Chameleons and a Corpse

by Ruby Loren

  I looked back at the cafe for a second, wistfully noting that we hadn’t even grabbed a takeaway drink. “I have no idea. She was supposed to be in Leeds. That’s where her husband said they were prior to coming all the way down here.”

  The lawyer and I exchanged a long look. I knew we were both wondering the same thing. Had Lizzie Marsden been having a very long distance affair with her brother-in-law? “Honestly, it’s getting to be a farce,” I muttered, referring to the number of extramarital affairs that had been going on. Amongst the selection of estranged partners and disgruntled spouses it was a wonder that both Timmy and Scarlett hadn’t been bumped off long ago - or even tried to do the same to one another. Unless Scarlett finally snapped, I silently reminded myself. But why would she have snapped now of all times, when it was clear that Timmy had been carrying on quite openly for years?

  “Lizzie’s still at your house, isn’t she? You need to ask her what she was doing down here,” Georgina told me.

  “It could be a false ID. I suggested what she was wearing and a few vague features. It wasn’t the best description ever…”

  “Find out a good way to ask her… so she won’t just lie.” Georgina tapped her chin with two fingers. “You know… they may be a small cafe, but they sure have invested in their CCTV system. Did you notice it was top of the range? Must be a sign of the times…”

  “Really? Then why didn’t we just ask to see…” I trailed off when I realised what she’d done. We’d only just left the cafe and I’d been ready to believe that there’d been a CCTV system I hadn’t noticed. Would the same trick work on Lizzie Marsden? I thought there was a chance it just might.

  I hadn’t been overly keen on the pair staying at the house in the first place… but harbouring a killer was quite another matter. And if Lizzie Marsden really had been at Oliver’s Cafe at the time indicated on the receipt, it would put her firmly in the time frame for committing a murder.

  7

  Cat-eat-dog

  I got back to find Auryn was at the house.

  “There you are! I thought you were doing comic stuff all day?”

  “I got a lot done,” I said, rather defensively. “I decided to take a break, so I went out for coffee with Georgina.” Coffee we’d never actually had, I recalled again, miserably. “Are the Marsdens back yet? There’s something I need to ask Lizzie.”

  “Uh, no, actually. Will texted me to say they’re going to be leaving this evening. I think they’ve had enough. It’s probably finally hitting home for them.” Auryn sat down at the kitchen table and reached for the bowl of cereal he’d poured himself. It was past lunchtime, but I knew from experience that Auryn would quite happily eat cereal for all three meals of the day if given the opportunity.

  “What about the funeral?” I asked, sitting down and stealing a sugar puff. I pulled a face a moment later. Why would anyone ever pick a cereal that tasted soggy to start with?!

  “Will said in his text that the police were vague about when the body might be released for burial. I think now they’ve been given a concrete answer. I can only assume that it must not be for a while.”

  “Do you know where they are now?”

  Auryn frowned. “You’re asking a lot of questions about them all of a sudden. I’d got the impression they weren’t your cup of tea.”

  “Only because they aren’t exactly friendly.” I hesitated. “Not that I really blame them, I suppose. They’re not here to be sociable.”

  “So, why the questions?”

  I quickly explained about my mini investigation with Georgina and the surprising results it had yielded. I made sure I included my misgivings about how reliable our source had been.

  “If it’s true, then that’s something we should go to the police with,” Auryn commented.

  I nodded emphatically. “But we don’t know it’s true yet. At the moment it’s nothing more than gossip. I don’t want the police to think I’m some nosy gossiper.”

  Auryn raised one eyebrow and then the other one.

  “Hey!!” I protested. “I’m just inquisitive.”

  “Almost to a fault,” my darling fiancé informed me. “However, as a courtesy, it might be good to find out for ourselves before handing it over to the authorities.” There was a glitter to his eyes when he said it.

  “A courtesy to whom?”

  “Timmy, of course. We owe it to him to get the truth out of Lizzie and Will, if they really were in the area at the time of the murder and have neglected to mention it to anyone.”

