Web of Lies
Page 27
‘I’ve no idea and not knowing feels great.’ A warm smile swept across her face.
‘What about this place?’ He gestured to the house standing behind them.
‘Well …’ She hesitated. ‘I’ve had an idea. Hear me out before saying anything.’
He frowned. What was she going to suggest?
‘I’d like you to move in. You can live here for free. All I want you to do is look after the place and pay the day-to-day bills.’
‘You want me to move to Market Harborough?’ he said, trying to process her suggestion.
‘Why not? It’s not like you’ve got anything else to do now you’ve left the police force, is it? You could become a private investigator and work from here, you’re clearly good at it.’
‘That’s an option, but I need to think about it.’
Starting a new career from there wouldn’t be easy, especially as a PI. He had no contacts, unlike in London. He shook his head. He didn’t want to be a PI so why was he even considering it? Then again …
He surveyed the glorious view surrounding them and breathed in the country air.
Would he really miss London?
‘No rush. If you could let me know in the next few days.’ She laughed and her face lit up. It was the happiest he’d seen her since he’d arrived.
‘What would I do with my flat?’ he said, more to himself than her.
‘Rent it out.’
Did he want other people in there? He didn’t have a mortgage as he’d brought the flat in Notting Hill outright with his small trust fund.
‘Or I could leave it for when I need to stay in the city.’
‘Does that mean you’re saying yes already?’
Was he? The idea was becoming appealing.
‘If I do say yes, and I haven’t yet made up my mind, any time you wish to come back, do so. I don’t need any warning. This is your house.’
‘I don’t envisage returning for a long time, especially if I know the house is going to be in good hands.’
‘The boys can stay here during their uni holidays or at any other time and they too don’t have to give me notice, they can just turn up. And I’ll be here for them, if they need money, or advice and can’t get hold of you.’
‘So is that a yes, then?’ Sarah asked, her eyes sparkling.
Was it? He’d never been rash in his life before. But what did he have to lose? He had no job. No girlfriend. He was a totally free agent.
‘If that’s what you want, then... Yes. I’ll move in.’
Book 2 - Sebastian and Birdie return in Speak No Evil when they investigate the case of a young child who was abandoned on the streets of Market Harborough.
Tap here to buy
GET ANOTHER BOOK FOR FREE!
To instantly receive Nowhere to Hide, a free novella from the Detective Sebastian Clifford series, featuring DC Lucinda Bird when she first joined CID, sign up here for Sally Rigby’s free author newsletter.
Read more about Sebastian Clifford
WEB OF LIES: A Midlands Crime Thriller (Detective Sebastian Clifford - Book 1)
A trail of secrets. A dangerous discovery. A deadly turn.
Police officer Sebastian Clifford never planned on becoming a private investigator. But when a scandal leads to the disbandment of his London based special squad, he finds himself out of a job. That is, until his cousin calls on him to investigate her husband’s high-profile death, and prove that it wasn’t a suicide.
Clifford’s reluctant to get involved, but the more he digs, the more evidence he finds. With his ability to remember everything he's ever seen, he's the perfect person to untangle the layers of deceit.
He meets Detective Constable Bird, an underutilised detective at Market Harborough’s police force, who refuses to give him access to the records he’s requested unless he allows her to help with the investigation. Clifford isn't thrilled. The last time he worked as part of a team it ended his career.
But with time running out, Clifford is out of options. Together they must wade through the web of lies in the hope that they’ll find the truth before it kills them.
Web of Lies is the first in the new Detective Sebastian Clifford series. Perfect for readers of Joy Ellis, Robert Galbraith and Mark Dawson.
Tap here to buy
SPEAK NO EVIL: A Midlands Crime Thriller (Detective Sebastian Clifford - Book 2)
What happens when someone's too scared to speak?
Ex-police officer Sebastian Clifford had decided to limit his work as a private investigator, until Detective Constable Bird, aka Birdie, asks for his help.
Twelve months ago a young girl was abandoned on the streets of Market Harborough in shocking circumstances. Since then the child has barely spoken and with the police unable to trace her identity, they've given up.
The social services team in charge of the case worry that the child has an intellectual disability but Birdie and her aunt, who’s fostering the little girl, disagree and believe she’s gifted and intelligent, but something bad happened and she’s living in constant fear.
Clifford trusts Birdie’s instinct and together they work to find out who the girl is, so she can be freed from the past. But as secrets are uncovered, the pair realise it's not just the child who’s in danger.
