The Gold Hill Murders by Rachel McLean, book 13 in the Dorset Crime series - Chapter 1

“There’s no way we’re going down there,” Dani said as the fire engine sped past the top of Gold Hill. It had taken them less than a minute to get to Shaftesbury High Street on the eastern side of town, plus another five minutes to get their gear on and climb onto the appliance, which was how they referred to the shiny three-year-old Volvo FL that had got them here.

Phil shook his head. “Why the hell does the system keep telling us to go down that way? It’s cobbled, for God’s sake.”

“Not to mention the apparatus would go arse over tit if I tried to get it down a slope like that.”

“You can’t even get through there in a normal-sized vehicle, let alone this monster,” shouted Jay from the back. The sirens were blaring and Phil could barely hear him.

Dani shook her head as she turned the wheel, manoeuvring into Bimport. How Shaftesbury got its street names, Phil had no idea.

“We’d be better off with Google Maps than the official system,” she said. And they all knew they were better off with the map in Dani’s brain. If north Dorset had black cabs, she’d have been a holder of the Knowledge, no doubt.

“ETA three minutes, as long as there’s no obstructions,” Dani said as Bimport became St John’s Hill. “And assuming I can make the next corner in one go.”

“Tenner says it’ll take two,” called Jay.

Dani raised an eyebrow in the rearview mirror. “Oh ye of little faith.”

Phil pointed towards their left, where smoke rose above the rooftops. “There it is.”

“Looks like the woods in the old Abbey grounds,” said Dani.

“Or the playground,” suggested Jay. “Someone playing silly buggers.”

“Let’s hope so,” said Dani. They all knew that a fire in the woods could spread fast, even with the recent rain.

She slowed as they reached the turn into St James’s Street.

“No parked cars,” muttered Phil.

“It’s still impossible,” said Jay, already gathering up his gear.

Phil held his breath as Dani yanked on the steering wheel, pulled the Volvo over to the right, then sent it hard back to the left. She made the turn in one, a rear wheel nudging a stone wall.

“You made contact,” Jay called, his back to them. “Doesn’t count.”

Dani snorted. “Just the tyre wall. Wheels stayed on the tarmac.” She picked up speed again, the blue lights bouncing off the cottages along St James’s Street. People were emerging from their houses, some in their dressing gowns, standing outside watching the smoke rise ahead.

Phil checked his watch, strapped to the outside of his suit. His little boy, Teddy, said it made him look like an astronaut. Damn sight more dangerous being a firefighter, he thought.

The fire engine pulled in as neatly as possible on the road beside the playground. There were two police cars already there, registration plates that Phil recognised. Good.

“Twenty-two fifty-eight,” he called as they started exiting the apparatus. Jay was already on the ground, checking for the nearest hydrant.

“Jay, you continue getting the kit ready,” Phil said. “Dani, you come with me. We need to get an assessment of the situation.”

“Skip,” she said, nodding. They both shouldered their usual portable equipment – torch, radio, irons, camera – and Phil pushed open the gate that led to the playground and the old Abbey grounds beyond. He’d been here just this morning, mucking about on the roundabout with Teddy.

The fire was to their right, beyond some trees. Smoke spiralled overhead, but the flames hadn’t risen above them yet. Phil hoped the lump in his throat wasn’t warranted.

They rounded the trees and came to a clearing.

“I thought it would be bigger,” Dani said.

Phil nodded, taking in the scene. The fire was at the centre of the clearing, just licking the leaves on an overhanging branch, but not making it as far as the woods beyond.

He placed his hands on his thighs and forced himself to breathe. Thank God.

“Instructions?” Dani asked, looking at him through her visor. She knew damn well what to do, but she also knew that any emergency response had to be coordinated. If they all just waded in and followed their instincts… well, they knew from experience that could lead to disaster.

“Two priorities,” he said, cursing himself immediately. It didn’t work like that. One priority first, then deal with whatever came next. “Sorry. Priority is to remove flammable material while we wait for hoses to get onsite.”

He couldn’t control how long it would take the hoses to reach their location: the ground was uneven, the route indirect and the gear heavy. But he could prevent the fire from spreading.

