by Emily Selby
This was the first time Katie had to deal with this sort of situation after finding a body, and she had no clue what to do. Having said that, if either of this couple were to murder the other one, it should have been the other way around. Yes, however much Katie was trying not to think about it, Keith had given her the creeps, not Jane. And Jane seemed like a perfect murder victim.
On the way back with the filled glass, Katie unlocked the front door. She didn't want to risk another trip out of the office before help arrived. When she walked into the office, Jane was squatting by the filing cabinet. In one jump Katie was by her side. She put the water glass on top of the cabinet and grabbed Jane by the elbow.
'Are you alright?' Katie asked.
'Yes, yes...' Jane croaked. 'I've just dropped the pill. I can't find it. I'll get another one.'
Katie helped Jane back into the armchair. She passed her the medicine box, which was on the desk beside the armchair. Jane fumbled through the pills and pulled one out.
A siren wailed outside the house.
Katie pushed the glass of water into Jane's hand.
'Drink,' she said through her tightened throat.
A short while later, the doorbell chimed.
'Hello, anybody in there? It's the ambulance!' A male voice cut through the silence.
'It's open; come in!' Katie answered.
Bother, she still had to instruct the paramedics! Katie jumped to her feet and ran from the room, leaving the office door wide open. Her head jerking between Jane and the two paramedics who’d rushed into the hallway.
'He’s in the living room,' Katie waved her hand towards the right door. 'But I have his wife here. She's not very well and may need help.'
The paramedics looked at each other and one of them hurried along the hallway towards Katie, whilst the other one trotted into the living room.
Still keeping an eye on Jane, Katie gestured to the paramedic to follow her. The moment he knelt beside Jane, the other one called out from the living room.
'Hello there?'
Katie jumped and rushed back into the hallway.
'How can I help?' she asked through the living room doorway.
'I think you need to call the police,' the guy replied.
Another siren yelped outside.
'They're here,' she said relaxing her shoulders.
She opened the door, relieved to see the familiar patrol car of the local cops. And even more relieved, if not outright delighted, when she saw the friendly face and broad shoulders of Sergeant Chris Fox, her colleague and long-term friend.
'This way Chris,' she beckoned. Chris hurried up the path and into the hallway.
'Who is it?' he asked quietly as he gave Katie’s arm a comforting pat.
'Keith Starr,' she said, her voice trembling. 'He's in there.' She pointed him towards the living room.
It all took fifteen minutes, maybe a little longer. The paramedics took care of Jane and, apparently, apart from the shock, she was fine, but they called her doctor anyway.
Chris emerged from the living room, his temples glistening.
'You've got a real talent, lass,' he mumbled at Katie, who was leaning against the wall in the hallway. 'I've secured the scene. The forensics team, including the medical examiner, are on the way.'
Katie nodded. 'Murder?' she asked as quietly as she could.
Chris wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. 'At least a suspicious death, I'd say.'
'Why are you on your own?' Katie asked, surprised no one had joined Chris.
'We're short-staffed today. There was an RTI, involving a lorry and a few cars on the dual carriageway. We've sent a team to help clear it. How’s the wife?'
'In shock,' Katie replied. 'What do you want us to do?'
'You need to leave. We'll take you to the station to deal with the interviews and everything.'
'Will you tell her?' Katie jerked her chin toward the office.
Chris grimaced. 'Suppose I have to.' He strode into the office, his shoulders tense. Katie knew Chris well. Although a great guy and an experienced policeman, dealing with crying women wasn't his forte. And, despite not knowing Jane that well, Katie suspected there was going to be plenty of crying, for sure.
With both paramedics still by Jane's side, the office was crowded. Chris leant against the filing cabinet, which wobbled and the floor underneath it squeaked. Katie winced. She hadn't noticed any of the floors squeaking before. After all, the house was new and built to good standards. She'd paid close attention to the quality of the construction as she had been hoping to buy a place for her and Julia here one day – when she earned more than her paltry income as a part-time police clerk and a freelance cleaner.
