Cream Caramel and Murder

by K E O'Connor

  They might not, but I did. Campbell sounded like the kind of guy who could make you disappear if you got on his wrong side. Right now, that was the exact side I was on, and I didn’t like it.

  I gobbled down a lemon tart, barely tasting the tangy perfection as I tried to slow my racing heart. Campbell might be looking at me as the prime suspect in this investigation. I had to convince him that I was innocent.

  “I’ll start by questioning Holly,” Campbell said.

  I grimaced. It was like my worst nightmare coming true.

  “You’ll be fine.” Alice patted my hand. “Just tell him everything you saw. We’ll catch whoever did this.”

  I stood, and Meatball made to come with me. “No, stay and comfort Princess Alice.”

  Meatball whined and nudged me with his nose. “Woof.”

  “Be a good boy. She needs comforting.”

  “Woof woof.” Reluctantly he remained with Alice.

  I tried to appear calm as I followed Campbell out of the parlor and into an empty room along the corridor. It was a family study with a large desk, bookshelves, and a chaise lounge in one corner.

  Campbell gestured to a seat, and I sat in it. He remained standing. That only made me nervous.

  I shifted in my seat. “Shouldn’t we be recording this or something?”

  “We are.”

  I looked around but saw no signs of a recording device. He probably had the entire castle bugged. “So, what do you want to know?”

  “Tell me about you.”

  I hadn’t expected that. That felt more like a first date question than the start of an interrogation. “You mean, where I grew up, that kind of thing?”

  “I want to get to know the real Holly Holmes.”

  Who did he think he’d been meeting until today, the fake version of me? I rested my hands on my lap. “I grew up in the seaside town of Broadstairs in Kent. I went to the local school, studied a fun history degree in Hampshire, and then on to catering college. I opened a café in the village when I moved here.”

  “Why here?”

  My brow wrinkled. “Audley St. Mary? It’s one of the most beautiful places in the country. It’s a tourist hotspot thanks to Audley Castle. I went to a catering college in Cambridgeshire, so it’s a location I know well.”

  “Had you visited the castle before you decided to set up in the village?”

  “Several times. It’s such a big place that it’s easy to come back and find something new. And the gardens are always changing with the seasons, so there’s always something new to look at.”

  “Were your ambitions always to get a position in the castle?”

  “No! I mean, I love my job here, but I also loved my café. And it was working until that hideous chain café came to the village and stole my business. I had no choice but to close and look for something else.”

  Campbell blinked slowly. “What about your friends and family around here?”

  “No family around here. Not much family to speak of at all, actually. I have friends. I mean, the people I work with in the kitchen are nice, and I’m fond of Princess Alice.”

  “Tell me about your friendship with the princess,” he said. “She seems to rely on you. Is that something you’ve engineered since you started working here?”

  “Engineered! You make it sound as if I deliberately set out to befriend her. It didn’t happen like that. Princess Alice is a sweet person. She’s easy to like.”

  “Employees shouldn’t go around becoming overly familiar with members of the household.”

  Why was he pulling apart my background and my friendships? He couldn’t seriously think I’d wangled my way into the castle just to make friends with the family?

  I took a steadying breath. “I like Princess Alice. She’s a kind person. She’s the one who pursued the friendship. I’m very happy to be her friend.”

  “And Lord Rupert?”

  My eyes narrowed. “What about him?”

  “You’re also friends with him?”

  “I believe so. Again, he’s a lovely man.” I licked my dry lips. “You know all of this. I know you like to keep a low profile, but I see you around.”

  “Is that because you’re watching the security teams’ movements?”

  I tipped my head back and sighed. “Absolutely not, but I see you patrolling. You’re always around the castle or outside making sure everything’s secure.”

  “You shouldn’t see that. My teams are designed to be discreet.”

  “And you are,” I said. “I’m sure I miss most of what you do. But now and again, I notice you. That’s not a crime.”

