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  She walked back to the others, shaking her head.

  “As far as I can see, it’s her.”

  “Shit,” said Theo. “We’d better tell Anderton as soon as he gets here.”

  “He’s on his way now?” asked Olbeck.

  Theo nodded. Kate watched the river slipping slowly past. She hadn’t thought this far ahead yet. Anderton was the DCI for Abbeyford and surrounding areas; he was Kate’s immediate boss. He would have to know about the picture. He would have to know everything. Kate remembered Jay sitting across from her on her new chair, tipping his mug full of champagne towards her, smiling.

  Who’s the model? My mate Elodie.

  “Kate?”

  Kate realised she was standing with her eyes tightly shut. She gave herself a mental shake. Get it together. You have no idea what’s happened as yet, so stop panicking.

  “Here’s Anderton,” she said as she saw his car draw up, pleased her voice sounded so normal.

  The three of them walked towards their DCI. Anderton had just returned from holiday—three weeks at his holiday home in the South of France, Olbeck had explained to Kate—and he was certainly tanned, his grey hair lightened by the sun. But he didn’t look much like a man who’d enjoyed three weeks of relaxation. His brows were drawn down in a frown and there were dark circles under his eyes. Probably doesn’t want to be back at work, and who could blame him? thought Kate as she returned his subdued greeting.

  “Suicide, murder or accident?” said Anderton as they walked back towards the crime scene.

  “We don’t yet know, sir,” said Kate. She pictured the painting hanging on her living room wall and heard her voice falter a little. When was she going to have to mention it?

  “Well, any ideas at all? What have you people been doing all morning? Have I just been dragged down here to stand around like a spare part?”

  Kate flinched under his tone. He could be brusque, she knew that, but he was not normally so rude.

  “A jogger discovered the body at about eight thirty this morning,” said Olbeck, hastily. “He thought someone was drowning, waded in and pulled them out, although obviously the girl was long dead by then.”

  “So the body was found in the river?”

  “That’s right, sir.”

  Kate grabbed Olbeck’s arm. “Is that right? The body was pulled out of the river?”

  “Yes,” said Olbeck, looking down at her hand on his arm with a quizzical expression. “Didn’t I say?”

  “No, you bloody didn’t!”

  All three men were now looking at her strangely. Kate tried to pin a neutral expression on her face and tried not to show the waves of warm relief washing over her. The resemblance of the body on the riverbank to the picture on her wall was coincidental, that’s all. Oh, wonderful relief. For a moment, she felt dizzy with it.

  “Something wrong, Kate?” Anderton spoke in a voice that implied she had to tell him.

  Kate struggled and managed to subdue her euphoria. “Sorry sir, nothing wrong. I just hadn’t been informed of all the facts, that’s all.” Olbeck shot her a hurt look, which she ignored. “I wasn’t aware that this wasn’t the original crime scene.”

  Anderton exhaled in disgust.

  “You lot are not impressing me this morning. Theo, tell me something useful, for Christ’s sake.”

  “Yes, sir.” Theo almost stood to attention. “As Mark said, the body was discovered by a jogger, Mark Deedham, this morning at about eight thirty. He often runs along this path, according to him. He said he saw something in the water—in fact, he said he saw ‘someone’ in the water—and thought they were drowning, plunged in, dragged them out onto the river bank and then realised they were, well, dead already.”

  “Humph.” Anderton looked over at the police car where the man in the wet tracksuit had been taken. “That’s his story. We’ll have to take a much more detailed statement. Anything else? Do we know who the victim is yet?”

  Olbeck nudged Kate’s arm and she shot him an annoyed look. Anderton intercepted it. “Kate Redman, what is the matter with you this morning? Do you know who the victim is, or not?”

  Kate spoke. “Yes sir. She’s a young student called Elodie, I’m not sure of her last name.” Olbeck nudged her again. “For fuck’s sake, Mark! Let me finish. She’s a musician, a student at Rawlwood College.”

  Anderton studied her face.

  “And how do you know all of this?”

  Jay’s face swam in front of her eyes. Kate swallowed. “Because I met her last night, sir.”

  Anderton’s grey eyes regarded her steadily.

  “Is that so?” he said. “Well, you’d better tell me all about it.”

  ***

  Buy Requiem (A Kate Redman Mystery: Book 2) on Amazon Kindle, available now.

  The third novel in the series, Imago (A Kate Redman Mystery: Book 3), is now available on Amazon Kindle.