'I'm very sorry to inform you, Mrs Starr, but your husband is dead. Since it isn’t clear what caused his death, we need to investigate it,' Chris said.
Jane shuddered; a sharp sob pierced the air. One of the paramedics put his hand on her shoulder and tried to calm her.
Chris waited until the sobs quietened a little and briefly explained the term ‘suspicious death’ and the procedure resulting from it.
Jane sobbed even louder. She covered her face with her hands. Her long hair spilled over her face and onto her shoulders.
'Keith, Keith... I love you so much. Keith, please don't die!'
The paramedics exchanged glances.
'She's in shock and not taking it in. Hardly surprising in the circumstances. But she’s medically stable,' the older one said. 'We can't help much, but it wouldn't hurt to get her to see her doctor. We can't help much with the husband either, so if it’s all right with you, we’ll leave that to your forensic team. We've got to go.'
They stood up and walked out of the room.
Chris looked at Katie, desperation in his eyes.
'Katie, you know Mrs Starr, can you please help?'
Katie knelt beside Jane. She put her hand on her shoulder.
'Jane, can you hear me?'
Jane nodded through the sobs.
'We've got to leave the house and talk to the police. We've got to help them find out what's happened. Can you do it?'
Jane inhaled sharply and nodded.
'Will you come with me?' she asked.
Katie glanced at Chris. Relief flooded his face.
'Yes,' he said. 'It'd be very helpful. 'You can sit together in the back of the patrol car. Katie, I’ll arrange to drop you back here later to collect your Micra. The forensic team will be here any minute.'
'Jane, don't worry. I'll be with you all the way,' Katie reassured Jane.
'Get the medicine box, her phone, her purse, whatever else she may need,' Chris instructed. 'And give it to me for safe keeping.'
She helped Jane stand from the armchair and helped her collect all the necessary items, as instructed.
They were ready just as the medical examiner and the forensic team swarmed in.
Katie helped Jane to the car, while Chris had a chat with the officer in charge. Once they were all out of the house, with Jane installed in the back of the car, Chris closed the door and pulled Katie to one side.
'You understand,' he said quietly, his freckled face serious. 'The two of you are the suspects. I know you're going to say-'
'I'm going to say: don't assume anything,' Katie interrupted him. 'We're both innocent until proven guilty. But I also know you need to follow the process.'
Chris nodded. 'Exactly and by the way, I've just heard that your fav- er... DI Heaton is on his way.'
Katie's heart flipped, even though she knew that sooner or later he would be heading here. She wanted to stay on and see him again, but procedure was procedure.
'Let's get it over and done with,' she said and climbed into the car to join whimpering Jane.
3
Fortunately, the trip to the police station was quick, as Katie was beginning to feel awkward sitting next to the weeping Jane, who kept tugging at Katie's sleeve and mumbling.
'Tell me, he's going to be all righ
t, please, tell me, he'll be all right.'
For the first few times, Katie tried to find a gentle way to remind Jane Keith was dead, but then she gave up and just tried to soothe her.
'You'll be fine, Jane. Just keep breathing slowly and steadily.'
It was surreal: on one hand Katie could understand Jane's shocked reaction, on the other - she couldn't shake off the suspicion and the what-if. She vividly remembered the conversation with Dorothy from a few weeks earlier about the Starrs. That was when she had first had a bad feeling about the couple, but she did feel sorry for Jane. And now, she was sitting next to the poor woman, wondering what had happened between Keith leaving the house and Katie finding him dead on the sofa.
When they reached the station, Chris took them through the back door into the interview room. It took a good few minutes of soothing reassuring and a cup of tea brought by Chris to get Jane let go of Katie's arm and sit down. Jane sipped the tea, whimpering, while Katie rubbed her back standing beside her.
A while later, Jack walked in. He was still wearing a dark winter jacket, which, unzipped, revealed a rare sight for him - a casual, navy blue jumper and a pair of jeans.
