Chapter 1 A death in Santa Cruz
Mark Latto stopped and looked up at the white-painted
wooden house on West Cliff Drive. There are many houses
like this along the coast of California, many houses like this
in Santa Cruz. But this one was different: there was a police
car parked on the road outside. A police car outside a house
doesn’t always mean there’s trouble inside, but Latto felt the
hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Something wasn’t
right. He walked towards the front door. As he did so, it was
opened by a mountain of a man, at least two metres tall,
almost as wide as the door, and wearing the dark blue of the
Santa Cruz Police.
‘Yes?’ asked the police officer in a slow American voice.
‘I’m here to see Deborah Spencer,’ began Latto. ‘She’s
expecting me.’
‘And who are you?’
‘My name’s Mark Latto. I’m a doctor. I’ve come over from
Britain to see her.’
‘Well, you’d better come in, Dr Latto,’ said the police
officer, stepping back from the door to let Latto in. ‘I’m
afraid I’ve got some bad news for you. Ms Spencer was found
dead early this morning.’
‘Oh no!’ Latto put a hand up to his mouth. ‘How terrible!’
‘Yes,’ continued the police officer, ‘so I’m afraid you won’t
get to see her. However, a detective will be along here in a few
minutes and he may want to have a talk with you.’
‘Detectiv
?’ asked Latto. ‘Are you saying …?
I'm not saying anything. Drlatto said the police officer. Iooking straight in the eye.
Dr latto?said a voice
Latto woke suddenly to see a short grey haired man in his late forties sanding in front of him