  “The server only said he saw Lizzie.”

  “Will could have been outside waiting in the car. Or perhaps it was Lizzie on her own,” Auryn said with a shrug.

  “Or perhaps it wasn’t her at all,” I added, playing devil’s advocate.

  “Well, we’ll find out when they come back to collect their stuff later on. We’ll just make sure we’re both around… in case of adventure.” He threw me a sideways smile and then raised his eyebrows again. “Shouldn’t you be drawing?”

  I shot him a hurt look and exited the room. How dare he know I was doing everything within my power to procrastinate? I spared a smile when I walked back into the office and sat behind my desk. I’d heard that some writers’ houses were spotless because they cleaned when they were trying to avoid writing. In my case, the house stayed messy, but the fridge experienced a good clean out.

  When my stomach grumbled, I looked up and discovered it was nine o’ clock at night! Caught in a slight panic, I stuck my head out of the office and then stalked down the corridor to the guest room.

  The Marsdens’ stuff was still there.

  “Auryn!” I called.

  “I’ve got to go back to the zoo. Poppy was working late, and she thinks she might have seen someone on the CCTV walking around the zoo. It could be a break-in attempt. Before I got the call, I texted around to ask if anyone knows where the Marsdens are,” he shouted back up the stairs. I heard his phone beep the next second. “A-ha! Scarlett gave her key to Will. He was supposed to be leaving it here with me after he was done. Apparently there was some family photo album or some such at the house and they wanted to go and get it. Judging by the punctuation of the text, she’s pretty surprised they’re not back yet. Now, I’ve really got to go. I promise I’ll let you know if anything happens at the zoo.” He paused for a second. “Don’t go over to that house on your own.”

  “I’ll find someone to go with me, or I won’t go at all,” I reassured him. “I’ll also let you know if the Marsdens return carrying a bloodstained knife to add to their luggage.” It was supposed to be a joke, but it came off a little morbid.

  “Stay safe,” Auryn called before I heard the front door close.

  For some reason, the number I dialled first was Katya’s. Considering the recent radio silence, I was surprised when she picked up on the second ring.

  “What’s up? Is everything okay?” she asked, not bothering with the usual preamble.

  “It’s nothing much, in fact, you’re probably too far away,” I blustered, losing resolve in the face of her brisk manner.

  “I’m fairly close actually. Nothing official, don’t worry.” She meant she wasn’t currently being paid to watch me. “Just driving back from Brighton. I was on a break when you called. What’s up?”

  I told her as briefly as I could about Timmy’s murder and the new information that needed verification before going to the police. I realised that one of the reasons I’d called Katya was because she’d certainly put me straight if she thought I should take what I knew straight to the police, without conducting my own interrogation.

  “Sounds sensible. If the police bring her in, she’ll clam up. Also, they’re less inclined to be economical with the truth as it’s unethical,” she said, referring to Georgina’s planned ruse with the CCTV. “You’re looking for backup?”

  “How close are you?” I asked and then wondered if I should feel bad about using Katya.

  “Ten minutes away from your ho
use. Where’s the place?”

  I explained and we arranged to meet there.

  Fifteen minutes later, I pulled up with Katya’s dark Mercedes arriving behind me. I’d told her to park at the entrance to the lane, so that we’d know if there was any funny business going on long before we got to the house.

  “Lights are on,” she remarked as we approached from the road.

  “That’s their car.” I nodded to the white BMW parked on the drive. “They must still be here. Perhaps the family photo album was harder to locate than expected,” I added, but I wasn’t convinced.

  Katya’s hand strayed to her side and I suspected she had a gun concealed there. I knew that things would have to be dire indeed for her to actually use it, as she wasn’t officially supposed to be here - and certainly not with me. But I appreciated her having it all the same. As well as being a good moral compass in terms of what to report to the authorities, Katya also counted as my muscle. I’ll really have to work at doing my part for the friendship! I thought, making a mental note.

