Catherine

by A J Hollingsworth

  'Murdered!' Mark responded still keeping his head down towards the floor. 'You can say the word. Not saying it, won't bring her back.'

  It was now that Mark raised his head upwards, the red blotchy skin on his cheeks and around his eyes, the tell tale sign there had been a lot more crying than Rachel and Logan had witnessed.

  'What would you like to know?' Mark asked.

  'Tell me about Catherine. What was your relationship like?' Rachel asked delicately.

  'Well, she would shout at me and I would beat her up. You know, I would punch her hard in the stomach and while she was winching in pain I would slap her even harder around the face until she was red and crying,' he stated flippantly and sat back in his chair with a smirk on his face.

  'This is not the time for joking Mr Jenkins. There is a young-'

  '-CATHERINE,' shouted Mark. 'Her name is Catherine. Would I be correct in assuming that you were going to refer to her as "young woman"? What else could I expect from ill-educated police detectives.'

  Logan wanted to laugh at the audacity of this boy in front of him. Who did this arrogant little shit think he was? Ill-educated! How dare he have the cheek to call both myself and Rachel ill-educated. Logan was angry and Rachel was very quick to pick up on that.

  'Mark, I know this is difficult and I know the last thing you want at the moment is to have two detectives hassling you over your last moments with Catherine. By helping us you we can hopefully wrap this up quickly and allow you to grieve in peace. What do you say? Are you willing to help us?' Rachel asked in her most pleasant of tone, a mixture of genuine caring and empathy towards what Mark must be feeling. She was genuine, authentic in her gentleness towards him. He was a young man been dragged through an horrendous situation that he never asked or wanted to be plonked in the middle of. Surely anyone could understand his outburst when you consider that, she thought to herself.

  Mark sat with his arms folded behind his head looking at Rachel, the smug expression had moulded away to a more appreciative one, however, still with an air of superiority. He coughed to clear his throat and as Logan stood there looking like he was ready to pounce like a tiger hunting a heard of wilder-beast, he kept his eyes focused on Rachel. Rachel moved forward in front of Logan, blocking him out of the room and conversation and with compassion asked, 'What was Catherine like Mark?'

  Mark considered a moment, 'she was amazing, I'm sure everyone tells you that about their loved ones. How perfect they are, oops, sorry I mean were.' He said with a chuckle. 'She really was perfect, she was flawless.' Logan snickered under the raised hand to his mouth. 'I know what you are thinking detective, but you are wrong. She was my support when I was in need of it and she was my sunshine when I was raining and she was my audience when I was monologuing.'

  'I can understand where you are coming from Mark.' She moved over from near the door where she had been standing with Logan and now seated herself on the white glass coffee table in the middle of Willow's office. 'My husband, Professor Lambert, is my rock. I would be lost without him.'

  'Is your husband the same Professor Lambert who works-'

  '-yes Mark. He is your English professor.'

  'He doesn't like me and neither does your friend,' he said pointing to Logan.

  'Don't worry Mark, he doesn't like anyone.' She looked across to a sour faced Logan. 'I don't think he is that keen on me,' she said in a whisper leaning over towards Mark, he chuckled along with her. 'Mark what happened?' she asked more directly.

  'I wish I knew Detective Lambert.'

  'Tell me what you do know Mark and please call me Rachel.'

  Logan had taken a step back and now rested his back against the wall of the office frustrated with the softly softly approach Rachel seemed to wish to pursue. He exhaled and inhaled loud enough for the pair to hear, he didn't receive any response from either of them though.

  'Well, we had spent the previous night together, Thursday night it would be and then yesterday morning we grabbed breakfast together in the communal kitchen of my dorm. A bowl of granola and fresh Greek yogurt, I knew how to treat her well,' he chuckled. 'She had a lecture at ten that morning so we arranged to have lunch together but then she text me to say she had to cancel.'

  'Was that the last time you saw her Mark?' asked Rachel.

