He knew what type of games women liked to play before they spread their legs for him. However, for some reason, he was eager to get down to business. His hand swiftly disappeared up her skirt. She sucked in a startled breath. The whites of her eyes lit up the car. He covered her mouth with his and felt her succumb willingly to the desire he was bestowing upon her.

Scott recognised a go-ahead when he saw it. He climbed across the gear stick and straddled her, pinning her to the seat. She couldn’t object, as his mouth was busy toying with hers. His tongue crept between her gaping lips, and her guttural moan reverberated against his mouth. He knew there was no turning back—this woman was his.

She tugged at his shirt, and he did the same to her blouse. The lust-filled frenetic pace of young lovers overtook them. Before long, both of them were naked, no mean feat in the confines of his car.

“You’re beautiful.” He trailed his tongue along her heated flesh. His head spun when she moaned, and her hips gyrated anxiously beneath him.

His hands clasped her throat gently as he took her. Once their rhythm was in sync, his grip tightened, constricting her airway. Brenda tried to push him off, but he was too heavy. She bit the edge of his lip. He cried out, released one of his hands, and slapped her face. Brenda whimpered like a baby in between gasping for breath as his hands tightened around her slim neck again, this time with more intent.

His release came not long after, as did hers, when her life ebbed away beneath his hands.

Scott took a few moments to recover his breath. Then he casually pulled on his clothes, ignoring the lifeless form lying beside him. He started the car and drove a few hundred yards down the road towards what would be the woman’s final place of rest.

CHAPTER ONE

Detective Inspector Sally Parker of the Norfolk Constabulary Police Force drove into work feeling bewildered after the fraught weekend she’d spent moving house. How the bloody hell did I expect to achieve all that in three days? She had worked like a slave on her supposed time off. And she was returning to work knackered, with the sensation that a long week lay ahead of her. To top it all, once she’d filled the new flat with her possessions, deep regret had cast a shadow over her. The flat was simply too damned small. Not for the first time, she cursed the ground her ex walked on. You’ll get what’s coming to you one day, Darryl Parker. I can guarantee you that.

Her threat reminded her to chase up her solicitor with regard to reverting back to her maiden name. The sooner she got rid of everything to do with that man, the better. He’d already robbed her of four valuable years of life.

She pulled into the station car park just as her partner, DS Jack Blackman, was getting out of his car.

He waved and walked towards her. “Damn, I think you should take another week off, looking at the suitcases you’re carrying under those eyes.”

“Ha, bloody, ha! I can always rely on you to make me feel great—not. Did you have a good weekend?”

“Let’s put it this way: I think it was probably a darn sight better than yours, by the looks of things.”

Side by side, they crossed the car park. Sally dug her elbow into Jack’s ribs. “Anyone ever tell you that you’re crap at boosting a woman’s ego?”

“Yeah, Donna, all the time.” He laughed.

“I pity her for having to put up with you.”

“Seriously? I’m a model husband compared to that shit ex of yours. Christ, even I could write a book about the crap he burdened you with during your pointless marriage.”

Sally pushed open the door and keyed in her access code to the station’s inner sanctum. “Thanks! That much I already know, and I don’t need reminding of it in the form of a book, if it’s all the same to you.”

“Sorry. Do you think he’ll leave you alone now you’re in your own place?”

Sally swiftly turned her head and looked at him. “I bloody well hope so.”

He raised his hand above her head, pushed open the door, then motioned for her to go ahead of him. “You know where I am if the shit hits the fan again. I’d love to wipe that smug grin off his face, given the opportunity.”

“Thanks. I appreciate your concern, Jack, but I can handle Darryl.”

“Like the last time he tried something, you mean?”

Sally gulped as the images of her ex-husband pinning her to the floor of her former home flooded her mind. She shook her head, hoping to disperse the vile pictures. She’d been foolish to ever get involved with the lowlife, let alone marry him and waste four years trying to change him into a decent human being. “Give it a rest with the ‘I told you so,’ will you? Between you and my bloody dad, you’re going to end up making my life unbearable.”

“Your old man talks a lot of sense. Shame you didn’t listen to him…”

Her blood boiled. “Go on—say it. Have the courage of your convictions, man.”

He shrugged. “I was just saying that it was a shame you didn’t listen to him, or me, for that matter, if we’re laying our cards on the table, right from the outset. Before you married the effing wastrel.”

Sally bit back the venomous retort teetering on the tip of her tongue and turned towards her office, but she couldn’t resist throwing over her shoulder, “Let he who is without sin…”

Sounding unamused, Jack shouted back, “Very funny.”

Sally licked her finger and stroked an invisible line in the air, much to the amusement of the rest of the team already gathered in the incident room.

“Umm… before you go, boss. There’s been a murder,” Stuart McBain called out in true Taggart style, with his genuine Scottish accent.

Sally fought hard to suppress her smile when she spun around and walked towards him. “Let’s have it, Stu?”

He handed her a sheet of paper with the case details sprawled across it. “Am I supposed to be able to read this? Why don’t you tell us what it says, and my capable partner will be a good assistant and jot down the details in his little notebook?”

Jack tutted in her ear and perched his backside on the desk in front of Stuart’s. He took out his notebook and pen. “Right, fire away, Stu.”

“We got a call from the vicar at Acle Church about thirty minutes ago. He was distraught after finding the naked body of a woman in his graveyard.”

Sally flicked her partner’s arm with her hand. “Shit! We better head over there ASAP. Anything else?”

“Not really, boss. He was too shaken up to offer anything else,” Stuart replied.

“And that’s what was written on that sheet of paper? Are you kidding me?”

Detective Constable McBain cringed. “That and the address. I’ll try and do better next time, boss.”

“You do that. Stop trying to imitate your doctor brother when writing notes. Got that?” Sally tweaked his ear as she passed his desk. “We’ll be back soon, peeps. Heads down, and get on with trying to solve those menial cases we discussed on Friday until we return, okay?”

“Yes, boss,” the other three members of the team shouted in unison. Sally and Jack ran down the stairs and out of the station. “We’ll take my car, Jack.”

“I was hoping you’d say that. I’m low on petrol.”

“I take it you weren’t a Boy Scout when you were growing up then?” Sally teased.

Jack tutted again at the droll remark. Sally was thankful that her ex wasn’t the topic of conversation during their journey to the crime scene. Instead, Jack wittered on about his wife’s preferred destination for their summer holiday in July, while Sally focused on the road and anticipated the crime scene awaiting them.

When Sally and Jack arrived, the forensic team was already suited and booted and had almost finished setting up the marquee to protect the body from the elements and the gaze of the general public. Sally shuddered at the thought of any of the kids at the primary school, which was around a hundred feet away, seeing the body on their way to school.