The Wedding Planner

by J Lymer

  The plane journey had been great, because first class wasn’t full, Julia had explained that Skylar and Sandie were on their honeymoon, and they were brought up to the first class. It was the perfect end to the perfect holiday.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Skylar and Sandie were back at work on Monday. Megan for one was glad to see them.

  “So how was it?”

  “Amazing, thank you so much for everything you did for us. I can’t believe how fast it’s gone.”

  “Well I’m sure we have saved enough work for both of you.”

  “Frank wants one of you to work with Charles’s team this week he’s away on holiday.”

  “I’ll do it ma’am.” said Skylar.

  “Great, that will be okay. I think you’ll be part of the team looking for a murderer.”

  “Wow nothing like being thrown in the deep end.”

  Skylar went into the office of the detectives. Sandie went into CARS, the

  Child Abuse and Rape Squad, with Frank.

  “See you later babe.”

  Skylar met up with the lads and they filled her in on the married woman, Miss Roberts she had been murdered in her house nearly two weeks ago, according to the autopsy her head had been caved in. There didn’t seem to be a break in, there were multiple sets of fingerprints, hair fibres and different shoe sizes. It looked as though who ever had killed her knew her or even shared a place with her. They had come up with little else, no boyfriends, no husband or partners nothing. Neighbours said they hadn’t been there long and kept themselves to themselves.

  A couple of the detectives had gone out and were following up on the sighting of another woman with blonde hair and one on a car the registration plate had been half recognised and was a blue Polo. They had found the guy who was selling the Polo and they were going over to visit.

  “Do you want to tag along.”

  “Yes, nothing too strenuous on my first day back.”

  They pulled up at the council flat belonging to the gentleman, outside was the blue Polo. They knocked at the door.

  Skylar was taken aback when Leia answered the door.

  “Leia, we need to ask you some questions.”

  Leia looked shocked, “Skylar is Sandie okay.”

  “Yes, this is Detective Jones he would like to speak to you or your brother.”

  “He won’t be long he’s just nipped out to get some milk. Come in sit down.”

  “Is the blue Polo outside your brother’s.”

  “No, it’s mine, he was looking after it while I went abroad with Julia. I told him to sell it, if I didn’t come back.”

  “Why wouldn’t you come back Miss Hudson, the Detective asked.”

  “I just wanted to get away, I needed a break and I wasn’t sure if I was going to go on and travel further afield so I told him to sell it if I hadn’t returned within three weeks. Skylar what is this about?”

  “Leia do you know a…” she picked up her notebook “a Miss Roberts?”

  “Yes of course, I was with her for three years I ought to know her, what’s she done now.”

  “I’m sorry to inform you she is dead.”

  Leia covered her mouth with her hand “No God no” she sat down “How, how did she die.” Skylar held her hand and sat with her soothing her.

  “I’m sorry Leia, I truly am, she was murdered.”

  “NOOO, Leia screamed.”

  At that moment Luke walked into the living area.

  “What’s going on, Leia why are the police here.”

  “Gracie’s been murdered.”

  “You’re joking, when.”

  “A few weeks back” answered the Detective.

  “Luke do you think you could make us all a cup of tea.” Skylar asked.

  “I’m really sorry Leia.”

  She nodded her head.

  “I can’t take this all in, this wouldn’t have happened if I’d have stayed.”

  “You don’t know that Leia, is Julia stopping with you.”

  “No, she’s gone home for a few nights to sort a few things out.”

  “Leia can I have her phone number, just in case we need to speak to her.”

  “Yes of course, but she will be back in a couple of days.”

  They sat down to drink the tea. The detective took charge of asking the questions.

  “So, when did you last see Miss Roberts”

  “the night of Julia’s wedding which was the fifth of June. Julia’s husband to be didn’t turn up so we finished work earlier than expected. When I got in, I thought Grace was watching television in bed. I walked in and she was shagging a woman with dyed blonde hair. I told them not to stop on my account and packed my bags and left.”

  “So, what did the other woman say,”

  “nothing she was too busy trying to hide

  under the blanket.”

  “So how did you know that she had dyed blonde hair.”

  Skylar rolled her eyes she couldn’t believe he asked that question.”

  Leia also had a smirk on her face, “the carpet didn’t match the curtains.”

  Skylar turned away and the young detective blushed.

  “So that was the last time you spoke to her.”

  “No actually, I went back to the hotel and she rung asking me to go back. I hung up.”

  “Do you have any witnesses.”

  “No do I need any.”

  “No, thank you Leia we may be in touch.”

  “Okay, thanks.”

  Skylar and the Detective left.

  “Well Sergeant, do you think she’s involved.”

  “I hope not, I really hope not.”

  They went back to the station, Skylar went in to see Megan, she explained everything that had gone on this morning.

  “It’s okay Skylar, you can come back here I will ask Frank to send someone else over.”

  She went to Sandie’s desk and explained what happened.”

  “Do you think Leia had anything to do with it.” Sandie asked.

  “No, of course not, but it doesn’t look good and now the Chief as taken me off the case.” Skylar seemed down in the mouth.

