Instrument of Slaughter Read online

  ‘I never worked alongside Ellen’s father,’ said Marmion, pointedly. ‘I didn’t have to lie to him over a long period.’

  ‘I didn’t lie to you. I’m like Father Howells when you first met him. I just didn’t tell you the truth. And, yes, there is a distinction between the two.’

  Ellen was exasperated. ‘This is supposed to be a happy occasion,’ she complained. ‘We’ve just heard that Joe is going to become one of the family. Isn’t that wonderful news, Harvey? He’s not threatening to run away with Alice. He wants to marry her.’ She nudged him harder. ‘Cheer up, will you? What sort of a father-in-law are you going to be?’

  ‘You’re right, love,’ said Marmion, contriving a half-smile. ‘In some ways, it is good news and I wish you both well. I warn you now, Joe, that I’ll be a terrible father-in-law.’ They all laughed. ‘As for what happens between us at work,’ he added, ‘well, that’s a different matter altogether.’

  He leant across to kiss his daughter then shook Keedy’s hand warmly.

  ‘And there was me,’ said Ellen, ‘praying that Alice would never make the mistake of marrying a policeman.’

  ‘I’m going to do more than just marry one,’ declared Alice, who’d been saving up another surprise for her parents. ‘I’ve decided to leave the WEC in the near future. I’m going to join the Women’s Police Service.’ She saw the distress on her father’s face. ‘You’d better get used to the idea, Daddy. We’re going to be working together.’

  About the Author

  EDWARD MARSTON was born and brought up in South Wales. A full-time writer for over thirty years, he has worked in radio, film, television and the theatre. A former chairman of the Crime Writers’ Association, Edward lives in the Cotswolds with his wife, fellow author Judith Cutler. Instrument of Slaughter is the second book in the Home Front Detective series.

  www.edwardmarston.com

  By Edward Marston

  THE HOME FRONT DETECTIVE SERIES

  A Bespoke Murder • Instrument of Slaughter

  THE RAILWAY DETECTIVE SERIES

  The Railway Detective • The Excursion Train

  The Railway Viaduct • The Iron Horse

  Murder on the Brighton Express • The Silver Locomotive Mystery

  Railway to the Grave • Blood on the Line

  The Stationmaster’s Farewell

  The Railway Detective Omnibus:

  The Railway Detective, The Excursion Train, The Railway Viaduct

  THE RESTORATION SERIES

  The King’s Evil • The Amorous Nightingale • The Repentant Rake

  The Frost Fair • The Parliament House • The Painted Lady

  THE CAPTAIN RAWSON SERIES

  Soldier of Fortune • Drums of War • Fire and Sword

  Under Siege • A Very Murdering Battle

  THE BRACEWELL MYSTERIES

  The Queen’s Head • The Merry Devils • The Trip to Jerusalem

  The Nine Giants • The Mad Courtesan • The Silent Woman

  Copyright

  Allison & Busby Limited

  12 Fitzroy Mews

  London W1T 6DW

  www.allisonandbusby.com

  First published in Great Britain by Allison & Busby in 2012.

  This ebook edition published by Allison & Busby in 2012.

  Copyright © 2012 by EDWARD MARSTON

  The moral right of the author is hereby asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

  All characters and events in this publication other than those clearly in the public domain are fictitious and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent buyer.

  A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from

  the British Library.

  ISBN 978–0–7490–1250–2