  Katya stepped forwards, pausing to listen for a moment, before she pressed down on the door handle. She mouthed ‘open’. I stood next to her and she pushed open the door.

  At first, I couldn’t see anyone. The lights inside were blazing and I could certainly see signs that someone had been - and probably still was - inside the house. All of the drawers of the hall table had been wrenched out and their contents was scattered across the hall. The destruction I’d seen in the bedroom was nothing compared to what had gone on here and seemed to be a house-wide occurrence.

  I heard something fall down in the kitchen and walked forwards, avoiding treading on any of the scattered debris in the hopes that I wouldn’t be heard. Katya moved just as silently behind me, following my steps. The corridor opened up into the kitchen, and I was treated to the curious sight of Will Marsden surrounded by spilled breakfast cereal and dog food, running a hand along the back of the cupboard. He was clearly feeling for something.

  I cleared my throat. The guilt on his face when he jumped and turned to see Katya and me would have been amusing, had I not suspected dark motives for his search - and perhaps even motive enough for murder.

  “What are you doing here?” Will barked, having the cheek to make it sound as though I was the one in the wrong.

  “Scarlett wanted someone to check up on you. Clearly, she had good reason to,” I said, looking around at the mess. “Is the family photo album really going to be stashed at the back of the breakfast cereal cupboard?” I let disbelief shine through my voice. To my left, I saw Katya smirk.

  “Who the heck is she?” Will growled, nodding at my tall and tough friend.

  “My bodyguard. I’m famous you know,” I said, just to be obnoxious. Katya’s smirk grew and I sensed I’d be in trouble for that remark later.

  “More like your accomplice. You came here to burgle my family!”

  My mouth dropped open. I shut it again. “First off, you’re the one who looks like a burglar right now. And secondly, I have permission to be here to look for you!” Technically, Auryn had permission, but now wasn’t the time to be pedantic.

  “What’s going on?” We all turned to see Lizzie Marsden walk into the kitchen. She was holding an ornate vase I recognised from the landing windowsill.

  “These two seem to be accusing us of something, although I have no idea what it is,” Will told her.

  “Perhaps you can explain why you’ve decided to trash the house?” I suggested to the newcomer.

  “We just wanted some family things,” Lizzie claimed. She looked down at the vase for a moment and then set it on the side. “They’re very important to us.”

  So, she was sticking to her guns.

  “That much is obvious,” I muttered under my breath. “I actually came here to ask you a question, Lizzie.” I had a strong feeling that Lizzie wasn’t in her most tell-all mood, but I sincerely doubted I’d get another chance. “We know you were at Oliver’s Cafe just around the corner from here on the morning of the murder. There’s CCTV footage.”

  “That’s utter nonsense!” Will said, his face darkening to a shade of puce. “Lizzie was at work all day.”

  I turned to see if his wife had anything to add to the convenient alibi.

  “It’s like he said,” she echoed.

  “The camera says otherwise,” I told her, hoping I sounded convincing.

  “Then go to the police with it,” Will sneered. “I doubt they’ll be too pleased that you’re wasting their time. Come on Lizzie, we’re clearly not welcome here - in the home of our family!”

  He walked over to the backdoor and wrenched it open before shouting out into the darkness. There was a cacophony of barking and Heinrich appeared running out of the night like a grey ghost. Will shut the door behind the dog and rather pointedly locked it.

  “We’ll be leaving right away. Is there someone at the house? We wouldn’t want to be accused of breaking and entering again,” Will said, drenching his voice in sarcasm.

  “I’ll tell Auryn you’re coming.” The zoo emergency had to be over by now. He’d be able to get back before the angry couple.

  “Well!” Will said, marching past Katya and me without so much as a sideways glance.

  “Keys,” I said, just as Will was about to walk straight out of the door.

  He turned and reached into his pocket before flinging them towards me. Katya reached out and caught them with half a thought before they hit my face. Perhaps she really should consider a career in protection.

