by Неизвестный
As Miranda looked about, she could see Markus talking to Johnny Fletcher back in the café side of the store. Markus shook his finger at Johnny, and both men fell silent, as if they hadn’t wanted to keep talking in front of her.
Interesting.
Motioning with a little nod of her head for Kyle to follow her, she went down the hallway that led to the bathrooms. As soon as she was out of earshot, though, she stopped. Kyle floated through her, sending chills up her spine and making her feel like she was two people at once for just a moment.
“Sorry, sorry,” Kyle said. “Haven’t quite got the hang of stopping yet when my feet don’t really touch the floor.”
“Whatever. Just, forget that right now. I want you to go listen in on Markus and Johnny.”
“I thought we promised Detective Dum-dum that we would stay out of it?”
“No way. We’re not leaving this to chance. Those two are acting cagey and I need to know why.”
“Good enough,” he said with a mischievous grin, disappearing back into the café.
As Miranda carried on along the corridor, she saw Debra Thomas tapping at the office door of Stewart Carter. How odd. Surely she hadn’t been outside the door all that time? It had been a good while since she had set off to speak to her old boss. Miranda wondered about that as she ducked into the restroom, then peeked out around the door.
After a minute or two, she saw Debra speaking through the closed door. Straining hard to hear what was said, Miranda listened in.
“Stewart? Look, if you can hear me, I’m sorry. I know I let you down and I know the bad review had a lot to do with me. But if you give me a second chance, I promise to put things right. If people can see I’ve changed they’ll know you’ve done a good job of straightening things out.”
Something about the pleading in Debra’s voice really tugged at Miranda’s heart. She wished the pompous little man would just open the door and talk things out with Debra like an adult.
Kyle popped up in front of her, making her gasp. “Quick, get back in there!”
Miranda pulled her head back inside and closed the door. “You startled me!”
“You want me to shout boo?” Kyle said with a grin.
“Shut up,” she told him, but she couldn’t help but smile. “You’ve obviously found something out.”
“I sure did. They were talking about you. Apparently Johnny’s been waiting for you to come back. Odd, right?”
“Well, I did tell him in the beginning that I was helping the police to investigate. Maybe he thinks I’m trouble.”
“You are trouble, but not that kind.” Kyle blew her a kiss, and Miranda stuck her tongue out at him. “Cheeky girl. Anyway, I really don’t think either of them killed me. I’m still betting it was Stewart Carter, because…” Kyle was about to elaborate when an ear-splitting scream rang out.
Miranda dashed out of the restroom to find Debra Thomas on the floor, as white as a bed sheet and clutching her chest. As Miranda tried to help Debra to her feet, she caught a glimpse through Stewart Carter’s open office door. He lay on the floor, motionless.
Once she’d gotten Debra to her feet, Miranda yelled down the corridor for Joe Dixon.
Debra was alright. Just shaken. Miranda left her there in the hallway and went inside the office for a closer look. Her fears were confirmed when she knelt over Stewart Carter. The man was as dead as he looked. There was no blood anywhere, so Miranda peered at him a little closer and saw deep red welts around his neck. It seemed likely to her that he’d been strangled.
“Miranda?” Debra said hesitantly. “I don’t think Joe Dixon heard you. I’m going to go find him. Is that okay?”
“Yes please.” It was an excuse for Debra to walk away from this upsetting scene. “Tell him where we are, and tell him to get his backup here fast.”
As Debra scampered away, Miranda took a super-fast look around the room. She could see that the desk had been moved and the chair was upended. Clearly there had been a struggle of some sort.
Miranda, using her handkerchief to avoid leaving fingerprints, opened each desk drawer until she found one that was locked.
“Want me to pop my head in?”
“Kyle! You have to stop creeping up on me, or we’ll both be ghosts.” Miranda put a hand to her face thoughtfully. “But yes, I would like that. See if you can see what’s inside.”
Kyle smiled and did just that.
“Kyle, that looks so freaky,” Miranda said, with a comical little shudder.