  “Babe you know she can’t let you work the case it wouldn’t be right.”

  “I know but I want to help Leia can you imagine what Julia will be going bananas when she finds out.”

  “She doesn’t know yet.”

  “No, she went to tell her mum and dad about her and Leia.”

  “Well they won’t let her see Leia if this leeks out.”

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  When Julia had left Leia at her brothers, she was so excited to go and tell her parents. It was going to be truth time, as she stood outside the Oxford green door with it’s well polished brass door knocker, her nerves were fraying. Why was it so difficult, why was everything so bloody difficult? She knew what their answers would be, she was grasping at anything because Steven had let her down. How could she be gay, no one in the family was that way, there was a thousand reasons why they didn’t believe her. She rung the bell and her mummy answered,

  “Oh baby, are you okay how was your honey…holiday. Did you have a nice time?”

  “Yes, mummy I had a lovely time.”

  “Who did you go with?”

  “I went with Leia the wedding planner from the Grosvenor.”

  Her mother stared at her as though, she had planned it.

  “Why on earth would you go on holiday with a ser…”

  “Go on mummy say it a servant, we don’t have any servants. Stop being so bloody delusional, we don’t employ servants, we have a cleaner that is it. We are not the rich aristocracy that you think we are.”

  her mother looked at Julia, her mouth was wide open in shock.

  “And we never will be, if you keep wasting money on unnecessary weddings.”

  Julia was shocked her mother had never talked to her like this but then again it was the same for her mother, Julia had always agreed with everything.

  �
�Where’s daddy”.

  “In the garden”

  Julia stormed through the house “daddy I want to talk to you.” she shouted.

  Her father lifted his head, he could tell by her face this was going to be one of those talks.”

  “Let me get cleaned up princess and we’ll have a cup of tea, and you can tell me all about your holiday.”

  They all sat around the dining room table.

  “Now princess what did you want to talk about.”

  “I just wanted to let you know that I’m in love with Leia.”

  Her mother’s face went purple, she was waiting for her husband to speak.

  “Julia, we’ve talked about this before, I can understand how you feel after Steven.”

  “Daddy this has nothing to do with Steven, this is who I am.”

  “Ridiculous, no daughter of mine is gay” her mother screeched.

  There were tears in Julia’s eyes, “Daddy”.

  He looked down at the kitchen table.

  “Fine, I’m no longer your daughter, if I can go fetch a few things from my room, I will get out of your way.”

  “Julia don’t”

  “Don’t enjoy myself, don’t have a life, don’t be who you are supposed to be, what am I supposed to do daddy.

  I’m sorry but I can’t live like that, I love a woman if you can’t accept that, I’m no longer your daughter.”

  She stood up and walked upstairs, she went into her bedroom and looked around everything that was there. She went over to the dressing table and picked up all her jewellery she shoved it in her pocket and went back downstairs.

  “We’ll cut off your allowance”, her mother shouted.

  “Perhaps you will be able to afford a servant then, they do as they are told.”

  “Julia, please.”

  “Goodbye, daddy, buy mummy something she can brag about to her friends, you could tell them she sold her daughter.” She walked out the front door.

  Chapter nine

  Leia opened the front door to Julia.

  “What are you doing here already I didn’t think you would be here until tomorrow.”

  “I’m sorry” she burst out crying.

  “Oh, babe what happened.”

  She led her into the living room.

  “I told them I was in love with you, they didn’t accept it, I left I’m no longer their daughter.”

  Leia held her tight, “I love you babe that’s all that matters.”

  Julia smiled.

  “I saw Skylar today.”

  “Where.”

  “Here, with a Detective Jones they came here to grill me over a murder, Grace was murdered after I left.”

  “I’m sorry babe, what an awful shock. She didn’t think you had anything to do with it did she?”

  “I don’t think so, she was just doing her job.”

  “How did she die?”

  “She didn’t say.”

  “We’ve both had a shit day haven’t we.”

  “Well it couldn’t get any worse.”

  “it did daddy cut off my allowance.”

  “So, do you want to travel.”

  “Yes, I know it sounds silly, but I feel relieved that I’m no longer beholden to them.”

  “That’s great Jules, let’s get something to eat.”

  They had a takeaway but ended up just pushing it around their plate.

  “I’m going to ring Skylar.”

  “Hello, Skylar it’s me Leia, I know you can’t tell me anything and I won’t ask but ask the hotel if they have still got the CCTV. It will show me leaving and returning in my work suit, just in case there should have been blood on it.”

  “Thanks Leia but they’ve removed me from the case, I’ll mention it though. I think they are more concerned with the blonde woman.”

  “Okay.”

  “Have you heard from Julia”

  “Yes, she’s with me now. Her parents threw her out.”

  “I’m sorry, what are you going to do,”

  “well when I sell the car, we will travel I think, not around the world, there is nothing keeping us here.”

  “Don’t leave just yet though, we need to solve this murder, and me and Sandie would like a night out with you both.”

  “Thanks at least I know you three don’t think I’ve murdered anyone.”

