Free Black & Blue: Where it all began…… (D.S Hunter Kerr) by Michael Fowler

across his desk and took Hunter’s hand in a vice-like grip. Shaking it he finished, “Well done Constable Kerr.” Then turning to Sergeant Marrison he said, “He does credit to your supervision Sergeant.”
    Out of the corner of his eye Hunter saw a smile break out on his Sergeant’s face. He heard his Supervisor say, “Thank you sir.” Then he felt a nudge on his arm.
    It was time to leave.
    As he turned towards the door the Chief Superintendent said at his back, “Oh and Sergeant, make sure he gets his hair cut. He’s not in CID yet.”
     
    - ooOoo -
     
     
     

     
     
     
     
     
     
    Read an extract from Michael’s next book:-
     
    COMING, READY OR NOT
     
    To be released September 2014.
     
     

     

     
    PROLOGUE
     
    25 th July 1986.
    Harlyn Bay, Cornwall.
     
     
    The noise jolted her awake. Startled, Helen Moore snapped open her eyes but she couldn’t see a thing. A thick tar wall of darkness faced her. For a moment, the intensity of the blackness threw her and she scrambled together her thoughts. Then she remembered. She was surprised as to how dark it was inside their tent.
    “Did you hear that?”
    Beside her James jumped. “What?”
    Helen wrenched her eyes wider, trying to pierce the gloom. But it was pointless. It was pitch black dark and so she strained to listen, holding her breath.
    She whispered, “That noise?”
    “Noise?”
    In the distance a percussive crash of thunder fractured the silence. Helen’s heart leapt.
    “It’s only thunder,” her husband said.
    Somehow, she was pretty damn sure that the noise, which had disturbed her only a few seconds ago, hadn’t been thunder, but it was now trapped in the depths of her sub-conscious and she couldn’t drag it back. Through gritted teeth she sharply replied, “That’s thunder now, but I heard something else. I think I heard someone moving around outside.”
    “It’ll probably be a fox.”
    She made an attempt at sitting up but her sleeping bag was wrapped so tightly around her that she slumped sideways. She shouldered the ground tarpaulin heavily and let out a moan. As she fought to prop herself up a second clap of thunder peeled in the distance.
    After a couple of seconds of awkward shuffling she manoeuvred herself into a sitting position, anchoring herself by drawing up her knees. Holding her breath she listened.
    Silence.
    Suddenly feeling foolish, Helen shook her head. It must have been the storm, she told herself, and her half-asleep mind had been playing tricks with her thoughts.
    And then the noise struck up again- a rustling sound close by.
    Goosebumps prickled her flesh. She stiffened. It sounded as if something or someone was dragging their way through the grass.
    “There,” she said. “There it is again. Listen!”
    This time she honed in on a soft shuffling sound. It sounded as if someone was padding around only a few yards from the tents entrance.
    “Did you hear that?”
    With a hushed moan James said, “I’ll take a look. I’m telling you it’ll just be a fox, or even a badger, something like that.”
    She heard a zip unfasten and although she still couldn’t pick anything out in the darkness she could visualise her husband pulling himself out of his sleeping bag.
    James brushed past her and then she heard him zipper apart the entranceway. A silvery thread of moonlight washed in through the opening, and she caught his silhouette, on all fours, edging outside.
    As the tent folds closed behind him, once again her vision was overcome by blackness and she turned an ear to the entrance. At that moment, despite being encased in her sleeping bag, she felt exposed. She leaned forwards, wrapped her hands around her legs and pulled her knees tightly towards her chest.
    For a few seconds the only sounds she could hear were the swish of grass and James’ soft curses. She had a vision of her husband scrambling animal-like amongst the damp undergrowth.
    A sudden cry of “ Oi” made her jump. Helen tightened her grip