“Mphamahumph,” he said from within the drawer.
“What?”
He pulled his head out again. “Freaky, but very helpful. It’s a tape recorder. Like, voice tape. And once again, so last century.”
“Interesting,” Miranda said, screwing her face up in thought. “Why would Stewart Carter be recording conversations?”
“How do you know he was?” Kyle said.
“Oh, come on. A locked drawer in his own desk. He had to be recording someone he had a conversation with in this room.”
“Blackmail?” Kyle suggested, eyebrows raised.
“That or, maybe, police informant?”
“You mean, if he was talking to someone from the mob?” Kyle looked curiously impressed.
“It could be.” She’d written something similar into her book. These things actually happened.
“Okay, who found him?” Joe Dixon strode into the room, casting his eyes from the body to Miranda. He didn’t look too impressed to find her in the middle of the crime scene after he’d specifically told her to stay out of it. But he didn’t say anything so Miranda assumed that the dead body was more important right now than telling her off.
“I found him,” Debra said, and Dixon turned to look at her standing in the hallway. “I came to see Stewart to beg for my job back. I knocked and got no answer, so I was talking to him through the door. Miranda saw me.”
Dixon turned to look at Miranda, who just nodded.
“Not as stealthy as you thought, Miranda!” Kyle laughed.
Miranda gave him a withering look. Bad enough she was the only one who could see him. She was the only one who could hear his insults, too.
She turned to Debra and said, “But Debra, you left me out in the café at least thirty minutes ago, maybe longer, to come and speak to Stewart. You couldn’t have been outside his door knocking all this time, surely.”
Debra looked like a deer caught in the headlights for just a split second. Miranda was sure that Dixon completely missed the look but then he abruptly turned his piercing gaze upon her and said, “Well Miss Thomas… were you?”
Debra deflated before their eyes. “I needed some time to work out what I was going to say to him so I went into the Ladies bathroom.”
“So you’re telling us that you were in the bathroom for over thirty minutes to get up your nerve to talk to the deceased. Is that correct Miss Thomas?” Dixon’s tone clearly indicated that he didn’t believe that for a moment.
Debra’s head swung from Dixon to Miranda and back again. There was clearly more to this. She shut her eyes for a moment and it very much looked like she was psyching herself up to say whatever came next. Her head dropped to her chest and she let out a long sigh.
“Come along Miss Thomas. I don’t have all day. There is a murderer on the loose and I need to catch him… or her…” Dixon just let that hang there.
Debra raised her head and looked first at Miranda and then at Dixon. “I snuck into the Ladies room to have a couple of swigs of vodka to calm my nerves. Okay, is that what you wanted to know!” She dropped her head again and looked quite defeated.
“Let me get this straight. You were in the bathroom for over thirty minutes because you were drinking?”
Debra nodded. “Stewart could be very intimidating. He terrified me if you want to know the truth. I quite often had to duck into the Ladies room to have a drink during my shifts here to calm down.”
“Right.” Dixon shuffled his feet. “Let’s
forget about that for now shall we. Two murders that seem to be related are more important than your drinking habit right now Miss Thomas. Please continue your story.”
She nodded quickly and took a deep breath. “So, there I was,” Debra continued, “knocking and knocking, and when he didn’t answer I tried the door. It wasn’t locked so I just went in and… and… well, he was just lying there. I could tell he was dead, and I screamed and kind of fainted. Next thing I knew, Miranda was helping me to my feet.”
Kyle shook his head. “Do you believe this?” He floated over to the body and then back to Miranda’s side. “You know I was convinced that this Carter fellow had something to do with my death because of the bad review I gave this place. Then you worked out it was something to do with the mob… but even then I wasn’t convinced that he wasn’t somehow involved. I did have a theory but now I’m not so sure. Why would the mob be offing him anyway? Is his death actually related to mine or is it just a coincidence? If not, how is it related to mine?” He paused for a moment. “And where is his ghost?”
All good questions. Miranda didn’t believe it was coincidence because as her favourite saying goes… Nothing is coincidence.