  As soon as they were out of the door, I called Auryn to warn him that they were on their way back and wouldn’t exactly be happy to see him. I told him what I’d caught them doing and suggested he inform Scarlett that the house had been turned upside down in the hunt for… something. I’d looked around when I’d said that and remembered Will feeling along the back of the cupboard. I was again struck by how it must be something small that people seemed to be searching for, but what could it be, and had they found it? Jewellery? Money? Documents? I had no idea what Timmy Marsden might have wanted to hide, but I’d learned better than to make assumptions about people over the past few days.

  “Who did you go with?” Auryn asked. The edge in my voice warned me there’d be consequences if I said I’d gone alone - especially considering what I’d found.

  “I went with Katya - the police officer from Mallorca, remember? She’s back locally but not working.”

  Katya looked up when she heard her name and then rolled her eyes. We’d had words before about how much I had and hadn’t told Auryn about her occupation and the work we’d done together.

  “I see. Glad you have someone capable with you,” my fiancé said, sounding careful. He knew the score from everything I’d told him before I’d officially been told (I’d been made to sign the Official Secrets Act) and then by inferring everything that came after. We said goodbye and then hung up.

  “Do you think they found anything?” I asked Katya. She was peering into the empty cupboard.

  “Nope. You saw their faces. They were angry they were interrupted, and from what you’ve said, they’d have been finished and gone long before now, if they’d found what they were looking for. People only resort to trashing the place if they're getting desperate. Whatever it is, it means a lot to them.”

  “At least they handed over the key.”

  “Hmmm,” was all Katya had to say to that. I didn’t have to be in MI5 to know that she thought it possible that the Marsdens wouldn’t have given up their quest at all.

  “I’ll tell Auryn to warn Scarlett about the possibility of a future break-in.” It had got me wondering about the last person to be searching the house. There’d been no signs of a break-in then and I couldn’t help but wonder whether Timmy’s then-current mistress had been given a key of her own?

  Katya turned away from the cupboard with a shrug. “It’s easiest to search when you know the people well, although, there are some classic hiding place
s we can check. People always believe they’re being original, but humans mostly think alike.” She looked at me hopefully.

  I was about to answer when something scratched against the glass door. Both Katya and I jumped around - much to the agent’s embarrassment I had no doubt.

  “Rameses!” I exclaimed, seeing the pointed ears and Anubis head of the tan hound peering through the window. I opened the door and let the dog in, bending to observe his health. He’d definitely lost weight over the past few days he’d been missing, but due to his normal exercise mostly being limited to running around the garden, he’d definitely been able to afford the loss. Aside from that, there were only a couple of cuts, that looked to have been inflicted by brambles. I checked them and they were healing up fine on their own. Rameses was in remarkably good shape for a dog who’d been on the run in the woods with no experience of surviving in the wild.

  Once released, he made a beeline to the dried dog food that littered the floor of the kitchen, courtesy of Will Marsden. I hunted for a lead and then found one hanging by the glass doors. Whilst Rameses was distracted, I hooked it onto his collar. Now that the lost dog had returned, I was taking no chances of his escaping again. I doubted he’d be as fortunate the second time.

  “Some good news at last,” I told Katya once I’d explained the presence of the dog who’d popped up outside of the door.

  “How do you think he got back in?” she asked.

  “I assume the same way he got out. Although…” I thought about it some more. “The side gate is definitely closed. I suppose he must have heard Heinrich in the garden - a dog he surely knew - and then jumped back over the fence to say hello.

  “I wish my cases were as easy to close,” she said with a thin smile. I knew better than to ask beyond that, but it was a sure sign that things weren’t going swimmingly for the Secret Service right now.

  “Thanks for all of your help,” I told my secret agent friend when we were outside the house, and I’d made sure that all doors and windows had been tightly shut. I definitely wouldn’t put it past the Marsdens to double back on their way home to Leeds.