Little Boy Blue: DI Helen Grace 5 (A DI Helen Grace Thriller) by M. J. Arlidge

– thirty, twenty, ten – before easing the weights back down to base. They touched down without making a noise, bringing a smile to his face. It was stupid to revel in the finesse he brought to the job, but not everyone could do it, so why not?
    Rising from the bench, Max Paine surveyed the scene around him. This was by far the most expensive gym in Southampton – complete with floor-to-ceiling views of the Solent – but you got what you paid for. It had the latest equipment, was quiet and full of professional gym bunnies. A particularly well-toned pair of girls wandered past now as he towelled himself down and he took the opportunity to scrutinize their tight backsides. They pretended to be deep in conversation, but they knew he was checking them out and loved it. Max made a mental note to say a few words to them before he left.
    He was still following their progress towards the treadmills, when his attention was caught by one of the large plasma screens on the wall. There were TVs everywhere in this place, showing sports, lifestyle programmes,soaps and of course the ubiquitous game shows that clogged up daytime viewing. He generally ignored them – he was here to exercise – but this time what he saw stopped him in his tracks.
    The news was playing, showing a press conference with Hampshire Police. Max didn’t recognize the guy leading it and his headphones were switched off, so he couldn’t hear what he was saying – but his eye was drawn to the headline bar at the bottom of the screen: TORTURE ROOMS MURDER . Dropping his towel on the bench, he hurried over to the screen, tapping his console to tune into the relevant channel.
    ‘… in custody. We won’t be releasing a name, but we can confirm that he is a male in his forties who lives locally.’
    Max Paine listened intently. He had been to the Torture Rooms on numerous occasions and had been scouring local media for updates since he’d heard the news of Jake Elder’s death.
    ‘That’s all I’m prepared to say for now. As you know, Detective Inspector Grace is leading the investigation, and I’m very confident that we’ll make swift progress in this case. There is no need for members of the public to be alarmed as we are currently treating this as a one-off incident.’
    Max stood still. Had he been hearing things? No, the guy had definitely said DI Grace. Suddenly he laughed out loud, provoking startled looks from the gym bunnies nearby. This was too good to be true. No, this was
priceless
.
    All thoughts of his workout were now long gone. As he strode towards the exit, his mind turned on the possibilities this surprising development threw up. This was an opportunity to make some serious money. What he had to say would pay for his expensive gym membership and a lot more besides.

41
    ‘So this was your third visit to the Torture Rooms?’
    ‘Yes,’ Jackson replied, without choosing to elaborate further.
    Helen nodded, but didn’t push it. He had clearly never spoken about this to anyone before.
    ‘What time would you say you got there?’
    ‘Around eight p.m.’
    ‘Did you go with someone else or –’
    ‘I was alone.’
    The way he said it made Helen think he had been ‘alone’ for some time.
    ‘This is not something I’ve shared,’ he continued. ‘It’s not something I want shared. It’s been a process for me.’
    ‘You’d told Jake Elder though.’
    Jackson looked up sharply at Helen, then lowered his gaze once more.
    ‘How did you first encounter him?’
    ‘I went to a Munch. They’re –’
    ‘We know what they are. Go on.’
    ‘Well, I’d looked at some things online. I suppose I’ve always been attracted to men. But I’ve never told anyone, never done anything about it until recently. Maybe it’s because the kids are older, because I’ve got moretime on my hands. Don’t get me wrong, I love my wife, but there’s a part of me that’s just …’
    Helen nodded, but said nothing. There was more coming.
    ‘I liked the