  “It could be associated with a crime if you became familiar with our movements so you could achieve something untoward.”

  “Like what?”

  “Murder Kendal Jakes.”

  “For goodness sake! I didn’t do it.”

  “Tell me about your relationship with Kendal.”

  I wiped my sweaty palms on my pants. “There’s nothing to tell.”

  “You do know who he is?”

  “A friend of Lord Rupert’s,” I said. “I met him for the first time when he arrived at the castle and I served desserts.”

  “And how did that meeting go?”

  “It was a short meeting.”

  “Did you speak to Kendal?”

  This was the tricky bit. Did I reveal everything or keep quiet about the fact Kendal had made inappropriate advances toward me? “I did.”

  “And what did you talk about?”

  “My desserts.”

  “Kendal Jakes is the son of Earl Stephen Jakes. He’s a notable member of the House of Lords. A powerful man.”

  “I had no idea. Do you think that’s relevant to his murder?”

  Campbell was silent for a long moment. “What else did you talk about?”

  “Nothing! Although ...” If I concealed things, it would only add to Campbell’s belief I was guilty. But if I told the truth, it gave me a motive for killing Kendal. Not a strong one, but it might be all Campbell needed to keep hounding me.

  “Go on.”

  “Kendal had been drinking when we met. He said a few... inappropriate things. Lord Rupert had to warn him off. It was nothing serious.”

  “He said inappropriate things to you?” Campbell’s chest expanded as he took a deep breath. “He propositioned you?”

  “Barely! Like I said, he was drinking and showing off to his friends. It was nothing I couldn’t handle.”

  “Maybe you handled him when you saw him again,” Campbell said. “Did Kendal pursue you and things got out of hand?”

  “No! That was the only time I saw Kendal. I figured I’d never see him again.”

  “Where were you last night?” he asked.

  “In my staff apartment,” I said.

  “Alone?”

  “No, I was with Meatball.”

  “That’s not an acceptable alibi.”

  “It’s the only one I’ve got. It’s my usual routine. I can assure you, I didn’t kill Kendal.” Despite protesting my innocence, I felt guilty. Maybe it was the way Campbell was interrogating me. He was trying to strip apart my life and find a fault, find a reason for me to turn into a killer. But he wasn’t going to beat me.

  “I’ll check where you were,” he said. “But for now, you’re free to go.”

  “You’re really going to lead on this investigation?” I asked.

  He stared at me without blinking. “Correct. It won’t be the first time I’ve had a criminal matter to investigate. As Princess Alice so kindly revealed, I do have experience in this area.”

  “Were you in the military police?”

  He didn’t reply.

  “Maybe you really were in MI5. Does that give you experience with investigating murders?”

  There wasn’t a flicker of response. It was like he’d turned to stone.

  I sighed as I stood. “Don’t you want to know about the body?”

  “You’ve already told me everyth
ing when we were in the woods. My team is investigating the scene now. If I have any further questions, I’ll be sure to come find you. After all, I know where you live.”

  That was hardly reassuring.

  As I reached the door, Campbell caught hold of my arm. “Don’t do anything foolish, Miss Holmes. This is a murder investigation. Stay out of the way.”

  “So long as you don’t charge me with anything, I’m happy to do just that.” I hurried out the room, Campbell right on my heels, and returned to find Alice and Rupert sitting together, Saracen guarding them.

  “If I may have a word with you now, Lord Rupert,” Campbell said.

  “Oh! Of course.” He stood and ran a hand through his hair. “We need to find out who did this to Kendal. I won’t be long.” He patted his sister’s shoulder before striding out with Campbell.

  I sat next to Alice, my insides shaking like they were made out of jelly.

  “Don’t mind Campbell and his questions.” She grabbed my hand. “Are you okay? You’re white like a ghost.”

  “Of course.” I took a breath and tried to relax. “Campbell’s just being thorough. We found the body, after all.”