  'Yes. I told her I loved her and kissed her before she left for that lecture. I think it was with Professor Lambert.'

  Logan stepped forward making his presence once again being felt. 'Did you not have the same lecture? I thought you were on the same course!'

  'No. It was a creative writing workshop, we are doing the same degree but you have to chose a specialist area to study. We picked different ones and therefore wouldn't have every lecture together.'

  Logan nodded and made a note.

  'Mark,' Rachel said turning his focus back to her. 'Why did she cancel Lunch?'

  'She had been given a challenging assignment that morning in your husbands workshop and she wanted to start work on it straight away, so we had the weekend together without any distractions. She would do that often so we could spend the weekends together, just me, her and a soppy chick flick with a bottle of wine to share. I was not always keen on the film but it made her happy, so I would always give in to her choice of film. Dumb eh? But that's the romanticism of love ain't it? The compromises we make for each other, the sharing of the desert as so to speak.'

  Rachel felt the mild heat of a blush rising in her cheeks as she looked down at the glittering new wedding finger that Nathan had slipped on her finger this morning before she had left the house. She was blessed and at this moment a total feeling of gratitude filled every inch of her body. She looked at the face of this young cocky lad and felt sympathy for him. What would she be like if something similar happened to her with Nathan.

  'We'll have to cheek with Nathan on the assignment Rachel,' Logan pitched in from behind.

  'Yes we will have to DC Langley! Mark, what did you do with the rest of your day. I don't like to ask but we have-'

  '-to rule me out of your investigation. Yes. I've watched enough detective shows to understand that I would be a suspect of killing my girlfriend. Well, I didn't and there is no sordid affair either. I can read people and I know that's what he's thinking,' he said to Rachel in a whisper while leaning closer towards her.

  'We still need to know where you were Mark!' exclaimed Logan.

  Mark raised his eyebrows disapprovingly before answering, 'I was studying at the library.'

  Logan snickered, 'what time did you leave?'

  'I couldn't tell you. It was very late though, the whole place had emptied out before I left and I didn't see anyone walking back to my dorm.'

  'It was probably early morning perhaps?' Logan quizzed further.

  'I guess, one maybe two am I would say.'

  'So just so I have this straight. Your alibi is that you were at the library studying until the early hours of the morning?'

  'That's what I said, isn't it?'

  'Yes. Anyone who can confirm that?'

  Mark paused realising there wasn't and knowing full well that Logan didn't trust him either, 'I guess probably not since I was the only person left in the library when I left.'

  'I see,' concluded Logan before her rested himself against the wall once again and looking at Rachel turned the interview back to her.

  'Mark, I have to ask, is there anyone you could think of who may wish to harm Catherine?'

  Chapter 8

  Mark had made a request for a glass of water, the crying and the questioning had made his throat dryer than the Sahara. Rachel opened the door to Willow's office to find her standing a little away, probably most likely listening to each and every word that had been said and with her own opinions bubbling over at the tip of her tongue.

  'Hi Willow, would you be able to fetch me a glass of water for Mark?'

  'Yes, certainly Detective. I'll only be a minute or two.'

  Rachel nodded in appreciation before watc
hing Willow descend down the corridor and around to the right at the bottom. She considered what life Willow had. She was happy to be at work on a Saturday. Does that mean her boyfriend or husband was at work? Did she even have a husband or boyfriend, perhaps she had a girlfriend! Perhaps she was single and had nothing else to do. She cast her mind back to when she first met Willow and everything was in chaos she couldn't recollect whether she had a ring on or not.

  The door opened behind her.

  'DCI Lambert can I have a quick word.'

  'OK DC Langley'

  Logan stepped out from Willow's office and closed the door behind himself. Mark looked up after hearing the door closed, taking a mobile phone from his pockets he clicked on the message menu and glanced through each one before replacing the phone back into the inside pocket of his jacket.

  'Do you trust Mark?' asked Logan.

  'Are you asking me or telling me Logan?'

