1 The Assassins' Village by Faith Mortimer Page B

be like the old clichéd dog worrying a bone when she had something disturbing her. He knew she would not let go easily. Besides, he had his own sneaking suspicion that she was on to something.
    ‘Mrs Diana. I am sure you have the deceased’s interests at heart but let me assure you we really do know what we are doing here. We know best. Now, if you would like to leave your details with the sergeant - ah, we already have them – in case we need to contact you again tonight, and I really do doubt it, you are free to go. Go home and get your husband his dinner.’
    He gave her a tight little smile that seemed to convey self-satisfaction, patronization, chauvinism and dismissal all together. Di opened her mouth to protest. Steve guessed what was going through her mind. She would be thinking about the scrap of blood-stained rag that she’d found lodged in Leslie’s mouth. She’d not mentioned it so far.
    Steve had to intervene. Scared stiff that Di would mention the material and then they would be in a lot of trouble for contaminating the scene or whatever else they called it these days, he took her hand in his and gave it a surreptitious tug.
    ‘Darling, the inspector is right. I think we should leave and let the police finish off here. It’s probably a very good idea if we go home now. It is getting late, you’re tired and over-wrought and you haven’t been too well lately. Come on.’
    Di disentangled her arm and gave him such a look of grim determination that Steve’s heart felt like it plummeted down to his boots. Oh God give him strength! What will she do now?
    He withheld a sigh of relief as two other figures appeared from the darkness and approached the inspector from behind.
    ‘Inspector sinomi parakalo - excuse me please.’
    The diminutive policeman swung round with barely suppressed irritation. He recognised, Dr Helena Sergio, a forensic coroner from Nicosia. The other was the police sergeant, Yiannis Loukiades.
    The woman was in her mid-thirties, pretty and worst of all a female of some importance. The inspector couldn’t help expressing a rude sound of annoyance as she led him off to one side of the field. Sergeant Loukiades gave Steve and Diana a small regretful smile, as if he knew just how annoying and arrogant his boss could be. There was a rapid exchange between the inspector and the doctor that neither Steve nor Diana could hope to follow with their own feeble Greek. Eventually Dr Helena finished her diatribe.
    The inspector looked agitated and annoyed when the doctor left him and approached them. Steve guessed she was paying them a courtesy as they had found the body, and she explained a little of what she had found. Unlike the senior policeman she was utterly charming.
    She spoke excellent English with only a trace of an accent. It was plain she had lived in the British Isles, perhaps even studied there. Her friendly open face looked grave as she addressed them. Dr Helena, couldn’t tell them too much at this stage. She had her job to do later on back at the mortuary, when the body was deposited there. After a few moments she concluded her short explanation. ‘I am concerned about the bruises on the deceased mouth and wrists. It is too early yet. But with the other evidence, I am convinced they have something to do with his death.’ Steve and Di looked at each other.
    ‘I knew it!’ Di breathed, her face if anything going a little paler than before. ‘What if we’d been out walking earlier? We might well have witnessed something crucial, possibly the murder itself.’
    The inspector intervened; as if determined not to be outdone or ousted in the talk despite his earlier dismissal of their suspicions.
    ‘Of course everything we discuss here is confidential. We will not disclose he was murdered until everything has been covered and until we know who and why. Do you understand?’
    Steve and Di nodded their agreement. Steve was eager to be away and back home. The thought of a shower, his