  Skylar laughed

  “and here I was thinking it was Julia that was the murderer with the light switch.” Leia laughed

  “thanks Skylar you’ve made me stop thinking of this terrible thing, I will probably always feel guilty I left though. Just make sure you catch the bastard.”

  It was a few days later that the police turned up on Leia’s doorstep again.

  Miss Leia Hudson I am arresting you on suspicion of the murder of Miss Grace Roberts you do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence.”

  Julia just stared at her.

  “I didn’t do it Jules, ring Skylar and Sandie,

  and let them know what’s happened.

  “Don’t worry I’ll sort this out, I’m not leaving you.”

  The detectives led her out of the flat.

  Julie picked up the key to the flat she didn’t think Luke would throw her out now Leia wasn’t there, but she needed to go out. The other problem was money she was beside herself, she picked up her phone and rang Sandie.

  Sandie tried to calm her down, she told her to come to the house, after five o’clock, when they had finished work.

  Sandie went to Megan.

  “I know we are not supposed to get involved with the case ma’am, but I know she didn’t do it. It’s just wasting time ma’am while the real culprit gets away.

  “Sandie you and Skylar are too involved you know the suspect.”

  “Precisely ma’am we know she’s not capable of murder.”

  “I’ll look at the evidence myself, and if I think there is a slight chance, she didn’t do it, I will have her released.”

  “Thanks ma’am.”

  It was five o’clock when Sandie got home, Julia was waiting on the doorstep, she ran into Sandie’s arms.

  “I am so glad we met you two, on holiday.”

  “I know, but don’t worry I’ve asked the chief to have a look at the case, we must be able to find something.”

  “I’ve been over and over it again in my head how we can prove her innocents.”

  Sandie made a coffee and started dinner you can stop here the night if you want, I’m afraid it’s only a sofa but it’s up to you.”

  “Thanks, I’ll ring Luke and let him know.”

  “Did Luke know about the split between Grace and Leia.”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Where’s Skylar.”

  “She’s gone over to the hotel to see if they’ve got any CCTV footage of Leia coming back into the hotel.”

  It was twenty minutes later that Skylar returned with a copy of the recordings.

  “Can we watch them now.”

  “no, we need specialist equipment like we have at the station.”

  “Come on let’s eat.”

  They talked about it all night, what time did she say goodnight to your parents, what time it was when she came back, what time you left one another that night etc.

  “Did she know the woman in the bed with Grace?”

  “No, she didn’t see her face only her hair and naked body.”

  “She said to Grace something like I would have thought you’d gone for a true blonde, and Grace called her a bitch.”

  “There must be thousands of dyed blonde women around.”

  “Yes, even Leia’s ex was dyed blonde all those years ago.”

  “Come on let’s get to sleep, will you be alright on the sofa”

  “yes, don’t worry, goodnight.”

  Megan went down to see Harry the pathologist the next morning.

&n
bsp; “Hi Harry, good to see you again”

  “This sounds ominous, you don’t like bodies.”

  “well you’re not dead yet so.”

  “What do you want Megan, don’t tell me you are having another baby.”

  “No Jess is content with the farm and the three kids and so am I.”

  “Another job”

  “Harry, I don’t just visit you to dump my problems on you.”

  “But you have a problem?”

  “yes, I have a murder case, the detectives in charge have arrested someone for it.”

  “that’s good isn’t it?”

  “not if they’ve got the wrong person.”

  “so, is it one I’ve done.”

  “No, but I’d like you to have a look at it, to see if we’ve missed something.”

  “Okay I’ll do it now, if you want”

  “great.”

  Harry started another autopsy as soon as Megan left, she had never liked the smell of blood.

  Harry meticulously went through all the previous notes and checked all the facts. The only thing that he felt might be out was the timing he thought it may have been two- or three-days difference, but he couldn’t say for definite, because he didn’t know if central heating was on, apart from that he agreed with his colleagues.

  He rung upstairs to Megan to tell her of his findings.

  “Thanks Harry, I appreciate that.”

  Megan went over to see Detective Nuttall,

  she asked him for all the evidence he had gathered. Skylar went into Megan’s with the hotel tapes.

  “I know you told me to steer clear of the case ma’am, but I did this in my own time.

  I just can’t believe we have been on our honeymoon with a murderer.”

  “Skylar I’ve told you I don’t want you on the case.”

  “I’m sorry ma’am.”

  “The other thing ma’am was Leia said she had a phone call that night when she was back at the hotel. So, it might be useful to check phone records.”

  “Thank you, Skylar, now that’s enough.”

  “ma’am”

  Skylar knew if there was any doubt, that Megan would let her go free.

  Twenty- four hours later Megan released Leia, with no charges, the evidence they had was circumstantial, none of it would have held up in a court of law, she wasn’t

  entirely sure that she was innocent, but she couldn’t prove otherwise, not unless something else came to light. It niggled her something wasn’t quite right. Although it was an on- going investigation it had become increasingly difficult to find any new leads. Leia’s account of everything was perfect, there were witnesses at the times she said, in fact to Megan it was too perfect.