“So, what have you seen, Miss Wylder?” Dixon said, clearly realizing that Miranda would have had a good poke around before he’d arrived on the scene.
Debra interrupted before Miranda could answer. “Do you need me for anything else. Standing here next to a dead body is making me nauseous and dizzy.”
“Fine,” Dixon sighed. “Debra, go wait for me out in the café then, will you?”
She nodded, giving the body another hesitant look, and then left to do as the detective had asked.
Then Dixon turned his steely gaze on Miranda. “So spill it. What have you found in here while snooping?”
Miranda smiled sweetly at him even though she really just wanted to slap the man. “There are signs of a struggle and deep red welts around his neck indicating he was strangled. And this locked drawer might be worth getting open at the earliest opportunity.”
Miranda stopped herself from telling Dixon what was in there. If he didn’t believe in her psychic abilities, then he would have to go about things the long way. She’d keep the shortcuts for herself.
Chapter 6
As Police swarmed all over the place, The Coffee Ambience had finally been closed down, leaving only the police and Joe Dixon’s main suspects inside.
Miranda was sitting around a large table with Johnny Fletcher, Debra Thomas, and Markus Stidham and it wasn’t very good company. It was early evening now and they’d been sitting here in mostly silence for what seemed like an eternity.
Kyle floated over her shoulder, giving oh-so-helpful advice. “Well Miranda, if you’re not one of Dixon’s suspects anymore, he must have narrowed it down to these three.”
Miranda gave the barest of nods. She’d been thinking the same thing herself.
“So,” he kept going, “I guess I could try to annoy you or make you laugh right now, and there’s not a thing you can do about it.”
Miranda clamped her jaw tightly shut.
“I could just go on and on and on, and you’d just have to sit there.”
It seemed to Miranda that Kyle had got the hang of being a ghost rather quickly and was really amusing himself now. In the end, she turned to give him a glare. It was all she could do without looking fully insane.
“Ooh, harsh look,” Kyle said with a dramatic shudder. “I’ll be shutting up now.”
“So,” Joe Dixon strode over and sat himself down at the table. “I think it’s fair to say that there’s a murderer in this room. I should also tell you that we are pretty much in receipt of all the facts we need, and so we are going to just sit right here and resolve this thing between us.”
Nobody spoke, not even Kyle.
“Firstly, the forensic team has conducted a thorough search of Miranda Wylder’s home. The house was ransacked by an unknown person who we believe was disturbed by Kyle Hunter. This unknown person proceeded to shoot Mister Hunter in the back as he was trying to flee.” Dixon paused for dramatic effect slowly looking at each person one by one.
“Secondly, I’ll tell you all that Miss Wylder found a bag of pretty incriminating evidence in the trash here at The Coffee Ambience. One of the items was a forty-five-caliber firearm which was sent to the lab for testing. I put a rush order on the test and what I have here…” He indicated a folder in front of him. “is the results of those tests… but I will get to that in a bit.” He paused again taking in the people at the table once again.
“Also interestingly, one of the other items found inside was a broken up and slightly scorched surveillance cassette tape.”
While he’d been talking all three suspects had been fidgeting in their seats and Miranda had been paying close attention to them. To her they all looked equally guilty.
Dixon continued with his story. “It is my own theory that whatever was on that tape would have incriminated the murderer of both Kyle Hunter and Stewart Carter in some way. My guess is that it would have shown footage of Kyle Hunter and more importantly Miranda Wylder, as I believe that she was, and probably still is, the intended target. It would appear that Kyle Hunter was unfortunately in the wrong place at the wrong time. I am sure that this tape will show places she went on her own and with others including Kyle Hunter and all of her comings and goings at each of their residences as well as anywhere else she went.”
The other three people at the table looked at one another, suspicious glances flew like daggers. Good, Miranda thought. Keep guessing.
“So,” Dixon continued, “let’s take a look at you, Markus Stidham. Kyle Hunter’s ex-boyfriend, who chose not to tell me they had split up. Just a tip, son, but lying to the police is always a bad way to start off.”