  'Yes I don't trust him! Can you honestly believe that he was studying at the Library? Do they even stay open that long?'

  'You are showing your age there Logan,' chuckled Rachel. 'Yes, they are generally open twenty four hours. We can easily check his story on that one. The University, would have a swipe access door where the student would be required to swipe their student card to gain entrance and I would imagine it would have CCTV as most of the time it would be unmanned.'

  'Do you want me to speak with Miss Wellbeck?'

  'It's OK Logan, I can ask PC Scott to check out that.' Within minutes Rachel had slid her mobile phone from her trousers pocket, selected Tanya's name in her contacts, typed in a message and clicked sent. 'There, Logan, sent and done. She'll let us know the minute she does. Now what was your real question?'

  'Real question?' asked Logan.

  'Yes, I don't trust Mark just the same as you don't but I don't feel that's all you had to say. So out with the rest!'

  Logan looked at Rachel, 'I think if we push him further we can get a lot more out of him then he is willing to say at moment.'

  'OK, but go gentle on him. I don't want him clamming up before he tells us everything. But please note, Logan, I think this may back fire on us.'

  'Noted,' Logan said begrudgingly.

  The pair re-entered Willow's office, Mark was still sat upon the couch. Rachel took a seat in what she presumed was Willow's yellow backed leather chair. Not your typical office chair on wheels, instead an all in one thin leather sewed cover attached to a metal frame with four legs, about seven centimetres wide at the top and narrowing to a point no wider than a female's high heeled pointed shoe. It was surprisingly comfortable though and the moment Rachel took a seat she was afraid she would never wish to get back up, she snuggled her back deeper as she could into the leather as it wrapped around her shoulder blades and she made a short almost silent sigh.

  Logan took a stance - legs slightly apart and arms folded - in front of Mark and looked straight at him before reaching into the inside pocket of his jacket and once more producing his notepad in his right hand and his pen in his left hand. This did not go unnoticed by Mark.

  'A lefty?'

  'That's correct, anything a matter with that Mr Jacobs?'

  'No, you are the same as me. We have at least one thing in common. I doubt very much that we have anything else though!'

  He was now on the edge of being impertinent and Logan just becoming increasingly determined to slap a pair of handcuffs on him. Rachel continued to sit back and observe with out comment, although the raised eyebrows at Mark's last comment was seen by Logan.

  'Mr Jacobs, what would you say to me if I said I didn't believe your alibi and that it was only a matter of time before we confirm you weren't where you said you were and that my theory is proved to be accurate?'

  Mark raised his hand upon his chin and rested there in 'The Thinker' pose, he held it for a few seconds before answering Logan.

  'I think you are very certain of that when you have no prove to callibrate your theory!'

  'It will only be a matter of time before we do though Mr Jacobs, so why don't you save us all a lot of time and start by telling us where you were and then we can start talking about why you would strangle your own girlfriend and dump her body like an ice cold killer I believe that you are!'

  Mark hutched himself forward on the couch and perched himself on the edge close enough that if a gust of wind blew through the room he would be knocked clean off and land bottom first on the floor beneath. Leaned forward and looked up at Logan with no sign of fear.

  'I didn't kill Catherine and no matter how much you interrogate me will that ever change, so why don't you run along now and find the person who did and give me the satisfaction to watch them been dragged behind a set of prison bars. Now that would be something new for you detectives. Wouldn't it?'

  'Cut out the bullshit Mr Jacobs, you were not studying in the Library until late. You have no one to testify where you were, so if you are as innocent as you say you are then what are you hiding from us? What are you afraid of, or should I say who are you afraid of, that you would be willing to cover up the truth about the murder of your girlfriend who you loved with all your heart and more?'

  Mark remained unexpectedly quiet at that moment, he kept his eyes locked onto Logan's but no words where offered from him before Logan looked over towards Rachel.

