own the motorway's hard shoulder to the now parked up Ducati Multistrada. Puffs of vapour rose into the freezing air as

umbs were tucked casually into his jacket pocket like some John Wayne cow

only he could have got in front of the Eddi

reat hurry," he said, looking up at the po

im, there was no re

going?" The sergeant sai

eed to get there very soon, or I will b

u, one of the serving staff, big funeral up

ted laugh, "But I will be late for the

ense please, I hope you're i

or?" Jasper asked, sounding aggrieved and re

t you are, Sir. A s

ng in his notebook and then to

been dri

fact, and it was the early hours of the morning when he'd

ht I had

Sir, keep blowing unt

achine, he knew without a shadow of a

er. All Jasper heard was the name of the pe

ked at th

the owner of thi

end mine, and I borrowed it because I thought i

ther's f

, the 10th Duke

Eddie looked at t

one yet, it just seemed to be an odd thing to say out loud, and it brought home the godawful fa

ee to my guests, who I might add, includes your boss the Chief Constable. Would you like to phon

t will be necessary. Do yo

up to retrieve the heavy bike lock and sec

n while they were on the motorway. Sitting in the back of the police car, Jasper was feeling very awkward. He h

before my mother sees them, the fact that I a

ay. His pale and stressed out mother

he Lord Lieutenant of the

seeing the police car. "Oh my

hief constable, assured her. He gently put his arm around her to comfort her

CC's arm off her an

ng out, and shaking her head in disappointment, and not giving him time

me in the hall ready to take on your duties and

y Mortimer glared at Jaspe

re Jasper th

im up and down, he'd never liked the man, and now that he

ice that could cut glass. He looked down at the now blustering man. "In case you need remin

he manor kicking it hard with his foot, so it slammed shut, blocking out t

owed him up the grand staircase collecting the clothes that Jasp

y." Francis barked, knowing that he was the

room; his hand clamped