Speak No Evil is the second in the Detective Sebastian Clifford series. Perfect for readers of Faith Martin, Matt Brolly and Joy Ellis.
Tap here to buy
Also by Sally Rigby
THE CAVENDISH & WALKER SERIES
DEADLY GAMES - Cavendish & Walker Book 1
A killer is playing cat and mouse……. and winning.
DCI Whitaney Walker wants to save her career. Forensic psychologist, Dr Georgina Cavendish, wants to avenge the death of her student.
Sparks fly when real world policing meets academic theory, and it’s not a pretty sight.
When two more bodies are discovered, Walker and Cavendish form an uneasy alliance. But are they in time to save the next victim?
Deadly Games is the first book in the Cavendish and Walker crime fiction series. If you like serial killer thrillers and psychological intrigue, then you’ll love Sally Rigby’s page-turning book.
Pick up Deadly Games today to read Cavendish & Walker’s first case.
Tap here to buy.
FATAL JUSTICE - Cavendish & Walker Book 2
A vigilante’s on the loose, dishing out their kind of justice...
A string of mutilated bodies sees Detective Chief Inspector Whitney Walker back in action. But when she discovers the victims have all been grooming young girls, she fears a vigilante is on the loose. And while she understands the motive, no one is above the law.
Once again, she turns to forensic psychologist, Dr Georgina Cavendish, to unravel the cryptic clues. But will they be able to save the next victim from a gruesome death?
Fatal Justice is the second book in the Cavendish & Walker crime fiction series. If you like your mysteries dark, and with a twist, pick up a copy of Sally Rigby’s book today.
Tap here to buy
DEATH TRACK - Cavendish & Walker Book 3
Catch the train if you dare…
After a teenage boy is found dead on a Lenchester train, Detective Chief Inspector Whitney Walker believes they’re being targeted by the notorious Carriage Killer, who chooses a local rail network, commits four murders, and moves on.
Against her wishes, Walker’s boss brings in officers from another force to help the investigation and prevent more deaths, but she’s forced to defend her team against this outside interference.
Forensic psychologist, Dr Georgina Cavendish, is by her side in an attempt to bring to an end this killing spree. But how can they get into the mind of a killer who has already killed twelve times in two years without leaving a single clue behind?
For fans of Rachel Abbott, L J Ross and Angela Marsons, Death Track is the third in the Cavendish & Walker series. A gripping serial killer thriller that will have you hooked.
LETHAL SECRET - Cavendish & Walker Book 4
Someone has a secret. A secret worth killing for....
When a series of suicides, linked to the Wellness Spirit Centre, turn out to be murder, it brings together DCI Whitney Walker and forensic psychologist Dr Georgina Cavendish for another investigation. But as they delve deeper, they come across a tangle of secrets and the very real risk that the killer will strike again.
As the clock ticks down, the only way forward is to infiltrate the centre. But the outcome is disastrous, in more ways than one.
For fans of Angela Marsons, Rachel Abbott and M A Comley, Lethal Secret is the fourth book in the Cavendish & Walker crime fiction series.
Tap here to buy
LAST BREATH - Cavendish & Walker Book 5
Has the Lenchester Strangler returned?
When a murderer leaves a familiar pink scarf as his calling card, Detective Chief Inspector Whitney Walker is forced to dig into a cold case, not sure if she's looking for a killer or a copycat.
With a growing pile of bodies, and no clues, she turns to forensic psychologist, Dr Georgina Cavendish, despite their relationship being at an all-time low.
Can they overcome the bad blood between them to solve the unsolvable?
For fans of Rachel Abbott, Angela Marsons and M A Comley, Last Breath is the fifth book in the Cavendish & Walker crime fiction series.
Tap here to buy
FINAL VERDICT - Cavendish & Walker Book 6
The judge has spoken……everyone must die.
When a killer starts murdering lawyers in a prestigious law firm, and every lead takes them to a dead end, DCI Whitney Walker finds herself grappling for a motive.
What links these deaths, and why use a lethal injection?
Alongside forensic psychologist, Dr Georgina Cavendish, they close in on the killer, while all the time trying to not let their personal lives get in the way of the investigation.
For fans of Rachel Abbott, Mark Dawson and M A Comley, Final Verdict is the sixth in the Cavendish & Walker series. A fast paced murder mystery which will keep you guessing.
