Chapter 22

22

Armed with a colourful brochure and a price list, Lottie eventually succeeded in dragging Boyd away from the mesmerising Charlie.

On the footpath, she said, ‘It's too small. Too expensive. It's not us.'

He was staring back at the house. ‘Oh, there's a garage. I missed that when we arrived. We could convert it into an extra bedroom.'

Lottie couldn't help the roll of her eyes. ‘Your minutes are adding up by the second, and Superintendent Farrell will be on the warpath if we don't get back.'

‘Hey, Charlie,' he called as the estate agent began to lock the front door. ‘Can we see the garage?'

‘I totally forgot about it. We can enter it from the utility room. I don't have the outdoor key.' She led them back inside. Lottie trailed behind like a reluctant, moody child.

‘Give me a minute until I find the right one.' Charlie jangled a bunch of keys.

‘Boyd, let's go. We're way too busy for this and it's not suitable.'

‘Aha! Got it.' She waved the key and unlocked the white door. ‘It fits a family car and can hold the overflow stuff from your shed.'

‘Our shed?' Lottie whispered in Boyd's ear.

Charlie flicked on the light, then stumbled backwards, her hands flying to her mouth. ‘Christ Almighty!'

Lottie shoved past her to see what had made her cry out. ‘Don't touch a thing. Go back into the kitchen, Charlie. Now.'

‘I don't understand,' the estate agent cried. ‘What is that?'

‘Go back!' Lottie commanded the stunned woman. With her hand still clasped to her mouth, Charlie retreated. ‘What the hell, Boyd?' Lottie crowded at his shoulder in the small space.

‘He hasn't been here long. There's no smell.'

‘But he's dead, isn't he?' Charlie said from the kitchen. ‘I better call the guards.'

‘Will you tell her or will I?' Lottie asked him.

‘I'll get gloves and stuff from the car,' he said, ‘and call it in.'

As Boyd left, Lottie maintained her vigil inside the door and surveyed the scene. The garage was empty except for the male body, which was lying against a wall in a corner to her left. She was sure it was a male despite the head being slumped towards his chest. He was dressed in workmen's overalls and muddy black safety boots. His fair hair was cut short. She fought the urge to rush over and lift his head, but his statuesque stillness told her he was dead, as did the small pool of blood that had seeped out from beneath him.

They'd just found a body in Boyd's dream home.

Waiting for the team to arrive, she moved back into the gleaming kitchen. Charlie sat on a high stool at the island.

‘Do you know who it is?' Lottie asked.

Charlie gulped. ‘I'm not sure. He could have worked on the site, couldn't he?'

‘You tell me.'

‘I didn't see his face, just his clothes. Maybe you should talk to the builders.' She chewed on a piece of gum Boyd had given her to help calm her down.

‘We will talk to them. Did you check over the house before we arrived?'

‘Yes, but not the garage. I never even thought of it before Mark asked to see it.'

‘Have you had many viewings here recently?'

‘You're the first in a couple of weeks.'

‘Really? I thought there was a shortage of houses at the moment.'

‘Shortage of affordable houses. These are at the high end of the market. I was hoping to sell a few off phase two plans, but it's all a bit dead at the moment. It usually is in the winter, especially after all the expense of Christmas.' Her eyes widened and her mouth formed a perfect red lipsticked O. ‘That poor man. His family. Do you think he might have had a heart attack while working here?'

‘I thought this house was finished.'

‘Of course. Silly me.'

‘There doesn't appear to have been a break-in. Who else has keys besides yourself?'

‘The site manager. The foreman too, I expect. And the developer, of course. Gordon Collins. GC Construction.'

‘What's the name of the site manager?'

‘Patrick Curran. Nice man.'

Lottie made a note. ‘Did you disarm the alarm before we arrived?'

‘No, it's not in use until the new owners move in. No need really. The interior designer supplies the furniture and other decorative stuff and then moves it on to her next show home.'

‘Has this designer a key also?'

Charlie shook her head. ‘She's never around once her job is complete. When she needs the key to clear out the house, she asks Patrick or myself.'

‘Do you know the site manager well?'

‘A bit. I liaise with him from time to time. He's my contact here.'

‘Okay. When did you last see or speak with him?'

‘Earlier today. I called him to let him know I had a viewing. That's you two.' She glanced at Boyd, who'd come back into the house. ‘You never said you were detectives when you phoned.'

He blushed slightly, but recovered quickly. ‘I'm sorry about that, but I thought it best not to mention it.'

‘You should be grateful that we were with you when you opened the door,' Lottie said.

‘If it wasn't for you,' Charlie eyed Boyd, ‘I might never have opened it at all. Now I'm going to have nightmares for the rest of my life.'