  “I trust Campbell, but he does keep looking at you strangely. I’d hate to think he considers you a suspect.”

  I forced a smile. “Campbell doesn’t scare me.”

  “You’re so brave, Holly. Here, have another lemon tart.” Alice passed me the almost empty plate.

  I took one and nodded a thanks. I was glad she believed my blatant lie. I was terrified of Campbell. Just as I was terrified he might be planning to put me behind bars for a very long time.

  Chapter 9

  I paced the length of the lady’s parlor for what felt like the hundredth time. Campbell had been questioning Princess Alice for more than fifteen minutes. Surely she couldn’t know that much about Kendal.

  Maybe he was using the same tactic he’d done on me, trying to make everyone sweat in the hope they’d let something slip.

  He couldn’t believe for one second that Alice had anything to do with what happened to Kendal.

  Maybe this was simply how Campbell operated. He considered everyone guilty until he’d proven otherwise.

  The door opened. Campbell entered first, followed by Alice.

  Her cheeks looked flushed, but other than that she seemed fine. She hurried over and grabbed my hand. “Goodness! He was very thorough. I almost felt like I’d done something wrong.”

  I glanced at Campbell, who stood motionless by the door.

  “I’ll leave you for a moment, ladies.” Campbell pushed the door closed as he stepped outside.

  “How did it go?” I led Alice to a seat, and we both sat.

  She kept a tight hold of my hand. “He mainly wanted to know all about Kendal.”

  “Did you know him well?”

  “Not particularly. He was always hanging around with my brother when we were younger. I never thought all that much of him to be honest.”

  “Why is that?”

  “He was always showing off about something. He had to have the most expensive watch or the latest designer brand of shoes. Some girls were impressed by that, but not me. I always thought he was a bit ... crass. And I know that makes me sound like a terrible snob. Maybe I am a bit, but it seemed Kendal always had something to prove.”

  “How was his friendship with Lord Rupert?”

  “Rupert always laughed things off, but Kendal was mean to him, and not in a jokey way. He used to pick on him. My brother was a bit of a weed when he was a teenager. He was all gangly arms and legs and no muscle. Ha! I guess some things never change. Kendal used to tease him and call him a beanpole. Rupert pretended it didn’t bother him, but I could tell it did.”

  I frowned. That sounded like bullying. “If they weren’t really friends, why did Lord Rupert even invite him to this weekend?”

  Alice sighed. “Holly, you’re so lucky. You never had to endure all the nonsense we did when growing up.”

  “You mean all the luxurious dinners, top-rate education, a finishing school in Vienna, and five-star holidays on private sandy beaches. How did you cope?”

  She pinched my arm. “Meany! I meant, all the out-of-date traditional rules about etiquette, who you needed to be friends with, and what school you had to go to. The old boys’ network is very much alive and kicking. Rupert made friends with Kendal and the others when they were at Eton. Our families are all connected and go back hundreds of years. He couldn’t ignore Kendal, even if he wasn’t really friendly with him. It’s bad manners, you see.”

  “It sounds like a terrible burden having that much privilege and position.” I couldn’t help but sound a little cynical. Sure, there were a few conventions they needed to stick to, but Alice and Rupert would never need to worry about money. People fell over themselves to give them things and be seen with them. I didn’t begrudge either of them that and would hate to be in the limelight like they were, but their positions gave them things most people only got to dream about.

  She lightly slapped the back of my hand. “I know you’re still teasing me, Holly Holmes. I also know that I’m a very lucky young lady. Still, this luck can be tiresome. My ladies’ finishing school was just the same as Eton. Every year, one of us must host an event for the other ladies who graduated from our class. It’s so boring. All they want to talk about is their husbands or the men they want to marry. It won’t be long before it’s baby names and christenings. I’m sticking with dogs.” She stroked Meatball, who was fast asleep on the sofa.

  “You’re not interested in finding a husband and making lots of pretty babies?”

