Free BURIED CRIMES: a gripping detective thriller full of twists and turns by MICHAEL HAMBLING Page A

while? I need to pop out with an important message for someone. Okay, sweetheart?’ She watched her daughter anxiously. Karen merely nodded absentmindedly, spread some jam onto another two scones and took them through to join her brother in the lounge. Her mother smoothed down her skirt, checked her appearance in the hall mirror and slipped out of the front door. Some things just couldn’t wait.
    * * *
    Theresa Jackson was the family liaison officer assigned to the Freeman family. She was a young Dorchester-based PC, dedicated and keen to do well in her chosen career. She visited Finch Cottage early each evening in order to talk through any issues that the family raised, and to keep them up to date with developments. This particular evening, Wednesday, would be problematic for her, though. She had made a date with her current boyfriend to celebrate his birthday in one of Dorchester’s upmarket restaurants. She had decided to drop in on the Freemans during the late afternoon instead. Karen, the family member of greatest concern, should be home from school by then.
    Theresa turned off the main road and drove into the quiet, tree-lined area where the Freeman family lived. She suddenly noticed that the woman walking quickly around a nearby street corner into a secluded cul-de-sac was the Freeman mother, Jill. But why was she acting so furtively? Every few paces she glanced back over her shoulder. Theresa slowed and pulled her car close to the kerb where she watched and waited.
    The door of a parked car, a red VW Golf, opened as Jill approached and she slid quickly into the empty passenger seat. Theresa thought she could just make out the hazy shapes of two figures embracing, or was it her over-vivid imagination? She noted the car registration then moved her own car back into the traffic lane and drove on to Finch Cottage. She rang the front doorbell and waited the few seconds that it took Karen to answer the door, safety chain engaged.
    ‘Hello, Karen. Can I come in? I’m a bit early today, aren’t I?’
    Karen smiled weakly and closed the door in order to disengage the security chain. Theresa was glad to see the youngster looking markedly more cheerful than on the previous three days. She followed Karen through into the kitchen.
    ‘Mum’s just popped out for a few minutes. She won’t be long.’
    ‘Who else is home, Karen?’
    ‘Just Paul and me. But we’re okay, honestly. Do you want a scone? Mum’s just made some and they’re lovely with her strawberry jam on.’
    Theresa looked around the room. Everything safely tucked away, with no apparent hazards, she noted. ‘No thanks, I’m going out for a meal tonight with my boyfriend. I can’t afford to ruin my appetite, can I?’
    Karen looked at her. ‘Is he nice?’
    ‘I think so. Otherwise he wouldn’t be my boyfriend. Where has your mum gone? Did she say?’
    ‘Not really. She just said that she had an important message to give to someone. She made sure the doors were locked.’
    ‘So, how has today gone? You’re looking a bit better. Did school go quite well?’
    ‘I think so. I was telling Mum I still think people are talking about me, but my form tutor talked to me again at lunchtime and I suppose I don’t feel as bad as I did.’ She paused. ‘It’s okay as long as I don’t think about it.’ She shuddered. ‘I held that hand, those bones. I could feel them, all cold and wet. And to think that the rest of the body was down there too. Ugh.’
    She didn’t cry. This was a first in Theresa’s experience.
    ‘Shall we go through and see your brother?’ she suggested.
    They walked through to the lounge to join Paul, who was intently watching the latest instalment of an adventure series on television. Without taking his eyes off the flickering screen he reached out and took a jam-covered scone from the plate Karen held out to him.
    ‘Are you okay, Paul?’ Theresa asked.
    ‘Mmmm,’ he replied.
    ‘Well, that’s alright then.’
    Karen rolled her