Thanks to…
The dream team at Diamond Books for their help, support and enthusiasm in bringing The Nesting Place to publication. Phil, Steve and Jeff have been both professional and a pleasure to work with.
The wonderful writing classes at Cardiff University with Katherine Stansfield which provided the knowledge base for constructing a novel.
During lockdown, a further course on crime writing with James McCreet which provided invaluable feedback and the confidence to send DI Mandy Wilde out into the world.
Thanks to both for the constructive feedback and well-designed courses.
Thanks also to my readers and friends, whose comments and criticism helped shape the story. A special thanks to Fliss, Jan, Abbie and Linda in particular, who not only commented but proofread while doing so. The support of two writing groups, The Criminal Fairies and Writers Enjoying Words, has been a blessing. Lovely people and talented writers, all of them.
I also want to thank the lovely group of people who make up Crime Cymru. I am delighted to join their ranks and look forward to many more meetings as we emerge from the pandemic.
Finally, sincere thanks to my family, Doug, Douglas and Felicity. Without their love and support it would not have been possible.
 
Cover photo: Tiard Schulz
https://tiard-schulz-fotografie.jimdosite.com
 
Book cover design:
jacksonbone.co.uk
 
And coming soon from Jacqueline Harrett:
The Whispering Trees
The second D.I. Mandy Wilde Novel
To be published by
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
For information about Diamond Crime authors and their books, visit:
www.diamondbooks.co.uk
 
Dedicated to
The memory of my parents, Andrew and Norah Montgomery, whose unconditional love was the foundation of my life.
 
 
 
 
The
Nesting
Place
 
A D.I. Mandy Wilde Novel
 
 
 
 
 
