Families and Thieves: The Kimble Detective Agency, #2

By R H Carter

In this second instalment of The Kimble Detective Agency series, we follow the imaginative and intelligent Peyton and his trusty, enthusiastic assistant Jackson Chadwick as they work together to unravel two separate and equally intriguing mysteries.

The first is an apparently simple theft of an art piece at the school where Peyton’s wife Sherri is a teacher. After interviewing all of the students in the class, they are still left at a dead end with the plot further thickening when a second painting is stolen.

The pair accompanies the class on a school trip to an art museum where things take a dramatic turn for the worse and reach a deadly and frightening climax. Have the two private detectives been too slow at identifying what was right in front of them, or will they be able to pull it together at the last minute and make sure justice is delivered?

In the midst of all this, Peyton and Jackson are also dealing with a second, and much more personal, matter – the unspoken secret of Peyton’s childhood. Peyton is a man on a mission and no one will stand in his way. Together with Jackson, he uncovers some surprising secrets that have the potential to affect all their lives, and further secures the future of his already very successful detective agency in this charming, funny, thrilling and exciting adventure story.

• Language: English
• Publisher: R H Carter
• Release date: Jan 20, 2015
• ISBN: 9781507055304

Book preview

PREFACE

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PEYTON KIMBLE and his trusty assistant Jackson Chadwick were known throughout the local community as a friendly, reliable and successful detective crime busting team.

It had all begun some two months previously, when forty-two year old Peyton had been made redundant from his job at Sam Royston's car factory, a man whom, as they later uncovered, was a secret rapist and serial abuser of women with a string of victims and one murder under his belt – young Gordon Tate, one of the workers at the factory, who had discovered the truth and threatened to go to the police. With Peyton's sister Ros dating Gordon's father Ainsley Tate, and his older brother Arthur a Detective Inspector with Cheshire Constabulary, Peyton and Jackson had gained quick and easy access to the crime scene and important first-hand information that had helped lead them to a dramatic conclusion and the resulting arrest of both Sam Royston and his colleague in crime, Timmy Rivers.

They had also uncovered a slightly disturbing and surprising secret – their mother had been one of Sam Royston's victims. The dates fitted in with the birth of her youngest brother, a child whom she gave up for adoption almost immediately after he was born, after secret arguments and discussions with their father. Peyton and Arthur have always believed it was a decision that ultimately led to the downfall of their parents' marriage and subsequent breakup and now, with the recent revelations regarding Sam, they are beginning to wonder whether their baby brother was the result of the rape. Still unaware of his identity but more determined than ever to find him, the incident was continually at the back of Peyton's mind in the few days after Sam and Timmy's arrest, even going so far as to trouble him in his sleep.

CHAPTER ONE

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"ANOTHER ONE?" His wife Sherri gave him a sympathetic look and a gentle touch on his shoulder as he woke from a disturbing but non-specific nightmare. He couldn't remember any of the details, but he nodded in the darkness and opened his eyes, reaching out to the bedside table to put the side lamp on.

I need a new case, he mumbled. Something else to focus on.

Already?

It had been two days since the arrest and, under the orders of both Sherri and Ros, the detective partnership were taking a short break, despite the fact that Peyton didn't think they needed it. After the feature article in the local newspaper about their work on the Royston case, the old fashioned looking red phone in their city centre office had been ringing nearly two or three times a day with people offering them new investigations, much more so than when they'd solved the missing cat case – their very first as the Kimble Detective Agency.

Besides that, there was the incident at Sherri's school for them to look into. A student had reported a piece of artwork stolen, and when CCTV cameras had been checked, sure enough, a hooded figure was seen sneaking into the locker rooms, breaking in and taking it. The pupils had apparently all been rather eager to get the Kimble Detective Agency in to help, and Sherri had offered him the job.

Maybe we could come into school tomorrow, he suggested lightly. Talk to some of the students about the uh...theft...?

You want to start investigating?

Well, there's no point sitting around doing nothing, is there?

She looked at him; her expression a mixture of admiration and despairing. You really do like this job, don't you?

I do, he grinned, brightening up at the very mention of it. I love it.

I can tell. You seem much happier these days than you have been in years.

I feel much happier too, to be honest, he admitted.

You look it, she smiled and leaned in to kiss him on the cheek. And you're good at it too. Which was the most surprising thing about the whole affair.

Oh, you didn't think I could do it? He looked mock offended.

No, I didn't, she nudged him in the ribs teasingly. But you're clever enough. I've always known that. And you're determined. And I think you and Jackson make a good team.

"Well, we both have our different...assets...that we bring to the job, and yes, actually we do work well together. That was the thing that surprised me the most." Peyton had been rather incredibly wary about taking on Jackson Chadwick, the eighteen-year old troubled son of his sister Ros. He was a school dropout who'd had a history with petty drugs, but Ros had insisted that he was a bright boy who'd just gone down the wrong path, a bit like Peyton had been when he was a young lad. He'd had masses of potential, and could possibly have gone on to become a doctor if he'd kept up with his sciences and concentrated a little harder. Jackson was more of a chemistry geek. He had one of those home labs in his garage and knew how to run basic experiments – a useful skill to have on certain cases.

