Square Snapper (Detective Inspector Burgess) by Deborah Middleton Page B
Authors: Deborah Middleton
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friendship.
Chapter 22
With the press conference over, Burgess was on his way home having first stopped off at Lindos supermarket in Devonshire to get in supplies for his barbecue. The drive gave him time to relax and reflect on the excellent timing of the arrest. For the first time in the last few days he had a chance to take in the beauty around him. The poinciana trees were like huge shady umbrellas topped with blazing orange flowers. Oleanders and hibiscus bushes along the sides of the road were a riot of pink and red. The whole island was in a festive mood in time for the long weekend which would start tomorrow, Thursday, and run until Sunday. The supermarkets were doing a roaring trade; the weather forecast called for sunny skies and people were knocking off early to shop last minute for food and that special Cup Match outfit. The holiday was as much about seeing and being seen as it was about cricket. Burgess had bought enough steak, chicken and side dishes to feed the Bermuda regiment. He had invited Jacintha Brangman, Archie, Pamela, Sergeant De Souza and his wife, as well as Jan du Bois and her team for an evening of well deserved R&R before the holiday began. He knew that Nana would have put together a dessert to send down. She always did that for him and he loved her for it. He hoped she had made her special rum cake with the Goslings Black Seal rum. That was always a huge hit, especially with people from out of town. The Canadians would love it.
He and Archie had agreed to meet up at the end of the shift and get things underway for the barbecue. They would then have time for a cold one before everybody started arriving. What a day it had been. He felt exhilarated by the capture of the Jamaican and the fact he and the superintendent had been able to report to the parents of the slain girl that they believed they had their daughter’s murderer in custody. He hoped that it would bring some form of closure for them. Their son had flown in to formally identify his sister as his parents were not in the best of health. They would be flying in after Cup Match to take her body home for burial. He did not relish meeting them and experiencing their grief. That was a part of the job that really took a toll on him emotionally. The next stage would be the arraignment and trial. That could go on for several months. He felt confident, however, in the Canadian forensics group and in his own team which had followed procedure to the letter in terms of evidence gathering and handling. What luck that Archie had spotted him when he did. The thought, however, continued to nag at the fringes of his consciousness that someone might have tipped off Williamson that they were coming for him. Was there a mole in his department? He couldn’t shake off the uneasy feeling. He would need to keep a close watch on things from now on.
As he pulled into his driveway, there was Archie on his bike laden with brown paper grocery bags which appeared to be filled more with bottles than anything else. Oh yes, this was going to be a party! He found himself looking forward to the arrival of Jacintha and secretly hoped the evening would go well and perhaps be the chance to break the ice and get to know her on something more than just a work basis.
Archie and he decided to fire up the barbecue and get everything laid out for the party so they would have time for a beer. Before long the guests would arrive and they would have time to celebrate with them and enjoy the moment. Nana came down with her rum cake. Burgess was delighted. He loved that cake and Nana was a real star. He did not know what life would be like without her and didn’t want to contemplate the fact that she was close to eighty. He invited her to stay and she sat with him and Archie sipping a ginger ale. Both detectives knew that she probably wanted to get a look at Jacintha to make sure she was good enough for her grandson. They exchanged smiles over
Chapter 22
With the press conference over, Burgess was on his way home having first stopped off at Lindos supermarket in Devonshire to get in supplies for his barbecue. The drive gave him time to relax and reflect on the excellent timing of the arrest. For the first time in the last few days he had a chance to take in the beauty around him. The poinciana trees were like huge shady umbrellas topped with blazing orange flowers. Oleanders and hibiscus bushes along the sides of the road were a riot of pink and red. The whole island was in a festive mood in time for the long weekend which would start tomorrow, Thursday, and run until Sunday. The supermarkets were doing a roaring trade; the weather forecast called for sunny skies and people were knocking off early to shop last minute for food and that special Cup Match outfit. The holiday was as much about seeing and being seen as it was about cricket. Burgess had bought enough steak, chicken and side dishes to feed the Bermuda regiment. He had invited Jacintha Brangman, Archie, Pamela, Sergeant De Souza and his wife, as well as Jan du Bois and her team for an evening of well deserved R&R before the holiday began. He knew that Nana would have put together a dessert to send down. She always did that for him and he loved her for it. He hoped she had made her special rum cake with the Goslings Black Seal rum. That was always a huge hit, especially with people from out of town. The Canadians would love it.
He and Archie had agreed to meet up at the end of the shift and get things underway for the barbecue. They would then have time for a cold one before everybody started arriving. What a day it had been. He felt exhilarated by the capture of the Jamaican and the fact he and the superintendent had been able to report to the parents of the slain girl that they believed they had their daughter’s murderer in custody. He hoped that it would bring some form of closure for them. Their son had flown in to formally identify his sister as his parents were not in the best of health. They would be flying in after Cup Match to take her body home for burial. He did not relish meeting them and experiencing their grief. That was a part of the job that really took a toll on him emotionally. The next stage would be the arraignment and trial. That could go on for several months. He felt confident, however, in the Canadian forensics group and in his own team which had followed procedure to the letter in terms of evidence gathering and handling. What luck that Archie had spotted him when he did. The thought, however, continued to nag at the fringes of his consciousness that someone might have tipped off Williamson that they were coming for him. Was there a mole in his department? He couldn’t shake off the uneasy feeling. He would need to keep a close watch on things from now on.
As he pulled into his driveway, there was Archie on his bike laden with brown paper grocery bags which appeared to be filled more with bottles than anything else. Oh yes, this was going to be a party! He found himself looking forward to the arrival of Jacintha and secretly hoped the evening would go well and perhaps be the chance to break the ice and get to know her on something more than just a work basis.
Archie and he decided to fire up the barbecue and get everything laid out for the party so they would have time for a beer. Before long the guests would arrive and they would have time to celebrate with them and enjoy the moment. Nana came down with her rum cake. Burgess was delighted. He loved that cake and Nana was a real star. He did not know what life would be like without her and didn’t want to contemplate the fact that she was close to eighty. He invited her to stay and she sat with him and Archie sipping a ginger ale. Both detectives knew that she probably wanted to get a look at Jacintha to make sure she was good enough for her grandson. They exchanged smiles over
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