Member-only story
CRIME FICTION
Murder at the Railway Arms
A Short English Murder Mysterey
The drive from Kings Lynn to Downham Market took fifteen minutes longer than Detective Inspector Josh Bradshaw had anticipated. The traffic, heavier than usual due to roadwork on the A10, had reduced their pace to a crawl, and only the skilful driving of Detective Sergeant Andy McMillan and the liberal use of their police siren had prevented it from taking even longer.
“Do you know this pub in the railway station?” Bradshaw asked.
“Sure, the Railway Arms. Everybody knows it, sir.”
“Not everybody, Andy.”
“No, quite right. Not those who’ve only lived here a few days. My apologies. It’s quite famous though, featured on Michael Portillo’s Great British Railway Journeys a few years back.”
“The train show on BBC2, you watch that? If you ask me, I’d be hard-pressed to think of anything worse.”
Fresh from a twelve-month secondment to the capital with the Metropolitan Police, DI Bradshaw was in his first week back with his home force, the Norfolk Constabulary. Previously posted to Norwich, on the other side of the county, he’d never spent much time in the Kings Lynn district and was still finding his way around.
McMillan slowed as they entered the market town and headed for the railway station.
“No offence, sir, but with the name Bradshaw, I’d have thought you’d be right into trains and rail travel.”
“Well, you don’t get to choose your name. I’m not at all related to my family’s famous namesake, I haven’t written any railway guidebooks, and rest assured, as long as I have any say in it, I won’t be taking any long train journeys.”
McMillan parked in an empty space opposite the railway station near a car dealership. They walked to the main building on the southern side of the station, where a uniformed constable stood on the porch behind blue and white police tape that had been strung along the building’s old brick façade.
Bradshaw held up his badge and warrant card. “DI Bradshaw and DS McMillan, Kings Lynn CID; we’re after Sergeant Cruickshank.”
