[2022 Wattys shortlisted story]
A missing family. A twenty year old murder. An old ghost story. And a private detective from London. But what do they all have in common? It's the job of DCI Neo Denzel to figure it all out.
In the quiet town of Mart...
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Neo took out his frustrations by kicking a tire on his now immobile car. The unusual clunking noise had been the first sign that something was wrong, then the engine light flashed on and finally the car had chugged as far as it could go.
He pulled out his phone, but the no signal sign stared back at him. Cursing his stupidity, he pushed it angrily back into his coat.
Popping the hood, he left the car to investigate, wishing that Gwilt had been with him. Unfortunately, Gwilt had been manhandled by his wife into accompanying her to Bethy's 12 week injections. Something they'd already had to put off once.
Neo had agreed easily, knowing it would likely only be for an hour or two, but now he wished he'd asked them to rearrange.
He looked at the engine, a combination of tubes, nuts and parts that he could only guess at. Gwilt was the car man, not him. Neo had zero understanding other than the contraption could get him from A to B.
His ears picked up on the familiar sound of tires bouncing along the dirt track back the way he'd come.
He straightened and leaned around his car, hoping to see the friendly face of his DS, but the large jeep was not one he knew.
'Fancy seeing you here, Chief.'
Neo internally groaned as he looked at the smiling face of Charlotte Hoggins. He wondered why fate hated him so much.
'Looks like you're having a spot of car trouble.' Charlie laughed, cutting her engine and stepping out of the jeep.
'Nothing I can't handle,' Neo lied.
Charlie rolled her eyes as she peered at his open engine.
'What's the problem?'
'Well, if I knew the problem, don't you think I'd have fixed it by now,' growled Neo, not able to keep his anger in check. It had been a long few days and his manners were being severely tested by the Hoggins woman.
Charlie pursed her lips. 'I meant why did you stop in the first place?'
Neo felt like an ass, but resisted the urge to apologise. Though the woman didn't deserve his anger, he couldn't forget that she was the one trying to push her way onto his investigation.
'The car started spluttering and shaking a few miles back and then just died. Now every time I turn the engine on it shakes for a few seconds before dying again.'
'Okay, I think I know what's causing it.' Charlie disappeared into the jeep's boot and came back with an old battered tool box. She picked up a long screwdriver and headed towards his car.
Neo's hand shot out before he could think better about it. 'Just what do you think you're going to do?'
Charlie shrugged away from his arm, throwing him a death glare that made him realise he'd overstepped his boundaries.