Sherri sighed and got up to go to the toilet. Yeah, I suppose you can come in tomorrow, she agreed. The students will be pleased to meet you both, I'm sure.

Great, Peyton grinned and jumped out of bed, full of energy despite it still being the middle of the night.

What are you doing? Sherri looked at him in surprise, stopping and turning halfway to their en suite.

Got to call Jackson and let him know.

But it's two in the morning! He'll be in bed!

Nah, he won't. He's eighteen. Peyton fished his mobile phone from the pocket of his trousers draped over the chair in the corner, then padded out onto the landing to make the call, pacing up and down as he listened to the dial tone in his ear, ringing twice, then three times, then four before Jackson finally picked up.

Hello? came a half asleep sounding grumble on the other end of the line.

Were you asleep, Chadwick? Peyton asked, adopting the use of surnames they had decided upon as a means to communicate when first starting the agency.

Yeah....well, it is two in the morning...

But you're eighteen, Peyton protested.

Eighteen and tired. What is it, Kimble?

We've got work, tomorrow. We're going into the school to talk to some of the pupils.

Ah. The Case of the Missing Art Project.

That's right. It begins.

What time? Jackson asked.

8:30am sharp. I'll pick you up on the way.

CHAPTER TWO

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BRIGHT AND EARLY the next morning, Peyton was feeling fresh as a daisy and full of enthusiasm, despite his interrupted sleep. He was far too excited about the new case to worry about such trivialities as resting, and Sherri picked up on his good mood as she drove him into work, the pair calling round at Ros' house first to collect Jackson.

I bet you were never this cheerful about going into school when you were his age, she smiled as they watched Jackson dash out of the front door and jog towards their car, his hair all messy and his clothes crumpled. He looked as if he'd just fallen out of bed, quite possibly because he had.

He bundled himself into the back seat and closed the door, his eyes bleary and tired as he turned to do up his belt.

That's another thing I've been meaning to speak to you about actually, Chadwick, Peyton said immediately, twisting around from the passenger seat to look at him.

What's that? Jackson mumbled.

Your appearance. It didn't really matter much before and it certainly doesn't bother me one iota what you wear on your days off, but when we're going about together working, you need to give the impression of professionalism.

"I thought we were professional, Kimble, snorted Jackson. Why do we need to ‘give the impression'?"

"We are professional, Chadwick, Peyton snapped right back. You just don't look it in that outfit."

Oh, give the guy a break, Sherri slapped him lightly on the upper arm as she set off driving again. He's only just woke up. He looks fine to me.

Thanks, Sherri, said Jackson, appreciating it.

And the kids will probably like him better like this. They'll be able to relate to him. He's one of their own.

Peyton twisted around to face the front again, feeling defeated.

Besides, Sherri continued. You're not exactly Mr Fashionable yourself, are you?

If you're about to say something about my jumpers, Peyton began to protest.

Jackson and Sherri both burst out laughing, Your jumpers are ridiculous, mate, chuckled Jackson from the back seat.

Peyton glowered and looked down at the knitted effort he was wearing that morning – black with small flowers around the neck and arms. He thought it was very stylish and neat.

Well actually, I was about to suggest we start wearing suits, he announced, and it wasn't a lie. He had been thinking about it; he simply wanted to discuss it with his partner first before beginning to wear one himself. I've got a couple in the wardrobe that I can dig out. I normally only wear them for special occasions, but...it will definitely make us look more professional.

Jackson stopped laughing. Yeah? Suits? He seemed interested. Wouldn't mind that. Any particular colour?

Hmm, I don't think so. Just as long as it's smart.

Could I get like...a deep red coloured one with small black checks? I think I'd look dapper in something like that. Maybe with three buttons instead of the traditional two. More of an Italian cut. Bright yellow pocket square and a matching tie. Maybe even matching bright yellow socks. Black shirt, black shoes, polished to within an inch of their life. What d'you say? He was grinning.

Peyton turned round to look at him in surprise. Since when did you know so much about...style? The outfit the kid had been describing actually sounded rather good.

I like clothes, alright? I just...well...I've never been able to afford them before, so I always wear stuff like this. He shrugged the shoulders of the scruffy hoodie he was wearing and smoothed down his skin-tight jeans. If you give me some money to get a decent suit, I'll get one. I'll get one for you too if you like.

I've already got a suit, replied Peyton. He didn't want anything fancy like Jackson's. Just a plain old black suit would do. But yes, alright. Maybe you can have an advance on our next wages. What happened to the money from our last job anyway?

Bought the new Xbox.

Peyton rolled his eyes. You're not going to have time to play games with the amount of work we'll have on.

Honestly, you two are like a bickering old married couple....you're worse than us, Sherri interrupted, shooting a quick glance across at her husband. I'm putting the radio on and you can both shut up for the rest of the journey. And