  IMAGO

  (A KATE REDMAN MYSTERY: BOOK 3)

  “They don’t fear me, quite the opposite. It makes it twice as fun… I know the next time will be soon, I’ve learnt to recognise the signs. I think I even know who it will be. She’s oblivious of course, just as she should be. All the time, I watch and wait and she has no idea, none at all. And why would she? I’m disguised as myself, the very best disguise there is.”

  A known prostitute is found stabbed to death in a shabby corner of Abbeyford. Detective Sergeant Kate Redman and her partner Detective Sergeant Olbeck take on the case, expecting to have it wrapped up in a matter of days. Kate finds herself distracted by her growing attraction to her boss, Detective Chief Inspector Anderton – until another woman’s body is found, with similar knife wounds. And then another one after that, in a matter of days.

  Forced to confront the horrifying realisation that a serial killer may be preying on the vulnerable women of Abbeyford, Kate, Olbeck and the team find themselves in a race against time to unmask a terrifying murderer, who just might be hiding in plain sight…

  Buy Imago (A Kate Redman Mystery: Book 3) on Amazon Kindle, available now.

  Want more Kate Redman? The new Kate Redman Mystery, Snarl is available now.

  Snarl (A Kate Redman Mystery: Book 4)

  A research laboratory opens on the outskirts of Abbeyford, bringing with it new people, jobs, prosperity and publicity to the area – as well as a mob of protesters and animal rights activists. The team at Abbeyford police station take this new level of civil disorder in their stride – until a fatal car bombing of one of the laboratory’s head scientists means more drastic measures must be taken…

  Detective Sergeant Kate Redman is struggling to come to terms with being back at work after long period of absence on sick leave; not to mention the fact that her erstwhile partner Olbeck has now been promoted above her. The stakes get even higher as a multiple murder scene is uncovered and a violent activist is implicated in the crime. Kate and the team must put their lives on the line to expose the murderer and untangle the snarl of accusations, suspicions and motives.

  Snarl is the new Kate Redman Mystery from crime writer Celina Grace, author of Hushabye, Requiem and Imago. Available now from Amazon.

  Celina’s psychological thriller, Lost Girls is also available from Amazon:

  Twenty-three years ago, Maudie Sampson’s childhood friend Jessica disappeared on a family holiday in Cornwall. She was never seen again.

  In the present day, Maudie is struggling to come to terms with the death of her wealthy father, her increasingly fragile mental health and a marriage that’s under strain. Slowly, she becomes aware that there is someone following her: a blonde woman in a long black coat with an intense gaze. As the woman begins to infiltrate her life, Maudie realises no one else appears to be able to see her.

  Is Maudie losing her mind? Is the woman a figment of her imagination or does she actually exist? Have the sins of the past caught up with Maudie’s present...or is there something even more sinister going on?

  Lost Girls is the new nov
el from the author of The House on Fever Street: a dark and convoluted tale which proves that nothing can be taken for granted and no-one is as they seem.

  Buy Lost Girls on Amazon Kindle, available now.

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  Many thanks to all the following splendid souls:

  Chris Howard for the brilliant cover designs; Brenda Errichiello for proof-reading and editing; Lynda Kelly for extra proof-reading; beta readers and lifelong friends David Hall, Ben Robinson and Alberto Lopez; Ross McConnell for advice on police procedural and for also being a great brother; Kathleen and Pat McConnell, Anthony Alcock, Naomi White, Mo Argyle, Lee Benjamin, Bonnie Wede, Sherry and Amali Stoute, Cheryl Lucas, Georgia Lucas-Going, Steven Lucas, Loletha Stoute and Harry Lucas, Helen Parfect, Helen Watson, Emily Way, Sandy Hall, Kristýna Vosecká; and of course my gorgeous Chris, Mabel, Jethro and Isaiah.

  This book is for my Mum and Dad, with love and thanks.

  Bought by Maraya21 -- kickass.to / 1337x.to / demonoid.pw / h33t.to thepiratebay.se

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty One

  WANT MORE CELINA GRACE?

  REQUIEM (A Kate Redman Mystery)

  IMAGO

  (A KATE REDMAN MYSTERY: BOOK 3)

  LOST GIRLS

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  Table of Contents

  Table of Contents

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty One

  WANT MORE CELINA GRACE?

  REQUIEM (A Kate Redman Mystery)

  IMAGO

  (A KATE REDMAN MYSTERY: BOOK 3)

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  Table of Contents