Imago (20 page)

“Why wasn’t the baby in their room?” asked Kate.

Olbeck glanced at her. “Should he have been?”

“I think that’s the standard advice. Everyone I know with tiny babies keeps them in their own bedrooms. Sometimes in their beds. Not stuck down the end of the corridor.”

“I don’t know,” said Olbeck. “The nanny was right next door.”

Dita Olgweisch’s room and the nursery were still sealed off by the Scene of Crime team gathering evidence. Kate stood back for a second to let a SOCO past her, rustling along in white overalls.

“I’ll ask Mrs Fullman when she’s feeling up to it,” she said. “Perhaps there was a simple explanation.”

The view from the terrace was undeniably lovely. The ground dropped steeply away from the decking and the lawn ended in a semi-circle of woodland; beech, ash, and oak trees all stood as if on guard around the grass. Kate could see the movements of the uniformed officers as they carried out their fingertip search. Olbeck came up beside her and they both stood looking out on the scene. Kate wondered if he was thinking what she was thinking – that somewhere out in those peaceful looking woods was a tiny child’s body. Her stomach clenched.

“I’ve never worked on a child case before,” said Olbeck abruptly. Kate turned her head, surprised. “Murder, obviously. But never a child.”

“We don’t know that the baby’s…” Kate didn’t want to finish the sentence.

“I know.” They were both silent for a moment. “I hope you’re right. God, I hope you’re right.”

There didn’t seem to be much else to say. They both had things to do, but for another moment, they stood quietly, side by side, looking out at the swaying, leafless branches of the trees.

***

Buy
Hushabye on Amazon Kindle
, available now.

More books by Celina Grace…

Requiem (A Kate Redman Mystery: Book 2)

The girl’s body lay on the riverbank, her arms outflung. Her blonde hair lay in matted clumps, shockingly pale against the muddy bank. Her face was like a porcelain sculpture that had been broken and glued back together: grey cracks were visible under the white sheen of her dead skin. Her lips were so blue they could have been traced in ink…

When the body of troubled teenager Elodie Duncan is pulled from the river in Abbeyford, the case is at first assumed to be a straightforward suicide. Detective Sergeant Kate Redman is shocked to discover that she’d met the victim the night before her death, introduced by Kate’s younger brother Jay. As the case develops, it becomes clear that Elodie was murdered. A talented young musician, Elodie had been keeping some strange company and was hiding her own dark secrets.

As the list of suspects begin to grow, so do the questions. What is the significance of the painting Elodie modelled for? Who is the man who was seen with her on the night of her death? Is there any connection with another student’s death at the exclusive musical college that Elodie attended?

As Kate and her partner Detective Sergeant Mark Olbeck attempt to unravel the mystery, the dark undercurrents of the case threaten those whom Kate holds most dear…

Requiem (A Kate Redman Mystery: Book 2)
is
~~the new novel~~
the second in the Kate Redman Mystery series,
from crime writer
Celina Grace
, author of
Hushabye (A Kate Redman Mystery), Lost Girls
and
The House on Fever Street.

Praise for The Kate Redman Mysteries from Amazon and Goodreads reviewers:

“One of the best I have read this year. I read about a fourth of the book early in the day, then at bedtime, I thought I would read a bit more before sleep. I finished the book at 5:20 AM. Just could not put it down.”

“At last, a mystery that delivers…I found this novel superb because I got all I needed to know and none of what I didn’t.”

“…a gripping detective story but the main character engages you, and as well as wanting to know how the mystery turns out you want to learn more about her too.”

“…amazing book, read it front to back in one visit, couldn`t help myself…”

“…the most enjoyable Kindle book I have so far read since the 'low cost electronic revolution' which has been sweeping my reading habits for the last couple of years! Thoroughly recommended.”

“This was my introduction to the author, and I'm so glad I discovered the book. Well-written and a real page turner.”

Celina Grace’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 a novel 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.

The House on Fever Street
is the first psychological thriller by
Celina Grace
.

Thrown together in the aftermath of the London bombings of 2005, Jake and Bella embark on a passionate and intense romance. Soon Bella is living with Jake in his house on Fever Street, along with his sardonic brother Carl and Carl’s girlfriend, the beautiful but chilly Veronica.

As Bella tries to come to terms with her traumatic experience, her relationship with Jake also becomes a source of unease. Why do the housemates never go into the garden? Why does Jake have such bad dreams and such explosive outbursts of temper?

Bella is determined to understand the man she loves but as she uncovers long-buried secrets, is she putting herself back into mortal danger?

Perfect for fans of Nicci French and Erin Kelly,
The House on Fever Street
is the first psychological thriller from writer Celina Grace - a chilling study of the violent impulses that lurk beneath the surfaces of everyday life.

Shortlisted for the 2006 Crime Writers’ Association Debut Dagger Award.

Bought by Maraya21
--
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Many thanks to all the following splendid souls:

Chris Howard for the brilliant cover designs; Brenda Errichiello for editing and proofreading; Kathy McConnell for extra proofreading; lifelong Schlockers and 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 patient and ever-loving Chris, Mabel, Jethro and Isaiah.

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