Dani looked up. “Main risk is that overhanging tree,” she said. “But if we remove branches, they might just fall into the fire.”

Phil weighed that up. Yes, it was a risk. But if they did it right, any branches falling wouldn’t make contact with the fire until they were disconnected from the rest of the trees. And he could see how wet they were. The leaves over the fire were dry and shrivelled, but those further away were still dripping.

“Fetch cutting equipment,” he told her. “Remove as few branches as possible, and make sure they land right on the fire, out of contact with the other trees.”

“Makes sense,” Dani replied. She turned back towards the appliance, where they stored long-handled cutters.

As Phil reached the wall separating the woods from the playground, he came upon Jay, heading in the direction Phil had just come from. He was reeling out hose, working fast.

“Is one enough, boss?” Jay asked.

Phil did a quick reassessment. The fire wasn’t significant, and the route to it would be straightforward enough once the hose was over that wall.

He looked between his two colleagues – friends.

“New priority,” he said. “We get that fire extinguished. Jay, you go back to the appliance, keep reeling out from there. I’ll guide it here, make sure it doesn’t catch on obstacles. Dani, you happy being at the business end?”

Holding the end of the hose, directing it at the fire, was the most physically demanding task. There were plenty of crews that wouldn’t give it to a woman. But Dani was the youngest of the three of them, as well as being the fittest. She lifted weights when she wasn’t putting out fires. She could probably put Phil over her shoulder if she needed to.

“No problem,” she said. She grabbed the end of the hose and made for the fire, taking care to guide it around tree trunks. Jay headed back towards the apparatus.

Phil guided the hose as it spooled out, making sure it didn’t snag on anything. After less than a minute, he heard Dani’s voice in his earpiece.

“Ready,” she said.

Jay’s voice came through Phil’s earpiece. “Received.”

The slack went out of the hose as it filled. Phil held on tight, resisting the forward force.

He watched the smoke over the trees as it thickened, then diminished.

“Fire is extinguished,” called Dani.

“Good work, both of you,” said Phil. He lowered the hose to the ground. They could reel it in after they’d made their checks of the site.

“On my way,” said Jay. “There’s quite a crowd gathering here.”

“Do you need to stay behind?” Phil asked. “Keep the apparatus secure?”

Jay sighed. “Bloody hell,” he muttered. “Yeah, I reckon I do. There’s a couple of old fellas trying to have a poke around. One of them claims he was a firefighter in the seventies.”

“Bet he didn’t say ‘fighter’,” Dani put in.

“He did not,” Jay replied. “I’ll stay back, keep an eye on things. Police are holding most of them back.”

“Boss,” said Dani. Her tone had changed. Lowered.

“Everything OK, Dani?” Phil turned towards the site of the fire and started walking.

“No. Shit.”

He frowned. “What is it?” He picked up pace.

“It’s… oh, shit. Poor bastard.”

Phil felt his stomach drop into his boots. He knew what that meant.

“Jay, change of plan. Bring resuscitation gear.”

“Too late for that,” Dani muttered.

Phil entered the clearing. Dani stood at the edge of the charred grass where the fire had blazed. At its centre was a human form.

A man, by the looks of it. Lying on his back, facing up into the tree canopy. The side of his body closest to Phil was badly burnt.

“Ah, fuck,” Phil said.

Dani turned to him. “I didn’t see him. He didn’t move while I was extinguishing the⁠—”

Phil put a hand on her shoulder. “I know. I didn’t see him either. This isn’t your fault.”

They both removed their helmets and held them to their chests. Dani pushed out a shaky breath.

Phil swallowed. His mouth tasted of smoke. It always tasted of bloody smoke.

He looked at the figure lying on the ground. He took a step forward.

“I need to check,” he said.

Dani nodded. She wiped her face, leaving a soot smear.

He bent over the man. Put his finger to the man’s neck. But at this proximity, it was obvious.

The man had been lying motionless while the fire raged around him, whilst extinguishing chemicals had been poured over him.

He’d probably been dead, or unconscious at least, before the fire took hold.

Phil stood up. He crossed himself.

“Poor bastard,” he whispered.