Markus glared at Dixon, who could clearly not have cared less.
“Markus has displayed some pretty stalker-ish behavior, especially in spying on Kyle by accessing his emails. Not a healthy relationship.” Miranda interjected quickly and earned herself a sharp look from Dixon but he remained silent.
“Yeah!” Kyle agreed. “And tell him he was kind of a jerk.”
“And your ex-boyfriend says you’re a jerk,” Miranda said with a smile.
Markus looked at her like she was crazy and then half rose from his chair. “I don’t have to take this.”
“Yes,” Dixon growled, “you do. Sit. Down.”
Like a balloon deflating, Markus slipped back into his seat.
“That’s better. Now, do you know what else is in this file here?” Dixon laid a hand on the file in front of him as he addressed Markus. The man just shook his head as if the power of speech had left him. “Those emails you just happened to be in possession of Markus. We know that it was you who sent them we just don’t know why.”
Eyes wide, Markus jumped out of his chair again. “But… but… I never… I didn’t…” His speech was still failing him as he turned red in the face and appeared to be almost hyperventilating.
“Yes. You did, son. We know what you did. We have a whizz kid tech guy working for us and he traced them all the way back to you. You’re not too smart are you Markus? Want to know what I think?” Dixon didn’t wait for Markus to reply. “I think you wanted to scare your boyfriend. We know how you didn’t like him being away from home so much with his job and you wanted him to lean on you for protection. Is that about right?”
Markus just glared at Dixon, rage was evident in every muscle.
“No don’t bother answering now. You can tell us all about it later at the station. Now. Sit. Down!” Markus slowly lowered himself into his chair without another word but the glare he sent Dixon spoke volumes.
“Well, that was unexpected.” Kyle said. “I never suspected Markus of sending those emails. What a rotten thing to do. Did he really think I would come running to him for protection?”
Miranda looked at him sadly and shook her head slightly. She watched Kyle floa
ting backward and forward in agitation. She turned her attention back to Dixon as he continued.
“Now, regardless of what your intentions were toward Kyle Hunter, you had no opportunity to kill Stewart Carter as you’ve been within line of sight of at least one police officer the entire time you’ve been here today. As we know the two deaths are linked, let’s cross you off our suspect list.”
The big man sighed in his seat, obviously relieved.
“So,” Dixon went on, turning to Johnny Fletcher, “we have you, Mister Fletcher. You would undoubtedly have been affected by the bad review given by Kyle Hunter. If business is bad, it reflects on the head cook. You might’ve been out of a job soon enough. But we now know that the review wasn’t the reason behind Kyle Hunter’s death.”
“But then,” Miranda said quickly earning herself another sharp look from Dixon before he nodded for her to continue, “we have to ask ourselves why you would kill your boss. That’s even worse for business.”
“Didn’t do it,” was all Johnny said.
“It would seem so,” Dixon nodded. Then he stopped, and gestured with his hand. “Unless we consider the mob angle. Since the evidence found in the trash bag would tend to suggest a mob connection. Why kill your boss? Let’s theorize. Because maybe the mob wanted you to. Maybe they promised you would take over here. Or maybe they just wanted Stewart out and their own people in, and they promised to keep you on if you played ball. Or maybe it was another reason altogether. Gotta hand it to you, it was pretty brazen of you to kill him while the place was crawling with cops though.”
“I didn’t kill anyone and I don’t have anything to do with the mob. What evidence are you talking about?” Johnny said leaning back in his chair with his arms crossed over his chest, seemingly without a care in the world.
“Along with the forty-five-caliber weapon, which is the murder weapon by the way, and the damaged surveillance tape, there was a photo of Miranda and Kyle together, and a partially defaced business card of Kyle Hunter’s. There was also a copy of Miranda Wylder’s last book The Mob’s Calling which had quite a few dog-eared pages that referred to dead-drops and hidden warehouses. It would appear that there was something among those pages that made the mob nervous.”