  “One day. But when I marry, it will be for love. I’m just like the heroine in that Jane Austen book. What’s her name?”

  “Emma? She was always interfering and matchmaking.”

  “Hush now! I’m nothing like Emma. Miss Elizabeth Bennett. I’m marrying for love and not money.”

  “In your position, you can marry whoever you like,” I said.

  “The chance would be a fine thing.” She plucked at the sleeve of her dress. “Mommy is still suggesting men she considers suitable matches for me, despite my poor track record on that front. They’ve either got weak chins, crossed eyes, or less sense than I have. It puts me right off the idea of getting married. Perhaps I’ll remain a spinster forever. And if I do, you’re coming with me.”

  “You want me to be a spinster alongside you?”

  She laughed heartily. “Absolutely! You can be my baking spinster, and I can get fat and wrinkled while I eat all your delicious desserts.”

  I tipped my head from side to side. That wasn’t a terrible idea. Alice would be a joy to work for. “I tell you what, if we both hit fifty and neither of us is married, it’s a deal.”

  “I won’t let you back out on that,” she said. “We must shake on it to seal the deal.”

  I stuck my hand out and grinned. “Happy to do so.”

  She grabbed my hand and squeezed. “And, if you break your word, I have the authority to order your head to be chopped off. There’s still a working guillotine in the Tower of London, I believe.”

  I swiftly withdrew my hand. Sometimes, Alice had a dark side to her humor. It often involved taking off people’s heads. Did she really have the power to send me to the Tower of London? I shook my head, which was firmly attached to my neck, just where I liked it.

  “It won’t come to that,” I said lightly. “Some lucky guy will sweep you off your feet before you know it.”

  “And yours. You’re such a catch with all your skills in the kitchen.”

  “I hope some man marries me for more than my ability to cook!”

  “And I hope some man decides to marry me and overlook the fact I can’t sew, draw, or play the piano.”

  We both laughed. Our backgrounds were so different, but somehow we just clicked.

  “Getting back to what happened to Kendal,” I said. “The Duchess mentioned that Rupert had a tough time when he w
as at school. Was it only Kendal who bullied him?”

  “I never got to see much of what happened. It’s an all boys’ school and they don’t let girls inside. I attended some presentations they held for family members, but that was about it.”

  “Is it possible he was the ring leader of a bigger group?” It made me sick to think of Rupert being picked on.

  “It’s possible. Kendal wasn’t a nice man.” Alice ruffled Meatball’s fur. “He probably deserved what happened to him.”

  “Alice! No one deserves to die and be buried in a shallow grave.”

  “You might change your mind when you learn a bit more about Kendal Jakes.” She lifted her chin. “But perhaps you’re right. He made a big mistake this time. He got on the wrong side of someone mean.”

  “I’m sure he’s regretting it now.”

  The door to the lady’s parlor opened, and Campbell returned. “You may both leave.”

  Alice shot me a sharp look. “How kind of you, Campbell, to tell me how I may move around my own home.”

  He inclined his head. “Your safety and well-being is always a priority, Princess.”

  She sniffed and stood before smoothing her hands over her dress. “Very well. I’m exhausted. I’ll see you in the morning, Holly.” She sashayed out of the room.

  I expected Campbell to turn and follow her, but he remained by the open door, his gaze on me.

  I petted Meatball’s head as he woke, and pretended not to notice Campbell, uncomfortable under his scrutiny.

  I couldn’t put it off any longer. I stood and nodded at Campbell. “I’ll turn in for the night too.”

  He caught hold of my arm as I reached the door. “You need to be careful.”

  I stared up at him. He was way too tall. He must be at least six foot five. “About what?”

  “Don’t get involved with this. I understand that you found the body and it must have been a shock, but stay out of it. You’re still considered a suspect.”

  “You’re wasting your time looking at me. I didn’t kill Kendal.”

  “Maybe that’s so, and by the morning I’ll have checked your alibi and discounted you from the list, providing you’re innocent.”