'Good morning,' he said, his voice throaty. His face was serious, but he acknowledged Katie with a nod and a glint in his eye.
After a short introduction and condolences addressed to Jane, he proceeded with the interview.
'Mrs Starr, I understand this is a very hard time for you, but I need to ask you a few questions.'
Jane lifted her head and glanced at Katie.
'What does he want?' she whispered.
'He wants to ask you some questions about Keith and this morning,' Katie explained. 'And probably also last night.'
'I didn't do anything.' Jane's eyes brimmed with tears.
'You need to tell him that,' Katie nudged.
'Can't you tell him?'
'I wasn't there, remember? I went out to get your shopping.'
'Ahh.' Jane sighed.
'Mrs Starr,' Jack said. 'This won't take long.'
'You'll be with me, right?' Jane croaked, still looking at Katie and clinging onto her arm again.
Katie moistened her lips. She was keen to get away from the clasp of Jane's arm, but she had to admit, being present during the interview had its own appeal. Katie glanced at Jack.
'Do you want me to leave?'
Jack rubbed his chin. He hadn't even had time to shave, and now in the harsh light of the interview room, he was showing clear signs of jetlag: drooping lids, red eyes and dark circles underneath them.
'Mrs Starr,' he addressed Jane. 'I would prefer to talk to you without the other witness present. However, I can see you're in a distressed state. Would it be easier if Katie stayed with you while I'm talking to you?'
Jane lifted her face and looked at him, pleading. 'Yes please,' she said.
Jack pulled up a chair for Katie. She was grateful for that, as her body was aching from all the tension and Jane's clinging. His hand brushed her back as he guided her to the chair, and the simple gesture sent a pleasant tingling down her spine. She shrugged it off, ordering her mind to focus on the interview. She slid onto the chair. Jack sat on the other side of the table with his black notebook in his hand.
'Mrs Starr,' he addressed the woman again. 'Could you tell me, how old was your husband?'
'He's thirty-four.'
Strange how she refused to talk about her husband in the past tense.
'Did he suffer from any health problems?'
'No. He's well.'
'No medication? Any drugs or alcohol?'
'No. Fit and healthy. It's me who's crooked. He looks after me. He always says that he needs to stay well so he can take care of me.'
Jack ran his hands through his short dark hair, making himself looked even more ruffled.
'Tell me about this morning. What time did he get up? What did he do afterwards?'
'He woke up around seven o'clock. I always hear him get up, but I stay in bed for a little longer. He got showered, dressed, and left the house maybe fifteen or twenty minutes later. He was going to Carlisle for work. He helps his father run the company and today is the day for him to go to the office.'
'Did he drive?'
'I don't know if he managed to drive anywhere. I think he might have gone for a coffee first, to the café nearby. He likes taking his coffee over there. It's a new place but it reminds him of his favourite coffee down in Leeds.'
'What's the name of the café?”
'I don't know. This is only one. Around two hundred yards away from our house, on the corner. Just opposite the building site. I think it's opened recently.'
'We'll check the place,' Jack said and scribbled something in the notebook. 'So, he didn't have anything to eat or drink in the house this morning?'
'I'm not sure, she replied hesitantly. Were there any dishes in the sink, Katie?'
Katie closed her eyes to bring up the image.
'The dishwasher was fully loaded with clean dishes from last night, I gather. I unloaded it, but I don't recall seeing anything in the sink except maybe a glass.'
'I always have a glass of water with lemon when I wake up,' Jane rushed to explain. 'I didn't have any breakfast as we ran out of gluten-free products. I was waiting for Katie to bring the groceries.'
'Do you remember what time your husband left the house?'
'It might have been about 7.20. It was shortly before Katie arrived the first time. I got up after he left knowing I had to get ready for Katie. What time did you come in?' Jane turned her face to Katie.
'About 7.30. I heard the tower clock chime.'
'I'm going to talk to you separately, Katie,' Jack glanced at Katie.
