Free The Corpse's Tale (Trevor Joseph Detective series) by Katherine John

throw them away so she put them in her spare bedroom. She took me up there and we went through them together. We found an empty jewellery box with an oval indentation.’
    ‘It fits the watch?’
    ‘It could do, sir. I thought you might want to send the watch to be checked out for DNA so I didn’t handle it. I left it in the police evidence bag, as I did with the dress.’
    ‘Excellent, Sarah. You have the makings of a first class detective,’ Trevor complimented.
    ‘There’s a name on the box. Evan Evans and Jones. It’s a local high class jeweller’s.’
    ‘Where are they based?’ Trevor asked.
    ‘Llandeilo.’
    ‘You and Peter can go there first thing tomorrow.’ Trevor stopped talking when he heard a footstep outside. There was a knock at the door.
    ‘Inspector Joseph?’
    ‘Please come in, Mrs James.’
    ‘Mike – Sergeant Thomas – is downstairs. He asked me to let you know. And I was wondering if you’re coming down for dinner. The specials are swordfish and boar steaks. We’re running out of both fast.’
    ‘We’re coming, Mrs James.’ Trevor pocketed his notebook.
    ‘I take it we can’t trust this local copper further than we can see him,’ Peter said.
    ‘I don’t know,’ Trevor said cautiously. ‘He certainly knows the village and the people but he might be protective of his forc e ’s history.’
    ‘Is he straight?’
    ‘That’s the question everyone wants to ask e v e ry copper, Sergeant Collins.’ Sarah Merchant, like all the officers in their station, knew just how often Peter Collins “bent” the rules to get results.
    ‘Let’s give him the benefit of the doubt and take him at face value,’ Trevor said.
    ‘But we don’t discuss any of our findings with him?’
    ‘That goes without saying, Collins.’
     
    Mrs James had meant it when she’d told them the kitchen was in danger of running out of specials. The dining room was packed with local people. Trevor saw ex-Sergeant George sitting at a table with the retired farmer Bob Jones. Tony Oliver was with Angela George and another man who Trevor assumed was the geography teacher Angela was about to m a r ry. There was no sign of Judy Oliver. Gareth Morris the newsagent was with Tom the baker and two women Trevor took to be their wives.
    Mike Thomas was waiting for them at the bar. Trevor introduced Peter and Sarah.
    After they had shaken hands, Mike said, ‘I asked Rita to set us up a table in the back bar. There’s no one in there and there won’t be until the dominoes club arrives at half past nine. One pint and three games are the social highlight of the week for some of the OAPs around here.’
    They followed him into a room containing four tables and sixteen chairs. As Mike had said, it was deserted.
    ‘I can’t stay long,’ Mike warned. ‘I’ve put in my order for boar steak, chips and salad. If you’re into unusual starters I recommend the laver bread and oatmeal wrapped in bacon.’
    ‘Seaweed.’ Peter made a face.
    ‘It’s good, Sergeant Collins.’
    ‘Why don’t you and Sarah go and order for us, Peter? I’ll have the same as Sergeant Thomas.’ Trevor sat down. ‘You have someone with the Morgans?’
    ‘Constable Alan Williams, he’s experienced but I’m not expecting trouble this evening. There are too many people out and about in the village. If anything happens it will be when everyone’s asleep and I’ll be there.’
    ‘I hope you have a quiet night,’ Trevor said sincerely.
    ‘Were you in the force when Anna Harris was murdered, Sergeant Thomas?’ Peter Collins set pints of Guinness in front of himself and Trevor. Sarah followed with mineral water for herself and Mike.
    ‘It was the first case I worked on. I was a rookie of nineteen. I dug out my notebook for that year for you.’ He took it from his pocket.
    ‘Can you remember the case?’ Trevor moved a beer mat beneath his glass.
    ‘Very well. It shook everyone in the county.
    Not that we hadn’t had serious crimes in Mid