  'I'm not sure, DC Langley if you are barking up the right tree with this one. I think he might be telling the truth but I agree if he loved Catherine as he says he did, surely he would be forthcoming with all the information he had. I think you are right, he is lying but maybe not about being at the library.' Rachel looked over at Mark who she could see was attempting guesses at what Rachel was accusing him of lying about. She continued, 'I think he doesn't love Catherine like he claims he does. Maybe I'm wrong too, but he's lied about one or the other, maybe even about both.'

  'You are wrong. I loved Catherine more than any other woman in my life.'

  'An affair! I believe DCI Lambert. He loved Catherine more than any other woman in his life? What other women does he have in his life then. I suspect a mother, maybe-'

  '-I don't have a mother!' exclaimed Mark with a slightly raised voice.

  'No mother, eh? What happened, she run out on your father. Difficult to live with...'

  Before Logan was able to continue with what he was saying Mark had leapt to he feet and began marching towards him, prompting Rachel to also stand hastily and making a move towards the pair just.

  'My father is a great man, he raised me since I was six after my mother died of cancer. I don't come from a broken home where I wasn't given cuddles as a child. My father was both my mother and father and he has always been there for me. You'll be able to ask him as many personal questions about my childhood when he gets here and I can assure you he won't appreciate you accusing me of murder or sleeping around.'

  Mark remained on his feet only a few inches away from Logan breathing heavily as he spoke without taking a breathe.

  'Well that got a reaction, so now you have that off your chest and you have not shagged hundreds of women behind Catherine's back then tell me what are you hiding!'

  'Mark, what more do you know?' asked Rachel calmly attempting to take the heat out of the conversation.

  'Daisy.'

  'Whose Daisy?'

  'My ex. Daisy Reynolds. She's also a student here.'

  'What has she to do with this? You think she may have killed Catherine?'

  'I'm not saying that but both Catherine and myself received hate mail from her and death threats.'

  'Why hide that from us Mr Jacobs?' asked Logan.

  'I don't believe she could actually murder Catherine despite what she claims she would do,' Mark said before sitting back down with a look a sheer exhaustion.

  ◆◆◆

  'Do you still have the hate mail?' asked Rachel.

  'Yes it's in my room.'

  'We need to go and get that now.'

  'OK.'

  Mark rose
to his feet before following Rachel and Logan to the door and once out took the lead himself. His dorm room was just over fifteen minutes away on foot. The trio walked in silence across the university campus. The weather although mild had a chilly nip in the air that made Rachel fasten her coat all the way to the top while Mark walked with his hand thrust deep inside his jeans pockets and his shoulders clenched together. He was slim build, only weighing eight stone yet was five foot ten inches tall with a strong jaw line that was feminine in nature and a pointed nose above with an Native American skin complexion. His hair was slicked back in a ponytail set high on the back of his head enhancing the feminine quality he appeared to ooze. Logan, contemplated his true sexuality, was he hiding something in the closet that they should have been aware of. It was a conversation he wasn't going to attempt at the moment.

  They had been walking for ten minutes at a steady pace, Rachel had noticed how quiet the streets were that early on a Saturday morning, the usual Monday to Friday hustle and bustle of students milling from from lecture to lecture was missing and it gave her time to notice how special York University had become over the years since she had applied some years ago now. She hadn't wanted to apply, it was an appeases application she had submitted for her parents. Her father was happy for her to go a way for her time at University but her mother who had struggled to let her go as accommodatingly, wished for her to remain close. She had been accepted and achieved the adequate grades, however, with the help of her father's gentle persuasion, her mother reluctantly gave in to her demands.

  The University, itself, had been extensively renovated with millions been spent on the latest modern technology and new student accommodation had been added or replaced its existing dilapidated buildings. Back in 2010 the main library had over twenty million pounds spent on it boosting it's selection of materials on offer to students and the facilities had been vastly improved offering the students a completely new IT suite. Despite what Rachel's opinion of Stephanie Wellbeck was, she was certainly adamant to move York University forward to make it one of the top Universities in England.