Tap here to buy
RITUAL DEMISE - Cavendish & Walker Book 7
Someone is watching…. No one is safe
The once tranquil woods in a picturesque part of Lenchester have become the bloody stage to a series of ritualistic murders. With no suspects, Detective Chief Inspector Whitney Walker is once again forced to call on the services of forensic psychologist Dr Georgina Cavendish.
But this murderer isn't like any they've faced before. The murders are highly elaborate, but different in their own way and, with the clock ticking, they need to get inside the killer's head before it's too late.
For fans of Angela Marsons, Rachel Abbott and L J Ross. Ritual Demise is the seventh book in the Cavendish & Walker crime fiction series.
Tap here to buy
MORTAL REMAINS - Cavendish & Walker Book 8
Someone’s playing with fire…. There’s no escape.
A serial arsonist is on the loose and as the death toll continues to mount DCI Whitney Walker calls on forensic psychologist Dr Georgina Cavendish for help.
But Lenchester isn't the only thing burning. There are monumental changes taking place within the police force and there's a chance Whitney might lose the job she loves. She has to find the killer before that happens. Before any more lives are lost.
Mortal Remains is the eighth book in the acclaimed Cavendish & Walker series. Perfect for fans of Angela Marsons, Rachel Abbott and L J Ross.
Tap here to buy
SILENT GRAVES - Cavendish & Walker Book 9
Nothing remains buried forever…
When the bodies of two teenage girls are discovered on a building site, DCI Whitney Walker knows she's on the hunt for a killer. The problem is the murders happened in 1980 and this is her first case with the new team. What makes it even tougher is that with budgetary restrictions in place, she only has two weeks to solve it.
Once again, she enlists the help of forensic psychologist Dr Georgina Cavendish, but as she digs deeper into the past, she uncovers hidden truths that reverberate through the decades and into the present.
Silent Graves is the ninth book in the acclaimed Cavendish & Walker series. Perfect for fans of L J Ross, J M Dalgleish and Rachel Abbott.
Tap here to buy
KILL SHOT - Cavendish & Walker Book 10
The game is over.....there’s nowhere to hide.
When Lenchester’s most famous sportsman is shot dead, DCI Whitney Walker and her team are thrown into the world of snooker.
She calls on forensic psychologist Dr Georgina Cavendish to assist, but the investigation takes them in a direction which has far-reaching, international ramifications.
Much to Whitney’s annoyance, an officer from one of the Met’s special squads is sent to assist.
But as everyone knows…three’s a crowd.
Kill Shot is the tenth book in the acclaimed Cavendish & Walker series. Perfect for fans of Simon McCleave, J M Dalgleish, J R Ellis and Faith Martin.
Tap here to buy
DARK SECRETS - Cavendish & Walker Book 11
An uninvited guest…a deadly secret….and a terrible crime.
When a well-loved family of five are found dead sitting around their dining table with an untouched meal in front of them, it sends shockwaves throughout the community.
Was it a murder suicide, or was someone else involved?
It's one of DCI Whitney Walker's most baffling cases, and even with the help of forensic psychologist Dr Georgina Cavendish, they struggle to find any clues or motives to help them catch the killer.
But with a community in mourning and growing pressure to get answers, Cavendish and Walker are forced to go deeper into a murderer's mind than they've ever gone before.
Dark Secrets is the eleventh book in the Cavendish & Walker series. Perfect for fans of Angela Marsons, Joy Ellis and Rachel McLean.
Tap here to buy
Acknowledgments
Thank you to my writing friends, Amanda Ashby and Christina Phillips for always being there when I need help with plot and character issues. I’ll be forever grateful for meeting you both so long ago.
Thanks, of course, go to Emma Mitchell for being such an amazing editor. Thanks also to Kate Noble and all of my Advanced Reader Team whose input I couldn’t do without. I especially would like to mention Colin Spencer for his procedural input, and being at the end of an email whenever I have a question.
Thanks to Stuart Bache for coming up with such a brilliant cover concept for the series.
Finally, to my family, Garry, Alicia and Marcus, and my brother Andrew, thanks for your continued support.
About the Author
Sally Rigby was born in Northampton, in the UK. She has always had the travel bug, and after living in both Manchester and London, eventually moved overseas. From 2001 she has lived with her family in New Zealand, which she considers to be the most beautiful place in the world. During this time she also lived for five years in Australia.
Sally has always loved crime fiction books, films and TV programmes, and has a particular fascination with the psychology of serial killers.
Sally loves to hear from her readers, so do feel free to get in touch via her website www.sallyrigby.com