JACQUELINE HARRETT
 
Chapter ONE
 
SUNDAY
The body was found about the same time as Mandy Wilde was buttering a slice of wholemeal toast to accompany her morning tea. A weak sun was trying to filter through the grey skies and a soft drizzle had started. Typical Welsh Sunday. Satan, next door’s cat, was meowing and pawing at her kitchen window. The unexpected sound of Oasis filled the room. Her ringtone.
A call in the early morning was never good news.
“DI Wilde.” A pause as she listened. “Right. Ring DS Jones and tell him I’ll pick him up outside the station in fifteen minutes.”
She was alert now. It wasn’t Joy, her first thought. A body in a field in the Vale of Glamorgan. Minimal information. Woman reported missing and then a body, matching her description, found within a couple of hours. It wasn’t usually that easy.
A creak on the stairs told her Tabitha was awake. Her niece, dark hair mussed and face creased from sleep, appeared. She yawned, bleary-eyed.
“Mmm. That toast smells good. I heard your phone. Work?”
“Help yourself. I’ve got to go out. Sorry Tabs. I thought we could have a nice Sunday together but duty calls. Well, a body anyway.”
“It’s not…” Tabitha had paled, eyes and mouth wide open.
“No. It’s not your Mam. A young woman went missing late last night. The body fits the description.”
Shit. She should think before opening her mouth. Of, course Tabitha would think it was Joy. Same as she did every time the phone rang. Although she’d know if Joy was dead, wouldn’t she? Didn’t twins have a special bond?
Tabitha still appeared stricken. Her mouth wobbled a little. Fifteen going on five at times. Mandy gave her a hug.
“Have you got plans for today? God knows when I’ll be home. Probably just an accident but,” she shrugged, “you never know what’s going to happen until you get there.”
“I’ve homework to do and maybe Kelly will come over later, if that’s alright?” Anxious eyes. Always wanting to do the right thing. Not a typical teenager. How had her bonkers sister managed to produce such a lovely kid?
“Sure. There’s food in the freezer. Maybe you could pop to Lidl and grab some bits? I started a half list somewhere and there’s twenty quid under the tea caddy. Usual stuff. Fruit, veg, milk, cheese and some popcorn. If I’m home in time we can have a Netflix movie.”
Tabitha beamed. “Sounds good. Thanks Auntie Mandy. And I’ll empty the dishwasher.”
Desperate to be helpful. Always aware of her responsibilities as a long-term guest. Well, Mandy didn’t see her that way, though she knew how Tabitha’s mind worked. She dropped a kiss on the top of her niece’s head.
“Got to dash. Josh is meeting me at the station in three minutes. Go back to bed for a bit. You look tired.”
“Make sure you don’t speed.” Tabitha grinned. “See you later.”
Sunday morning and Cardiff was still asleep. No traffic, so she ignored the twenty mile an hour signs and got to the station in time to see Josh getting out of his battered Corsa. She pulled up alongside and he got into the passenger seat.
“Well, you look like shit. And the mints don’t cover last night’s curry.”
DS Josh Jones yawned. “Anything before mid-day on Sunday is the middle of the night as far as I’m concerned. What’s it all about? They just said there was a body in the Vale.”
“Young woman. Reported missing just before dawn. Found a couple of hours after. Could be an accident or not. I’ve put the postcode into the sat nav so let’s hope we can find it. Uniform’s there, the coroner’s been informed, and Rishi should be on the way. We’ll see what he has to say.” She glanced sideways at Josh. “With luck it’s an accident and we’ll be home by lunch.”
Josh grunted and peered out through the window. “Any chance of stopping to pick up a coffee on the way? I didn’t have time.”
“Sorry. Nothing will be open. Bad for you anyway, all that caffeine. If you’re thirsty there’s a couple of bottles of water in the back and I grabbed some fruit on my way out as well.”
“Rabbit food. Coffee and doughnuts preferred.”
Mandy laughed. They were heading out of the city now, through Ely to Culverhouse Cross and then away from the urban expanse and into the countryside. They bypassed Cowbridge and then turned towards the coast. Sprawling veins of narrow roads. The Vale of Glamorgan. A combination of coast and country, little villages and market towns. A diverse mix of places and people. Mandy was swearing under her breath as the roads became narrower and more twisted.
“Where the hell are we? I hate the countryside.” The sat nav seemed to be taking them on a wild goose chase. All the roads seemed the same, weaving between high hedges.
Then, “You have reached your destination.”
Mandy hit the steering wheel with her fist. “Bloody sat nav. There’s nothing here except more road. Ring the station. See if anyone can give us a more precise location.”
“No signal, boss.”
“Hell’s bells. What next?”
There was little sign of anything or anyone. Then, at last, they turned a corner and saw a uniformed officer standing by a temporary roadblock. Mandy stopped the car and got out. There was an earthy smell after the rain and she wrinkled her nose. Fresh air. Over-rated. She flashed her badge at the officer.
“DI Wilde. DS Jones. Where’s the body?”
The officer looked about twelve and uncertain of himself. Just out of training she expected. He probably thought policing the Vale would be easy; all parking tickets and farmers polluting rivers with the odd road accident thrown in for good measure. He pointed to a farm gate which was covered in police tape. “Over there, Ma’am.” Another uniformed officer was further up the field and Rishi, the pathologist, was already in situ, booted and suited.
“How the hell did you get here before us, Rishi?”
“I live around here. Not far from Sigingstone.”
“Another country freak.” She bent her head towards Josh and rolled her eyes. “So, what’s the verdict?”
“Hard to tell. Dead about six or seven hours. Could have fallen, tripped. No sign of any injury or defence wounds. Some vomit spilling from the mouth. Smell of alcohol. I’ll know more when I do the post-mortem.”
“And when will that be?”
Rishi hesitated. “I was supposed to be visiting my mother-in-law this afternoon…”
“But a dead body is a much more attractive proposition?” A glimmer of understanding passed between them. Mandy knew what was coming.
Rishi coughed, appeared to be thinking and then said, “Of course, if it was urgent, if you required speed in this case, I could do it later today. About two? You’ll want the results as soon as possible, I expect.”
“Nice one, Rishi. That would be most appr