The Thirteenth Coffin by Nigel McCrery

doing it in such a dramatic way?’
    Alan Cooke looked at him for a moment. ‘Do you know, I know people say this sort of thing when someone dies, but in her case it’s true. She didn’t have an enemy in the world. She really didn’t. She was like her mother: kind, gentle, thoughtful. Always been popular, never had a problem with anyone. She was a problem
solver
, not a problem
creator
. This is a big mistake, it has to be: someone thought she was someone else.’
    Lapslie looked back steadily. ‘Now I know that your son Bob is in the Army. But did Leslie at any time have a relationship with anyone in the Army?’
    Alan Cooke looked down awkwardly for a second. ‘Well, there was someone – but I’m sure it’s not connected with this now.’
    Lapslie kept his stare steady. ‘I think I should be the judge of that.’
    This time Alan Cooke looked towards Nathan, as if seeking his approval. ‘I’m sorry, Nathan – but Leslie swore me to secrecy.’ He took a fresh breath as he met Lapslie’s gaze. ‘Leslie did in fact have a past boyfriend; a friend of Robert and a fellow soldier serving in Afghanistan.’
    ‘And when did they split up?’
    ‘More or less when she started seeing Nathan.’
    ‘More or less?’ Lapslie knitted his brow. ‘Why not more specific?’
    ‘Because Mike, Robert’s soldier friend, was on a tour of duty in Afghanistan at the time, and it happened four months into that tour.’ Alan Cooke sighed and held a hand out. ‘That was the main reason for the break-up. All that time away – so hard to keep up a relationship.’
    Halfway through, Lapslie noticed Nathan Petersen close his eyes for a second and shake his head. Alan Cooke looked towards Nathan.
    ‘That’s why Leslie begged me and Robert not to say anything – thought you might somehow feel guilty and responsible. And that might have put an unnecessary strain on your relationship. But things were already dead in the water between her and Mike before Leslie met you.’
    Nathan grimaced awkwardly; a half-acceptance. ‘Explains I suppose the initial antipathy from Bob to me – his Army friend being dumped like that.’
    ‘Yes. And Leslie put in a lot of time explaining the situation to Robert, that things had broken down between her and Mike well before she met you. So that her brother didn’t hold a grudge against her future husband.’
    Or her, Lapslie thought, but didn’t voice it. But it was easy to see how Mike might have been less understanding, dumped in the middle of a tour of duty.
    ‘Mike? What’s his surname?’
    ‘Stowell. Mike Stowell.’
    ‘And was he a sniper, or at any time had sniper training in the Army?’
    ‘I don’t know. Robert would know, I suppose, or youcould check with his regiment.’ He pulled his thoughts up short as it struck him where things were headed. ‘But I’m sure Mike couldn’t have been involved in something as horrific as this. He’s such a nice lad.’
    Lapslie smiled patiently. If he had a pound for every time he’d heard that said about a murderer by a relative or friend . . . ‘We’ll know more I dare say after we’ve spoken to Mike and checked with his regiment. Anything else worthy of note you can think of?’
    The two men looked at each other in a telling way. Nathan spoke first. ‘Look, there was something. It’s probably nothing, but I’ll tell you anyway.’
    Lapslie looked at him for a moment. ‘Go on.’
    ‘Her dress got damaged. Slashed, it was.’
    ‘What dress? Her wedding dress?’
    The two men nodded in tandem, and Alan Cooke continued: ‘She wanted to get wed in her mother’s dress. So she had it taken in a little and cleaned. When it got back it stank of the dry cleaners’, so she hung it over the line outside to let the air blow through it a bit, freshen it up.’
    Lapslie nodded. ‘Okay. So what happened?’
    ‘When she brought it in, someone had cut a big section out of it. Not just slashed it, but cut out a bloody great square . .