She nodded in acknowledgement.
'He went out and then returned, is that correct?'
'Yes. He came back home saying he had a bit of a headache. I think he might have mentioned nausea, but I didn't hear him throw up or anything.'
'What time was it?'
'I'm not sure. It was a few minutes before Katie came back.'
'What time was it?' Jack addressed Katie again.
'About ten past eight.'
'So, Mrs Starr, your husband was out between 7.20 and around 8 am, probably having a coffee. What happened when he came back in?'
'He said he was going to have a lie down.'
'Did he take anything, like a drink or medicine?'
'I'm not sure, but I don't think so. I was in the office. I've started easing myself back to work a little recently. That's why we've got Katie to help with the housework. You see, Inspector, my health is quite poor, and I have mobility problems. I get tired very easily. That's why I tend not to move around a lot. When my husband returned home I didn't move from the desk. I heard him walking in. He shouted that he didn't feel very well and that he was going to have a lie down. I think he probably went straight to the living room.'
'Did you, at any point, go to check on him?'
'No. I didn't leave the office until Katie... Katie...' Her voice trailed off.
'What time was it?'
Jane raised her eyes at Katie again. Her lips were trembling. Katie stifled the feeling of resentment growing in her. Couldn't Jane remember anything? Katie clearly told her what time it was!
'It was about 9.10 am, Inspector.' Katie gave Jack a brief summary of Jane's request to avoid the living room and stay quiet. 'By then, I had everything done except the living room and the vacuuming. We entered the living room together.'
Jack nodded. He stared at Jane again.
'Mrs Starr, I know it must be hard for you, but I need you to describe what happened when you walked into the living room.'
Jane's hand tightened on Katie's arm again. Katie pressed her lips together. If Jane continued like that, she’d leave some bruises on Katie’s arm, for sure.
'He was there, on the sofa, looking like he was asleep. Will he be alright?' Her voice broke into sobs again, and Katie took over. She described the body, the
pale waxy complexion and the purple lips.
Jack nodded again, his face difficult to read.
"Mrs Starr, what did you have for dinner last night?'
'Keith prepared it as usual. He had roast chicken with vegetables and rice. I only had a little meat and vegetables.'
'You ate the same things? What did he have to drink?'
'Yes, same food, except for the rice. We just drank water with it. He had a glass of beer after dinner. I don't think he had anything else to eat or drink afterwards.'
'Did he behave normally?'
'Absolutely, Inspector. Last night, he was his normal self, and he seemed the same this morning when he left the house.'
'Do you have any grounds to suspect this might have been a suicide?'
Jane pressed her trembling lips so hard, they formed a pale line. She shook her head. 'Never, Inspector. Keith and I are Christians. Suicide goes against our beliefs.'
'Did you receive any communication from him once he left the house.'
'No. He normally texts me once he arrives at work, so I don't have to worry.'
'Are you absolutely sure he didn't take any painkillers or anything else?'
Jane inhaled loudly. Katie braced herself for another wave of sobs, but fortunately it didn't come.
'I think he went straight for the sofa. The medicine cabinet is in the bathroom. Unless he had something on him, I wouldn't think so.'
'Did he use any drugs?'
'No, Inspector. We are both against drugs and alcohol abuse.'
'Can I see your medicine box?'
Jane's face turned ash-grey again. 'There is nothing illegal there, Inspector,' she said in a trembling voice.
'I'd like to see it and if possible your prescriptions.'
'It's all in the carrier bag,' Katie informed him.
Jack leaned across the table and rummaged through the contents of the carrier bag for a while before opening the medicine box.
'Please, don't do anything with it,' Jane wailed. 'I need my medicines. My doctor can tell you.'
'Don't worry, Mrs Starr,' Jack said calmly. 'I shall consult with your doctor. In fact, I'll see if we can get her to come over very shortly.'
As soon as he closed the box and pushed it to one side, Jane's shoulders relaxed.