Free The Dead Lie Down (Adam Lennox Thrillers: Book One) by G I Tulloch Page B

he got up to stir the fire into life and throw on
another log. A spider ran off across the carpet to avoid being incinerated,
thereby proving that the logs were real at any rate.
    "Gerry you're scaring me. Change the subject."
    Gerry raised an eyebrow, shrugged his shoulders and re-addressed himself to his
favourite subject.
    "'Begging your Pardon' romped home three lengths clear."
    Adam stopped poking the fire. "Excuse me?"
    "2.30 at Kempton Park. Trouble was it was favourite at 6 to 4 on. Hardly worth
the effort."
    "Such is life Gerry. Such is life." Adam couldn't suppress a smile. He looked
across the room where Bel was almost asleep on a couch the other side of the
fire.
    He lowered his voice. "Gerry. What can you remember of Granger Bartlett's
death?"
    "Granger's? Not much. He wasn't my side of town if you know what I mean. It made
quite a stir at the time I remember." Gerry looked at Adam whilst helping
himself to a Scotch and handing Adam a Coke. Here was a ritual that had happened
before. "You think it's tied in somehow?"
    Adam accepted the Coke and pulled the ring. "Gut feeling tells me it's central
but I don't know why yet."
    "I could sniff around, call in a favour or two, get someone to search the
archives. See what we can come up with."
    "That would be good but I need some quick answers. Something tells me that these
characters aren't going to take no for an answer."
    Gerry stopped mid mouthful. "You think there's a real danger then?"
    "Yes.
Don't tell Bel but my guess is these people have killed at least once if not
more and if Granger's death wasn't an accident then I guess it's more blood on
their hands."
    The figure on the couch stirred. "Don't tell Bel what?"
    "That you were sleeping with your mouth open Trent, and you were snoring,"
retorted Adam.
    "Lennox, I don't snore and I didn't have my mouth open," came Bel's swift
denial.
    Gerry turned to Adam with his serious face on. "You seem to be taking this
rather more lightly than you were earlier."
    Adam looked briefly surprised before comprehension hit him. "I called
Mitch."
    "Ah. Now I understand. " Gerry nodded sagely. "So if I appear to step on my
shadow it's just Mitch getting too close?"
    "Correct."
    At this point Gerry, having finished his drink, excused himself, and set off for
home to try and convince his wife that he had been delayed on legitimate
business and not 'stuck in the pub'.
    Adam suddenly realised that seven o'clock had come and gone, and elected to eat
out. As they stepped out into the street and headed for the river Bel
hesitated.
    Adam stopped. "Problem?"
    "Let
me get this right," said Bel. "We are currently being threatened with a fate
worse than death."
    "Correct," confirmed Adam. Call him fey but he thought he knew what was
coming.
    "And yet we're walking across London on our own, a sitting target."
    "Right," grinned Adam. "You've got to bait the hook with something tasty after
all."
    Bel looked at him strangely and they walked on.
    The 'Floating Duck' was a smart floating restaurant moored alongside the Thames
Embankment. It may have been a barge at one time but successive alterations to
the superstructure left it looking like a cross between the Mary Rose and
Captain Nemo's submarine. It specialised in fish and game, and removing cash
from your pocket, but at least the view was nice and the waiters didn't spit on
the plates before they polished them.
    As
they approached, Adam wondered whether the 'Friday night crowd' might have left
them a bit short of tables and as they crossed the gangplank and ducked through
the low entranceway his fears were substantiated. A queue of four couples ahead
of them did not bode well. He was about to consider plan B when the Head Honcho
approached. He looked suspiciously at Adam, as if assessing him as worthy
clientele, or not as the case may be, before noticing Bel standing slightly
behind. His eyes lit up.
    "Miss Trent."
    Bel smiled. "Good evening Edward, how