Free DARK HOUSES a gripping detective thriller full of suspense by Helen H. Durrant

Why, what’s she done?”
    But the girl wasn’t paying attention. She walked over to the French doors and waved to someone in the park.
    “Charlie’s waiting for me. I’d better get ready.”
    “Do you have Jenna’s address?”
    “She won’t be up yet,” Rosa said. “She’ll still be wasted from last night.”
    “I’m sorry to have to tell you this but Jenna is dead,” Greco said. “I need to see her parents as quickly as possible.”
    The girl took hold of her mother’s arm. “Did she have an accident? She didn’t take something at the club? I’m always warning her about that. You can get hold of anything there. Some of it is lethal. Is that what happened?”
    Greco caught the father’s eye.
    “Tell us what happened. The two of them were close friends,” said Mr Hudson.
    “Jenna was murdered,” Greco said. “Since she had your ID, I take it you weren’t with her last night?”
    The girl shook her head. “I work part-time and I couldn’t get the night off.”
    “Do you know who she went out with?”
    “A whole bunch of them were going to the Rave club in town. There will have been loads. You should ask at school, the sixth form.” She thought for a moment. “I think Jack was picking her up. He’s soft on her.”
    “Jack who? Does he go to the sixth form too?”
    “Yes.”
    “And do you know where he lives?”
    “He lives two houses up from Jenna. Their road isn’t far from here.”
    Rosa’s dad had already written down the address. “Go back to the main road, then take the second left. The Proctor house is the detached stone one.”

Chapter 7
    “Grace, you take Archibald Street with Craig and I’ll do this one with a couple of PCs,” Speedy told Grace.
    They were stood on Arnold Street, ready to knock on doors. Speedy groaned. He looked furious.
    “Every door, this time. We need to speak to as many of the residents as possible,” he said.
    “You need to cheer up,” Craig said. “No one’s going to talk to a face like that. And while I’m at it, you should try to get on better with the boss too.”
    “Save it, Merrick. Right now I’m too bloody mad. This bastard is running rings around us. I’m only sticking with the job because he needs catching, it’s that simple. He’s got to get his and quick.” Speedy began hammering loudly on the first door. No answer. He banged again.
    “How are you doing?” Grace held out a flask to him.
    “It’s a waste of time. We won't get anything from this lot. When they do answer the bloody door, they wind me up. Questions, that's all I get. They’re fishing for info to sell, and sod what’s happened to those poor girls. Wait until I see that bloody Laycock. What about you?”
    “Nothing that we don’t know already. The people who live on Archibald Street are like those monkeys — see nothing, hear nothing and the other one.” She smiled. “Coffee? Warm you up.”
    “What have you done with Craig?”
    “Ernest Talbot’s bending his ear. He’s an old windbag. Just keeps going on about the press and how we should get them on our side.”
    “I’m going back to the station,” Speedy said. “I’ve had enough.”
    “You can’t do that. Greco will expect some results. What’s wrong, Speedy? You’re a right misery these days.”
    “The truth is, I’ve had it. With this town, with the people in it, but most of all with this bloody job.”
    “We all get days like that, and this case is a bad one.”
    “This isn’t just one of those days, Grace. I can’t do this anymore. I feel like my whole bloody life is going down the pan. I hate the job. I’m sick and tired of how it keeps kicking me in the guts.”
    “Tell Greco. Tell him how you feel. Tell him why you’re not happy with the job.”
    “If I do that, he’ll think I’ve gone soft.”
    “No he won’t, Speedy. Greco’s not like that. He’ll try to help. He’s a good guy, he’ll understand.”
    “I wouldn’t bet on it.”
    “He does have a different side,